Courtesy of Engine Builder
To people outside of the competition drag racing world, it may look like racers just build a fast car and then race it down the track for a few seconds. I’ll be the first one to admit that before I dove headfirst into the industry, I wasn’t aware of the intricacies of the sport and the insane amount of science, engineering, planning and prep that goes into a proper drag race build – all for a few seconds of barreling down the track.
A proper chassis, tires and transmission are all pieces of the pie, but the blueprint for a competitive race car (or truck) ultimately starts with the engine – and the goals you want it to achieve. While there are a few viable choices as a base, the 6.7L Cummins is certainly a standout in terms of raw horsepower capability and reliability in the diesel landscape. Diesel motorsports have progressed far enough over the past 20 years that some builders out there have all but perfected the art of building a good Cummins engine. Johnny Gilbert of Stainless Diesel recently worked with Jeremy Wagler and Wagler Competition to do just that.
Stainless Diesel is a family-owned business specializing in single and twin-turbo piping kits, billet 5-blade turbo upgrade compressor wheels, and personalized complete turbochargers. Outside of supplying shops with cutting-edge products and manufacturers their own Stainless exhaust manifold, owner Johnny Gilbert and his team of racers, pullers and chassis builders have made a name for themselves in the motorsports community.
