Sprint & Midget Racing Engine Market
While the World of Outlaws, the All-Stars and USAC are the most well-known of the sprint car racing organizations in this country, and USAC is probably the best known of the midget racing organizations, there have been many new groups surfacing in the past several years. According to Allan Brown, publisher of The National Sprint
IndyCar Series Holds Automotive Manufacturer Round-table to Discuss New Specs, Encourage More Participation
With the Indianapolis MotorSpeedway on the cusp of celebrating two significant centennials, andthe unification of open-wheel racing in North America complete, theIndyCar Series has announced plans to define its next generation oftechnical competition rules with the ultimate goal of encouraging newmanufacturer participation within the series. An ‘IndyCar Automotive Manufacturers Round-table’ targeting seniorlevel automotive executives will
For JGR’s engine builder, it’s been really early to rise
"This was the worst offseason I personally have had in a long time,"Cronquist admitted. "Just because it was trying to get the pieces andthe parts and where they go and what they are, and a part number to gowith them … just so I can give to my guys [the JGR engine assemblers]what I need
Growing Your Grassroots Engine Business
Webster’s Dictionary defines "grassroots" in several ways, including two that are particularly appropriate for this month’s article on racing engines. These two definitions are: 1) "Ordinary citizens, especially as contrasted with the leadership or elite." 2) "The origin or basis of something." The first definition could easily be interpreted as the local racers compared to
How Wegner Automotive Reverse Engineers Cylinder Head Porting
Casey Wegner, head of the CNC department at Wegner Automotive, Markesan, WI, can still picture this scene from his childhood: His father Carl meticulously hand porting a cylinder head, which took several days to finish an entire set of ports for an eight-cylinder engine. Fast-forward 30 years: Casey Wegner has become an expert head porter,
Fast Lane: Building A Reputation At The Track Will Build Business At The Shop
In the February 2007 issue of Engine Builder we discussed the importance of seeking out new market for your business (Fast Lane: “New Markets Could Give Your Business Hope For Survival,” page 18). In the May 2007 Issue we discussed the importance of getting out to the racetrack to help build your performance business (Fast
Fast Lane: Regional Race Tracks
By the time you read this, most racetracks will have begun their summer schedules. Sure, NASCAR has been running since February, and I’m sure many warm-weather tracks have been operating most of the year, but the majority of tracks are just beginning their seasons.If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to make
Crack Detection
Take a look in the mirror. Smiling back at you, you’ll notice that row of pearly whites. They probably look pretty good. Maybe a bit stained from coffee or smoking, but overall, they seem to be pretty solid, right? If you’re like many people, the fear sets in as soon as you sit down in
Drag Racing Engines
From the early days of drag racing up until the recent past, racers built everything for their cars themselves, from the engines and chassis to the shop equipment. Most racing teams pulled their racecars to the track behind the family station wagon or pickup truck. The personalities who participated in the sport were as colorful
Increasing Stock Performance
Let’s face it: stock engines just don’t wear out – at least not until upwards of 150,000 miles for the average late model engine. Sure, neglect continues to take its toll, but on the whole, while there is still some stock rebuilding work to be had, it’s not what it used to be. Have you
Fast Lane: Boundless Opportunities Await You in 2005
By now you have all made your New Year’s resolutions, and hopefully, at least one of those goals tions is to look for new opportunities that will help your business become even more successful. This month’s column should give you some help in keeping that resolution. The elections are finally over and the economy is
Piston Ring Technology: Stock and Performance
Piston rings have one of the toughest jobs inside an engine. They’re slammed up and down between the ring lands thousands of times a minute; they’re subjected to searing temperatures and extreme pressures; and they’re constantly scraping back and forth against the cylinder walls. In spite of all of this, the rings are expected to
Is There A ‘Spec Engine’Program In Your Future?
In an attempt to reduce the high cost of racing, many sanctioning bodies and racetracks are experimenting with or already using what could be described as “spec engines” or “crate engines.” General Motors was one of the first to offer a crate engine for racing, but now numerous manufacturers including Ford and Dodge have crate
Sprint Car Motors
While the World of Outlaws, the All Stars, and USAC are the most well known of the sprint car racing organizations in this country, there are nearly fifty organizations that sanction sprint car racing. In addition, that doesn’t take into account the racetracks throughout the country that have their own division of sprint cars. Although
Just Imports
At my shop, Import Machine Service in Framingham, MA, we do a lot of flow testing and head porting, and are continually working to improve induction systems. Our work, however, is limited to aluminum only. Because I do work for many racers, I get many requests to do “performance” enhancements. Over the years, Mazda Miatas
Little Engines, Big Money
For the rebuilding facility familiar with typical automotive or heavy-duty engines, the small displacement, four-cycle, air-cooled engine may seem insignificant. After all, these one-cylinder motors, which may produce just 5 hp, are found in lawn mowers, rototillers and kiddy go karts, for cryin’ out loud! Although the small four-cycle engines from Briggs & Stratton, Tecumseh,
High Performance May Be Your Shop
As an automotive machine shop owner, you’re reading Automotive Rebuilder magazine because you want to stay abreast of all the happenings in your industry. Along with that, you’re also searching for ways to improve your bottom line by adding additional products or services to your operation. High performance machining could be the ticket. The explosive