Engine Builder magazine has announced its annual Engine of the Year winner for 2023 – a Twin-Turbo 5.0L Coyote engine – built by Joe Irwin of Fast Forward Race Engines in New Port Richey, FL. Joe Irwin and his team accepted the award at Engine Builder’s PRI Party, sponsored by The ArmaKleen Company and Safety-Kleen, held at Tin Roof in Indianapolis on December 6.
For the seventh consecutive year, Engine Builder magazine presented its Engine of the Year award, which stems from the Engine of the Week series, sponsored by PennGrade1, Elring Das Original, and NPW Companies. Out of the more than 50 engines profiled in the series each year, a Top 10 engines are chosen by Engine Builder’s audience for a chance to be crowned Engine of the Year.
The nominees for 2023 were:
- Supercharged 500 cid Billet Hemi engine built by DMX Demon Motorsports in Bryant, AR
- Twin-Turbo 427 cid LS3 engine built by Jason Pickett in Fort Collins, CO
- Blown 526 cid 4.900” Bore Space Chevy/Hemi engine built by Bullet Racing Engines in House Springs, MO
- Hilborn-Injected 421 cid Small Block Chevy engine built by Knowlton Thunderheads and Racing Engines in East Bethel, MN
- Twin-Turbo 5.0L Coyote engine built by Fast Forward Race Engines in New Port Richey, FL
- Twin-Turbo 400 cid LS Next engine built by ACE Racing Engines in Torrance, CA
- ProCharged 427 cid Small Block Ford engine built by Flying J Racing Engines
- 731 cid Outlaw 4.840 Bore Space Nitrous engine built by Pat Musi Racing Engines in Mooresville, NC
- Turbocharged 540 cid Big Block Chevy engine built by Harrell Engine & Dyno in Mooresville, NC
- 427 cid Ford V8 engine built by Prestige Motorsports in Concord, NC
These Top 10 engines were pitted against one another in a two-week voting contest on Engine Builder’s website and social media channels with the winner claiming the crown of Engine of the Year.
Once the votes were tallied, it was Fast Forward Race Engines’ twin-turbo 302 cid 5.0L Coyote engine that came out on top! This engine is featured in Brett LaSala’s 2012 Mustang named Snot Rocket 2.0. The combo has worked well in 2023, initially dynoing at 2,509 horsepower and delivering a 6.74 quarter-mile average at 213 mph during Sick Week, giving Brett a class win in Modified and third place overall. Brett went on to make passes of 6.45 at 215 mph and 6.33 at 224 mph at FL2K, which lead to winning his class at that event as well. He also won his class at the World Cup Finals – Import vs. Domestic race in Maryland. Now, LaSala and Fast Forward Race Engines can add Engine of the Year to their accolades too.
“The coyote platform continues to amaze us with its remarkable performance,” says Joe Irwin of FFRE. “Its the superior castings and the efficiency of the cylinder heads that are consistently surpassing our expectations. It empowers us to constantly elevate our work, pushing the boundaries and setting new standards with each engine that we proudly produce.
“Winning Engine of the Year is a testament to our team’s dedication and passion. It validates the relentless effort we put into crafting top-tier coyote engines, or any engine for that matter. This achievement reinforces our commitment to providing customers with engines that not only win races but also set records, showcasing the excellence and precision embedded in every product we deliver. Thank you for this honor!”
For more details on the 2023 Engine of the Year, read it here or watch the video here. If you’re interested in being part of the 2024 Engine of the Week series, please email brand manager and content director Greg Jones at [email protected].
