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 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!

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  

AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge Update: Two Weeks Away from Crowning New Power Kings

For those who have been following, the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge (EMC) is a premiere event that pits some of the nations best engine builders in a head-to-head dyno competition unlike any other.

A news story today talks about the roots of the EMC. 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.  

5X winner Jon Kaase making adjustments.

Earlier this year Popular Hot Rodding magazine was folded into the powerful Hot Rod magazine, a change that will only help give the competition an even higher profile. There are other changes for 2014, as editor Steve Dulcich explains. “The competition will be scored in a new way, taking an aggregate score based on average horsepower and torque over the entire scored operating rpm range and then adding in the peak power and torque per cubic inch in determining the final score. The effect of this change in the scoring system is to place a higher weight on peak horsepower and torque numbers. This will reduce the influence on the score of engine performance at very low rpm.” 

One thing that will remain a constant is the excitement generated beginning the morning of October 6 when the first engines are brought into their respective dyno cells. One Friday October 10, two weeks from today and at approximately this very hour, the 2014 AMSOIL Engine Masters champion team will be announced.

Read Thursday's Hot Rod news for more details.

Special thanks to everyone at the University of Northwest Ohio (UNOH) for providing such great facilities and hospitality. We look foward to seeing you soon.

It's All About Power: 2014 AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge Just Around The Corner

The AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge is an engine builders dyno competition that was spawned by Popular Hot Rodding magazine and resulted in the creation of Engine Masters Magazine, a quarterly publication that covers all the action and insights from this event. The competition takes place at the dyno facilities of the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH), which hosts the event. In addition to the magazine staff, UNOH gives 40 students a chance to rub shoulders with some of the best performance engine builders in the country. The students, two teams of twenty serving morning and afternoon shifts, help with dyno setups and engine teardowns under the able guidance of their instructors. AMSOIL is title sponsor and exclusive oil.

This year's AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge presented by HOT ROD magazine is just a month away. One thing a competition like this does is provide builders an opportunity to showcase their skills, especially with regard to innovation. Because of it's connections to the media, and entire industry can zoom in and "watch over our shoulders" so to speak.

If you're not familiar with the ins and outs of a dyno challenge with many of the continents leading builders, then tune in here and listen to Master of Ceremonies Clarence Barnes preview last year's event.



In about thirty days we'll be on location in Lima, Ohio for the 2014 AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge

Ron Shaver's Contribution to the 2014 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour

It was exciting to see legendary engine builder Ron Shaver competing in last year's AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge. His late model GM LS engine featured RHS block and heads, displacing 427 cubic inches. Holley carburetor on a single plane intake manifold. Shaver’s engine. decked out with a Holley carburetor on a single plane intake manifold, was clearly a well-developed piece that ran flawlessly in qualifying.

The power output was outstanding, with peak output recorded at 738 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of peak torque. The engine’s score was hurt by a dip in the torque curve right at the bottom of the rpm range, but the final tally of 2720.4 was enough to put Shaver among the leaders. By week's end another engine builder walked away with the trophy, but no one takes anything for granted when a Ron Shaver engine is in the room.

Well, this year Shaver's name came up in conjunction with another AMSOIL-sponsored relationship, the AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour. The Road Tour's '59 Chev Impala is a big car, and it needed a big engine. Road Tour director Jerry Dixey says it has been tremendously fun to drive. Furthermore, it has enough trunk space to accommodate "a small college  marching band" (if they leave out the tubas.) Dixey has driven a few road tours with almost no trunk space, so the extra room is welcome. It's not easy packing a week's worth of attire into a glove compartment.

The power behind this year's car came from a Ron Shaver-built 427 big-block LS with EFI. He said the engine would fulfill all the prerequisites of big power, be very streetable, and still be enticing to the eye. "We're here to tell you this big dog hunts on all counts," says Dixey, "The old standard for a street performance engine used to be 1.1 horsepower per cubic inch (hp/ci). This RHS block–based 427 blows that out of the water with an impressive 1.45 hp/ci with its 622 hp peak."

