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When you work with someone every day for years, it’s easy to grow attached. That might not apply to all of your colleagues—heck, it might not even apply to most of them. But the same can be true of tools you work with every day. Imagine you’re a carpenter who has used the same finishing hammer in hundreds of homes; you’d be pretty sad if it were stolen or broken for good. Well, the guys at FuelTech USA are going through a similar grieving process with their hub dyno.
FuelTech uploaded a video to YouTube on Thursday, reminiscing about the best times with its outgoing Mainline ProHub 5000. The piece of equipment has been in the shop for eight years, and in total, there have been more than 5,000 runs on the ol’ girl. They’re upgrading to a Mainline ProHub 6000 as cars get more powerful, but that’s not to say the previous model only handled light duty.
In fact, FuelTech dyno’d not one, not two, not three, but four cars over 5,000 horsepower with the machine. That included a world record run, when Szabolics Marchese’s twin-turbo Pro Mod Camaro hit 5,395 hp. Several have tried to beat that benchmark since, but it’s still number one. (Well, unless you count that triple-turbo pulling tractor that surpassed 6,000 hp.)
Here’s a small sampling of the cars that have completed pulls on FuelTech’s beloved ProHub 5000. FuelTech USA via YouTube
FuelTech’s Chief Operating Officer Luis de Leon told stories about the dyno for an hour—and that’s after the edit. Watching it almost feels like sitting through the eulogy of someone you didn’t know, but you can tell they were deeply loved and cared about. He recounted tales of Formula Drift builds hitting the dyno, as well as a V12 Ferrari with nitrous and a turbo. Some insane four-cylinders have hooked up to it; performance gurus have made the pilgrimage from Brazil; and even a 1930s truck with a boosted overhead-valve inline-six laid down some decent numbers with the old ProHub 5000.
All in all, it’s bittersweet. More fast cars will come in, attempting to blow the doors off the competition. I imagine the ProHub 6000 will be all they need and more, but in the meantime, it’s nice to remember the good old days with a tool that served them exceptionally well. They’ll surely never forget the time it taught them to fasten their dyno to the floor, just in case.
8 Years, 5,000+ Pulls: Every Record Made at FuelTech USA Hub Dyno
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
