Team AMSOIL driver Scott Birdsall is a trailblazer in the world of motorsports, known for pushing the boundaries of performance and innovation. His projects have captivated the racing community with unique, groundbreaking builds that yield show-stopping results.
Birdsall launched Chuckles Garage as a full-service race shop in Santa Rosa, Calif. in 2005. His innovative approach quickly attracted clients worldwide, with his builds featured on major magazine covers and international TV shows. As shop owner, chief engineer and lead fabricator, Birdsall has over 20 years of experience and holds multiple race records, solidifying his reputation as an automotive performance and design savant.
His most famous creation, “Old Smokey” – a 1949 Ford F1 pickup with a 12-valve, 6.7-liter twin-turbo Cummins engine – set the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb diesel record with a time of 11:24.065 in 2020. This achievement secured a third place in the exhibition division and shattered the previous diesel record of 11:37.149 set in 2015 by Germany’s Uwe Nittel driving a 2016 Mercedes Benz C300 d 4 MATIC. Old Smokey’s journey from a $225 beater to a record-setting diesel race truck is a testament to Birdsall’s building prowess.
Inside Old Smokey
Old Smokey generates around 1,400 horsepower and an impressive 2,100 pound-feet of torque. The truck features a compound turbo setup, with 100 psi of boost, and weighs approximately 4,200 pounds. Birdsall’s meticulous attention to detail and unconventional approach have made Old Smokey a formidable competitor in various racing formats. That versatility was put on display when Birdsall drove it to the half-mile diesel land-speed record of 167 mph.
Birdsall returned to Pikes Peak the following year with an eye on resetting his own diesel-powered record somewhere in the nine-minute mark. To run that goal down, he built a new car to be Smokey’s successor, a full-on Le Mans prototype like you’d see running the 24-hours of Le Mans. Birdsall called it the “CG Superlight LMP1.” The chassis weighs in at less than 3,000 pounds with tons of downforce. It’s powered by a VM Motori* 24-valve diesel V6 built by Freedom Racing Engines* equipped with compound Garrett Motion* turbos to produce an output of 600 hp and 900 lb-ft of torque that’s mated to a 6XD 6-speed sequential transaxle. Birdsall was confident that the racecar could carry him to his goal; but the run was cut short by rain and low visibility. Resetting his own Pikes Peak record will have to wait for another day.
Debut at Bonneville
In 2024, Birdsall achieved a new milestone at Bonneville Speed Week, marking his debut at the legendary Salt Flats. Driving a 1991 Toyota pickup with a 2JZ-GTE engine producing 1,300 horsepower, he set a new land speed record in the Blown Modified Mini-Pickup (BMMP) category. Birdsall reached an impressive 229.4 mph, shattering the previous 3.0-liter truck record of over 180 mph and surpassing the Blown Modified Mini Pickup record of 220 mph.
Birdsall’s outstanding performance at Bonneville earned him the coveted “Red Hat.” The prestigious red hat is awarded to drivers who exceed 200 mph on the salt flats, marking them as members of an elite group of speed demons. Winning a red hat is considered one of the highest achievements in land-speed racing, symbolizing a driver’s skill, courage and design prowess.
A Versatile Racer
Birdsall’s success across diverse racing disciplines – from hill climbs to land-speed records – cements his status as a versatile force in motorsports. His journey reflects a relentless pursuit of performance and excellence, inspiring automotive enthusiasts and fellow racers alike. With Chuckles Garage continuing to thrive and produce cutting-edge builds, Birdsall remains at the forefront of automotive design, constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with high-performance vehicles. We can’t see where he goes next.
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Video transcript: Chuckles Garage at Pikes Peak Hill Climb: Episode 1
Hi, I’m Scott Bzol. We’re here at Po Raceway in Colorado to test the AMSOIL LMP1 and Old Smoky F1 under the direction of my friend Aaron Kahler. We are correcting all errors, trying to adjust the suspension. Make sure the settings are correct.
Just to smooth things out a bit before we head uphill and, well, you know, do a wheel test. What happened, everyone? I’m Aaron Kaufman and we’re here at PBLO Motorsports. What’s special today is that I’ll be behind the wheel of Old Smokeoky for the first time.
