2022 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza Drag Racing: The Fastest Diesels In The World Descend On Rural Indiana

• September 1, 2022
• Story By
  Mike McGlothlin

The Scheid Diesel Extravaganza is well-known for its top-tier truck and tractor pull, but the drag racing that occurs here is some of the best in the business as well. In 2022, the fastest diesels in the world lit up the eighth-mile track at Wagler Motorsports Park with record-breaking passes, countless door-to-door battles, and index and bracket races that were right on the money. And because the Scheid affair marked the second to last stop on the Outlaw Diesel Super Series race schedule, the fight for the remainder of championship points was fierce. With more than 100 trucks competing and strong representation from the Cummins, Duramax and Power Stroke camps (i.e. Ram, GM and Ford), this year’s drag racing was as eventful as it’s ever been. Need more proof that this is the late-summer blockbuster you can’t afford to miss? Keep scrolling.

Record-Setting Pro Mod Pass

Ben Shadday has been heating up in the diesel Pro Mod category this season, with his split-window ’63 Corvette running quicker and quicker each time out. Right off the bat, Ben ran a 4.20-second qualifier at 174 mph. Then he would re-set the ODSS Pro Mod record with a blazing 4.16 at 178 mph. And for the icing on the cake, Ben also walked away the Pro Mod winner at the Extravaganza. He now sits second in points within the Pro Mod standings and is poised to win the championship this year.

New 6.0L Power Stroke Record

Things weren’t peachy in the early going for Austin Denny and his Pro Street Super Duty, but it all worked out in the end. After losing one of the two high-pressure oil pumps aboard his 6.0L Power Stroke, Austin returned to not only win the Pro Street class but also put up a new 6.0L record along the way. His 5.28 at 136 mph in the final round—against Justin Zeigler’s U.C.C.-winning Dodge, no less—marked one of the highest points in Austin’s racing career thus far. He, along with invaluable help from some of the biggest names in the industry, has proven that the 6.0L Power Stroke can compete within the top ranks of diesel drag racing.

Breaking Out Never Felt So Good

Nathan Bandstra’s standard cab Silverado is one of a handful of 5.90 Index vehicles that boasts a Duramax under the hood—proof that the GM V-8 can handle repeat 1,500hp passes in uber-reliable fashion. But Nathan’s setup is different in that he’s sticking it out with the Allison 1000, a transmission that isn’t exactly known for its quick-shifting abilities or longevity in high-horsepower applications. On the heels of the Allison elapsed time record of 5.61, Nathan put up a 5.66 at the Extravaganza. And even though the pass eliminated him from 5.90 contention, it proved he’d solved an electrical gremlin he’d been chasing all weekend.

Battling In ET Bracket

Pulling double-duty in the ET Bracket class, Ken Phillips piloted both his third-gen Cummins and this new addition in his racing stable, a standard cab Duramax. He would end up taking the classic body Bow Tie to the final round of competition, ultimately collecting Second Place points on the weekend. Heading into the final race of the season, Rudy’s Fall Truck Jam, Ken holds both the First and Second place point positions in the ET class standings. The trophy now within sight, look for the driver of this red beast to be as locked-in as any racer competing at the season finale on October 1^st.  

A Diverse Turnout

In total, 99 ODSS-registered competitors made the call at the drag strip, not to mention all the trucks that were signed up in Test ‘n Tune. The ET Bracket class always attracts a wide array of vehicles, with everything from late-model Ford, GM and Ram ¾-ton and 1-tons to VW TDI’s, BMW 335d’s and even double-classing, 7.70 Index racers. ET Bracket is also a great fit for the first-gen Cummins crowd and we spotted several of them at Scheid’s this year. Although versions equipped with the VE-pumped 5.9L Cummins are fuel-limited, which is to say horsepower-handicapped, we still witnessed one first-gen knocking down mid 8’s in the eighth-mile.

1,800 HP In Disguise

With a Pro Street engine still in the works, Josh McCormack brought one of his daily drivers to the Extravaganza. And even though his black-on-black, NT420V-equipped third-gen doesn’t exactly look stock, few would suspect just how powerful the truck truly is. Josh told us the four-door short bed was capable of turning out 1,800 hp on fuel—and with a best pass through the ‘660 of 6.11 seconds that number seems pretty accurate. This is the kind of streetable sleeper that can show up anywhere and take your money.

’01-’07 Chevy HD’s—The Lightweight(ish) Drag Racing Platform In Diesel

Duramax-powered, inherently lighter than the competition and equipped with the right IFS upgrades, the ’01-’07 classic body Chevrolet and GMC HD’s make great drag racing candidates. Even in crew cab form, they can be made to weigh in under 7,000 pounds on race day, while comparable four-door models from Ford and Dodge from the same era are 500 to 1,000 pounds heavier. It’s no wonder this platform is successfully campaigned by so many diesel drag racers.

An Old Favorite

Watching the Scheid Diesel rail blast through the eighth-mile is a thrill that never gets old. With its compound turbocharged, P-pumped, billet-aluminum Cummins available for full viewing and not trapped under a hood, Scheid’s rail is easy on the eyes. But make no mistake, all of that eye candy is put to good use each time it hits the track—and low 4’s are the norm. Driver Jared Jones would kick things off in the Pro Dragster category with a 4.29-second pass at 181 mph and knock a tenth off later on with a 4.19. Unfortunately, the rail would be retired early after a cam gear failure led to a bit of engine carnage. Mattie Graves of the Hollyrock Customs camp, behind the wheel of a twin-turbo’d Duramax-powered rail, would get the W in the Pro Dragster class for the weekend.