Turbocharged Weekend In The Rockies - 2010 Diesels On The Mountain

2010’s Diesels On The Mountain At Bandimere Speedway

ATS Diesel will host the 2010 installment of Diesels On The Mountain at Bandimere Speedway’s Thunder Mountain located in Morrison, Colorado, as well as an ATS open house in Arvada, Colorado. Diesels On The Mountain and Truck Fest take place August 6-8. Competitors from across the US and Canada will converge in Colorado to battle for top honors in sled pulling, drag racing and the show-n-shine categories (many using one truck for all events). Cash, trophies and prizes will be awarded to top finishers.

Friday August 6th ATS will host an open house and Armed Services Appreciation BBQ for Colorado area military members at our Arvada facility. Activities at ATS will begin around 10:00 a.m. Various areas of ATS’ manufacturing plant and grounds will be open for tours for those interested in how our diesel upgrades are manufactured.

Saturday August 7th features the sled pull/ truck pull at Bandimere Speedway’s unique mountain-side venue. Action will take place in Bandimere’s outlying dirt lot with gates opening at 11:00 a.m. and pulls beginning at 1:00 p.m. All competitors and spectators are invited. Classes will range from stock trucks to heavily-modified dedicated pullers. 2010’s sled pull will be cosponsored and sanctioned by NSPA (National Sled Pullers Association) and will feature NSPA’s pulling sled which is one of the newest and latest technology sleds in the country.

Sunday August 8th Truck Fest transfers the excitement to the upper paved drag strip portion of Bandimere Speedway - sponsored by Cummins Rocky Mountain. Events for Sunday include drag racing, vendor midway, rock crawling, and show-n-shine competition starting at 8:00 a.m. Spectators will see some of the most unique and detailed vehicles in the truck genre. Many of the country’s fastest trucks will be in attendance to lay down impressive quarter mile times. As with Saturday, Sunday’s competition and spectator opportunities are open to everyone. Drag racing trucks are required to either have upward-firing exhaust stacks, or use a temporary exhaust turn-up pipe for this year’s racing. This change was made at the request of the track which must manage issues presented by smoke from trucks that can damage track property and disqualify racers due to issues with the timing light system. Clamp-on exhaust turn-up kits can be acquired by calling ATS directly.

Sounding A Sour Note - Utah's Congressional Bill To Ban Aftermarket Exhaust

Senator Patricia Jones from the Utah State Legislature recently introduced a bill (S.B. 106) this year which would effectively ban all aftermarket exhaust in the state. She must have missed her calling as a congressional rep in California..
The billed called for all vehicles to be equipped with an exhaust system that is “installed by the original manufacturer of the vehicle and is not modified; or meets specifications equivalent to the muffler installed by the original manufacturer of the vehicle and is not modified.” Each time that members of congress attempt to enact such laws one has to wonder if they realize the damage that they are doing to the economy and our freedoms. Whatever the initial intention was of this bill, it would be a lethal blow to many aftermarket companies who produce upgraded vehicle exhaust systems. Such laws can be compared to the ridiculous recent ban of all youth ATVs and motorcycles due to lead-based paint which has damaged the income and livelihood of countless companies.
OEM manufacturers are constrained to producing vehicle components cheaply in order to compete for price points in the market. This causes them to use lesser materials for things like exhaust systems. In contrast to aftermarket exhaust systems which are often produced out of stainless steel, the OEM system will typically be aluminized material. This leads to materials deteriorating over time and the advent of rusted pipes and mufflers which do not work as efficiently as intended (or as effectively as the aftermarket solutions). Whatever the initial intention is of bills like this one, the end result is lower quality products for consumers and less competition to drive innovation.
As is typical with bills such as S.B. 106 much of the enforcement by law officials would be left to subjective judgment as to whether the exhaust was in violation.
Luckily, for anyone who values freedom, within the past couple of days S.B. 106 was terminated for the remainder of the 2010 legislative year. Perhaps this was due to an overwhelming landslide of complaints from constituents who heard the news about the plan. Whatever the cause for the 2010 cap of the bill, aftermarket enthusiasts can almost certainly count on it rearing it's head once again in the near future. Emailing and calling congress members will continue to be critical in ensuring that more power-grabs like this don't become law.