2011 AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge Participants Announced

The list of 2011 AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge participants has been finalized and announced. Come September, the following 8 competitors will descend on Comp Cams in Memphis to showcase their engine builds and try for their shot at winning. This challenge gives engine builders a platform of which can be used to reach thousands of Mopar enthusiasts in need of their expertise. Returning in 2011 to defend his title is Scott Schurbon of Schurbon Engine & Machine, whose team landed the top spot for the past two competitions. All eyes will be on Team Schurbon to see if they can hold the line and take the title once again for 2011, or if another team takes it from them.

AMSOIL will provide blog updates as the competition gets underway, starting at the Mopar Nationals in August.

Schurbon Engine and Machine
Scott Schurbon

Mid America Racing Engines
David Bruns

B&G Speed and Machine
Bill Hess

T&B’Z Race Engines
Tom & Brenda Foley

Hinkle Performance
Buck Hinkle

Prism Racing
Darren Tedder

HP Engines
Hollis Page

LaRoy Engines
Jim LaRoy

2010 AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge Recap

The AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge wrapped in September, and defending 2009 title holder Schurbon Engine and Machine was announced as the winner for the second straight year shortly after. More details are emerging on how each competitor came to finish in their respective standings, revealing that this year’s win was by no means a shoo-in for Schurbon and team.

First Place: Schurbon Engine & Machine
Scott Schurbon came to the 2010 Challenge intending to hang on to his 2009 title, and he succeeded after a risky move that ended up paying off. Well-read on the rules of the challenge with a knack for putting together a winning combination, Schurbon knew what he was up against and pulled out all the stops. After making three qualifying pulls on the dyno, the team made a surprise move by using the remainder of their allotted time to attempt a camshaft switch right in the middle of their run. Had it not worked out, Team Schurbon would have found themselves disqualified for not being able to make their pulls in the last judging period. Luckily they pulled it off, and while they did end up losing some power they ended holding a final score of 511.3 horsepower with a factor of 1.504 hp per cubic inch. Wanting to set the bar higher, Team Schurbon sat in what was sure to be a stressful wait for one of the other teams to take away their lead. Lucky for them no one did.

Second Place: Promax Performance
Also a returning competitor, Ben Gorman of Promax Performance knew what they had to do to remain in the running. In the past Team Promax has brought a series of stout Mopar Engines to the contest, and this year was no different. The Promax 340 made more than 500 horsepower on its best pull, with a 1.452 hp per cubic inch. This resulted in a powerful 340 that earned them a solid second place.

Third Place: Mid-America Racing Engines
A previous winner in the challenge, David Bruns of Mid-America Racing Engines knows his stuff. Bringing the largest displacement small block, Bruns knew he would have to turn out some big numbers in order to remain a contender. Using the required RHS/Indy cast-iron cylinder heads treated to a full port job, Team Mid-America pulled out 580.5 horsepower for a factor of 1.422 hp per cubic inch. This resulted in a very close third place finish, just .3 points behind Promax Performance.

The final results for all teams were:
1. Schurbon Engine & Machine 511.3 hp/1.504 hp per cubic inch
2. Promax Performance 500.4 hp/1.45 per cubic inch
3. Mid-America Racing Engines 580.5 hp/1.42 per cubic inch
4. MRL Performance 472.9 hp/1.37 per cubic inch
5. B&G Speed & Machine 418.7 hp/ 1.14 per cubic inch
6. Chenowith Speed & Machine Technical issues prevented qualification.

AMSOIL is pleased to be the Official Oil of this challenge, and we’re told that the engine builders appreciate that advantage as well. Mopar Muscle states the following: "Over the years, we've come to appreciate the quality of AMSOIL lubricants, finding them to be well engineered for maximum protection. The engine builders in our contest seem to feel the same way as many of them are now AMSOIL Dealers."

And We Have A Winner

The results are in! The AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Engine challenge has come to a close. MRL performance and Promax Performance were the last two contestants on the dyno this afternoon and when the dust settled it looks like last year's winner Shurbon Performance has come out on top. His modified 340 made 511.3 HP which gives it the top honors at 1.504 HP per cubic inch. MRL and Promax put on a great show. Both put up very respectable numbers but just couldn't quite compete with the Schurbon team. Congratulations to all the competitors and thanks to the folks at Mopar Muscle Magazine for once again putting on a great event.

LEADER BOARD TELLS THE FINAL STORY...

AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Challenge: Day 2

The engine challenge started day two with another return competitor, David Bruns of Mid-America Racing engines. David always brings a very strong bullet to the challenge, and this year was no exception. His 408 inch small block made an impressive amount of power, and as always, performed flawlessly throughout it’s dyno session.

David even got some help from his wife Diane during some of the tuning performed. At the end of the morning session, David’s engine proved itself a strong contender, but we’ll have to wait until the end of the day tomorrow to know for sure.

