Racing Thrills Both Racers And Fans Alike

High flyin' with Brad Lovell

According to historians the Olympic Games began in Olympia, Greece around 776 B.C. Competition was at the heart of the games, as it is today. Who can run the fastest, jump the furthest, lift the heaviest weights... all for the glory of the moment.

Modern Olympics, both winter and summer, continue this tradition on a global scale as athletes push the boundaries of what's possible and break new ground in unbelievable ways. Swimming, skiing, speed skating, ski jumping, discus and more. Today, though, the scale of the Games themselves is itself a phenomenon as the stadiums get ever larger and the media coverage broader.

But what's at the heart of it is something very simple and elementary: competition. Children make boats out of sticks and race them in a stream. Friends gather to watch, rooting for the red stick or the blue stick or the balsa wood cork.

Short track off road racing is a thrill a minute.

This basic principle of competition quite naturally evolved in new directions during the machine age. Tractor pulls prove who's got the most diesel muscle. Snowmobile racing prove whose got the best machine, or which riders have the most skill and courage. And across the continent nearly every day of the week you can find cars, bikes, motorcycles or ATVs going head to head in circles or through the trees. It's in our blood.

One reason companies like AMSOIL support racing is because racing puts equipment to the test like nothing else. Lab testing is useful, but the real world environments that racers explore offer a new degree of testing.

At amsoilracing.com we like to share what our race teams are doing. Stay current with the events we sponsor. Check out the cool videos. Read the racer interviews. And bookmark us.

Racing can be fun, but it's also serious business. It's one of the ways we improve our products. We apply what we learn from the teams we partner with because we're in competition, too. We want our lubricants to be the best they can be. We were first in synthetics, but we can't -- and don't -- rest on our laurels.

2009 AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge Announced

For the third consecutive year, AMSOIL is preparing for the 2009 AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge as title sponsor. This year the competition pits 8 engine builders against one another to see who can design and deliver the best engine performance at the best cost. This is not just your everyday gearhead throwing together an engine that works, but serious builders committed to finding the right formula that outperforms the rest. These guys know their stuff, and put that knowledge to good use in this event.

In August, the builders will put their engines on display at the Mopar Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. From there the engines will be shipped to Comp Cams in Memphis, TN for three days of supervised dyno-testing in early September.

With a strict set of rules to follow, the engines are given an overall rating based on peak horsepower and peak torque divided by the retail cost of listed parts. AMSOIL 10W-40 Synthetic Oil is the only oil permitted for use in each B-Block based engine from the start, and this has contributed tremendously to the winners’ outcomes in past years. Testing is done with a 900 rpm-per-second acceleration test, and testing data will be gathered between the 3,000-7,000 rpm range. Over the course of 45 minutes, each engine is required to make at least three scored pulls and the one with the highest combined horsepower and torque number will be used for the final score. Tuning is only allowed before the 45 minute test phase during the setting of timing and idle. After that it all boils down to which engine has what it takes in terms of horsepower, torque and operating temperatures. In previous years some engines couldn’t take the heat and were disqualified.

The main purpose of this challenge is to give engine builders well-deserved exposure to a market that has a need for them. Full coverage of the event and all participating engines is given in Mopar Muscle Magazine, where ultimately the winners are given a platform to showcase their talent. AMSOIL will be on top of any new developments, so watch this space for updates and outcomes of one of the most anticipated events in the Mopar market.

We Have A Winner

Last week we saw the completion of the AMSOIL/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge. Eight engines were put through the paces and one came out on top: Indy Cylinder Head. Again.

In 2007 the competition was pretty tight, since the rules heavily weighted cost as a variable. With different parameters, Russ Flagle and crew were able to flex their muscles to demonstrate what 35 years experience can do in terms of MOPAR engine-uity. From cylinder heads, crankshafts, rods, and bearings to short blocks, big blocks and everything in between, these guys know engines.

Without pressing him to give away any secrets, we asked Russ Flagle the key to his success. “The key to our success in this (competition), it was our head. It’s also an engine we like. We’ve got a lot of experience with this 451 cu. inch.”

Flagle also praised AMSOIL. “Your oil worked out great... We bought some up here and broke the engine in with it before we went down there, so it’s had nothing in it but AMSOIL from the start.”

Located on Indianapolis’s southeast side, Indy Cylinder Head employs 26. Their target customers are usually bracket drag racers, muscle car people and Good Guys people. Their business is pretty evenly divided between competition and street vehicles.

Congratulations to a great team. Here’s how their numbers stacked up at the Comp Cams facility last week.

Indy Cylinder Head
Manifold vacuum; 4.0
After initial start-up, confirmed timing at 35 degrees.
First Qualifier; 754.0/601.0—changed, nothing except letting heat get into intake before making second pull.

Second qualifier; 756.5/605.7; changed to a new set of spark plugs—same heat, and backed-off timing to 32.

Third qualifier; 748.9/599.9—Bumped timing up to 38

Fourth Qualifier; 754.3/603.1—put timing back to 35

First scored; 758.01/601.6—No changes made before second scored pull. Allowed engine to cool for 10 minutes.