Have fun, Jerry.

Photo courtesy Street Rodder magazine.

Two Down, Three to Go

The School of Automotive Design is out of the cell and the engine for Also B.E.S. has been wheeled in. The students and staff of UNOH are busy with the hookups. The third run of the day will be taking place soon. The last two teams after John Lohone's Also B.E.S. will be John Milhovetz's Accufab team and last, but never least, Tony Bischoff with his B.E.S. group.

I've just discovered we can post scores after all, so here are the number Jon Kaase generated to open the day: 721 peak horsepower and a sizzling 675 ft-lbs of torque with 600 lb-ft at just 3200 rpm! Kaase’s effort bumped yesterday's score a remarkable 45.2 points to 2961.7.

Massingill's School of Automotive Machinists, with a Chevy LS engine, reached 773 peak horsepower and 679 lb-ft of torque. Their final score came to 2858 points.

Mapping enables pilot to find the optimal decision points.

John Lohone, captain of Also B.E.S. from Southeastern Indiana, has been working on engines since he was 12 or 13. "It’s always what I’ve wanted to do," says Lohone. "There's a lot of people that don’t know what they want to do in life and that’s always what I wanted to do." Lohone has proven he's excelled at his passion by being one of the finalists here this year.

During Also B.E.S.'s 27 minute run a regulator on the dyno failed. There's a pause in the action as they replace the faulty unit. As soon as this team finishes, the first teardown will begin.

John Lohone (center), captain of Also B.E.S., like others here came to win.

Winding Down on Day Four at the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge at UNOH

Kaase's 409 cu. in. Modular Monster

The last of the Big Guns are getting ready to run as we near the end of another dramatic AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge. In less than two hours we’ll know who the six finalists will be, and at tonight’s Builder’s Banquet they’ll find out in what order they’ll be going on Friday.

The biggest change this year has to do with how the dynos are scored. According to Ed Zinke, publisher of Engine Masters magazine, “When they pull a dyno run they don’t have to tell us in advance whether it’s going to be a test or a qualifying pull. They have their entire time frame to pick the score that they want. So some can come and shoot for a couple of quick pulls and make some changes or others are making changes along the way.” As a result many of the teams are making more pulls. Once the meter is running, they have 27 minutes to make as many adjustments as they choose. Why 27 minutes? “Kind of an arbitrary number,” Zinke explained. “That’s really what it came down to. Honestly, it was my son’s hockey and football number.”

Bret Bowers: Always lookin' good.

Judson Nagel and Judson Massingill have yet to run, but at this point John Milhovetz has held the lead since racking up a boatload of points in his mid-day run Tuesday. On his heels is John Lohone and his team Also B.E.S. Lohone, who has been building engines since he was 12 or 13 said earlier today, called the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge a highlight of his career "because this is a test of people building engines. We’re just testing engines. We’re not testing drivers, we’re not testing chassis set ups or track conditions, it’s engines and that’s my passion."

At this point the engines in quarantine belong to Accufa
b, Kaase, B.E.S., Also B.E.S., Almost Kaase and Greg Brown Race Engines. Bradley Built and the School of Automotive Machinists are getting set up in Dyno Cells 1 and 2.

Hold on to your hats.

Racing Engine Design team in the control center.

A view from inside the dyno cell just before the action begins.

Wesley Roberson pointing out how the score can be improved.

Another Strong Day of Dyno Runs at the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge

Student rolls Joe Carroll's #6 engine to the staging area.

The bustle and excitement on the University of Northwestern Ohio is palpable when the AMSOIL Engine masters Challenge is in town. As we were winding down toward the late afternoon of Day 3 it was apparent that some things never change and some things will always be new. One of the unchanging features is an engaged student body of volunteers assisting the nations leading engine builders with hookups, teardowns and many other matters related to the Engine master Throwdown. A new feature this year is a rules change that has produced some interesting results.

