AND THE WINNER IS
DNR Customs / Derek Rose!
It takes one heck of a truck and team to win at UCC, and nobody could have embodied the spirit of UCC better this year than Derek Rose. After finishing on the podium the last couple years, he spent countless hours and dollars lightening his entire truck in the six months leading up to the event so it could be as close as possible to UCC’S 4,500-pound weight minimum. He also tested in the mid 5s in the eighth-mile and was one of the quickest trucks coming into UCC 2019.
Derek has always been strong on the dyno, but he really nailed it this year by concentrating on both horsepower AND torque, which proved huge in the overall score. UCC’S weighted scoring system gives extra points for really trouncing your opponents, and with more than 200 hp and 400 lb-ft on the entire field, Derek had a big lead coming into the pulls. He also brought the most trussed-up rear axle we’ve ever seen in preparation for the sled pull, which was good because in the past he’s only been mediocre (sorry, Derek!). Perhaps the biggest key is that in the past few years, Derek has been on a hurt engine or hurt truck going into the pulls. This year he wasn’t and was able to pull a strong fifth place. Combined with a first on the dyno and first place qualifying at the drags, Derek was the well-deserved winner for 2019, and we look forward to him coming back to defend his crown in 2020! A huge shoutout also to Shawn Baca for nabbing second and Todd Welch for finishing in third. While they were strong competitors, Derek was just a little stronger.