Drag racers generally tend to leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of finding and exceeding the limits of practically anything that could physically be run down the quarter mile. And because diesel-powered vehicles stand near the forefront of technological advancements in this day and age of overpriced crude oil and high emissions standards, it’s only natural that diesel engines be given some attention in the world of drag racing. But while diesel-powered race cars are nothing new to the sport, the level to which racers push the envelope with this extracurricular form of power continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

The guys at Nitrous Express, based in northern Texas, have acquired a 282″ Dave Uyehara-built Top Alcohol Dragster chassis that will be powered by none other than a 7.0-liter, GM DuraMax diesel engine sporting a turbocharger on top and fed, of course, by a NX nitrous oxide system. The DuraMax mill will be mated up to an XP5 Powerglide transmission from Hughes Performance paired with a lockup-style torque converter.

Below is a look at the internal components being utilized in this unique engine combination.

• DuraMax 7.0 liter
• GM block
• Bullet Cams 4.00” stroke crankshaft
• Crower billet steel Rods
• Mahle custom pistons 4.125 bore
• Total Seal Rings
• MaxSpool Camshaft
• GM lifters, pushrods, and rocker arms
• ZZ Custom Fabrication cylinder heads with custom porting and beryllium copper seats
• REV valves, springs and titanium retainers
• ZZ Custom Fabrication sheet metal intake manifold
• MWR custom oil pan
• Curtis Halvorson billet oil pump
• Custom Valve covers by S&T Steel
• GM gaskets
• Industrial Injection turbocharger, injectors and fuel pump

The engine was recently dyno’ed at Keeter Performance and Engineering near the Nitrous Express facility, cranking out an impressive 1,200 horsepower that should propel this unique “digger” into the six-second zone if all goes well. Nitrous Express plans on having the car on the track sometime in March, so stay tuned as those performance figures start to roll in.