We love diesel drag racing here at Diesel Army, but every time we see a semi-truck drag race we settle into our seats for a leisurely launch and a predictable stroll down the lanes. So when we came across this video we sat up and blinked our eyes in amazement. This Detroit Diesel powered International is not your average long-haul rig.
Pulling into staging this truck looks like any other older semi, that is until he gives away the secret to his blistering run. Purging his multi-stage nitrous-oxide system the International of “El Septico Racing” shows onlookers what he’s got hiding under the hood.
Building boost at the lights, the driver creeps his rig through the beams, watching the tree. A quick reaction time launch, and the truck leaps out of the hole. It sounds like he pedals the diesel rig off the line because compressor surge noise is as pronounced as the chirping of his massive rear slicks.
The suspension of this International drag truck could use a little tuning as the rear end flutters up and down fighting for traction while the Detroit powerplant puts down the nitrous fed power.
Obscured mid-track by a huge cloud of smoke, we lose sight of the truck but clearly hear two loud pops. Nitrous backfires on his first upshift and down track as a lean condition miss-times the firing.
Trucks like this running on the edge are always exciting, we will have to see if he gets his suspension and jets sorted out and check back another time!