Napa Earthquake Knocks Engine Shop Out of Balance
“Now we are in search of a light industrial commercial spot here in Napa. It’s a major challenge – but we won’t give up.” –Rich Oliver While much of the damage attention from the South Napa Earthquake centered around Napa’s wineries and related business, the racing and performance industry did not escape unscathed. According to
HP Tuners Acquires Race Render LLC
HP Tuners has announced that it has purchased Race Render LLC, including Race Render, Track Addict, Bench Racer and Quick PIP products. Race Render is the leading PC based application that allows a user to synch data to video. Track Addict is a mobile Application that allows a user to display data on their iPhone/iPad
Ford’s Famous Flathead V8
It was special in so many ways. First of all, it was the first V8 engine for the Ford line of cars. Nobody could imagine the effects it would have on the racing and hot rod world in the years to come. Even in its stock trim, it was a gutty little powerplant, but it would
NASCAR Adopts Knockout Qualifying for 2014 Season
So long single-car qualifying. In 2014, NASCAR is ramping up the prerace excitement level with a new knockout Coors Light Pole Award qualifying format for its three national series – a move designed to make qualifying more compelling and more closely like actual on-track competition. “We believe the timing is right for a new qualifying format across our
Creating Lasting Customer Loyalty Before They Even Win a Race
While providing good engine rebuilding work is an essential component of customer satisfaction, perhaps even more important — when it comes to cultivating loyalty — is delivering exceptional customer service. After all, customers expect us to rebuild and engine or get more horsepower out of it. What they don’t expect is a convenient, easy and
Racing “Spec” -tacle: Engine-Related Rule Book Changes for 2014
When it comes to racing, some say rules are meant to be broken (or bent). Names that come to mind here include the legendary Smokey Yunick, Darrell Waltrip and even NASCAR technical inspector Gary Nelson (from his days serving as a crew chief). Of course, other times, rules just so happen to get changed by organization
Maserati Enters its 100th Year as a Company
Maserati produced its first car in 1926 – a race car named Tipo 26. With the month of December, Maserati officially enters the 100th year of its history. It does so in a period of unprecedented health and unparalleled growth. More than 23,000 orders worldwide up to date are propelling Maserati into a new dimension.
VW Showcases ‘Design Vision GTI’ Concept with Turbocharged V6 TSI Engine
The V6 TSI engine develops 369 pound-feet of torque from as low as 2000 rpm, with a maximum figure of 413 lb-ft at 4000 rpm. Volkswagen of America, Inc. showed off its “Design Vision GTI” at the Los Angeles Auto Show. First debuted at Germany’s Wörthersee festival, the brand’s premier enthusiast gathering, the stunning
Shell Lubricants Showcases its Lubricants Technology and Business Values at Houston Grand Prix
Track Provides Ultimate Test Ground to Benefit Engine Builders, Race Enthusiasts, Consumers and Automakers Continuing a rich motorsports history, Shell Lubricants has proven again that its storied relationship with IndyCar translates learning from the track to real-world benefits on the road and beyond. Serving as the ultimate proving ground, education taken from the racetrack adds value to
ARCA To Hold 2013 Post-Season Awards Banquet Alongside PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis
Top drivers, special award winners and the 2013 champion will be honored during the series’ annual festivities, which take place Dec. 14 at the Indiana Convention Center, site of the 26th Annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show. For the second consecutive year, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series presented by Menards
Rebuilding Chrysler’s ‘Revived’ Engine Family
Casting numbers, VIN codes, components and processes to rebuild/remanufacture these engines are compiled for Chrysler’s newly revised engine family including 4 cylinders, V6s and V8s Chrysler made some major changes in their engine line-up starting in ’07. They replaced their four cylinder engines in everything but the PT Cruiser in ’07, updated the 4.7L V8
Livin
One of the only ways you can prove your worth as a race engine builder – besides on the racetrack, of course – is on a dynamometer. Being a shop without a dyno may be akin to running blindfolded: you can surely build a good engine, even a winning engine, but you probably won’t know
Engine Blueprinting Basics
The top professional divisions in racing today for the most part run engines that are built to comply with a very strict set of rules for each series. In NASCAR, where the engines have been roughly the same 358 cid V8 for decades, the power output has steadily increased. Engines of the same brand that
Humpy Wheeler to Share Insights at Race Track Business Conference During PRI Race Industry Week
An outstanding panel of presenters is being assembled for the inaugural Race Track Business Conference-2012 to be held on Wednesday, November 28th, announced Tim Frost, publisher of National Speedway Directory. The event will be held just prior to and in conjunction with the Performance Racing Industry Show, the centerpiece event for Race Industry Week 2012.
Crate Engine Opportunities
To many engine builders, saying the words “crate engine” can leave a bitter taste in the mouth. The perception is, thanks to the wide assortment of ready-to-run packaged engines available from the OEMs, custom engine builders have difficulty competing. In an attempt to reduce the high cost of racing, many sanctioning bodies and racetracks began
Powersports Engines Not Just ATVs and Snowmobiles
While consumers often distinguish the powersports market by its individual products, it is all under the same umbrella for manufacturers and dealers of this equipment. Engine builders doing work in this market will find that they can often make more working on less. The engines are small, but depending on the machine, the parts may
Pro Stock Engine Technology
For a gearhead it’s always interesting to look at the upper echelons of motorsports to see what’s ticking under the hood. F1, Sprint Cup, and endurance cars are all fairly engaging from an engine perspective, but nothing tops drag racing for its sheer power, variety and ingenuity. In a single event you have vehicles competing
Sprint Car Engines: The Current State-of-the-Art
Sprint Cars are just about the fastest machines in racing, often running two or three seconds faster per lap than late model stock cars. There’s no time to just tool around in this form of racing, no pit stops, and it’s over before you know it. Everything is to the limit with engines pushing between
Dyno Decisions Depend on Business Model
If you need a dyno only three or four times a year, you’re probably better off renting dyno time from another facility. If you build race engines for a living, an engine dyno is an essential part of how you do your job and ultimately the value you provide to your customer. So what are
Street Performance Cylinder Heads
Where I grew up in Connecticut wasn’t the hotbed of street racing like Woodward was in Detroit, but we had the Berlin Turnpike, River Road in Middletown, plus a few local small-town hotspots. It was during this period that I got my first education about the importance of cylinder heads. A local rich kid got