Champ Truck Racing at Palm Beach International Raceway

When we said “truck racing” we meant “Truck Racing” !

Champ Truck Racing came to Palm Beach International Raceway in April 2016. In 2017 the race series became known as Bandit Big Rig Series. I heard about this event almost at the ‘last minute’. I immediately scheduled a vacation day from my day job on Friday so I could go to the track and watch them unload. As soon as they arrived at Palm Beach International from North Carolina, I met up with Jupiter Motorsports, LLC and had time to see the inner workings of these trucks and ask a lot of questions. I had never even seen the inside of a real truck before, so I kept my mouth shut as long as I could while I observed and learned as much as could before asking “stupid questions”.

Jupiter Motorsports LLC sign in; everybody has to sign the waiver

Everyone on the team was friendly, polite, and most importantly, patient with my questions.

#17 has been unloaded

Mother Nature crams air in at 101,300 pascals (14.7 psi) but it comes out of the turbocharger at a much higher pressure (the exact ‘boost’ pressure is a carefully guarded secret.)

Not your highway variety of rubber

Water is sprayed into the brake drum for cooling

This turbocharged diesel was measured at 1,025 horsepower. From the turbocharger, the compressed air is sent up and to the right, into the intercooler.

Behind the Peterbilt grill, we see the intercooler. Behind the intercooler is the traditional radiator.

During the process of compressing the atmosphere in the turbocharger, the temperature of the air is greatly increased. The intercooler does the same thing as the ‘radiator’; it cools the high pressure air before it is sent into the engine.

Roll cages are built inside the cab.

Active wheel balancer

A wedge of steel is placed between the front axle and leaf spring. This ‘modification’ meets the rules for ‘stock equipment’ yet sets the caster for racing.

The fuel line can be cooled with ice

Ricky has a few pre-race words with his crew

Allen Boles strapping into #3

Allen Boles autographing a hat for a fan. Behind Allen, Mike Morgan (“Mackvader”) autographs a race-series poster.

Ricky and Justin autographing hats

Justin, #17, rounding turn 6.

Tires squeal and squirm. Cooling water is visibile being ejected from the brakes

Rick Rude racing for Jupiter Motorsports at Palm Beach International Raceway, 2016

Turn 5 Palm Beach International Raceway 2016

These trucks do not have any ‘muffler’ or ‘silencers’ in the exhaust. Upon hearing that, you might expect them to be quite loud. However, the turbocharger, along with recovering a lot of energy, also does a fine job of reducing the exhaust noise. So much so, that we hear more squealing from the tires than we do engine noise.