Spring Fling

First annual diesel thunder spring break drag race in Holt, Florida.

- Kyle Tobin 

Spring Break and Florida have been synonymous for decades, but Michael Cassady has thrown some black smoke and high speeds into the mix by bringing his Diesel Thunder event to the Sunshine State from Mississippi. When longtime Mississippi Diesel Thunder sponsors Hard way Performance and SunCoast Performance told Cassady about a newly re-opening dragway in the Florida panhandle, the diesel fanatic knew he’d have a hit on his hands. Around 2,000 people packed in and around the Emerald Coast Dragway in Holt, Florida, on March 10, 2017, for open test and tune, and Saturday, March 11, for race day of the first annual event. With a dyno and six classes of drag racing action planned, the crowd was set to redefine the meaning of Spring Break.

The Diesel Doctor’s portable dyno started things off with towers of smoke and the roar of engines. The more than 50 entrants were divided into Cummins, Duramax and Power Stroke classes, but each truck had a shot at the top Dyno King prize for highest combined horsepower and torque numbers. Michael Yahaas took the most powerful Cummins win with 978 horsepower and 1,612 lb-ft of torque. The top Duramax across the rollers was Matthew Jackson’s at 824 hp and 1,454 lb-ft. And Tony Lee topped out the Power Stroke category with 954 hp and 1,541 lb-ft in his Ford. But Jacob Briggs stepped high above the competition to claim the coveted Dyno King title when he put down 1,327 hp and 2,265 lb-ft of torque.