DWNEWS
One Lucky Applicant Gets to Race It
As a way to help promote its first Outlaw Diesel Super Series event called Outlaw
Diesel Revenge (and also because they’re fresh out of available drivers), the folks at
Firepunk Diesel are tossing the keys of their ’19 Ram 3500 to a qualified drag racer
to run the ET Bracket class. Candidates were told to add their racing resume in the
comments section of the Facebook post that offered up the gig. With Firepunk’s race
teamknownto competeandoftenwinseveraldifferentclassesat virtuallyanyevent,
theremaybemorevettinginvolvedin thisofferthanmeetstheeye.Eitherway,look
fora brand-spanking-newRam 3500 to goroundsthisweekendin Xenia,Ohio.OEM NEWS
Ram HD Sets All-time Sales Record
Coinciding with the debut of the 1,000 lb-ft 6.7L Cummins’ release in Ram 3500s,
heavy duty Ram sales are up—particularly in Canada. For the month of May, Ram
HD sales in Canada soared to an all-time high of 2,699 vehicles sold, which was a
122-percent increase. Ram HD sales are up an impressive 23 percent in the 2019
calendar year as compared with the same timeframe in 2018. As for the overall Ram
truck brand, May marked the fifth-best month on record with more than 10,
pickups moved off dealer lots.OEM NEWS
GM Expands Full-Size Truck Production
With combined sales of Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab
models up 20 percent in the first quarter of 2019, GM has announced it is investing
$24 million into its Fort Wayne, Indiana, assembly plant. Anticipating further produc-
tion increases, GM is upgrading the facility’s conveyors and other tooling. According
to GM CEO Mary Barra: “We are building Chevrolet and GMC crew cab pickups at
record volume and mix levels to meet customer demand, and the $24 million invest-
ment will allow us to build even more.”Outlaw Diesel Revenge Winners
Just as you’d expect at Firepunk Diesel’s first national drag race, many of the indus-
try’s heaviest hitters showed up to do battle at Kil-Kare Raceway. In Pro Dragster,
Jared Jones and the Scheid Diesel crew took home the trophy. In Pro Mod, Rawlings
Barnes piloted the Rudy’s Performance Parts Super Duty into the winner’s circle. In
Pro Street, Johnny Gilbert of Stainless Diesel nabbed a well-deserved win. As for
5.90 Index, UCC competitor Brett Marcum would show up, run a 5.96 right off the
trailer, and proceed to beat the likes of Rick Fox, Paul Cato, and Mindy Jackson for
the top spot. In the 6.70 Index field, Kyle Hutchinson ended up with the big W thanks
to a 6.703 pass in the final, and the aforementioned Ryan Riddle cleaned house in
both 7.70 and ET Bracket.OEM NEWS
Ford/GM Merger: Fake News
or Totally Plausible?
In a recent MSN.com article, the case was made that a Ford/GM merger might just
make sense. After FCA’s proposed merger with Renault, it’s apparent—at least from
a cost-savings standpoint—giant automakers could be the way of the future. The
Renault/FCA deal was expected to save $5.5 billion had it gone through, and a Ford
and GM combo could also yield billions in savings. With Ford supposedly lagging
behind the rest of the auto industry in electric car technology (and GM being near
the forefront of it), the article makes a strong case for why such a merger might be
inevitable for Ford.OEM NEWS
Renault Considers
50/50 Merger WITH FCA
Big news on the automaker front over the Memorial Day holiday as Fiat Chrysler Auto-
mobiles and France’s Renault considered a merger. FCA withdrew the offer roughly a
week later citing “political conditions in France” as the primary cause for the withdraw-
al. Renault’s complicated ownership stakes might also have been an issue (the French
government owns 15 percent of Renault and Nissan owns 43 percent). Together, FCA
and Renault would sell roughly 8.7 million vehicles annually, making the combined
effort the third-largest automotive group in the world (behind Toyota and Volkswagen).
According to FCA, the transformative merger would have entailed 50-percent owner-
ship by FCA shareholders and 50-percent ownership by Renault shareholders. FCA said
no plant closures would have resulted if the merger had happened.WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Head to DieselWorldMag.com/News for
the latest diesel news developments.18 OCTOBER I 2019 • DIESEL WORLD http://www.dieselworldmag.com