Second Scored; 751.5/602.1—adjusted lash from 24 to 30

Third scored; 756.5/599.1

Read all the details in upcoming issues of Mopar Muscle magazine.

One of the highlights of the year for Four Wheeler Magazine's editors and publishers is the annual Four Wheeler Top Truck Challenge. Vehicles and drivers from all across North America descend upon the outback of Hollister, California, for the most grueling competition on four wheels. A dozen reader selected teams make their appearance here and it is a wonder of devastation for many.

AMSOIL is pleased to sponsor events like this that put equipment to the test. It’s where our products excel.

The November issue of Four Wheeler magazine, with full coverage from Hollister, is now on news stands everywhere fine four wheeling mags can be found. Here’s the cover shot. Enjoy the contents and the competition. When you go on the ride of your life, be sure to protect your engine and other moving parts with AMSOIL engine oils, filters, tranny fluid and gear lubes. We don’t, however, have anything that will keep your sheet metal from being stripped, yet.

Inside the Top Two Engines

If you love a good engine build competition, and especially if you are a Mopar fan, you will want to pick up a copy of the April issue of Mopar Muscle magazine, on your news stand now. On page 30, feature writer Dave Young goes deep inside the makings of the two top engines from the ’07 AMSOIL / MOPAR MUSCLE ENGINE CHALLENGE.

The rules are interesting. These engines must demonstrate that they are capable of the full range of what engines are called upon to do. With multiple qualifying passes and multiple judged pulls on the dyno, the engine must show that it can endure the abuses of highway cruising, and drag strip bruising.

This year’s two top engines were built by Indy Cylinder Head and Schurbon Engine and Machine. It was the closest battle yet in this annual competition, and every picture tells a story in this month’s Mopar Muscle magazine. See how they did it. It’s a pretty cool story with AMSOIL lubricants right in the middle of it.

Day Two: Tens of Thousands

They come from all points of the globe, and every sector of the auto industry. The fact that this show is closed to the public probably adds to its mystique. As the event has grown, so has the public's awareness of it, and their appreciation of the benefits it brings. Whether its performance, power or style that brings them flocking to SEMA, the fact is this show has grown to be a phenomenon.

More than 2700 representatives from media all over the world are snapping pictures, shooting video, and gathering info for stories that will be in magazines and TV and internet for the next ten months. A few of the cars on this blog will undoubtedly appear in some of these publications. It's a heady experience for the newbies when people get a thrill from seeing the fruit of their passions.

The mood is upbeat again this year as people from diverse sectors interact. The truck section is astounding in the South Hall. And it's hard to believe that a mere ten years ago half the North Hall was marine related and there was no South Hall at all. Today, the marine segment is gone altogether, squeezed out by electronics gizmos and gadgets that fuel the imagination and help people see what's happening inside and all around their vehicles, which sometimes can become their whole world.

This year is the 40th anniversary of Hot Wheels. Hence, a lot of Hot Wheels cars have been given away. At the awards breakfast Tuesday, everyone who came received a collectible Bone Shaker car. It is a one of a kind run, so only people who were there have one. More Hot Wheels cars were given away at the Hot Wheels booth where car designers autographed their work. The lines there were very, very long. This is a long explanation for these two photos featuring a couple of rather far out Hot Wheels cars.

Tomorrow is a big day at SEMA. Directors from AMSOIL will be at the Injen booth for a 2:10 p.m. press conference to introduce a new co-branded product line that will make a big impact on the diesel truck market. Also, Boyd and Jo Coddington will be up by their AMSOIL/Coddington Bonneville roadster signing autographs from 1:00 to 3:00. Enjoy the show.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

This is it. The eight builders are arriving at Comp Cams in Memphis this weekend to get it all underway in year three of the Mopar Muscle Challenge. The engines have all been limited to 410 ci displacement and will run on the same Rockett Brand fuel. The goal is high power on a low budget. AMSOIL synthetic lubricants will help achieve that goal.

Here is a list of the finalists in the 2007 Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge.

Diamondback Engines
Richmond, TX

MRL Performance
Jackson, MI

Mid America Racing Engines
Washington, IA 52353

R.M. Competition
Roseville, MI 48066

Muscle Motors
Lansing, MI 48906

Speed-O-Motive
West Covina, CA 91790

Schurbon Engine and Machine
Maquoketa, IA

Indy Cylinder Head
Indianapolis, IN 46239

Good luck to all!

Diesel Power Challenge To Air September 5

Don’t miss the Diesel Power Challenge this coming week on The Outdoor Channel. The Diesel Power Challenge took place on June 26 & 27 in Salt Lake City, Utah. There were nine pickups on the scene from all points of the compass. The high heat and tough competition took its toll and only one truck could be declared Champion.

DPC is a creation of Diesel Power magazine and the Primedia Truck Group for the purpose of creating a new event for diesel truck enthusiasts. Later this year Diesel Power magazine will devote forty pages of content to coverage of this two day contest. But next week the show will air, and it should be a good one. Under blue skies and high heat, nine pickups participated, all maxed out turbodiesels, representing the best reader rides.

For local air time visit the Outdoor Channel at http://www.outdoorchannel.com/
The program will re-air on December 7. Check your local listings.

In the meantime, here are some images from Salt Lake City.