The rules change of note is that instead of competitors doing three warm up dyno runs and three actual runs, the builders this year have 27 minutes to do as many runs as they would like and to choose their best three from whatever should come. It's intriguing because some builders know what they want and set up for those three top tier efforts. Others, however, get a chance to do three runs, then tinker, do another run, tinker a little more and keep making modifications till their time runs out. It has certainly made an impact on the strategy.

Publisher Ed Zinke

Ed Zinke, publisher of Popular Hot Rodding and Engine Masters magazines, noted that he's been keeping track of the dyno scores these past several years and the total numbers of torque and horsepower pulled since AMSOIL took over the reigns as title sponsor are quite astonishing. Check out these numbers:

2010
Torque   16,650
Horsepower   15,126

2011
Torque  21,938.9
Horsepower   18,008.5

2012
Torque   19,568.2
Horsepower  19,165.1

Total to Date
Torque:  58,037.1

Putting together a winning engine means a lot of attention to detail.

HOW THEY STAND
After three days of competition the six engines currently residing in the locked quarantine area are as follows, listed in order of highest numbers and most stout performance.

#23  John Milhovetz, Accufab Inc.
#20  Greg Brown, Greg Brown Race Engines
#38  Mark Dalquist, Throttle's Performance
#13  Ron Stanislawck, RCS Racing Engines/RCS/ AMS Vortech
#37  Chris Henderson, Henderson Power Sports
#11  Adney Brown, Performance Crankshaft Inc.

How they finish will be another story. At the end of tomorrow the teams left standing will remain through Friday for the playoff finals and, of course, an awards ceremony where only one team will be again be declared Engine Master.

Engines in quarantine cannot be touched or tinkered with.

AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge Is On at UNOH

One of last year's star contenders.

We're back at the University of Northwestern Ohio for the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge presented by Popular Hot Rodding. As in years past, it's an experience unlike any other. Engine builders from around the country gather for a week of competition in a head-to-head dyno shootout with the ultimate build going home with the title Engine Master. After four solid days of dyno runs, six finalists will each give their best on a final day of nail biting excitemen. Though the event is but a week in length, these teams prepare all year, constantly studying the finer points of the rules in order to see how and where each one can get their edge.

Fords, Mopars, Chevys, big blocks and small bocks, Fuel Injected and old school motors all compete on identical dynos under identical atmospheric conditions. Many competitors are simply here for the adventure, but others only have their eye on the prize. And from what we've been hearing, more builders have asked rules-related questions than ever before, so we're expecting some of the most innovative engine designs ever this year.

Over $85,000 in contingency cash is on the line, so there's a pretty serious bit of gamesmanship going on. As in years past, Clarence Barnes is on hand as Master of Ceremonies to keep the show going while teams wait their turn to attack their targets.

The first team on the dyno this year was headed by Midwesterner Mark Dalquist of Throttle's Performance who drove all night to be there. After three dyno Dalquist's numbers set the bar. By day's end, he was still in first place, a good place to be heading into Day Two.

To get a feel for the action here check out this video from UNOH and the AMSOIL Engine Masters Dyno Challenge 2013.

Are You the Next Engine Master?

Engine builders: time is running out to submit your entry into the 2011 AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge. If you or someone you know has a knack for putting together an engine that can outperform the rest, this is the challenge to be in. 2011 marks the first year in event history with two separate classes: Street and Xtreme Street. With only 20 spots available in each division, only the best of the best will be selected to attend the event in October.

The AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge gives engine builders a platform to showcase their talent amongst some of the best engine builders in the world. If you think you have what it takes, there are only a few days left to submit your application to be considered as a competitor in the 2011 event. Full details, official rules and application can be found here

Hurry, applications need to be postmarked no later than February 15. This challenge boils down to engine AMSOIL building ability and nothing else, so bring your A-game and take your shot at becoming the 2011 Engine Master.

