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It was hard to ignore the big news coming from Ring Racing last week leading up to Lights Out 15. What can only be described as another major leap forward for the diesel racing world, Ring Racing owner Jared Ring revealed a metamorphosis of sorts to an already incredible 2016 Cadillac ATS-V, previously owned by Larry Larson of Street Outlaws No Prep Kings. The well-known Cadillac is now equipped with radial tires and a 415 cid Cummins engine built by Freedom Racing Engines.
Jared Ring acquired the Cadillac in 2023, after Larson completed his No Prep Kings schedule. After the conclusion of the No Prep Kings season, Ring Racing upgrading the vehicle, delivering a new billet Cummins engine to Larson Race Cars. The car, featuring its new enhancements, was picked up in December 2023.
Freedom Racing Engines began the Cummins build with a 6.7L billet block that the shop proceeded to outfit with Diamond pistons and a billet Winberg crankshaft. The block is topped with a custom billet cylinder head that features a 1X Precision header and exhaust. A Nitrous Express kit and water injection aid in the diesel engine’s performance, along with the same Harts turbo that had been under the hood since 2020, paired with Turbosmart wastegates. The Cummins is backed by a Rossler three-speed transmission and Neal Chance converter combination.
Tin Solder Race Cars assisted in the chassis setup, which rides on Menscer shocks. Carmack Engineering supplied a third member with a Scheid 2.73 rear gear housed within a Strange Engineering modular housing with Strange axles and carbon-fiber brakes.
The 2024 season brings exciting partnerships to the forefront as well, with S&S Diesel Motorsport joining as the title sponsor for the Cadillac. S&S not only provided the fuel system, but also fitted the car with its MoTeC M142 ECU and MoTeC support throughout the season.
Daniel Pierce, known for his successes in the diesel and radial scene, is transitioning to a crew chief role for the 2024 season. Pierce is focused on the Cadillac as compared to Frosty 2.0, Ring Racing’s full-sized truck, due to the Cadillac’s shorter wheelbase, better weight bias and improved aerodynamics, which make it a more formidable drag racing machine.
Ring Racing’s ambitious goal for the season is to become the first diesel-powered vehicle to break into the 3.70s. They begun that quest at Donald Long’s Light Out 15 last week, marking Jared Ring’s first time down the track in an actual door car. The first full pass turned out to be a 4.37 at 165 mph. Now, Jared says, they begin to chip away.
Throughout the week and weekend at Lights Out 15, Ring was able to achieve a best ET of 4.09 at 181 mph. There’s still some work to be done, but its another build showcasing how far diesel racing has gone, and where it still strives to go.
Diesel of the Week is sponsored by AMSOIL. If you have an engine you’d like to highlight in this series, please email Engine Builder Editor Greg Jones at [email protected].
