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In 1950, the Mexican government sponsored a race to inform the world that Mexico had a new system of roads known as the Pan-American Highway, which stretched across the country from north to south for commerce and tourism. That race was the original Pan-Am.
Today, known as the La Carrera Panamericana, the race features up to 100 vintage racecars starting down in southern Mexico in October to race nearly 2,000 miles back up north. It’s seven days of racing, around 350 miles of speed stages, over closed, public roads through some of the most beautiful country north of the equator.
If you’re like myself and Scott Eatmon, the owner of Eatmon Racing Engines in Wilson, NC, then you haven’t heard of this race either, until now. However, one of Eatmon’s newest customers was involved with this race and came to Eatmon because he had heard of the shop’s Dodge NASCAR engines, and wanted one specifically for the La Carrera Panamericana. We’re going to give you all the details of this build in this episode of Engine of the Week.