So, Scott Bursaw built this pickup truck a few years ago and, well, set the diesel engine record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with a time of 11:24. That wasn’t enough for Scott. So Scott decided to level up Annie a bit. So, he came back with an LMP car.
This is a very serious racing car. Again, a diesel engine. And he will try not just to raise it, but to raise it significantly. But what will happen then?
This left Smokeoky without a pilot. So, I’ll be riding today and everything will go well, and we expect it to, we’ll go to the technical department later. And then tomorrow morning, at 5:00 AM, we’ll roll off the conveyor belt at the top of the mountain. Heat.
Heat. Yes. So, uh, Scott has a new car now. So we go through a few little things.
And usually with a car with such a complex cooling system, you will encounter air pockets. So it’s just, uh, you know, the woes of a new race car. So we’re taking it apart now. We ‘re going to let some air out of it.
Pour this liquid on top. And we might have to do it two more times, but it should be ready to go. Greetings. So, we just finished testing at PBLO Raceway.
The car feels great. Excellent grip. It drives very well. It’s still getting a little warm, so we’ll try another trick tonight in the garage.
But, uh, we’re going to boot up, clean everything up, and, uh, head to the tech department later this afternoon. Hello, mom. So, here we are. This is the first day of, uh, testing, which is Tuesday.
Uh, yesterday the bellows in the LMP car exploded. Uh, that’s what happens, so the guys worked all night to fix it. And there was a problem with the airflow in the cooling system. So there’s actually a panel installed there to let air through the radiator, and we think that that kind of compensates for the overheating at the end, the car is coming in.
The trail opens for us in 15 minutes. Fortunately, it’s just like that, as soon as the other one comes out. So today we are at the Devil’s Playground. Uh, the guys were working on the car all night, fixing some exhaust issues.
Uh, it’s 5:00 in the morning. About 45°, quite cold. Uh, we’re going to pull the car out, put the heating pads on the tires, and then as soon as they show us the checkered flag, we’re going to start running up the mountain. Let ‘s turn on the signal.
Let’s turn a little to the left. So, we’ve just, uh, since Scott got up for his first, uh, test run, uh, at Dell’s Playground, and it’s, uh, the nerve-wracking part where you’re kind of waiting, getting the green light, and making a good overtaking move. Nice clean overtaking. And that’s all we’re trying to do this morning, is good, clean, safe overtaking.
And, uh, we’re raising the temperature as we go. So, we got here. The sun has risen, as you can see. Uh, we missed the first group of cars, and if you go in it, you’ll find dust, animals, everything else.
And it was a little dark. The sun has risen, it is starting to warm up a little. We’ve already had a few race cars that have reached the top and then turned back. So, there shouldn’t be any wild animals there.
So the next outing will be getting dressed and we’ll go take Smokey to Summit. Let’s go. Let’s go. Heat.
Heat. Heat. Heat. Okay, we just finished testing on the top of Pikes Peak.
Hmm, the car drove very well. It’s still getting a little warm, so we have some things to work on. But, uh, you know, the first time I had to stop. There’s a red flag.
One of the guys drove a Tesla from Kohut almost to the railroad tracks. Hmm, the second time it ran better. Lots of fog. You can see about 3 meters in front of the car.
So, it’s a little questionable, but, uh, I don’t know. I feel good about the car. Much better than yesterday. Hopefully we can train a few more demons today and have a really good qualifying tomorrow.
The AMSOIL LMP1 at Pikes Peak
Birdsall’s Pikes Peak car pairs a 3-liter turbo diesel with compound turbochargers. Detuned for the mountain it makes about 600 hp and almost 800 lb-ft of torque, and it is capable of more than 900 hp.
Recommended AMSOIL products
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Brad Nelson is an AMSOIL Technical Writer II who develops content about lubricant technology, product performance and vehicle maintenance. He works with engineers and product specialists to translate testing, application requirements and approved performance claims into clear customer guidance. Nelson’s work includes AMSOIL Blog articles, AMSOIL Magazine features and technical explanations concerning motor oils, gear lubricants, vehicle systems and maintenance practices.
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