Bad weather has adversely affected most of the major diesel events during the 2019 season, with rain falling and storms raging before, during, and after many of them. Promoters, racers, vendors, and spectators have grown accustomed to seeking shelter at some point during an event to wait out a storm or two. In the weeks preceding RLC Motorsports’ sixth-annual Rocky Top Diesel Shootout, eastern Tennessee experienced extreme weather, with temperatures in the high 90s accompanied by high humidity and several thunderstorms, so it looked like we wouldn’t get a break from the weather that’s haunted diesel drag racing thus far in 2019. Then, as the days drew closer, the forecast began to show lower temperatures in the low- to mid-80s with mostly sunny skies.
When race day came around on Friday July 26, the forecast held true and the diesel community was treated to the best weather we have seen for a major diesel event in years, with mostly clear skies and highs in the mid-80s! Over the weekend, around 5,000 spectators enjoyed great side-by-side drag racing as well as the chance to check out some of the best rigs in the region during the show-’n’-shine competition. Manufacturer representatives and shop staff were on hand to answer questions and demonstrate the latest and greatest diesel-performance products. The crowds were also entertained by Jesse Toler and Dale Kiesgen as they performed thrilling motorcycle stunt shows up and down the dragstrip between rounds on each day.
The RLC Motorsports crew even had something fun on tap for the kids—a foot race down the track on Friday night, but with a unique twist: The track was scattered with $1 bills, giving the kids a chance to run for the win or pick up cash on the way. They ran fast and went for the cash, with some coming away with a handful of green.
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Diesel Power.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Diesel Power.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
EXTRAVAGANZA EXTRAORDINAIRE
EVERY YEAR, Scheid Diesel Extravaganza continues to increase in stature and draw people by the thousands from all over the U.S., Canada, and a few other points around the globe, to the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds in Terra Haute, Indiana.
BUILDERS' CHOICE
SHOW-WINNING, CUMMINS-POWERED ’47 INTERNATIONAL IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A BEAUTY QUEEN
Getting (Un)Stuck
IN THE FIRST installment of this series, I explained how I, along with my wife and two dogs, took Vincent Van Go, my new-tome ’03 Ford E-350 with the venerable 7.3L powerplant, on his first adventure—and wound up at a secluded campsite (aptly named Camp Nada Lotta) in the Southern California desert.
BEST BUY
JOHNNY GILBERT DIDN’T HAVE TO LOOK FAR TO FIND THIS 800HP TOW RIG
Stand Tall
Our ’95 Ford F-350 Two-Wheel-Drive Dualie Gets Leveled and a Fresh Front End
Monster Mega
Magazine-influenced ’07 Dodge Ram Sports Unique Mods And A 650Hp Cummins
2020 Heavy-Duty Diesel Truck And Van Buyer's Guide
Four-Digit Torque Is Here
Van Life
AFTER MORE than 12 years as managing editor of Diesel Power,
Rocky Top Diesel Shootout 6
Great Racing + Great Weather = Perfect Weekend!
Torque: Rotary Diesel No Pistons Needed
Building a diesel engine that does not use traditional pistons may seem odd, but in today’s modern age of high efficiency, low emissions, and weight reduction, an engine with a nonconventional rotor may be the key to things to come.
