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Congratulations to Tony Bischoff and BES Racing Engines... 5X Engine Masters Champion

When Jon Kaase looked at his numbers after his dyno run on day four of the 2014 AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge he seemed crestfallen. He brought a powerful engine to the game, but when all was said and done after Thursday's end of the day run his gut told him he'd be coming up short in the final showdown.

Tony Bischoff (center) watches the numbers with BES Racing Engines on the block.

Sure enough, his instincts were keenly attuned to what was going on, and when the final story had been told, he didn't have it this year. Tony Bischoff started the final day with ginormous numbers and by day's end his score was insurmountable.

Congratulations, Tony. 5X Engine Master has to feel pretty good.

There was still a lot of power on display in the finals. When all was said and done, here's how it all shook out. 

1) SCORE: 3017.4 
ENTRY: BES Racing Engines ENGINE: 401ci Gen III Hemi 
AVERAGE PEAK POWER: 688.67 horsepower, 611.67 lb-ft

2) SCORE: 2920.9 
ENTRY: Bradley Built Engines ENGINE: 417ci Gen III Hemi 
AVERAGE PEAK POWER: 699.07 horsepower, 615.70 lb-ft

3) SCORE: 2913.5 
ENTRY: “Also BES,” John Lohone ENGINE: 401 LS 
AVERAGE PEAK POWER: 674.00 horsepower, 595.33 lb-ft

4) SCORE: 2904.1 
ENTRY: School of Automotive Machinists ENGINE: 436ci LS 
AVERAGE PEAK POWER: 725.33 horsepower, 644.00 lb-ft

5) SCORE: 2875.4 
ENTRY: Jon Kasse Racing ENGINE: 404ci Kaase Boss 9 
AVERAGE PEAK POWER: 677.33 horsepower, 597.00 lb-ft

For more details, and photos, visit the Hot Rod Blog.

Here are some additional shots from Lima, Ohio last week.

The Bradley Built Engine had some cool Brazilian technology affixed.

The local media dropped by to put our story on the evening news.

That's an oil pan, not a bed pan. All week the staff was exceedingly helpful.

John Lohone, like the other top guns, had double plugs per cylinder.

This was a first EMC for Hot Rod editor David Kennedy, here addressing the banquet.

The Brad Nagel made an impressive run, but came up short. 

Day Five: AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge. Bischoff Throws Down the Gauntlet

Last night's Engine Masters Banquet was enjoyable as always. Clarence Barnes was once again Master of Ceremonies for the evening. It became apparent that this was a transition year for the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge. David Freiburger and David Kennedy, editors from Hot Rod magazine, each shared their enthusiasm for the new possibilities for the future of the Challenge. Ed Zinke, head of the EMC, was honored for his hard work and vision for the event.

This morning Johnny Hunkins explained some of the changes he envisions for the future. "It’s going to be a launching pad for all kinds of cool things. I think with the resources that Hot Rod Magazine can bring to bear on the Engine Masters Challenge they’ll be able to entice a lot of other people into the fray and bring in both different manufactures and engine builders that we didn’t have the resources or reach to bring in. So it’s a jumping off point. I’ve been with Engine Masters for 11 years since 2003 so I’ve seen it grow and run its natural course and I think it’s going to be a great thing."

The banquet ended with Ed Newman of AMSOIL drawing the running order out of a hat for today's final showdown. That running order today turned out to be: Tony Bischoff of BES first, Brad Nagel of Bradley Built Engines next, John Lahone of ALSO BES third, Chris Bennett of School of Automotive Machinists fourth and finally 5X champion Jon Kaase of Jon Kaase Racing.

This morning Tony Bischoff was set up twenty minutes early, hoping to start as soon as possible to take advantage of the cool morning air, but the start time was officially 7:30 so he had to wait.

The new rules this year permitted teams to carryover unused time from their qualifying runs in order to make adjustments during the final day on the dyno. Bischoff would have an additional 21 minutes to work with for any modifications required to get maximum results.

Tony Bischoff (second from left) with Team B.E.S. Racing Engines

When all was said and done, Tony was clearly on top of his game. Steve Dulcich, Editor in Chief and brand manager of Engine Masters Magazine, stated, "I don’t think anyone’s going to catch Bischoff. He’s so far in front, he’s gone. I’d be shocked if anyone came anywhere close to where Bischoff is performing.

