Lavon Miller Turns Passion into Successful Business – and Championship
AMSOIL-sponsored diesel builder Lavon Miller of Plain City, Ohio developed a keen interest in turbodiesels when he needed a powerful truck to haul equipment for his construction job. Putting the truck through the paces, he performed his own repairs and modifications to keep it on the job and increase its power, absorbing as much knowledge and experience as he could along the way. Soon he found himself modifying trucks for others, working on his own builds and testing them at the local dragstrip.
Firepunk Diesel
Developing a strong following for his work through the Internet and social media, Miller followed his passion and started working on diesel trucks full-time in 2010, building Firepunk Diesel into a well-known shop that specializes in everything from basic modifications to complete builds, developing a reputation for testing the limits and pushing the diesel market forward and becoming a leader in the field.
“Our primary customers are really the work-base people who buy a truck for their businesses: landscape companies, farmers,” explained Miller. “They’re upgrading their horsepower and, along with that, their drivelines are failing. That’s where the aftermarket transmission market really comes from, something that supports their added horsepower for their added fuel economy and a little extra grunt for their workhorse. I think the biggest thing that draws people to our brand is we’ve set the foundation of using our trucks on a daily basis; we drive to the racetrack, we race our trucks and we use them. We’re in it to make the product as good as it can be.”
Multi-Time Champion
Miller has continued to increase exposure for Firepunk Diesel by bringing his expertise to the national stage, dominating high-profile turbodiesel competitions like the Diesel Power Challenge and Ultimate Callout Challenge. After earning back-to-back Diesel Power Challenge championships in 2014 and 2015, he was ineligible to win a third (DPC allows a maximum of two championships), so he brought his talents to the inaugural Ultimate Callout Challenge in 2016. Without skipping a beat, he won the championship, then successfully defended his crown at the 2017 event. Most recently, he set a new world record at the 2017 NHRDA Oklahoma Diesel Nationals, becoming the first Pro Street racer to break the 8-second barrier in the quarter mile (7.993 seconds).
AMSOIL Products
Miller is a proud advocate of AMSOIL synthetic lubricants, relying on them to keep his powerful turbodiesel trucks protected and running at peak performance throughout the intense, highheat conditions of competition.
“With AMSOIL products, we run the Severe Gear® Gear Oil in the front and rear differentials,” said Miller. “We run the Transmission Fluid in the transmission. In comparison to just running some of the standard fluids, we see better heat distribution in the bearings and in the steels on an extreme application. Other oils would have failed three times in the same time AMSOIL has lasted. You know thie as you run because everything just continues to work at the maximum potential. And also the oil analysis has looked really good coming back from the engine in running the AMSOIL products.”