2010 Year In Review

2010 has been another good year at AMSOIL. From a dozen new product announcements to several new high-profile sponsorships, AMSOIL rounded out the decade with continued growth and much to be excited about going forward. Here are a few of the highlights of the year just completed.

Back in January AMSOIL again participated in the MPMC (Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council) Media Trade Conference in Covina, CA. This conference brings companies face to face with the members of the media who cover the industry, establishing a sound connection between the two. AMSOIL also announced its status as Official Oil of Laconia Bike Week, the oldest motorcycle rally in the country. This sponsorship puts AMSOIL front and center at the three largest motorcycle rallies in the country as the Official Oil of each.

AMSOIL-sponsored show cars landed some high-profile coverage in February, both in print and in placement. Big trade shows such as the World of Wheels, the International Powersports Dealer Expo, and the Chicago Auto Show all had AMSOIL-lubed rides on display. February also featured the King of the Hammers, a grueling desert race over 120 miles long. Industry heavyweights Lovell Rock Racing and the Watson brothers of Off-Road Design represented AMSOIL in this punishing race, both teams earning respectable finishes.

In March, AMSOIL witnessed the rumble of thousands of bikes descending on Daytona for the 69th annual Daytona Bike Week. The AMSOIL presence was impossible to miss, and further solidified our stance in the motorcycle industry. Shortly after, the NSRA Street Rod Nationals kicked off its start of the 2010 season in Oklahoma City. April brought new product launches, including the AMSOIL Quickshot SE that later won Best New Powersports Product award at SEMA in November.

The 2010 Diesel Power Challenge, an event that puts diesels through a series of challenges to test their power and performance, was a highlight of May. The 2010 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour also hit the road that month, with Jerry Dixey leading the way across the country in a series of tours for street rod enthusiasts.

The Top Truck Challenge in early June is always one of the most anticipated events of the year for off road enthusiasts. With events like the Frame Twister, Mud Pit and Tank Trap it’s easy to see why. This challenge takes no prisoners, and AMSOIL is on hand to provide lubricants capable of taking such abuse. In addition to features in Four Wheeler magazine the Top Truck Challenge airs on The Outdoor Channel, garnering national attention. Laconia Bike Week also started in June, where hundreds of thousands of bikers flocked to New Hampshire for a week of excitement and rides along the scenic East Coast.

As usual August was a big month for AMSOIL with three large events taking place. First was the NSRA Street Rod Nationals gathering in Louisville, which brought in over 11,000 street rods on display. Next was the Mopar Nationals, drawing collector cars, muscle cars and enthusiasts for its 30th year. This event tied into the Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge that AMSOIL sponsors, with engine builders having their entries on display throughout the week at this show. Finally, Sturgis turned 70 and as temps climbed into the 100’s AMSOIL was on hand to help keep engines cool. As the Official Oil, the demand for AMSOIL was high and the temps were an excellent testimonial to the benefits our oil provides.

Hot Rod Drag Week is conducted each year in early September and history was made when Larry Larson and his Chevy II made the first 6-second pass in Drag Week history. In October AMSOIL was on hand at the University of Northwestern Ohio for the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge with many new friendships begun. Afterwards it was time to focus on preparing for SEMA in November, where AMSOIL introduced 7 new products into the New Product Showcase. The AMSOIL presence was abundant on the feature vehicles placed throughout the show.

These are but a few of the exciting things happening at AMSOIL, and we've only scratched the surface. AMSOIL Racing continues to stretch its shadow across new horizons and the best is yet to come. Look for more details, updates and more right here in the AMSOIL Events Blog, and keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter (@AMSOILINC) and YouTube. As we move out of 2010, we look forward to even greater success in 2011 with many exciting opportunities ahead.

EMC: It's a Wrap!

When we posted Friday, it was three down and three to go in the finals at the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge. To recap, the day began with Myron Cottrell, Bret Bowers and last year's champion Jon Kaase. Each team had 15 minutes to make three passes, three minutes to evaluate numbers and 20 minutes to make adjustments before pushing the engine through three final passes from 2500 to 6500 rpm.