"There’s a lot of tricks on that Bischoff motor. Stuff that you wouldn’t expect. The way he’s using the carburetor. You might think it’s peculiar that he’s got a carburetor and in the past all the top finishers were using fuel injection. Now why is that? There might be a reason. Bischoff is on to something there, I’ve got a few hints on what it is but I’ve been sworn to secrecy and I’m not gonna disclose anything at this point. But Bischoff, he plays all the angles and he doesn’t miss a trick. That’s why he’s a winner, that’s why he’s leading this competition right now. He’s not the only one but at this show, he’s the best."

Joe Carroll Talks About Engine Building and AMSOIL

Many of the builders here are modest, and highly respected, among them Joe Carroll of Stonewall, Louisiana. According to competition director Wes Roberson he's a very astute builder. "He does very detailed work and leaves very little to chance."

After pulling some strong numbers we took a few minutes to learn more about his passions.

How did you get into Engine Building?

Joe Carroll: I used to work at an engine shop years ago, and it’s turned into a hobby. I’m a lineman, that’s how I make my living. If I had to build engines for a living then I’d probably be living in a cardboard box somewhere. It’s a hobby, it’s kind of a passion that me and some friends of ours do.

How did you get into Engine Masters?

JC: We began coming to Engine Masters when a friend of mine came in 2006 and we went to NYC and fell in love with the idea and the people around. It’s kind of turned into a family reunion every year so we just enjoy coming up here visiting, bringing a piece and see how we stand up against everybody.

Have you been coming every year?

JC: We’ve come every year since 2006. We came with our own piece in 2007 and have been here ever since.

Your take on AMSOIL?

JC: We love the Break-In Oil. We tried some before in another brand and the motor would kind of huff for a while when we did a Ford years ago. When we got on the AMSOIL, you’ll see a little almost steam come out of the breather before we pull. Then everything seals up and you can tell the numbers pick up on the dyno. That was our dead giveaway on it. The fuel numbers went up so that was a big plus for us. We left it in for I think 15 pulls and we left it in through the whole time. Then we came here and we dropped it and put the real deal in and we saw a little bit more horsepower, so that was a little more of a bonus for us this year.

Have you used AMSOIL in the past?

We’ve used AMSOIL in the past, and we’ve now gone to running it in our dirt bikes. We use the 2-stroke oil, too. It burns real clean so we’ve been impressed with everything that they’ve had. We’ve had to kind of shop around for it but we end up getting it and that’s all we’ve been running anymore.

* * * *

As of 2:00 p.m. Joe Carroll is still in the hunt.

Day Four: Big Guns at the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge

In second place after good dyno run.

It's all business here at UNOH in Lima as we open up the Day 4 of the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge. We arrive to find RCS Racing Engine / RCS-AMS on the block in Dyno Cell #1. The Ford 414 kicked out enough power to propel the team into second place as we start this final day of prelims.

Team captain Ron Stanislawczyk (left) has been building engines since he was a boy. His company, RCS Racing Engines has been building them for over 30 years. "We’re a pretty big facility. We built over 5,000 race engines in the past thirty years. We do dirt, asphalt, limited classes, crate engine classes. From NHRA Pro Stock, IHRA Pro-Stock, all the way down to the competition classes," said Stanislawczyk.

In the next cell Adney Brown of Performance Crankshaft was setting up. Brown selected Dominator 5W-20 for his 414 cu. in. Chevy engine, which took fourth place the first year he brought it. But the technology has changed significantly since then and he's thinking it may be time to step up. "It’s always been a good experience, good people, really an enjoyable competition," Brown noted.

The numbers tell the story.

Third up was Chris Thomas of Almost Kaase. Jon Kaase picked up Chris from the School of Automotive Machinist and it's clear the young man has received some strong training. After getting the engine hooked up, Jon Kaase went in and had the vent adjusted, saying, "This engine needs all the air it can get." When all was said and done, Team Almost Kaase leaped to the top of the heap with some superlative numbers.

Bradley Built Engines is on Dyno 2 getting ready to run, and then we'll break for lunch. Here are a few photos from today's action thus far.

Brad Nagel pouring 0W-20 into his 417 cu.in. Hemi.

Adney Brown prepares his Chev.

Hot Rod magazine getting the inside line on event coverage.

