by Marvin T. Smith
When the engine smoke is black, and the tire smoke is white, you know its time for the diesel drags. The National Hot Rod Diesel Association presented its Division 4 Championships at South Georgia Motorsports Park on Saturday, September 19. Four classes were contested. All vehicles had to meet NHRA safety rules.
The NHRDA Sportsman ET class was a dial-your-own bracket race. Roger Bishop, from Davie Florida, took his 2008 Fort to the win over Kurt Lincoln’s 1998 Dodge. Lincoln took the reaction time advantage, but failed to run his number. Bishop’s winning time was 13.130 at 91.63 mph.
In the heads-up NHRDA Super Street class for DOT tire trucks with two wheel drive (5000 lbs minimum weight) or four wheel drive (6000 lbs minimum weight),Will Jones took his 1995 Dodge to the win. After qualifying number one with a 12.205 at 109.02, Jones went on to score low elapsed time (12.171) and top speed (109.40) and beat Robert Shaw in the finals. Jones’ 12.17 was too much for Shaw’s 12.98.
NHRDA Pro Street, a heads-up class with a 4500 lbs. minimum weight and no tire limitation, boiled down to Micky Davis and Philip Palmer. Davis cruised to a 17.169 win in his 1977 Dodge when Palmer broke.
The showcase class for the event was Pro Stock for tubular chassis trucks. This class is based somewhat on NHRA Pro Stock, but with diesel power. The current records are 7.77 at 180.00 mph. Only one truck showed up to race, but Darren Morrison put on quite a show with his Chevy truck. In the last run on Saturday, Morrison lit up the scoreboards with a 7.607 at 168.32 mph, well under the current elapsed time record. Unfortunately, the 60 foot clocks showed that the time was not accurate. Apparently Morrison’s turbo pop-off valve dumps sooty black smoke right behind the front wheel giving the truck a longer run-out before the clocks start. Nonetheless, this is one quick truck!
