Banks Sidewinder Dakota
This is the truck that shattered existing speed records – and people’s perception of diesel performance. Cummins diesel-powered Project Sidewinder set five land-speed records and became the World’s Fastest Pickup Truck.
Surpassing Gale Banks’ personal goal of 210 mph, the Banks Sidewinder smashed the world 159.647-mph record with an average speed of 217.314 mph, making Sidewinder the World’s Fastest Diesel Pickup! Amazing Overall Top Speed: 222.139 mph!
Try getting a pickup truck, with the aerodynamics of a brick, to go 222 MPH with a diesel engine. Banks did, and kept it street drivable too.
If you’ve never extensively modified a vehicle for performance, including a major engine and drivetrain swap, construction of a safety/chassis roll cage, and complete revision and replacement of the suspension, then you can’t imagine the amount of work required. Add a complete engine upgrade program, and all of the special equipment required for a Land Speed Record attempt at the Bonneville Salt Flats, and the task becomes monumental. It takes the resources and knowledge of companies like Cummins Engine Company, New Venture Gear, Wilwood Engineering, the Progress Group, and of course, Gale Banks Engineering to create a vehicle like the Project Sidewinder Dakota. Even so, after a year of preparation, the vehicle wasn’t declared “race ready” until midnight, Oct.16th, at the Banks Race Shop in Azusa, California. The World Finals had already begun earlier that same day at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, some 700 miles away.
Built entirely in Banks’ race shop, this 735 hp, 1300 lb-ft 5.9L Cummins-powered Dakota is street driven and averages 21.2 mpg on the Hot Rod Power Tour. The Banks Sidewinder® Dakota is the official F.I.A. World’s Fastest Diesel Truck @ 217 mph (two-way average) and a best one-way of 222 mph. It also towed its own support trailer to the salt!
Project Photo Gallery
Latest News
Racing History Opens Eyes to Diff Cover
Patrick Blakeley discovered Banks when he was researching land speed record vehicles.
Read moreDuramax goes full tilt with Banks PowerPack
Jay Lamb, a longtime admirer of Gale Banks’ automotive prowess, recently transformed his hefty 2021 GMC 3500 Duramax into a performance powerhouse using Banks Power parts. Inspired by decades of Banks’ legendary engine tuning and truck modifications, Lamb sought to elevate his heavy-duty pickup. Recognizing the need for increased power and efficiency in his substantial ...
Read moreHelping Racers Go For 200 MPH
Banks has a storied history at the Bonneville Salt Flats, having been directly responsible for setting scores of records in dozens of classes. The Banks/Geisler Studebaker set records for 10 years in nearly a dozen classes. The Sundowner Corvette coupe was the world’s fastest passenger car in 1981 at 240 mph. In 1986, Banks came back with a Pontiac Trans-Am and ran ...
Read moreThe Record-Breaking Banks Sidewinder Dakota
In 1999, Banks and Cummins set out to break the land speed record for diesel trucks at the Bonneville Salt Flats with the Dakota Sidewinder.
Read moreThis Snake Bites at 222 MPH!
Back in April 2005 History Channel’s AutoManiacs did a complete episode on performance pickup trucks. One of the segments focused on the Banks Sidewinder Dakota, a remarkable clean-running performance vehicle. In 2002 the Cummins Engine Company, Robert Bosch Corporation, Holset Turbochargers, and New Venture Gear participated with Banks in Project Sidewinder.
https://youtu.be/E9eB4ilu_xQ
The Banks Sidewinder diesel-powered Dakota ...
Read moreWhen it Comes to Racers…We Roll Our Own!
A friend asked for a race car sponsorship recently, but we usually don’t do that. When it comes to race cars, trucks or boats…it’s more fun to build and race our own! And, that way, if we do it wrong, win a race or set a record, it’s our own doing.
When it comes to fuel, ...
Read moreBanks Sidewinder Blower Test Series
Want to upgrade your car, truck, or boat’s engine performance? Banks Power develops high-performance engines and parts trusted by racers and the military for over 40 years. Their expertise in forced induction systems and supercharger technology can help you achieve maximum horsepower and torque gains. Visit their website to learn more about their innovative products ...
Read moreThis truck eats Corvettes for breakfast
Hey guys, here’s a video of the Banks Sidewinder Dakota blowing off a C6 Corvette in a street race over in Vegas. There turned out to be a cop behind them…no ticket, he just wanted a look under the hood.
Remember, the Dakota is geared for 222 mph at Bonneville!
Beat a Corvette with a Cummins, I ...
Read moreWorlds Fastest Pickup Truck
I just had a flash, we’ve held Worlds Fastest Diesel Pickup record at 222 mph for almost 15 years. Where’s the competition, the Banks Dakota Sidewinder is resting in the NHRA Motorsports Museum and it’s jonesing for a go!
It pulls a trailer too, ya know!
Gale Banks
Read moreDiesel Swaps
The Banks Rat Rod gets a Duramax, the Sidewinder Dakota gets a Cummins, and a who-knows-what gets an 866T.
