By Marcus Huff
Staff Writer 

Custom diesel drag racers represent Worland across the West

 

May 13, 2016

Marcus Huff

Diesel Pickup Specialists owner Michael Baugh with the many awards the shop has won for NHRDA drag racing.

WORLAND – The first thing you notice when you walk in is the smell of fuel. The second is the rock and roll blaring over the garage speakers. In the last bay at Diesel Pickup Specialists (DPS) of Worland, owner Michael Baugh is working on customer Dan Madden's prize-winning CAT-AMAX, a custom diesel truck that has just returned from another winning tour of the drag circuit.

For the past several years, since building the truck, Madden (owner of Madden Farms) and Baugh have toured the Northwest Dyno Circuit, competing in drag races, tractor pulls, and exhibitions of the vehicle's power. "He pulls about 950 horsepower in the single turbo class," remarked Baugh, "but it'll pull about 1,237 horses when we kick on the nitrous."


Most recently, the CAT-AMAX competed in the Desert Diesel Nationals, a National Hot Rod Diesel Association (NHRDA) sanctioned event in Phoenix, Ariz. "We entered the drag race and blew the tranny during the time trials," noted Baugh. "I took it up to Salt Lake [City] for the Ultimate Callout Challenge, and had to rebuild the transmission in the parking lot," laughed Baugh, "that really sucked."


Running three more competitions including drags, tractor pulls and a horsepower test, the CAT-AMAX finished 16th out of 28 trucks in the three-event cycle, ending on May 6. At the Dyno Industrial Injection competition, the truck won first place in the single-turbo class, brining yet another trophy home for Madden and DPS.

The next competition for the DPS crew will be June 3 in Denver, at a NHRDA event in Denver, where last year the CAT-AMAX place second in the drag race, and first in the tractor pull. On June 25, DPS and Madden will host a NHRDA sanctioned Dirt Drag at Madden Farm, here in Worland.

"Folks should really come out and watch, and bring their cars and trucks to show off," said Baugh, "it's pretty cool stuff."

 
 

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