Ethan Patterson of Wilson Patterson Diesel will be testing a new style torque converter this season. Called a captive clutch reverse lockup converter, the 27-spline 48RE unit doesn’t use balance oil, which means no drag occurs during the staging process-often one of the most grueling parts of getting a high-powered diesel off the line. Patterson has been knee-deep in torque converter (and transmission) technology for years, perhaps most notably as the transmission builder behind the 4x4 TH400 in Stainless Diesel’s 2,500hp Pro Street Dodge. Should WP Diesel find success while campaigning this converter in its own drag truck, you can expect them to offer a complete valve body and converter package at some point in the future.