Scott Main of MPG Heads entered the dyno arena fourth, and it wasn't long before they knew there was going to be a problem making things come together, but with seconds to spare the Ford 404 Cleveland engine showed a little life and they went to work trying to get numbers.

Next up John Lahone and JL Reliable Engines was hooked onto the dyno, a Chevy 430 Small Block. Lahone was 18th alternate for this competition which begins with 40 selected teams and a gallery of extras in the wings. After their initial calculations the Lahone team determined to make two minor adjustments, one degree on the timing and one adjustment to the jet. When all was said and done JT Reliable was in first place with one team to go, BES Racing Engines headed by Tony Bischoff.

Bischoff (right), who looked pensive during the initial warm-up runs, brought in a Chrysler Gen III 417 Hemi. Among other things, the engine featured double spark plugs for each cylinder, not your everyday setup. Needless to say, the engine performed flawlessly, and he looked quite pleased afterwards.

It's not over till the engines are examined to make sure everything is according to spec. Bischoff's Hemi had no issues, looked great on the dyno as well as after teardown. Congratulations to this year's Engine Master, Tony Bischoff and the BES Racing Engines team.

Three Down, Three to Go

As we approach mid-day at at the University of Northwestern Ohio, the drama is building. Three teams have completed their dyno runs. The first on the block was TPIS… a Chevy engine that ran Wednesday, Myron Cottrell's #17.

Second up this morning was RED, Race Engine Designs, Bret Bowers and his Chevy build, #14. Last year's champ Jon Kaase Racing was third to the dyno cell, also a Chevy.

We can't talk about results thus far, but the excitement is building as we listen to the Scott Main's #11 gurgle to life. MPG Heads has a Ford engine on the block which there were able to get started with 15 seconds to spare. No one can predict what will happen, and certainly unpredictable is the norm at the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge.

5th to run will be JL Reliable, John Lohone’s Chevy engine, #19. 6th and last to run today will be Tony Bischoff’s Chrysler, BES Racing Engines, #12.

After each run, engines are rolled back to staging for teardown and inspection. The drama is building as we approach the last hours of a grueling week. Some big guns already went home empty handed, but most of the teams are sticking around to see how everything shakes out. There really is a whole lot of shaking goin' on.

Photo captions: Students prepare engines for teardown and final inspection (above) and Jon Kaase's valve cover (below).

Day Four AMSOIL EMC Winds Toward Close

What a week it's been. 38 teams of builders have been putting their engines through the paces and we're down to the last three runs. Right this minute Hot Heads Research is getting their Mopar hooked onto the dyno, tightening and tuning. On deck in the other dyno cell is Judson Massingill from the School of Automotive Design. The final contestant of the day will be last year's winner Jon Kaase of Jon Kaase Racing.

Tonight there will be an awards banquet for the builders while the top six engines remain locked in quarantine, untouchable till rolled out for the final day's runs tomorrow. Two teams will receive checks for $1,000 courtesy AMSOIL for highest torque and highest horsepower of the week. But tomorrow is the big prize... The numbers will tell the story.

We asked one of the students, Craig Buckets, to tell us a little about this school that hosts the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge, University of Northwestern Ohio. "We have an automotive program, a diesel program, an alternative fuels program and then we are actually back right now in the high performance program. I’d say right now we’ve probably got somewhere between 1,000-1,500 kids in the high performance area. We do just about everything as far as even in the high performance building. We do stuff like wiring stereo systems, pinstriping and airbrushing, anything involving power trains, engines, transmissions, rear ends, high performance steering & suspension set ups. We do welding, fabrication, chassis work, whatever. We’ll teach you how to mill stuff. The amount of equipment that we have here definitely helps us keep busy."

