Perfect Summer Nights

Nothing like the first truck pull of the season to get my blood pumping. This year I didn’t even have to wait for the Idaho weather to cooperate. I jumped in a plane and headed to Franklin, Ky., to experience the diesel lifestyle in the Midwest though the TS Performance Outlaw Diesel Garage Truck Pulls.

The first thing I saw as I pulled into my hotel parking lot was the Air Dog Diesel truck, which immediately put me in a good mood and allowed me to forget that I had spent the whole day breathing recycled air. By 8 p.m. every stall had a diesel truck, but more importantly, the empty field next to the hotel was filled with trucks that didn’t have to bother staying between the yellow lines.

Day One

On Friday morning, I woke up early and headed down to the drag races. The overcast skies didn’t deter diesel fans from filling the grandstands. Forget football games; these fans knew how to tailgate. People backed their trucks right up to the drag strip, dropped the gates and pulled out their lawn chairs. You could tell the crowd was ready.

Mother Nature had different plans, but the fans stayed even as it began to lightly rain. When the downpour set in a couple of runs later, the organizers were forced to call it for the day.

That night, the qualifiers for the truck pull took place. I left early to get there and it still took 20 minutes to get into the parking lot. Traffic was backed up a half mile in two directions. As I walked to the stands, I could feel the crowd getting pumped up. The pulls started and about 10 trucks into the 2.6 class, downpour number two of the day set in. Once again, the event was called, which was kind of a bummer because everyone was so excited. Kentucky mud can’t be contained.

Day Two

Saturday I headed over to the Show and Shine at the fairgrounds. The drags had been rescheduled for the morning so I had a lot to do. Plus I couldn’t miss the Miss TS Outlaw bikini contest.

Finally, we had a beautiful day to enjoy the festivities with. People lined up their trucks, while vendors set up shop with their aftermarket upgrades and contests. Jarrod Albright even won a brand new Industrial Injection turbo in a cornhole game. It took him six bags to hit the grand prize hole. Rev-X partnered with us here at Diesel Tech magazine to hand out trial subscriptions. Besides that, Rev-X showed me a great time by introducing me to a lot of important industry insiders from places like Little Shop of Power and Complete Performance.

The competition between the 75 trucks in the Show and Shine was tough because they were all impressive, but it was Ultimate Diesel’s Ford that ended up taking home the Best in Show award.

For the TS Outlaw Bikini contest, the women lined up on Complete Performance’s diesel trailer. Ironically, the winner, Melanie Powell, is from my hometown in Idaho Falls, Idaho. We both traveled across the country to take part in this diesel event. She got the honor of being crowned a beauty, while I took the liberty of telling anyone who would listen how hot the women of Idaho are.

That night, the truck pulls were back in business. The weather was perfect and they had three sleds running at one time. The action was everywhere and the crowd couldn’t get enough.

Overall, 10,000 people came out to enjoy this event. You can’t help but have a good time when you’re in a crowd of hardworking, coal rolling, true blood diesel diehards. Thanks to TS Performance and Rev-X for a great time.