Ram 2500 Diesel Runs 12s with a Manual Transmission

Ram 2500 weighs almost 8,000 pounds, but the big diesel torque and driver skill leads to impressive times.

In many cases, the vehicles that we feature for Track Time Tuesday are running in the 8- or 9-second quarter mile range, but the Ram Heavy Duty in the video above is running in the high-12-second range. Some might not find that impressive, but when you look at the details of this truck, that is a pretty insane number for a street-driven pickup. Not only does this truck from the YouTube channel of RobertP weigh 7,800 pounds, but it is powered by a lightly-worked diesel engine that is mated to a manual transmission.

In short, this truck weighs nearly four tons, yet the driver is getting down the track in the 12-second range while rowing his own gears in what appears to be full street form.

12-Second Ram HD

This video was sent to us by Robert Powell, who was the driver of this Ram 2500 when the video was recorded back in 2008. Back then, it would have been a Dodge Ram 2500, and as you can see, it has the long bed and the long cab. It has a large toolbox mounted in the bed and while we don’t see any 4×4 badges, it certainly sits like a four-wheel-drive truck. We also know that it is powered by a Cummins turbo diesel engine that is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, and when you put that drivetrain in a Ram truck of this size, you end up with a vehicle that weighs a whopping 7,800 pounds.

A 7,800-pound Ram Heavy Duty with a manual transmission is likely one of the last vehicles that you would expect to see running in the 12s, but that is the case here. The owner added 65-lpm Industrial Injection fuel injectors, the turbocharger from a second generation Cummins Ram and twin injection pumps, leading to big power, but it still isn’t what you might expect from a quick track truck, with the huge wheels and work-rated tires.

This is most certainly a case of how looks can be deceiving at the drag strip.

Battle of the Rams

The video above is nearly two-and-a-half minutes long, but the trucks don’t actually stage until around the 1:50 mark. We can’t see what is going on down the track, but there is a delay before the two Ram trucks finally get ready to run.

We can’t see the starting tree at Maryland International Raceway, but we can hear both trucks increase engine speed as they prepare to launch. The black truck in the far lane is the focus of this piece, and the driver quickly gets out to an early lead. From there, he keeps the hammer down with soot pouring from the exhaust through the top end beams, stopping the timer with a 12.92 at 108 miles per hour. With a performance like that, this 7,800-pound, manually-shifted, diesel-powered heavy duty truck is as quick as some stock SRT cars.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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