Publisher, Engine Builder Magazine
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Leaving a Legacy One Lap at a Time

Bev Ringwald, the daughter of the late Graham Heath, is organizing an auction of her father’s collection of racing cars, parts and memorabilia in early June in Madison, IN.

The Anatomy of Engine Parts Coatings

Coatings have been developed to improve performance, durability and reliability. Though once the exclusive trade secret of race engine parts suppliers and engine builders, today parts coatings are available for many different applications – and can even be applied in your own shop.

Love It or Hate It, Workers Comp is Needed…and Better Than the Old Days

Workers Compensation is a government mandated benefit for employees who suffer a work-related injury or illness. Say what you want about government-mandated anything, according to people in the know about such things, the system in place today is much better than the way things used to be!

Time to Tell EPA to Back Off

When I was a kid, if I wanted to get away with something, I learned how to bend the truth and not give my parents the whole story. Or, if I DID tell them what was going on, it was in the middle of a completely different story. It didn’t work of course – my

Surfing Safari – How Today’s Wake Surfing Craze Can Be Killing Marine Engines

According to some experts, wake surfing has become one of America’s hottest sports. For those of you who are actively involved in building engines for pavement or off-road racing, marine motors may seem to be either an obstacle or an opportunity – and you would be right in both cases. Wake surfing is the practice

Your Customer Did WHAT?!

A few weeks ago, I got into a conversation via social media with sprint car engine builder Steven Hogue. He was in Akron, IN and I was in Akron, OH, but thanks to Facebook, it was like we were sitting across from each other at our favorite local watering hole doing some bench racing. Despite what

High-Tech Tightening – Fasteners take their rightful place of importance

When you build your engines, you put measured thought into every component you use. From the intake system to the exhaust manifold, everything has its place and nothing is installed without careful consideration. But what about the fasteners? Some of the most critical components are held together with relatively low-cost fasteners including screws, nuts and

It’s Time You Got What You Deserved

When we launched the Performance Engine Builder of the Year competition in 2012, we looked at it as a chance to celebrate the unsung heroes of the racing world. After all, the driver, the crew chief, the team owner – heck even the driver’s dog – each got more TV time and fan recognition than

Quest for Perfection – We Chronicle One Man’s Mission To Build the Ultimate Dyno Cell

As a young land and marine drag racer in the 1970s, Don London always looked for the best way he could to build extreme race engines for himself and his friends. As a 30-year veteran of the contracting business, he’s still doing everything he can to ensure that the engines he builds are the best

Sourcing CNC Solutions – Making the decision for CNC may be scary, profitable

CNC machining equipment can be a double-edged sword to many engine builders that promises flexibility and profitability, yet often requires a significant upfront investment. As with any piece of equipment, there’s no “one size fits all” solution, and three top engine builders explain how they overcame the fear of financing and failure to find success

Customer Appreciation

In the March issue of Engine Builder, I shared some stories about crazy customer experiences from sprint car engine builder Steven Hogue. We all had a good laugh recalling the birdseed, the shop rag ingestion and sealing an engine a bit too well with duct tape. Then, unsure of whether you would be interested in

Numbers Don’t Tell The Whole Story

We ask a lot of questions. Yes, I can admit it – we’re a nosy bunch here at Engine Builder. Sometimes, our requests may come across as discourteous, intrusive or even downright rude. Because sometimes we ask hard questions, things that even I would probably hesitate to answer. Let me first say this: I apologize