"This is just a great experience for the students. We get to talk to a lot of these engine builders and hopefully they will impart some of their knowledge to us, it’s just what you can squeak out of them. It just depends on what some of these guys are into. Some of the stock car racers are a little more into chassis building and getting all your steering stuff set up and they are not quite into the engines. Then we have other guys that are into doing engines and transmissions and all that drive train stuff."

Many of the instructors told us how really wonderful this experience is for the students, even beyond these walls. For example, last year's winner Jon Kaase stopped at the UNOH booth last year at the PRI Show to visit with the students. He then took them for a walk around the show floor and gave them insights into all the various things going on, sharing lessons with the appreciative students there.

Just a few minutes ago the Hot Heads teams got some rum luck as detonation caused two head gaskets to blow, with sparks flying and a a lot of excitement in the room. As we entered the dyno cell, was could see water pouring out in a stream... and Dan Miller's crew ended with a DNF. A dramatic moment here as the last two teams set their sights on pushing two more engines out of quarantine.

Oh no. Judson Massingill's Ford engine failed to run its paces. Never even got to run a pull. They're bummed. Two DNFs in a row. We're down to one final competitor, last year's champion... and we're setting up. Nothing is wholly predictable, however, and no one is taking anything for granted.

Till next, from UNOH and the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge.

AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge Is Firing On All Cylinders

We're here at the University of Northwestern Ohio for the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge presented by Popular Hot Rodding. It's an experience unlike any other. Forty engine builders from around the country bring their engines for a head-to-head dyno shootout with the ultimate build going home with the title Engine Master. It's King of the Hill and Super Bowl all rolled into one week, four solid days of dyno runs and one more day for the six finalists. But don't let the time frame deceive you. These teams prepare all year, constantly studying the finer points of the rules in order to see how and where each one can get their edge.

Fords, Mopars, Chevys, big blocks and small bocks, Fuel Injected and old school motors all compete on identical dynos under identical atmospheric conditions. Many competitors are simply here for the adventure, but others only have their eye on the prize.

The scale of the event is itself enormous as technical staff are flown in from various parts of the country to work alongside the Univerity technical experts. Students also assist in the process, helping uncrate, assemble, hook engines to dynos. All of it gives these young people an incredible opportunity to gain new insights into how to enhance performance on internal combustion engines.

The process runs like this. Engines are unloaded into the staging area in another part of the building. 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.

Dyno operator Sidney Bonnecarrere 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. Each builder team and EMC staff watch from the control room where the measurement equipment spits out data.

After three warm up pulls, teams have three minutes to study the data, then fifteen minutes to make adjustments. When the allotted time is up, three more dyno pulls are completed and the numbers are final.

In another space there is a locked room where the top six qualifying engines are placed so that they remain untouched until Friday’s runoff. The first six engines may have been put in there Monday, but as scores mount, new engines are set in quarantine and other engines removed. Thursday night, there will be only the top six engines in this room, under lock and key till the next morning.

The competition director is Wesley Roberson of West Monroe, LA who has served with the NHRA since 1968. According to Ed Zinke, publisher of the performance group of magazines with Source Interlink, this competition is significantly different from timed engine building events. To see day by day action and constantly updated results, visit http://www.popularhotrodding.com/.

AMSOIL is represented this week by technical manager Len Groom and director of advertising Ed Newman.

2010 AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge Update

A few weeks back AMSOIL announced the title sponsorship of the 2010 Engine Masters Challenge in conjunction with Popular Hot Rodding Magazine. This event puts over 30 talented engine builders in one place to see who can build the most cost effective, efficient engine. After a series of dyno tests that measure torque, horsepower and performance the top engine builder is ultimately crowned 2010 AMSOIL Engine Master. With many contingency sponsors and $5,000 in cash and prizes going to the winner, the stakes are high. Like a Super Bowl ring, though, the real prize is the recognition it brings.

If you or someone you know has a talent for engine building, it's not too late to apply to be a participant in this challenge. Applications are due no later than February 15th, so now is your chance to be part of this exciting event and show your stuff. Full rules, details and application can be found here on the Popular Hot Rodding website.