No television coverage or YouTube video will ever compare to the sounds and sensations of a truck pull in person. Liken it to being next to the track during a Top Fuel run versus watching it on a screen…you don’t get the impact in the chest, or hear the roar that sounds like your world is ripping apart for a few seconds. At a truck pull, it’s different but equally awesome. You don’t truly get that sensation of anticipation as the turbochargers spool up. You don’t hear the pressure change as the boost hits the sweet spot, and you do not get the full effect of what happens when power starts turning tire and the implement hooked to the front of the weighted sled starts to roll forward. The roar that comes from the diesels once the boost really starts to work is something to behold…that moan can vibrate you if you’re close enough, and as you smell the smoke and churned earth, you wait for the next one to line up, over and over again.
A pulling event should be on your calendar at some point. You have to experience the spectacle for yourself. But to tide you over until you track down one near you, here’s some footage from the 2018 Watson Diesel Michigan Nationals. All of it is good, but that Dodge Big Horn in the Hot Rod Semi class is something to behold!