The afternoon featured a new comer to the challenge, B&G Machine. Bill Hess and his crew have never attempted participating in a dyno challenge like this, but after a slow start, caught on to how things work, and proved that they could build a good running engine. Their 367-inch small block runs a flat-tappet cam, and made a respectable amount of power after some electrical gremlins were fixed. We suspect Bill and his crew will definitely try to return next year now that they have a taste for the challenge.

Mopar Nationals Set to Celebrate 30th Anniversary

Thousands of people descend to National Trail Raceway in Columbus, OH each year to attend the Mopar Nats. Drawing collector cars of all shapes and sizes, competition is always fierce and gives the public plenty to see and do throughout the weekend. This coming weekend marks the 30th Anniversary of the Mopar Nationals, drawing a multitude of classic cars at least 26 years and older along with Mopar-related memorabilia. This years’ event will feature a special tribute to the Dodge Coronet and Super Bee, where these vehicles will be on display together.

A Mopar is defined as a Chrysler-built vehicle including Dodge, Plymouth, Imperial, and more. This market draws thousands of enthusiasts loyal to the brand, which is known for producing solid engines that can withstand severe duties. A favorite saying among enthusiasts is ‘Mopar or No Car’ and many live up to this creed.

On the same note, AMSOIL is title sponsor of the AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge. This event pits engine builders against one another to see who can build the best Mopar engine. Competitors will have their engine builds on display at the Mopar Nationals before they are shipped off to Comp Cams testing facility to gauge their power and output. Watch for upcoming details on this challenge, where AMSOIL is the Official Lubricant and Sponsor. For now, get your Mopar fix at the 30th Anniversary of the Mopar Nationals and see an integral part of a beloved American pastime.

What: 30th Annual Mopar Nationals
When:
August 13 8:00 AM-7:00 PM
August 14 8:00 AM-6:00 PM
August 15 8:00 AM-6:00 PM
Where: National Trail Raceway, Columbus, OH

The photos here were taken at a previous Mopar Nationals gathering.

For more information check out the Mopar Nationals website at http://www.moparnats.org.

AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge Update

Earlier this month at the PRI Show in Orlando, Mopar Muscle Magazine announced that AMSOIL has officially joined Mopar Muscle Magazine for 2010 through 2012 as title spnsors of the AMSOIL/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge. 2010 will be the fourth year as such, and some changes in scoring will keep things fresh and interesting.

Details on the 2010 competition are as follows: eight builders, selected from engine shops across the country, will bring their talents to the table in an effort to build the best small block engine in terms of performance and horsepower. In 2010 there will be no cubic inch limit, each participant using RHS Heads’ new cast iron cylinder head, and of course AMSOIL will be the lubricant. One difference from last year’s challenge is that cost of parts will not be included in the final scoring. Instead this year’s scoring will be done by factoring the horsepower per cubic inches of each engine, making for some interesting results. More details will be posted here as they become available, as well as in Mopar Muscle Magazine, so stay tuned.

In addition, Mopar Muscle Magazine officially announced the winners of the 2009 competition. Schurbon Engine and Machine teamed up with Mo-Par City to build an engine that proved both economical and powerful with near 600 horsepower to take home the win. AMSOIL extends sincere congratulations to Scott Schurbon and team for taking the title.

Following that release it was also announced that AMSOIL has officially joined Mopar Muscle Magazine for the 2010 AMSOIL/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge as title sponsor. 2010 will be the fourth year as such, and some changes in scoring will keep things fresh and interesting. Details on the challenge are as follows:

2009 AMSOIL/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge Declares a Winner

Last month 8 talented teams of engine builders from across the country descended upon Comp Cams test facility in Memphis to determine which engine was best designed for performance and cost. Last week Mopar Muscle magazine posted the final standings of the AMSOIL/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge on their website.

As title sponsor for this event AMSOIL was in every engine lending a hand in improving power and performance. Over the course of three days the engines were put through rigorous testing and given an overall rating based on peak horsepower and torque. In the final analysis, the retail cost of parts were tallied and factored into the final score which ultimately determined the winning engine.

This year Schurbon Engine and Machine teamed up with Mopar City to build an impressively powerful, economical stroker big block and earned the first place spot. Nearly 600 horsepower was created by using stock crank and rods, flat-tappet camshaft and cast pistons to create the winning formula. Second place went to Chenowith Speed and Machine with their highest combined horsepower and torque score, with LaRoy engines coming in at a very close third.

Final results:
1. Schurbon Engine and Machine/Mopar City
2. Chenowith Speed and Machine
3. LaRoy Engines
4. ProMax Performance
5. Mid America Racing Engines
6. J D Engine and Machine
7. RM Competition

Congratulations to all participants this year, AMSOIL is already looking forward to seeing next year’s innovations in engine building.