When most people think about research and development, they picture a lab full of white coats and test benches. But for Randy Reyes, the owner of Randy’s Transmission, his R&D lab came in the form of a blood-red dually Dodge known throughout the diesel world as Red Delicious. What started as a broken down throw away pickup turned into one of the most iconic testbeds for high horsepower 48RE transmission testing ever built.
The Beginning – Breaking Parts To Build Strength
Randy’s passion for diesel performance came from the sled-pulling world and like many, he found himself chasing more horsepower. Inevitably, he quickly discovered where the transmission would become the weak link. As the Cummins power plant progressed and horsepower numbers climbed, so did the broken parts pile. Instead of accepting failure as part of the game, Randy decided to turn it into an opportunity.
“I realized that if I wanted transmissions that could survive what we were doing, I had to start building and breaking them myself,” Randy recalls. That realization set the stage for what would become Red Delicious, a rolling R&D platform that would not only push Randy’s Transmission forward but aid the entire diesel performance industry.
When he found the truck, it wasn’t much, since it had a blown engine and a smoked transmission already, but Randy saw potential where most saw scrap. He dropped in a used motor, and rebuilt the transmission, and began the long process of experimenting, refining, and testing.
Finding The Limits
The first upgrades were modest and common for the time, an Edge Juice tuner with their Hot Unlock code was enough to add power and start finding the weak links in the factory Dodge tranny. Once Randy knew what failed, he’d tear it down, develop something to improve it, and go again. The goal was simple: build a transmission that could hold more power, longer.
Of course, modest power levels don’t stay modest for long and soon, Randy has stacked a Smarty tuner on top of the Edge setup, pushing the limits even further. The additional torque revealed new vulnerabilities, and Randy was right where he wanted to be. Finding reasons for a mechanical failure, and then learning from every pull, every run, and every blown part.
It was around this time that Randy connected with Dustin Hembury from Industrial Injection, and the two began collaborating on serious horsepower experiments. More air. More fuel. More boost. And of course, more carnage.
“Every time we’d fix one weak point, something else would give,” Randy laughs. “It was frustrating, but it was also how we learned. We’d break an input shaft, make it stronger, then find the next failure.”
Through these painful but invaluable tests, Randy’s work helped lead to the development of stronger, larger input shafts and more durable internal components. Parts that are now industry standards. The truck’s “sweet spot” in those early years landed around 1,400 horsepower, a staggering figure for the time.
The Birth Of A Legend – UCC And The 2,000HP Era
By 2015, Red Delicious had already earned a reputation in the diesel community but that year, James Brendle (organizer of the Ultimate Callout Challenge) approached Randy and Dustin with a new idea. He wanted a diesel competition that would bring together the best of the best: dyno, drag, and sled pull all in one event. That first Ultimate Callout Challenge (UCC) was set for Utah, and Randy knew this was his chance to show the world what Red could really do.
And show it did. Randy cranked up the power, pushing toward 2,000 horsepower and took the full weight, 7,640-pound dually truck down the quarter mile on street tires to an incredible 9.6-second pass at 150 MPH. And literally overnight, Red Delicious became a household name among diesel fans.
The notoriety from UCC wasn’t just personal glory. It catapulted Randy’s Transmission into national recognition. Builders, racers, and enthusiasts began seeking out Randy’s expertise, eager to get a piece of the technology proven in Red Delicious.
“Red didn’t just help us test parts, it built our reputation,” Randy says. “The truck opened doors and built relationships we still have to this day.”
From Business Boom To Hiatus
With fame came business, a lot of it. As the demand for high-performance transmissions exploded, Randy’s shop became busier than ever. Red Delicious was parked on the back burner. It wasn’t retired, just resting while Randy focused on growing the business that Red had helped create.
But as other competitors began pushing the limits further, breaking new records and dominating events like UCC, Daily Driven, Gomers, NHRDA, and Diesels in the Mountains the itch to bring Red back grew stronger.
The Comeback And The Catastrophe
With new motivation, Randy finally brought Red Delicious back into the spotlight. The truck was still a fan favorite, still capable of monstrous power, and Randy was ready to push even harder. For a while, everything was going great, until disaster struck in September 2024.
During a hard dyno pull shooting for the moon, the engine suffered a catastrophic failure, literally blowing the block apart and destroying everything around it, including the firewall and cab in the process. The damage was severe, even for Randy’s standards. For the first time, he seriously considered retiring the truck.
“It was hard to even look at it,” Randy admits. “The cab was destroyed, the motor was gone, and I wasn’t sure if bringing it back made sense.”
But in true racer spirit, friends, peers, and the community convinced him otherwise. Red Delicious wasn’t just a truck, it was a symbol of perseverance, innovation, and the relentless drive to make things better.
Rebirth In 2025 – Stronger Than Ever
By early 2025, Red Delicious was officially back from the grave and meaner than ever. This wasn’t just a rebuild; it was a complete reinvention. The new version of Red features some of the most advanced diesel hardware ever assembled under one hood. Through the years, there has been a massive amount of time, effort, and sweat put into this truck by Chase Hunt, who has been pivotal in making Red the icon that it is.
At the heart of the build is a Fleece Performance billet 6.7-liter Cummins block, a foundation capable of handling astronomical power. Engine assembly was handled by Industrial Injection and Shawn Baca, ensuring every component met the highest standards.
The rest of the powertrain reads like a who’s who of diesel performance parts:
- Industrial Injection Cobra Injectors
- Dual Industrial Injection XP700 CP3s
- Industrial Injection Stage 4 Cylinder Head
- Peterson Dry Sump System
- Motec ECU tuned by Hardway Performance
- ECU Masters PMU24DL for power management
And the forced induction? Absolutely wild. Randy’s compound turbo setup pairs a Garrett GTX55 106mm high-pressure turbo on the manifold with a Columbus 5.5-inch (139mm) low-pressure atmosphere charger. The system is regulated with three TurboSmart HP45wastegates and connected by Stainless Bros stainless piping for maximum flow and reliability.
Of course, Nitrous Express components are on board, too. Three main stages plus one or two smaller spool stages, all PWM controlled through the Motec system. It’s a setup built for flexibility and precision, not just raw power.
Finishing off the package are Vibrant Performance hoses and fittings, and a race-prepped Stage 4 48RE transmission, proving that Randy’s original mission, to build a transmission that could handle anything, is alive and well.
What’s Next For Red Delicious
With the 2025 rebuild, Red Delicious isn’t just back, it’s evolved. The combination of cutting-edge components, expert tuning, and Randy’s relentless drive promises to push this truck beyond anything it’s done before. The goal? To once again test, break, and improve. Because that’s what Red has always been about.
From its humble beginnings as a blown-up throw away to its 9-second UCC passes and beyond, Red Delicious has become more than just a truck. It’s a rolling symbol of innovation. Every broken part told a story, every rebuild raised the bar, and every pass down the track inspired others to chase their own diesel dreams
Legacy Of Red Delicious
Today, Randy’s Transmission stands as one of the most respected names in diesel performance and much of that success traces back to Red. The lessons learned through its failures and victories have influenced countless builds and inspired an entire generation of diesel enthusiasts from daily driver, working tow rigs to weekend racers.
In a world where horsepower wars never seem to end, Red Delicious continues to prove that innovation is born from determination, and success often starts with a broken part and a dream.
Photos by Lyle Richmond
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