The 2011 AMSOIL Engine Masters...
The 2011 AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge was once again hosted by the University of Northwestern Ohio. The engine staging area was a hub of activity with student teams uncrating engines and mounting them on the DTS/SuperFlow dyno docking carts for testing.
Although the Engine Masters Challenge has been going on since 2002 as an open invitational competition, the character of the event has evolved in a seemingly exponential way since then. A major turning point in this engine-building contest was factoring the scoring system to allow engines of widely varying displacements to compete fairly, rather than the rigid spec engine size of the early days. Then, we turned another major corner going into the 2011 event, dividing the competition into two distinct classes: Street and Xtreme. Skipping over the fine points that you can find in the rules on
www.EngineMasters.com, the specs that make the Xtreme category include unlimited cast cylinder heads, valve lift, induction, and compression ratio, as well as a higher engine operating rpm for scoring. As always, the EMC scores the engines based upon average horsepower, but the Xtreme category ups the ante from the 2,500-6,500 range run in Street, to 3,500-7,500. With more liberal parts specifications and a higher rpm range, the stage was set for the wildest Engine Masters show ever.
As if the more radical specifications weren’t enough, the 2011 Challenge upped the number of competitive entries by a substantial margin, pitting 40 invited entries into fray, versus the 30 places in previous events. With the greatly expanded roster, the running of the competition was also significantly altered. The old testing regime was tossed for an all-new procedure. Rather than the old routine of a series of three warm-up pulls, followed by 20 minutes of tuning and three back-to-back scored pulls, the new procedure gives the competitor 18 minutes to use as they see fit to complete three scored pulls, after completing a single required warm-up pull. Yes, the stage was set, and when the curtain was raised on the 2011 Challenge, the action didn’t disappoint.
One of the first engines to...
One of the first engines to really raise the bar in the Xtreme Street category was this 344-cube Ford fielded by Elan Power Products. The Yates C3-headed engine was built using cast-off road racing components, and the low-buck effort made use of old parts, right down to the engine bearings. It made as much as 676 peak horsepower in qualifying.
On the Dyno
At the University of Northwestern Ohio host facility, two dyno cells are on call for the running of the Challenge. With two classes of competition, the logical choice was to run all the engines in a given category in the same test cell. On the first day of qualifying, we had scheduled 10 engines to run: five in the Street category in cell one, and five in Xtreme running in cell two. The Street roster included Ray’s Dyno and Machine’s Pontiac, Stine’s Chevy big-block, and Robert Peters, Randy Ferbert, and Rick’s Custom Engines all with Chevy small-blocks. Stine’s big-block shined in terms of brute power, enough to eventually take the crown for the highest peak power and torque in the Street category, while the Ferbert Chevy earned the highest score, all the more impressive considering the engine featured OEM iron Vortec cylinder heads. In Xtreme, only two engines progressed into qualifying, the Miller small-block Mopar, and Race Car Services of America’s Glidden-headed Windsor. The W8-equipped Mopar handily outscored the competition and finished the day in the top spot for Xtreme.
Day two saw the Hinkle Chevy big-block, Porting Dynamics and Racing Engine Design with LS Chevys, Raceheads running a Windsor Ford, and Robinson Analytical sporting a small-cube Olds in Street. When the smoke cleared, Bret Bowers and the RED team pushed its way into the lead position with a smoking score of 2,411.3, Dave Storlien and the Porting Dynamics team did not run due to an ignition problem, and were eligible to come back in an alternate position, if they could find one. In Xtreme, Elan Power Products kicked off the day with a radical, road-race–derived Ford sporting Yates C3 heads. The engine smashed all previous competitors in the category, and more than eclipsed the Dove FE and Hinkle SB2 that followed. The Triple S team was eligible for an open alternate spot due to a did-not-start.
Stine Automotive brought a...
