If there is one thing that we can pretty much bank on each and every year at the Diesel Power Challenge it is the fact that the weather at Bandimere won’t exactly be “normal”. We have had years of high heat, years of bone-chilling cold, and years of rain. In 2015 we had all of that in ONE DAY. Technically two days but you get where we are going. Normally we complete three events in one day at the DPC while at Bandimere. Obstacle course, eighth mile trailer tow, and drag race. Because of the rain, we got qualifying and early eliminations in before returning the next day and waiting through more rain and delay before getting most of the runs in and then getting washed out again for the finals, which were awarded to Levon Miller as he had laid down the quickest pass of the event to that point.
Breakage, weather, and weirdness made for some interesting days. Rick Fox made it very deep in the competition without having to actually race someone the way that things fell for him and there were some good hole shot wins to go along with everything else. The rules have changed for the 2016 Diesel Power Challenge and Lavon Miller (after winning back to back titles) will not be brought back as the returning champion. 10 fresh trucks will make up the field for 2016 and those 10 will need to (apparently) comply with emissions laws and retain their factory equipment. Apparently the goal is to bring the competition back in line with more modern street stock trucks. We can understand the need to get away from the trucks that are fog banking the track with smoke and belching soot as they go down the road but we can also see the fan appeal in including rigs like Miller’s which are built to the hilt. It’ll be interesting.
Either way, I sure hope I am able to go back. It is a fun event!
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE DRAG RACE AT BANDIMERE