Between dyno runs, everyone is editing, sending, messaging, & just plain busy.

Day Three of the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge is in the books.

Students assist with a teardown in the staging area.

It's the end of Day Three already as the 2014 AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge moves toward its culmination. Presenting sponsor Hot Rod magazine is all over this event with publishers, editors, a media team and assorted staff overseeing the action.

As in years past, forty students from the University of Northwestern Ohio have the privilege of assisting with moving engines from the staging area, hooking them up on the dynos and helping with the teardowns afterwards.It's a great learning experience that would be near impossible to replicate in the real world. Most young builders will get their first jobs in an environment that does things  certain way. A later job might teach them new tricks. But here, these young people can work with 30 builders who each apply different techniques and secrets for maximizing power.

When asked what he's learned from his involvement with the Engine Masters Challenge, Michael Kilgore, a student from Jacksonville, Florida stated, "I've learned how technical you have to be with the all the particulars with the parts, and how mathematical you have to be with it. Everybody has their way of doing things, everybody has a specific way they want to do it, so you learn different methods. You have to listen to every engine builder and see what they do and what they want to do. So you take all that and add it together for yourself."

The process runs like this. Engines are unloaded into the staging area. The crated engines are uncrated, placed on cradles on dollies. At the appointed time, each team’s engine is rolled to one of the two dyno cells where the engines are hooked up. No one is inside the room when the engine is run through its paces, watching the activity through a large window with shatterproof glass.

On the first four days of the competition the objective is to become one of the top six finalists who will go for the gold on Friday. Or rather, the big check, and the prestige that accompanies earning the title of Engine Master. Those top engines are conveyed to a locked room where they cannot be tampered with between their first runs and the final event. Tomorrow will be dramatic as top builders push their way in and crowd someone else out.

Dyno operator Sidney Bonnecarrere is back in the driver's seat here in the dyno cells. Sidney ensures that every run gets loaded and pushed through identical paces from 2500 rpm to 6500 rpm. Bonnecarrere does all the throttle work on all the dynos throughout the week with a detached objectivity to maximize fairness. Each builder team and EMC staff watch from the control room where the measurement equipment spits out data.

Although each team still has only thirty minutes to run through their paces, there has been a change in the rules regarding how that time is used. In the past they would get three warm up pulls, after which the team would have three minutes to study the data. They were then allotted fifteen minutes to make adjustments. When this time is up, three more dyno pulls are completed and those numbers were final. This year, however, teams can make as many pulls as they want in the allotted half hour, and choose the best numbers from any pull in the batch. We're certain that this will result in some intriguing new strategies, as we have already seen.

The competition director is again Wesley Roberson of West Monroe, Louisiana who has served with the NHRA since 1968. According to Ed Zinke, publisher of the performance group of magazines with TEN, this competition is significantly different from timed engine building events. And this year's competitors, he noted, are running very tight numbers. It will be interesting, as always, to see what the next day will bring.

To see day by day action and constantly updated results, visit blogs.hotrod.com/engine-masters-2014-results-144451.html

Randy Malik of R.M. Competition after his run.

Semco Performance grinding out the numbers.

Day Two: AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge is Movin'

Team 24: Raceheads

Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines. 
~Enzo Ferrari  

The AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge is as much about imagination as it is mechanics, physics and chemistry. If this year's crop of contenders brings as much imagination to the challenge as last year's teams, we'll have another week of drama, and perhaps even some laughs. AMSOIL Technical Product Manager Len Groom is on the scene watching the numbers as day two moves through the paces.

According to Hot Rod magazine, "The Engine Masters Challenge was the brainchild of Scott Parkhurst and the Popular Hot Rodding magazine staff way back in the year 2000. The idea was simple: they shoot out three different engines on the same dyno under the same conditions and with a clear set of rules used to establish a single winner. Fourteen years later the rules are far from simple and the entries more diverse, but today’s AMSOIL-sponsored event has boomed into an industry accepted standard of excellence and innovation that rewards competitors with big cash payouts based on parts contingency."

Henderson Poweraports set to pour in 5W-20

Inasmuch as Popular Hot Rodding recently ceased its print publication, the AMSOIL EMC is now presented by HOT ROD for 2014 and beyond. To get you up-to-speed on what's new in 2014, here is a chart we grabbed from the Hot Rod blog showing the highlights of how this year's competition differs from last year.

