It’s not easy defending a championship. When you’re number one on the podium it puts a big target on your back and you know all of your competitors are working overtime to try and knock you off. Justin Zeigler, the 2021 Ultimate Callout Challenge champion, found out just how hard it is to repeat that winning performance as records were broken at the 2022 event and competition reached new extremes. Despite 10 of the 15 trucks recording eighth-mile times of five seconds or less and seven trucks posting 2,300hp or higher on the dyno, Team Zeigler successfully defended its title.

The 2022 UCC in Indianapolis, Ind., did not disappoint as the diesel truck industry came together once again at the legendary Lucas Oil Raceway. The one-of-a-kind event brings out the best-of-the-best in the diesel industry as trucks compete on the biggest stage in a drag race competition, dyno run, as well as a sled pull – some even with the same truck – to determine a champion and ultimate bragging rights. In prior UCC competitions the same truck needed to run in all three events but a format change this year allowed teams to enter different trucks to increase the number of competitors.

Day One Drag Race

The three-day weekend kicked off with the UCC Competitors Drag Race, where the trucks earned points for their fastest timed runs. Seeing three trucks get under five seconds set the tone for the event and proved the trucks that came were there to compete.

Derek Rose earned top honors in the drags with a blistering 4.737-second pass on the eighth-mile strip in his 2006 Dodge RAM 2500. After a stint in professional motocross in the early 2000s, Rose turned his attention to the diesel performance scene. In 2006 he founded the Michigan-based tuning shop, DNR Customs, initially focusing on fundamentals as the industry itself continued to evolve.

As the owner of a shop called Dirty Hooker Diesel, Tony Burkhard can safely be considered an experienced sled puller, but on this day he took second on the drag strip with a 4.96-second pass. Burkhard’s truck, a 2006 Chevy 2500HD with a 6.6L Duramax engine, improved on its 2021 time of 5.115 seconds that earned him first in the drags and third overall last year.

Close behind in third place was Zeigler from Zeigler Diesel Performance with a 4.997-second timed run in his 2006 Dodge RAM 6.7L Cummins. You know the competition is stiff when someone such as Dmitri Millard posts a run under 6 seconds (5.61) and it’s only good for 10th place on this day!

Full Schedule

The action was non-stop this year with the addition of the Outlaw Diesel Super Series once again being part of the UCC weekend. The owners of Scheid Diesel, RLC Motorsports, TS Performance, and Rudy’s Diesel Performance operate some of the best diesel drag racing and diesel pulling events in the nation. Each business owner/promoter is committed to delivering a high-quality, action-packed event that attracts thousands of diesel fans. So on Friday and Saturday between the UCC trucks competing, the ODSS races kept the action moving.

The fifth annual Diesel Performance Industry Expo (DPI Expo) was also part of the fun as vendors came together with a goal to make this event the premier diesel performance, aftermarket and specialty products expo in the world. UCC attendees were also encouraged to run their own trucks at the AMSOIL NWDC fan dyno challenge as well as compete in the AMSOIL Show N Shine.

Day Two Dyno

Remember when the thought of a diesel truck breaking 2,000hp on the dyno seemed out of reach? At the UCC there were seven trucks that reached this mark, which means someone like Josh McCormack who recorded 2,342.4hp and 2,908.3 ft/lbs. of torque somehow only came in at seventh place in the dyno competition. That says a lot about the trucks that compete each year at the UCC.

After finishing third in the drags the day before, Zeigler followed up with a first place finish on the dyno and it wasn’t even close. His record-breaking 3,336hp and 3,642 ft/lbs. of torque shook the stands harder than the poor chassis dyno. It was truly a cause for celebration as the once-thought-impossible number of 3K horsepower had been reached and then some. His run stole the show and his numbers (along with the surprisingly strong straps that managed to hold the truck back) were the talk of the rest of the weekend.

Rose put up 2,621.1hp and 3,677.3 ft/lbs. of torque in the second run of the day and his numbers put him in the lead…until the last truck of the day, which was Zeigler, bumped Rose into second.

The difference between second and third was surprisingly close as Rose just barely edged out Chris Patterson who took home third place on the dyno with 2,614.7hp and 3,611.4 ft/lbs. of torque. For you non-math majors out there it means the difference between second and third on this day was only 6.4hp and 65.9 ft/lbs. of torque.

Patterson also gets props for getting six pulls on the dyno within the 30-minute time limit without ever turning his truck off to cool down. His runs were 2,422hp, 1734hp, 1983hp, 2,406hp, 2,614hp and 2,544hp and the engine held strong. After coming up just short of second place, I’m sure Patterson would have liked a seventh run if time hadn’t run out.

