Highlights From the Battle for Supremacy on the Diesel Scene’s Biggest Stage
One of the biggest events on the diesel performance calendar took place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Raceway Park! The Ultimate Callout Challenge was an action-packed weekend where competitors were put to the test on the drag strip, at the dyno, and in a sled pull. In addition, there was the UCC Show and Shine, where builds of all years, makes, and models came to be shown off by their owners!
For what may have been the first time since the inaugural Ultimate Callout Challenge in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2016, we went into the event, now located at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana, without a clear favorite to take home the top prize. That's right, three-time and reigning UCC Champion Lavon Miller and his dominant Firepunk Diesel team was not competing in 2019's contest. Of course, there were plenty of competitors champing at the bit to take over the title, including contenders from the past few years as well as a few new faces. And while the Firepunk team wasn't competing, in an ironic twist of fate, the truck they built was once again back in action, with new owner, Josh Scruggs, and an updated drivetrain he hoped would continue the winning tradition.
![2016 ULTIMATE CALLOUT CHALLENGE [GALLERY]](https://www.drivingline.com/s3/drivingline.prd/media/19816/2016-ultimate-callout-challenge-diesel-power-challenge-1.jpg?width=0&height=720&quality=70&mode=crop©metadata=true)
If you’ve been paying any attention to the competition diesel scene, then I don’t have to tell you that these shops and individuals are changing the game right before our eyes. It was once nearly impossible to think of a diesel engine as having similar performance characteristics of a gas engine, but that’s exactly where the diesel segment finds itself today. The diesel guys are closing that gap on gas, and it’s awesome to watch.
XDP was back on the road in Indianapolis for one of the biggest diesel events of the year, Ultimate Callout Challenge 2023. Competitors from far and wide came out to compete in the drag races, sled pulls, dyno competition, and Show & Shine. Many spectators came to witness these events as well as walk through the Vendor grandstand. XDP was there to take in all the sights of this three-day-long, action-packed event that did not disappoint.
Unlike last year’s Ultimate Callout Challenge, the chassis dyno competition wasn’t the first event at UCC 2017. Instead, things kicked off at Lucas Oil Raceway’s quarter-mile drag strip, which meant competitors weren’t able to size each other up like they were last year. It was go-time right from the get-go — and it was immediately apparent which teams had had ample time to test their ragged-edge setups. While half the field struggled to get down the track — be it due to launching, traction, shifting, or engine ailments — the other half looked impressive.
Day 2 of the Ultimate Callout Challenge has come and gone, and we have a new leader in the standings! The drag race portion of the competition was a lot more fast-paced than the dyno from day 1 (by design, of course). Competitors were allowed to run as many times as they wanted in the four-hour timeframe. One driver ran a whopping 12 times over the course of the event. In the end, though, Lavon Miller from Firepunk Diesel had the fastest time of the day in the quarter mile, with an astounding 8.503 seconds. His lightning-fast time helped him secure first place overall, with a current score of 1698.962. Day 1's dyno winner, Shawn Baca, fell to 5th place overall, with a run of 11.23 seconds.
Although Ultimate Callout Challenge 2022, the diesel scene's preeminent invitational performance competition, was held under the constraints of still-present state and federal COVID-19 health-and-safety regulations in 2021, we believe this year's event arguably was the best UCC to date—a true comeback after two years of the pandemic.
After an incredible debut of the Ultimate Callout Challenge last year, Alligator Performance may be on to something. Creating an event that brought thousands of spectators and top competitors is one thing, but to have the biggest names in the diesel performance industry convoy to the same battleground for a weekend long battle is impressive.
Can you feel it? The rumble of diesel drag racing's cream of the crop?
The event is the Ultimate Callout Challenge. The reason for the event is to find out who owns the nastiest diesel-powered truck in the country, and the fine folks at the Northwest Dyno Circuit extended the invitation to 32 competitors for the second year in a row.
The last day of the Ultimate Callout Challenge was a great success! Despite some rain (okay, a LOT of rain) and some mechanical issues, things eventually got underway for the sled pulls! Because of the imminent threat of rain, everyone initially had a single opportunity to throw down their best pull. Once everyone had gone once, and it seemed the weather would hold, everyone had the opportunity to make another pull, if they wanted to. A few took the opportunity, and by the end of the night, we had a new champion, as well as an overall winner for the entire 3-day event. For just the pulls, Ryan Milliken from Hardway Performance had the best pull of the night, with a staggering 373.03 feet!
“UCC,” the brainchild of Northwest Dyno Circuit’s James Brendle and Brandon Pierce, is now the hobby’s highest-profile, high-stakes ($60,000 in total payouts) competition, drawing the most well-known players in the game, as well as sponsors and fans. Per diesel enthusiasts from literally around the world (our Facebook Live feeds had viewers from as far away as Sweden and Australia), Ultimate Callout Challenge is the diesel scene’s pinnacle event, its Super Bowl. After votes are tallied, it affirms the hobby’s proverbial “best” driver, truck, and, in many cases, team (at least until the following year).
Well, day 1 of the Ultimate Callout Challenge has come and gone, and with it, a new world record. The first day of the event, held at the Deseret Peak Complex in Tooele, Utah, focused exclusively on the dyno portion of the competition. It was a long day with the sun beating down on us, but it was a great time. The winner of the day, Shawn Baca, put down an absolutely insane 2474.6 horsepower and 3240.5 ft/lbs of torque, easily setting a new record.
Every so often, something comes around at exactly the right time, portraying exactly what people want and it becomes a hit. That may be a song, a movie, a moment in sports, or an event, but they become instant successes for one reason or another. If you ask the folks behind the Ultimate Callout Challenge how their three-day diesel event has become what it is today, they’d tell you they captured lightning in a bottle, and have been building on that success ever since.
2025 UCC
