10/21/2026
So apparently after The Tailgate ThrowDown, traction control and rule changes are now a topic of discussion in the Hot Street classes.
Funny how that works.
Daniel Parker and I showed up, raced our trucks, and both walked away with wins. Now there’s talk about whether traction control belongs in Hot Street.
HERE'S MY TAKE
Hot Street falls between Daily Driver and Pro. Daily Driver is entry level, Hot Street is for faster street trucks retaining factory style suspension, and Pro is where you get into four links, ladder bars, and purpose built chassis trucks. Those suspension setups already have a significant advantage over a factory style leaf spring truck.
My S10 might look intimidating, but it’s still a leaf spring truck. And I promise you, I drive it on the street more than most realize. I roll race it, take my kid to school, have taken him to football practice, and done multiple drag and drives. Hell, I completed an entire drag and drive with absolutely ZERO gauges. Just hopped in and drove it.
And let’s not forget, there were multiple trucks in Hot Street weighing 300 pounds or more LESS than mine, including the one I raced in the finals.
Now let’s talk traction control.
My VERY FIRST test pass was a 6.28 with traction control ON. My SECOND pass was a 5.58 with traction control completely OFF. The only change was disabling traction control.
So explain to me exactly how traction control was an advantage?
Nearly every modern vehicle comes from the factory with traction control. It’s not some exotic technology. With enough knowledge and tuning, even factory systems can be made to work well.
Traction control doesn’t magically make a truck fast. It still takes chassis setup, tuning, and knowing what the hell you’re doing.
Phantom and I showed up within the rules, raced, and won but now the rules need to change.
I had a blast at Tailgate Throwdown and think it’s a great event. But changing rules because a couple of trucks showed up and performed well doesn’t seem like the answer.
