The Blue Flame Blogger: Top Ten Stories of Our First Year and a Shout Out to Our Readers

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Top Ten Stories of Our First Year and a Shout Out to Our Readers

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Blue Flame blog, a year of finding stories of value and sharing them with diesel enthusiasts. It's really been a remarkable year in many respects. We truly appreciate all of you who have made time to visit here over the course of the year.

When we began this endeavor one year ago today we were fairly certain that there was an unmet desire for diesel-related news, hence our desire to become your diesel performance resource center.

We've now posted 261 unique blog posts by 11:00 a.m., Monday through Friday since September 1, 2021 in the heart of the pandemic. The average reader is spending nearly six minutes on the blog per visit. Thank you for your interest. We're delighted that there is always something to talk about when it comes to diesel. And if there's something you'd like to see that we're not covering, please let us know in the comments.

What follows are links to our Top 10 stories of this past year.

According to Shelby American president Gary Patterson, they created the Super Baja by combining all the best features and experience they'd gained from the Shelby Raptor and Shelby F-150 programs. Phoebe Wall Howard described it as something "for that special someone who has everything."

Read: Shelby F-250 Super Baja Limited: The Epitome of Diesel Cool

9
Automotive News editors were intrigued that whenever they had long discussions with auto industry leaders, somehow the conversation often drifted to racing. The editors came to realize that racing was itself a microcosm of the industry.

Read: The East Coast Diesel Nationals and Thoughts on Why Motorsports Competition Matters

8
It's late summer now, but fall is in the air and winter around the corner. What follows are a few areas to focus on, extracted from an article by Whitney Russell that appeared in The NewsWheel.

Photo courtesy Chevrolet
Read: Getting Your Diesel Truck Ready for Winter

7
If you're a diesel guy you're probably have a few ideas about how to produce more power. Nevertheless, if you aspire to play with the big boys you'll want to make sure your fundamentals are covered. Afterwards you can add your own secret sauce.

Read: How to Get More Power from Your Diesel

6
Viscosity control? Shear stability? TBN retention? Confused? Best to start your search by understanding your application; tractor pulling, drag racing, stationary, street, off-road, etc. Answering these five simple questions will help you zero in on the right oil for your truck's specific needs.

Read: Five Questions to Help You Pick the Right Diesel Engine Oil

5
The National Association of Diesel Motorsports (NADM) announced Champion Blue Flame Performance Diesel Engine Oil as the official oil for this year's annual East Coast Diesel Nationals held at Numidia Dragway in July.

Read: East Coast Diesel Nationals Picks Champion Blue Flame as Official Oil

4
There are five reasons diesels are such torque monsters. Here's a deeper dive into the details.

Read: The Biggest Reason We Love Diesels: More Torque

3 The 7'1" former NBA All Star doesn't always have an easy time finding a vehicle he can comfortably drive. The Drive gives an account of the steps Shaq took to find a ride more suited to his special needs and tastes.

Read: Shaq Goes Big with a Diesel Ford F-650

2
This was a big story for us. Shelby American is recommending Blue Flame Diesel Engine Oil for its new Ford Shelby F-250 Super Baja, a Limited-Edition off-roading pick-up truck.