“The company was started in 1968, and at that time the original owners offered racers a wide variety of products and services. From the late 60s through the early 70s Diamond did cylinder head development for most of the top NHRA Pro Stock teams, and many of them were championship contenders,” Panetta said. “From there, right through the 90s the company did just about everything, from rocker arms and wrist pins, for example, right up to race-ready engines.”

In 2001, the current owner, Bob Fox, purchased the company, and that was the turning point for Diamond. The company’s focus now turned exclusively to the manufacture of pistons, which they had only done in a limited way previously. Fox also owns Trend Performance, Diamond’s parent company, and they produce many of the items once found in Diamond’s catalog, including wrist pins, pushrods, lifters, rocker shafts, fuel pump pushrods and shims.

“Diamond now has over 1,500 different shelf part numbers,” said Panetta. “A lot of our business is custom-based, though, and we do a huge business with our full-billet pistons. We were one of the first in the industry to offer full-billet pistons and we have pretty much been leading that technology ever since.

“We do a lot with the 5.3 bore-spacing nitrous engines as well as the BAE Hemi engines,” Panetta said when asked about Diamond’s involvement with engines specific to the PDRA’s top classes. “If it’s being used in Pro Nitrous, Pro Extreme or Pro Boost we’re likely involved. We work a lot with engine builders Pat Musi, John Kaase and Tommy Franklin, just to name a few, and the results they have been getting this season speak for themselves.

“We are also the exclusive piston supplier to Proline, so all the cars out there with Proline power use our parts as well,” Panetta said. “In fact, a car with a Proline 481x twin turbo just ran an incredible number at St. Louis. Turky Al Zafiri, who drives for the Q80 team out of Kuwait, set new quarter-mile performance records with a 5.461-second pass at 272.50 miles an hour. That was amazing.”
As for Diamond’s involvement with the PDRA, Panetta had this to say: “We are certainly proud to be a part of the PDRA as a series and contingency sponsor. We offer product contingency as well as contribute to the overall season expenses and payouts.

“I have to say that the PDRA events this season have been outstanding to this point. Everyone there treats you like family – the atmosphere is just amazing,” Panetta said. “It’s very family oriented and that’s really good to see. They have put a great package together and we’re really happy to be a part of it.”

Diamond Pistons will have a booth at the upcoming Rockingham event, and Mike would like to invite everyone to stop by to say hi and and have a look at some of their outstanding products.
PDRA Race Director Bob Harris is also thrilled to have Diamond Pistons on the sponsor roster this season.

“Diamond is a fantastic company and I can tell you that we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without their tremendous support and backing,” Harris said. “A big thank-you has to go out to them from the PDRA owners, staff and racers.”

Article by: Brian Wood