Pay special attention to the manner in which spacers are being used or prohibited. We saw some very creative configurations last year. Another area of differentiation we'll see is in the oil viscosity selection. All will be using AMSOIL synthetic motor oils, but some have chosen to go with the thinner Dominator 5W-20 oil, whereas others sprang for the thicker 10W-30 or 15W-50.

The competition runs from October 6-10 with 29 builders and 30 engines duking it out for points on the Superflow/DTS dynomometer at the University of Northwestern Ohio’s High Performance Motorsports center. Stay tuned!

Breaking News! Top Truck Challenge Episode 1 Is Live

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity...” ― John Muir

Top Truck Challenge is one of the great events that happens every spring and with the advent of the internet we can relive it all throughout the year beginning this week on Motor Trend's YouTube Channel. The powers that be at The Enthusiast Network (publishers of Hot Rod, Four Wheeler and other high profile enthusiast magazines) has cut a swath across cyberspace and is eager to share the exciting content they once only presented in print.

This week's release of five episodes has totally different content than the DVD which will be available soon. Follow along and see what the Four Wheeler Top Truck Challenge has become one of the most exciting events in off-roading.



Enjoy!!!

Day One: AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge

Buck Hinkle's beautiful 409 Hemi.

This is it. The AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge at the University of Northwestern Ohio is rockin', with engines in the loading bay ready to roll to the dynos. The dyno cells have been dialed in, and the facilities immaculate as always.

Ed Zinke and team have once again spent a year in preparation for this intense week of competition. Today is day one.

Monday is generally a lighter day of action and this year is no exception, but it's a good day for getting a feel for how things are going to play out. And it has to be a thrill to be in the first set of competitors because the top six are placed in a holding area until a bigger dog pushes you out. At least for the time being each of the first engines are in the running.

Buck Hinkle of Hinkle Performance Engines was slated to run first, followed by Eric Weingartner and his team, Weingartner Racing II. Third on the schedule is Barry Rabotnik of Survival Motorsports.

It's a great experience for every engine builder and a fantastic learning opportunity for the students who have the privilege of contributing to the overall success of the event.

Stay tuned. It's going to be an exciting week in Lima, Ohio.

Tuning the beast: Weingartner Racing II  

What Makes Aaron Rodgers Such A Great Quarterback

Last night Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers threw his 200th touchdown pass. It only took 99 games to achieve this milestone and only one passer in NFL history accomplished this feat more quickly. The week before against the Chicago Bears Rodgers reached the 25,000 yards passing milestone, and this was accomplished faster than any player in history, bar none.

What is it that makes athletes like Rodgers exceptional? Is there a common denominator in great hitters, great infielders, great goalies, great quarterbacks and great race car drivers. And is there a way we can use this information to become exceptional ourselves?

Lambeau Field end zone.

There are undoubtedly many qualities that contribute to success, but one in particular that seems especially common to all is the ability to anticipate. Alertness, focus, anticipation. Here’s an excerpt from a blog called Axon Potential which deals with the mindset of athletes:

"Based on athletes’ reports and technology that tracks their eye movements, we know that athletes anticipate what’s coming next by focusing only on the most relevant cues in an opponents’ movement pattern. And that this skill changes and becomes refined with training. The eyes of novices are all over the place, whereas athletes’ focus is much more targeted and economical. Across a number of different sports, expert athletes demonstrate similar “visual search strategies”. Their eyes focus on fewer targets, jump around less, and they stay focused for longer periods of time than do the eyes of novices."

This is a fascinating concept because in a world filled with a gazillion pieces of information flying at us from all directions, how do we process it all? The key for Aaron Rodgers when he faces down 11 defenders has more to do with which information not to process, and identifying the right cues so as to obtain the most effective result. Crowd noise and stunt maneuvers by defensive linemen are all distractions.

In a world filled with marketplace noise, your ability to make wise decisions can be compromised when you lose focus. When it comes to maintenance of your vehicles and other equipment, you can count on AMSOIL to give you reliable information. Bookmark AMSOIL.com and know that we're committed to providing you with information that is reliable, both on our website or when you need to call our technical staff regarding a more complicated issue.

If you're not familiar with our story, a great place to begin is amsoil.com/about.