Read more“Banks Power – The first 50 years” Opens at Wally Parks NHRA Museum
50 years of automotive and marine engineering innovation was put on display at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum to honor Gale Banks and his achievements.
Read more“BANKS POWER – THE FIRST 50 YEARS” OPENS AT WALLY PARKS NHRA MUSEUM – POMONA, CA
Pomona, California – – On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, fifty years of automotive and marine engineering innovation was put on display at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, in Pomona, California.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WoRjPCMC6k
Pomona, California – – On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, fifty years of automotive and marine engineering innovation was put on display at the Wally Parks ...
Read moreNo smoke with fire
Smoke free, high efficiency diesel engines are Gale Banks Engineering’s specialty. We look at how the company progressed to become the undisputed leaders in the field.
Read moreOne-On-One With Gale Banks
Straight Talk With the Man Largely Identified as the Creator of the Diesel Aftermarket
Read morePower Broker
Here’s a guy who’s done it all and done it well, and he has the records to prove it.
Read moreDrivelines Chatter: Gale Banks, Gale Banks Engineering
Gale Banks knows how to make power, whether he’s land-speed racing or improving the performance of an anemic motorhome.
Read moreEngine Builder Does It Diesel
Could performance cars like Corvettes and Mustangs and others be powered by diesel engines in the future? They not only could be, but they would be if Gale Banks had his way.
Read moreDiesel Power
For Decades, Fringe Hot Rodders Have Been Predicting a High-Performance Diesel Revolution.
Read more23.6 MPG from a Truck that Runs 222 MPH!
Want More Power AND Better Gas Mileage? It’s Possible!
Banks Power’s Sidewinder Dakota, the world’s fastest pickup truck at 222 mph, achieved an impressive 23.6 mpg during the grueling Hot Rod Power Tour. This powerhouse proves you can upgrade your vehicle for increased performance without sacrificing fuel economy. The secret lies in optimized airflow, a key ...
Read moreAir Travel Hell: Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour (Pre-Tour)
Upgrading your ride can turn a stressful journey into a smooth cruise. Avoid cramped legroom, unreliable shuttles, and noisy neighbors with a powerful, fuel-efficient vehicle. The Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour showcases tricked-out cars and trucks that are built for performance and comfort. Check back for more details on how to transform your car into ...
Read moreA Trip To The Toy Shop
Unleash the Beast: Banks Power’s Race Shop Develops Cutting-Edge Performance Parts for Your Ride. Want to upgrade your car or truck to its peak potential? Look no further than Banks Power’s Race Shop. Our team of engineers and fabricators push the limits of performance, developing world-class racing parts that translate into real power ...
Read moreBanks Readies for 2004 Bonneville
The Banks Race Shop makes preparations to break its own diesel truck land speed record at Bonneville
Read moreEngineering: Banks Runs for the Records
Project Sidewinder’s goal is to break the Land Speed Record for any pickup, any class, gas or diesel…
Read moreBanks At Bonneville
The dramatic story behind the creation of the Banks Sidewinder and its record-shattering run at Bonneville
Read moreSideways Into the Record Book
Banks sets new world speed record with the Sidewinder diesel pickup…
Read more
Banks Sidewinder Rattles Bonneville
Project Sidewinder’s goal is to break the Land Speed Record for any pickup, any class, gas or diesel…
Read moreHoly Smokeless!
Here’s one for the run-whatcha-brung record books. And we do mean record books. Last October 17, with the Bonneville Nationals World Finals already well underway at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats, the crew from Gale Banks Engineering pulled in after driving all night from their headquarters in Azusa, Calif. They unhitched the trailer from their Dodge ...
Read moreBanks Sidewinder: The World’s Fastest Pickup!
Gale Banks Engineering’s Project Sidewinder is the fastest pickup truck on the planet. And it’s a diesel!
Read moreSee Sidewinder Run
Seems like hardly a week goes by that we don’t have something new to tell you about Project Sidewinder. This one will be short.
The news is that we had a video crew at Bonneville to capture all the action and sounds surrounding our record attempts, and you can now sample it on our Sidewinder web ...
Read moreBanking on Power of Diesel
Gale Banks’ goal is to push his diesel-powered Dodge Dakota to speeds up to 210 mph at the World Finals at Bonneville Flats in October.
AZUSA — Gale Banks hopes that in five weeks, he’ll be driving the fastest sport pick-up truck in the world to work daily.
Banks is president of Banks Engineering, an after-market company ...
Read moreDiesel Land Speed Record — Goal of Project Sidewinder
210+ mph in Dodge Dakota … illustrating diesel as a performance engine … 600 hp out of 5.9L
Read moreWhy Diesels Make So Much Torque
For those used to gasoline engine torque numbers, diesel torque verges on the unbelievable.
Most competitors at Bonneville aren’t street legal, and most arrive on a trailer. Project Sidewinder drove in pulling a trailer!
The Banks Project Sidewinder, a Dodge Dakota pickup fitted with a modified Cummins 5.9L (359-cubic-inch) in-line six-cylinder diesel, made 1300 lb.-ft. of ...
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