2012 AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge Wednesday Results

Randy Malik with RM Competition kicked off the qualifying eliminations for Wednesday in the Street Division with a basic but reliable small block Chevy combination. Randy was not quite happy with the exhaust header, but the small 1 5/8-inch pipes were all that he had available to him prior to competition. The little small block displaces just 331 cubic inches and features an older set of AFR cylinder heads. The engine sailed smoothly through the qualifying session, making peaks o 411.6 lb-ft of torque and 465.9 horsepower. Randy made a few very small timing adjustments to the MSD crank trigger ignition, ending with a score of 2157.

Disaster struck for Barry Rabotnic and the Survival Motorsports team when their competition engine suffered damage just days before the start of the 2012 Engine Masters Challenge. Barry quickly built an all new 433 cubic inch FE Ford combination, just in time to make the show. The injected Big Block Ford ran perfectly through qualifying Eliminations, and Barry decided no tuning at all was necessary. The strong Ford produced a peak of 632 horsepower, with 577 lb-ft of peak torque. The power curve was enough to give the team a final score of 2256.9.

Lanny Trefz working with the Shelby Engine Company brought a Ford small block wearing the unique Shelby Hemi top end conversion. Running in the Xtreme Division from 4000-8000 rpm, the Hemi Shelby looked to be a formidable contender. Displacing 428 cubic inches and exhibiting exquisite detailing, the Ford produced a peak of 709 horsepower in testing and delivered up to 625 lb-ft of torque. The team ended with a score of 2787.4.

Brad Nagel brought a Gen III Hemi to battle in the Street Division. This high tech piece features dual spark plugs and EFI, with trick parts everywhere you look. The engine was right on tune from the start, pulling cleanly and showing great power production. The 417-cubic inch Chrysler product looked like the engine to beat in extreme, making 675 peak horsepower and 606 lb-ft of torque. When the score was tallied, the mighty Mopar took the lead in the Street Division, crushing the rest of the field with a final score of 2485.8.

Shawn Voldberg brought on of Jon Kaase's incredible Boss Nine engines, based upon the old Ford Boss 429 engine configurations. Although these engines can be built to huge displacement, this Boss measures 532 cubic inches. Topping the powerful Ford is a tunnel ram intake manifold with a pair of Dominator carbs perch on top. The engine was clearly ready to run, easily firing and settling into a steady idle. The team went in to the first dyno pull, easily crossing the 1000 horsepower mark. Tuning was limited to a minor timing change, and then the engine was run through qualifying eliminations. Peak power came in at a strong 1072 horsepower, with a peak of 827 lb-ft of torque. When the score was tallied, the engine came through qualifying with 3052 points.

Dan McCullum and the Race Heads team came to the show with a small block Ford with a Cleveland head combination and a 4150 carb combination running in the street division. The engine seemed like a stout piece from the moment the starter was hit on the dyno. The team went to work tuning the potent Ford, dialing in power with every move. As the numbers came rolling in from the scored qualifying pulls, the power told the tale. Peak output during the qualifying eliminations was recorded at 566 horsepower, while 564 lb-ft of torque showed on the dyno chart. The effort was good enough to score a solid 2294.3 points.

With a 447 cubic inch SB2 Chevrolet combination, Bret Bowers and the Racing Engine Design team came to compete in the hotly contested Xtreme Street Division. The engine featured a Dominator carb on a large single plane intake manifold. A cooling system check nearly spelled disaster when water doused the engine, fouling the electronics and resulting in a no-start condition. The team worked through to dry the connections and they were off to the races. The crew set about tuning the carb looking for more power. When run through the scored qualifying pulls, the engine produced a best peak of 859 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque for a score of 3029.

The Danny Miller/Hot Heads/Gene Adams/Smithberg Racing Chrysler Early Hemi running in the Street Division has to be the most technologically advanced Early Hemi in the world. With an electronics package unlike anything in the competition, this injected beast is the product of a group of incredibly dedicated individuals. With remote tuning via a laptop, the 385 cubic inch engine was nearly infinitely adjustable, and the data logging capability was nothing short of stunning. The team took advantage of the sophisticated electronics, tuning each cylinder of the Hemi to perfection. The engine effortlessly pulled through the three required qualifying pulls producing 607 horsepower at peak, with 563 lb-ft of torque recorded. The qualifying session was completed with a score of 2423.4 points.

Greg Finnican working with the crew from Wise Performance Engineering were the last competitors on the schedule for Wednesday, bringing a 465-cube (real) Oldsmobile to compete in the Xtreme Division. The engine build was based on a production Olds 350 diesel block using a high modified pair of ancient Batten aluminum Olds heads. The engine was topped with an Edelbrock Victor intake and a Dominator carb. The nicely detailed engine pulled effortlessly through qualifying eliminations, buzzing to 8000 rpm like a true race unit. A peak power number of 876 horsepower, with 673 lb-ft of peak torque proved that this is a stout Olds. The team ended eliminations with a score of 2885.3.