3/18/2008
NASCAR Engine Builder Teams Sign Up Early to Compete in the 2008 MAHLE Engine Builder Showdown
The first round of the 2008
MAHLE Engine Builder Showdown is nearly two months away, but already
multiple NASCAR engine builder teams have signed up to compete in the
contest, which pits teams in a race to build and run a Chevy RO7 engine
in the shortest time possible.
The Showdown, a tiered four-round competition, begins on May 5.
This is the ninth year of the annual MAHLE competition for NASCAR
engine builders. Bill McKnight, team leader - training for MAHLE
Clevite, said 14 teams have already thrown their hats into the ring and
are ready to compete. “Compared to this point in time in previous
years, this is the largest number of NASCAR engine builder teams having
signed up for the Showdown, and there's still plenty of time for more
teams to enter the contest. In 2007, a record-breaking 19 teams
participated in the Showdown. We expect to see that record surpassed
this year," McKnight said.
Among the NASCAR engine builder teams signed up to date for the Showdown include:
· Bill Davis Racing: Robert Scott and Matt Flogel
· Ganassi Racing: Mike Lanci and Jesse Hardee; Brad Thrower and Todd Hamm
· Joe Gibbs Racing: Doug Easton and Gregg Wilson
· Hendrick Motorsports: Mike Maiwald and Shane Parsnow; Earl Wheeler and Danny Emerick; Kevin Webber and Scott Vester
· ProMotor Engineering: Dennis Borem and Darrell Hoffman
· Roush Yates Engines: Mike Kasch and Jim Snyder; Kent Mashburn and
David Hamm; Trey Davis and Brian Buttrick; Mike Robinson and Andy
Spicer; Mark Dorr and Chris Davala Toyota Racing Development: Mike
DiMascio and Ben Morris
The MAHLE Engine Builder Showdown is a national showcase for the
talent, expertise and competitive spirit of engine builders who are at
the top of their game in building race engines for NASCAR Sprint Cup,
Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck series races. Last year,
Powerblock's Horsepower TV presented a special half-hour program on the
eighth annual Showdown. The program aired four times on cable
television's Spike TV network.
This year, the teams will be tackling a completely different race
engine. Instead of NASCAR Sprint Cup 357-cubic-inch Ford engines,
they'll be building Chevy RO7 engines. "Most of the teams competing
this year have never built a Chevy RO7 engine before, so this year's
contest will be especially challenging for them," said McKnight.
The MAHLE Engine Builder Showdown consists of three rounds of
preliminary and semi-final eliminations. The final round features the
two fastest teams in a face-off to win the Showdown's grand prize - the
prestigious Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy, plus a cash prize of $26,000.
The Showdown runners-up team receives $9,000. Overall, the competition
awards a total prize package of more than $50,000.
MAHLE Clevite is holding all preliminary rounds of the MAHLE Engine
Builder Showdown at the NASCAR Technical Institute, Mooresville, NC.
The final round of the competition takes place on May 20, also at NTI.
For more information, visit: www.mahleclevite.com.
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