“Mostly Stock” Ford F-250 Runs 182 MPH at Bonneville

Diesel trucks are awesome, and for much of the United States, they are a way of life. The diesel-powered Super Duty pickup can haul your wares to market, tow your camper or race trailer, and haul your family around in total comfort. Heavily-optioned trucks, such as the Ford F450 King Ranch, carry sticker prices well into the $70k range when fully equipped and are more luxurious than many European sedans, while certainly offering more utility. But are they faster than those European sedans?

Some of them are, yes: the fast diesels, trucks with the boost cranked way up, throwing down quadruple-digit torque figures and running 10-second quarter miles at the weekend bracket races. I once was fortunate enough to drive one of those trucks, an 11-second Dodge Ram 3500 Dually, and the thrust of it at launch, plus the jet-like sound of the massive turbos spooling up sent chills down my spine. Imagine, rolling up to the drag strip and simply embarassing a Ferrari, ZR-1, or Nissan GTR owner in a 5,000 lb truck? It happens all the time.

Drag racing is one thing, but we don’t hear much about top speed runs in diesel trucks, until today. Hajek Motorsports, in a “mostly stock” 2011 Ford F-250, ran 171.23 mph on regular pump diesel, and 182 mph on B20 Biodiesel at Bonneville this week, shattering the previous record of 130 mph. Let that marinate for a second. One. Eighty. Two. In a Super Duty. Now, I know the new 6.7L Power Stroke engine is impressive out of the box. It’s the quietest American-made diesel engine I’ve ever heard. It makes a staggering 400 hp and 800 lb/ft of torque from the factory, a figure the average Bentley Mulsanne owner would be jealous of. But what kind of modifications would it take to increase the F-250′s top speed by over 60%?

According to Ford:

The 2011 Ford F-250 is mostly stock, with changes to the high-pressure fuel pump, fuel injectors and turbochargers for more fuel flow. The compression ratio was also modified.

The body work seems completely stock, save for the shaved side view mirrors and aerodynamic wheels. I can’t imagine how terrifying amazing it must be to achieve that kind of speed in a 6-seater pickup truck, but hats off to Hajek Motorsports for their outstanding achievement.