What Goes Around Comes Around - Engine Builder Magazine

What Goes Around Comes Around

While researching the article on the efforts the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may or may not be making to put you out of business (page 44) I took a walk down memory lane.

While researching the article on the efforts the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may or may not be making to put you out of business (page 44) I took a walk down memory lane.   

Funny how the more things change the more they stay the same.

A long time ago, I was editor of a magazine here at Babcox Media that was published for the brick and mortar speed shop industry. First published in 1966, Specialty & Custom Dealer (then Speed & Custom Dealer) was the first trade magazine designed to help performance parts jobbers and retailers win business against the shop across town and win battles against unreasonable pressures from government on safety and emissions.

I was editor of the magazine in the early 1990s and, apart from the color and length of the hair in my photo, many of the columns I was writing and editing then weren’t that much different than those I’m writing these days in Engine Builder.

Competition for business is still intense. Customers still have unreasonable expectations. And Big Brother is still watching you.

Another similarity from then to now? Jim McFarland is still on the job, helping the specialty and performance aftermarket navigate the minefields of governmental emissions regulations. Jim was an editorial advisory board member for the SCD staff and wrote regularly (and well) on the challenges the performance industry was facing and would face in the years to come.

Writer, consultant, engineer and visionary, Jim can take credit for a lot of things in this industry, many of which directly impact your business today. He won’t brag about them, but let’s just say that if it had anything to do with the performance industry, Jim McFarland probably had something to do with it.

As editor of Hot Rod Magazine, he recognized early on that California and the Federal government were on parallel tracks to the same station: emissions regulations. Rather than bury his head in the sand or take a more confrontational approach, he realized the value of relationship building and education. He continues to stress the importance of maintaining working relationships in order to move down the track.

He helped Vic Edelbrock develop both parts and marketing campaigns, he helped OEMs and professional racers improve their products and he helped me and many of my contributors tell stories in a much more accurate way. I appreciate very much what Jim has done for my magazines over the years – even more what he has done for my readers.

As I was looking through those back issues of SCD, the articles and the ads reminded me of what a closeknit community the performance aftermarket was – and still is. A lot of the names from the old days are still active in the industry today. Many of the legendary brand names from the ’60s and ’70s are still around, proving that this industry is adaptable enough to meet the challenges and continue to improve.

I’ve seen the same thing, of course in back issues of Engine Builder. Equipment suppliers, parts manufacturers, WDs – recognizable names are still active and long-time subscribers keep doing great work.

As Jim McFarland reminded me just the other day, the relationships that many of us in this industry are proud of are the reason this industry is as robust as it is.

And speaking of robust, several of you have asked me about the engine that I am holding in this picture. No, I am not 22 feet tall, holding a full-size NASCAR racing engine. This is a 1/4 scale model of the Chevy engine in Dale Earnhardt’s Black #3 from 2002. Produced and sold by NASCAR collectable manufacturer Action Performance, this cool piece reminds me daily that this industry is still a lot of fun.

Just like the old days.

You May Also Like

Passion Runs Deep

Having had the distinct opportunity to view this industry from my chair as editor of Engine Builder has certainly opened my eyes to a lot of great things this industry has going for it. However, my favorite thing about it – hands down – is the passion. Whether it’s passion for covering the industry (as

Having had the distinct opportunity to view this industry from my chair as editor of Engine Builder has certainly opened my eyes to a lot of great things this industry has going for it. However, my favorite thing about it – hands down – is the passion.

Whether it’s passion for covering the industry (as we do), or passion for manufacturing components (as so many of our partners do), or passion for creating horsepower and engines (as all of our readers do) – there’s certainly no lack of passion here. That all said, where I’ve seen the most passion for what our industry is all about is on the track. That’s where the proverbial rubber meets the road, and where the manufacturing, the engines, the cars, and the people all come together to earn a longed-for result.

PRI 2021: What a Show

First things first – Happy New Year to you all. I sincerely hope you got to be with friends and family during the holidays and that you all had a safe and fun end to 2021. We’ve now officially welcomed 2022, and as the holidays have quickly come and gone, as they always do, I

New Year’s Resolution

It’s crazy to think that 2021 is coming to a close. The days and weeks in a year always feel long, but the months and the year itself, absolutely fly by. It’s strange how that always is the case. There’s no stopping Father Time as they say! All we can do is forge ahead and

Not Your Father’s Engine Builder

I’ve actually lost track of how long it’s been since people started claiming print was dead. It’s been a while! Now, I understand the ‘print is dead’ claim might be different for newspapers than it is for magazines, but I can tell you this – the content landscape has certainly been shifting. Related Articles –

Experience Always Wins

Formula 1 racing often tells smaller stories within each individual race; the final stretches of the Russian Grand Prix proved in my eyes that experience always wins.

Other Posts

PRI Joins Forces with Magic 8 Race in South Georgia

 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) has signed on as title sponsor of the Magic 8 race on October 15 at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Georgia, part of the four-day No Mercy 12 drag racing event produced by Duck X Productions. Related Articles – PennGrade1 Partners with American Motorcycle Racing Association – Ryan Hunter to

RPM Act Introduced in U.S. House of Representatives

SEMA President & CEO Chris Kersting recently commended U.S. Representatives Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA) for introducing H.R. 3281, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2021 (RPM Act). The bipartisan bill includes 48 original sponsors. The RPM Act protects Americans’ right to convert street vehicles into dedicated race cars and the

Protect Yourself as a Small Business

This month’s column is for all those folks in automotive performance with a small business, as well as those looking to get into this segment of the industry. Automotive performance is this gray area that comes with risks and rewards as well as customers who don’t know what they don’t know. If you’re not careful,

April Has Been Good to Me

Two years ago this month, I was promoted to editor of this fine publication and brand we call Engine Builder. After having been in the managing editor role for the five years prior, I got my chance to run the ship, as they say, when Doug Kaufman accepted an editorial director role within Babcox Media