Stine Automotive brought a powerhouse Chevy big-block to the first day of qualifying in Street: a 483-cube Rat with a peak of 695 hp. The engine did not qualify for final eliminations, but gained honors as the Horsepower King and Torque Monster in the Street division.
The AMSOIL Engine Masters...
The AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge always attracts a wide variety of engine types. We had the typical Fords, Chevys, and Mopars, along with niche brands such as Oldsmobile, AMC, and this stout 404-cube Buick from Automotive Machine and Performance.
The Hot Heads/Gene Adams early...
The Hot Heads/Gene Adams early Chrysler Hemi was notable both for its outstanding technological accomplishments, and for the fact that the entry was completed as a tribute to recently deceased EMC competitor Dan Miller. Bob Holmes and the team put forth an exceptional display of Miller’s vision.
Actual mechanical failure...
Actual mechanical failure was at the lowest level we have ever seen at the Challenge, but electrical gremlins affected several competitors. Cory Short and the Triple S team encountered ignition hang-ups on both their Street and Xtreme Street engines. The big Hemi failed to start in its allotted position, but was able to run later as an alternate.
The McKeown Motorsports Ford...
The McKeown Motorsports Ford featured a small-block SC1 combination that shook up the field early on, producing over 2 hp per cube and a mind-blowing torque curve. This engine was able to hang on in the Xtreme class to finish in Third Place.
Backstage, EMC Competition...
Backstage, EMC Competition Director Wesley Roberson and Publisher Ed Zinke worked the spreadsheets to catalog the scores. Scoring is based upon average power and torque divided by the competitor’s claimed cubic-inch displacement.
Dave Storlien of Porting Dynamics...
Dave Storlien of Porting Dynamics stunned the field with his innovative LS Chevy combination. Interestingly, the unconventional 369-cube engine featured a flat-tappet cam—one of the few in the event—and it went on to finish with the leaders in the Street division.
The School of Automotive Machinists...
The School of Automotive Machinists (SAM) was definitely in session, with entries in both the Street and Xtreme classes. Tuning skill helped a flawless performance, including such details as taking air readings right at the carb throat.
The SAM’s 402-cube SB2 small-block...
The SAM’s 402-cube SB2 small-block Chevy turned a peak of 813 hp, making over 2 hp per cubic inch to finish Second in the Xtreme Street finals.
Bret Bowers and the RED team...
Bret Bowers and the RED team brought a 446-cube iron-block Chevy LS to the Challenge, and put down a score of 2,756.5 to make the final eliminations. Bowers’ ability to work the tune via computer is the team’s major ace card.
Jon Kaase brought a monster...
Jon Kaase brought a monster of a Ford Shotgun Hemi. The larger-than-life 602-cube engine was a visual spectacle, and the power output didn’t disappoint, with an insane 1,182 hp showing at peak.
One of the most striking aspects...
One of the most striking aspects of the 2011 Challenge was the low rate of mechanical failure. While in past events we routinely experienced mechanical attrition—primarily due to detonation—carnage was not to be a factor this year, even with the unlimited compression ratio allowed in the Xtreme category. The high quality of the VP Racing fuel undoubtedly played a part here.
All eyes were on returning...
All eyes were on returning champion Tony Bischoff and the BES Racing Team. This year’s entry was an SC1-headed 441-cube brute that tortured the dyno with 913 peak horsepower. With substantially over 2 hp per cube, Bischoff covered the field in Xtreme.
Cooperation and sportsmanship...
Cooperation and sportsmanship prevailed at the 2011 EMC. Storlien and the Porting Dynamics team failed to start due to an ignition glitch in qualifying, but Kustom Kemps gave up their alternate position to form a new team and allow them to run. The engine proved to be outstanding, and achieved a Second Place performance in the Street category.
Mark McKeown is truly an EMC...
Mark McKeown is truly an EMC hero, always in contention with the top competitors. In final eliminations, McKeown showed his grit with a Third Place finish in Xtreme Street.