COLORADO HORSEPOWER WARS RUNNING THE GAUNTLET AT ATS DIESEL

How much power does it make? It’s perhaps the first question that’s asked of any hot rod, diesel or otherwise. Dyno numbers are great for bragging rights, and winners can carry their accomplishments for entire years and beyond. For the past few springs, ATS Diesel in Arvada, Colorado, has held an annual dyno throwdown just as the winter weather starts to thaw. Competitors have come from all over the country and Canada for this $500 buy-in, winner-take-all event. This year it’s ten trucks, one dyno, and it’s anyone’s game. Welcome to ATS Diesel’s 2018 Gauntlet Challenge and Let-it-roll Dyno Day.

First up was a quick driver’s meeting with Clint Cannon, the owner of ATS. The rules were simple: Overall score would be determined by horsepower and torque combined, any amount of turbos or poweradders were legal, and the truck had to drive off the dyno under its own power. The last rule is more of a safety issue, as time-bomb trucks can be dangerous to both owners and spectators. Each competitor would get 30 minutes to make as much power as he could, with last year’s winner Randy Reyes choosing to be the final tester so he could defend his title. Outside, there was a truck show and also a second dyno that was rolling all day thanks to the Northwest Dyno Circuit (NWDC) that had its own group of classes. With the rollers on the Mustang and Superflow dynos warmed up, it was time to hit it!