Day Three Sled Pull

The third and final day once again brought a lot of excitement as the last UCC competition event played out on the dirt with the sled pulls. In recent years, this was a one-truck event. However, UCC has adopted the team aspect for this challenge where each team had the choice to either use the same truck they used for the drag and dyno competition in the sled pull or use someone else as their sled-pulling option.

Unlike the previous year where six of the trucks who entered weren’t able to compete in the third event because of breakdowns, it was nice under this new format that all 15 teams finished. However, you have to respect and give props to the five drivers who competed in all three events with the same truck: Patterson (4), “Turba” Tom Borrell (9), Dave Martin (13), Eric Merchant (14), and Robby Garcia (15).

The Quality Diesel Performance Team recorded the only full pull of the day to finish in first place with a 308-foot pull. Quality Diesel Performance is a family-owned business owned by Brian Shew in Columbia City, Ind., and has been in business since 2003. At the 2021 UCC Shew pulled 314 feet proving the dirt is where Quality Diesel feels the most at home.

You know when a driver tries for the extra foot at the end of a pull despite the flagger trying to shut him down when everyone in the crowd knows the truck is done yet the driver doesn’t want to quite admit the run is over? This is why. The difference between second and third place came down to literally inches.

Eric Merchant from Merchant Automotive did just enough with his 297-foot pull to take home second place over Chris Buhidar who pulled 296.350 feet. Worth noting, Buhidar from Truck Source Diesel was the overall runner-up at the UCC last year.

Overall Winners

When all the competitions were over, Zeigler once again took top honors and successfully defended his title as the UCC champion. His weekend began with a 4.997-second run on the eighth-mile track on Friday, a record-breaking 3,336.1hp run with 3,642.2 torque on the dyno Saturday and a 291.470-foot pull on the sled on Sunday.

“I’d like to thank everyone who helped us repeat the overall win and for winning the dyno two years in a row as well,” said Zeigler in a statement following the ceremony. “First, my wife Jen for putting up with this madness and all the time away and money spent on this insane machine. My son, Jaxon, for always being my number one fan and hype man.”

Zeigler went on to add, “This factory-cast block and head did things billet engines haven’t done yet and it’s still alive after making a record 3,336 horespower. Exergy Performance for making the best injectors and pumps, as well as the Bosch stand-alone setup for us. These 400 percent over injectors and two 14mm pumps just laid the smack down on the competition. We made history as a team this weekend and will continue to push the limits! Lastly, to all the haters: you all motivate me when you doubt me. Keep up the good work and we will keep hurting your feelings!”

The second overall UCC winner was Rose with a 4.737-second run on the drag strip, 2,621.7hp and 3,677.3 torque on the dyno and a 283.820-foot pull with the sled. Third place overall (and for the second year in a row) went to Burkhard with a 4.96-second time in the eighth-mile, 2,486.9hp and 3,076.4 torque on the dyno and 281.640 feet on the sled pull.

Congrats

Competition was extremely tough in 2022 with less than 325 points separating first place from fifth as truly the best-of-the-best put on quite a show. With multiple four-second passes on the drag strip and a 3,336hp truck on the dyno, the diesel sport is continuing to reach new limits. Kind of makes you wonder what we’ll see at the 2023 Ultimate Callout Challenge! For complete details and scoring visit www.ultimatecalloutchallenge.com.

6. Josh McCormack

Points: 2,283.890
Drag: 5.608 Seconds
Dyno: 2,342.4 HP
Dyno: 2,908.3 Torque
Sled Pull: 274.230 Feet

9. “Turba” Tom Borrell

Points: 2,128.643
Drag: 5.456 Seconds
Dyno: 1.858.9 HP
Dyno: 2,645.1 Torque
Sled Pull: 250.640 Feet

12. Charlie Fish

Points: 1,973.504
Drag: 5.564 Seconds
Dyno: 1,624.9 HP
Dyno: 1,691.1 Torque
Sled Pull: 267.050 Feet

15. Robby Garcia

Points: 1,663.405
Drag: 6.774 Seconds
Dyno: 1,561.9 HP
Dyno: 2,152.3 Torque
Sled Pull: 223.930

9. “Turba” Tom Borrell

Points: 2,128.643
Drag: 5.456 Seconds
Dyno: 1.858.9 HP
Dyno: 2,645.1 Torque
Sled Pull: 250.640 Feet

15. Robby Garcia

Points: 1,663.405
Drag: 6.774 Seconds
Dyno: 1,561.9 HP
Dyno: 2,152.3 Torque
Sled Pull: 223.930