The annual Big Sky Nationals hosted by G&J Diesel out of Billings, Montana, is an event in every sense of the word. It was not simply just a drag race or sled pull-there were vendors with products at rock-bottom prices, a dynamometer for those who wanted to test their diesel's horsepower, an awesome barbeque, and more. The vehicles that attended were also top-notch, such as Chad Riley's '67 Camaro drag car, which is powered by a 5.9L common-rail Cummins.
On Friday morning, Brad Makinen hosted an open house at his shop, G&J Diesel, where we got our fill of dynoing, eating, and just hanging around. G&J also had its doors open to the public, so people could check out rigs, and even work on their own truck if they needed to. Friday night was a test and tune at the dragstrip, where competitors dialed in their combinations for the following day's races.
Saturday saw the beginning of diesel drag racing, presented by the National Hot Rod Diesel Association (NHRDA). Everything from daily drivers to drag vehicles went down the quarter-mile, with times ranging from 10 to 15 seconds, but most trucks were in the 12s or 13s. There were three classes to choose from-Sportsman E.T., Pro Street, and Pro Stock Diesel. The Pro classes featured weight minimums and allowed competitors to run racing slicks, while Sportsman E.T. was reserved for street-driven trucks on DOT tires.
As night fell, it was off to the sled pulling track where it was run-what-ya-brung time. There was a regular 8,000-pound diesel class, but there were also lightweight and heavyweight classes in which diesels could compete against gas-powered vehicles. It made for some interesting pulling, and since diesel trucks usually win, we'd like to see more of it. The relaxed-pace sled pull went far into the night, and there was even a truck tug-of-war to keep things interesting.
At the end of the night, many people didn't want to leave and instead barbequed some more food and listened to rock 'n' roll music as the night wore down and morning began. Almost everybody that came left happy and full of diesel drag racing, sled pulling, dynoing, and good company.
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