(c) Can Stock Photo

SEMA Feature of the Week: 6Pack Prepares for SEMA Debut as Cameras Roll

AMSOIL is slated to make an appearance in several high-profile, beautifully designed show vehicles at the 2014 SEMA show next month in Las Vegas. Included in the roster is Michael Vallery’s 2015 Chevrolet 3500 Dually, currently undergoing extensive modifications to prepare for its place in the American Force booth. Vallery has been perfecting his craft since modifying his first truck at age 15, guided only by the pages of automotive magazines for reference. Prior to that, he got his start at age 5 after noticing the paint fading on his red Power Wheels jeep. He did what any future gearhead would do; he found some spray paint and decided to spruce it up himself.

We caught up with Vallery to get his take on his first SEMA-bound project, having his build filmed from start to SEMA, and how it came to be known as ‘6Pack’…and it’s not only because it rolls on six semi-truck wheels.

Is this your first time attending SEMA as a project builder?

Michael Vallery: This is my first year attending SEMA with a project. I've always been interested in cars and trucks. I started modifying them myself with my first truck, my grandpa's 1986 Chevy C10, at the age of 15.

What are your favorite modifications that make this truck ‘you’?

MV: I would have to say my favorite mods to this truck would have to be the bodydrop and the 24" semi wheels. We knew going into this that the bodydrop was going to be a huge amount of work. But me and my builder Jake McKiddie both wanted it done. There are not that many Chevy duallies out there that are bodydropped with the Duramax diesel under the hood. The motor is gigantic. We both knew that most likely, it was going to be the only bodydropped 2015 Chevy dually at SEMA this year. I've always loved lowered trucks. I've built a lifted truck before, but I always end up coming back to the lowered side. The semi wheels make the truck for me. I've grown up in a family owned and operated trucking business, so I've been around 18- wheelers my whole live. I think it's safe to say that trucks are in my blood.

You’ve got a video feature planned with Solo Films DVD. Can you tell us about that?

MV: SoloFilms is in the process of filming the build of the truck from start to finish. The upcoming DVD will include interviews with myself and Jake, as well as footage from the shop with Jake doing his thing on the truck. The plan is for the crew to ride out to SEMA with us. They'll be able to film along the way and catch the truck in the booth at the show, as well as the rest of the show.

Any other upcoming media features/coverage?

MV: Truckin’ Magazine has also agreed to do a full feature article on the truck. If I'm lucky, you might be seeing it on the cover! Slam'd Mag is a new online magazine. They are quickly on the rise and I knew I wanted to be able to have the truck grace the pages of their publication. Be on the lookout for a full feature from Slam'd Mag also!

Is there a story behind the truck being named “6Pack”?

MV: When I started this project, I knew I needed a name that was "short and sweet." I thought about it for a few days. Most of the "catchy" names that I thought of were already taken. I wanted something that I personally haven't heard of. I enlisted the help of a friend, and he mentioned that it should be something involving the word "six" or the number "6" since the truck has six wheels. We both looked around at what we were doing, and there it was…"6Pack".

If you could select any car in the world to customize to your specs, what would it be?

MV: When we start talking about choosing just one car in the world to modify, it's hard to choose. There are several that I can quickly think of that I want to put my own touch on. One in particular that comes to mind though, is a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396. That was my dad's first car. I would love to be able to get my hands on one in order to build it the same way his was, for him. It was a pretty slick car. It was blue with white dual racing strips with a white vinyl top.

Why did you choose AMSOIL?

MV: I chose AMSOIL products mainly due to the great things I have always heard concerning their products. Obviously, anyone would want only the best when it came to a brand new truck with only 600 miles on the odometer!

Do you have a favorite quote or motto that describes you?

MV: As far as a quote that describes me, I've always liked "You must always push the limits, because if you never fail, you will never succeed." As I was growing up, I had a poster on my bedroom wall that had that quote on it. Sometimes I can be a little conservative but for the most part, I like pushing the limits on everything I do…except when it comes to speeding. I hate paying tickets!

AMSOIL under the hood:
AMSOIL Premium 15W-40 Synthetic Diesel Oil
Absolute Efficiency Oil Filter
Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Synthetic ATF
Severe Gear 75W-90 Gear Lube
Antifreeze and Engine Coolant
Dominator Coolant Boost
Series 500 High-Performance Brake Fluid
Synthetic Multi-Purpose Grease
Diesel Injector Clean