The World of Off-Road Race Engines
While there’s no concrete formula for building a quality off-road race engine, some shops follow individual steps that help them to craft the perfect engine for the customer.
“MAHLE: The Choice of Champions” Technician Promotion
MAHLE Aftermarket Inc. is continuing its “call-for-entries” for the company’s inaugural “MAHLE: The Choice of Champions” technician promotion. Eligible participants have until August 31, 2022, to compete in this exclusive sweepstakes for the chance to win a custom-built Vaughn Gittin RTR Spec 5 Mustang or a Casey Currie Custom Jeep. The lucky winner will leave
MAHLE Aftermarket to Host Leading NHRA Drivers at PRI 2021
MAHLE will host some of National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) leading drivers in Booth 1601 at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show 2021 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN from December 9 to 11. During the show, NHRA superstars John Force, Robert Hight, Brittany Force, Shawn Langdon, Clay Millican, Antron Brown, Stevie
4.9″ Billet Hemi ‘Big Dawg’ Engine
When we spoke with Darrell Makins, shop manager of Noonan Race Engineering in Spartanburg, SC, the shop had 60 billet blocks in queue for production. Noonan Race Engineering starts each build from an 815-pound raw chunk of aluminum. With 60 engines on deck, that makes for nearly 49,000 lbs. of raw aluminum. After getting machined,
ZSR’s 438 Small Block Ford Engine
Looking to break out with an engine shop all his own, Zach Smith wanted to make sure his shop would have a niche market. He chose to build only Ford engines since those were the powerplants his family always raced with. Zach and his wife Tori opened ZSR Engines in 2015. The shop was initially
ProCharged 5.0L Coyote Engine
Samantha Moore of Vector Motorsports got hooked on racing right out of college and hasn’t looked back ever since. Now she’s one of the best in the NMRA Limited Street class with her 2014 Mustang and its ProCharged 5.0L Coyote engine. See what went into this impressive build!
427 LT5 Stroker Engine
Looking to add horsepower and displacement to his Corvette ZR-1, Phil Wasinger’s engine build started when he came across a used LT5 engine on Craigslist in 2014. See what went into this six-year project.
Ford 390 cid FE Engine
When Kyle Whetsel and Brad Simoneau were college roommates at the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH), they didn’t know their friendship would eventually extend into the workplace. However, that’s exactly what happened more than 10 years after graduation. Kyle had started working at an engine shop in Florida’s panhandle called RPM Performance and Machine in
959 cid Big Buck Engine
Back in 2015, King, NC-based shop, Buck Racing Engines, was broken into and seven race engines were stolen from inside, valued at nearly half a million dollars in lost inventory. The four thieves responsible were caught and sentenced a year later. However, none of the engines or parts stolen were ever recovered, forcing shop owner
Compressed Air Supercharged 540 Big Block Chevy Engine
Instead of just building a good, bulletproof motor and throwing compressed air on it, Danny Soliz wanted to build a motor that was designed specifically for compressed air. See why compressed air supercharging is so valuable for boost and component life, and how it impacts this 540 big block Chevy build.
454 ProCharged LSX Engine
One thing we missed about not having a live PRI Show in 2020 was seeing the engine build for the annual Sunnen Charity Engine Sweepstakes. As a way of reminiscing, we’re going to give you a glimpse at the 2017 Sunnen Charity Engine Sweepstakes build – a 454 cubic inch ProCharged LSX engine done by
Whipple Supercharged 427 LS Engine
Looking to replace a Roots-blown 383 small block in his Pro Street ’66 Chevelle, customer David Hollis turned to Nick Chauffe and Steven Garcia of C&G American Muscle Cars to crank it up a notch under the hood. They delivered a Whipple Supercharged 427 LS engine – and it’s glorious! Check it out!
Two-Cylinder V-Twin Chevy Engine
Sometimes being a hoarder pays off. Johnny Gardner and his son were doing some spring cleaning in the shop and found a box of blown up small block Chevy parts. Not wanting to see the parts go to waste, it turned into a challenge to build something with them. The result was a one-of-a-kind two-cylinder V-Twin Chevy engine!
24-Valve 5.9L Cummins Engine
Ethan Powell of Freedom Diesel Performance has a 1960 Cadillac Coupe de Ville he wants to turn into a fun street vehicle he can bring to car shows. So what did he put under the hood? This 24-valve 5.9L Cummins engine of course! Find out what went into the build.
Forced Induction 427 LSX Engine
When Ramiro Ramirez of Fatboys Racing Engines reached out to us again about the details of a competition level, forced induction engine he was building for a Trans-Am WS6 chassis, we had to know more. Check out this turbocharged 427 cid LSX build!
605 Drag Boat Engine
When his customer wanted to move up a class in drag boat racing, James Bostick of Bostick Racing Engines was happy to oblige. He built this 605 cid drag boat engine with nitrous for high horsepower.
Industry Veteran Bill McKnight Has Passed Away
It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Bill McKnight, an industry veteran who served 25 years with Dana Corp. and roughly 10 years with Mahle/Clevite. McKnight was diagnosed with IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis) in 2019, and he lost his fight to the disease on March 17, 2021.
360 cid Mopar Engine
This 10.5:1 compression, 360 cid Mopar V8 makes 425 horsepower. However, the intention behind this build was never to wow people with it’s performance potential. Rather, it was to simply give enthusiasts a glimpse at a running engine and to hear what a V8 sounds like. Amen to that!
Mechanical P Pump 7.3L Powerstroke Engine
As Ford Powerstroke fanatics, Unlimited Diesel Performance owners Nate Bailor and Ben Burnworth have constantly competed against Cummins power. To fight back, the diesel shop has pushed boundaries with their mechanical P pump 7.3L Powerstroke engine to the tune of 2,200 HP, and they’re not done yet. Find out what makes this engine tick!
6.7L Enforcer Engine
After pushing his triple turbo 6.8L Cummins engine to its limits and paying the price for it, Josh McCormack didn’t let the blown up engine of his dreams keep him from another engine build. This time he turned to D&J Precision Machine’s 6.7L-based Enforcer. Find out what went into the custom build.
