Race Engine Challenge--North Carolina, April 17-18 2026

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RAMM

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Last Thursday I received a phone call from the proprietor of this event Mr. Greg Finnican whom I had met a few times at the EMC in Ohio, he was telling me about his upcoming engine challenge in April of next year. I have never been to North Carolina and I'm always down to mentally engineer a competitive Mopar engine build so I actually think I may build a 408 cube SBM for this deal. Basic rules are : 11-1 Comp/ .715" lift rule/3500-7000 rpm/ Best AVG HP x 3 pulls = Score.
I'm thinking a very basic 360/Scat 4"/Scat 6.123" rods/Mahle Motorsports Forging Piston 930271030 -16cc dish/1mm/1mm/2mm ring pack. Solid Roller cam/lifters. The only heads I have are some unported Speedmasters, the rules are very liberal however I think a set of W2's would probably fare far better for 408 cubes up near 7000rpm. I would love to get the FABO braintrusts' opinion on this deal. What would you guys do for the induction? Oh and it will be carbureted no question about it. J.Rob

Classic Rival Class Rules
 
302 heads, offy 360* intake, TQ, 68 340 manual trans cam.
Just think of the velocity!!!

Seems like the head rules really favor the Chevy/ford camps.
 
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PRH said:
302 heads, offy 360* intake, TQ, 68 340 manual trans cam.
Just think of the velocity!!!

Seems like the head rules really favor the Chevy/ford camps.
Click to expand...
Depends on what they allow when you submit your cylinder head of choice. J.Rob
 
225cc Eddy Victor heads, Super Victor intake, 1050, appropriate roller cam if I had the coin to spend. The short block you laid out is exactly what I plan for my 414. Good luck!
 
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i'd approach it from a more round about way and determine what heads (and cam) would perform the best under the set criteria.

for example, i know that W2's are johnny kick *** and will absolutely smash 7K and will tickle 8 still making big power-- but that does nothing for us if the ceiling is 7K. so i'd look into what are the flow numbers from say 400 and up and then match those against the lift of a few cams i was considering.

because it's average of three pulls, i'd be putting a keen eye on how and what would make big power from that lower threshold all the way thru to the 7K limit. who cares if i give up 50 at the very top if i'm getting 75 more across a wider range at the bottom.

i do like that they say "any commercially available" head...

it's an interesting challenge to say the least. looks like they've done their best to even the playing field.
 
Keep in mind, the guy (Greg) who puts on this event,( and runs the dyno) has a engine in the contest also. It won last year, and it's pretty scienced out. Dart block, all good high end aftermarket stuff, EFI, coil on plug ignition, ect. The rules definitely give ford and chevy some advantages they weren't designed with. I'm stupid enough to try this contest also, but I know going in, I personally have NO shot at winning. It would be for fun only.
 
From the rules:

104 – CYLINDER HEADS

Commercially available 23° Chevy, 20° Ford, 18° Mopar with standard intake port height and location required. Porting or epoxy inside the original port casting permitted. Only modification to the exterior of the cylinder head is milling. Steel valves only. HEADS TO BE USED MUST BE SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL.
Click to expand...
 
So angle milling is not against the rules?
I’d lean pretty hard towards an Indy 360-1 CNC and one of their intakes and do some hand work to them.
NC Engine Builder said:
Keep in mind, the guy (Greg) who puts on this event,( and runs the dyno) has an engine in the contest also. It won last year, and it's pretty scienced out. Dart block, all good high end aftermarket stuff, EFI, coil on plug ignition, ect. The rules definitely give ford and chevy some advantages they weren't designed with. I'm stupid enough to try this contest also, but I know going in, I personally have NO shot at winning. It would be for fun only.
Click to expand...
Do you know what the numbers were on the previous winning engine?
 
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TT5.9mag said:
So angle milling is not against the rules?
I’d lean pretty hard towards an Indy 360-1 CNC and one of their intakes and do some hand work to them.

Do know what the numbers were on the previous winning engine?
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Peak was 650ish, dont know the actual numbers
 
TT5.9mag said:
So angle milling is not against the rules?
I’d lean pretty hard towards an Indy 360-1 CNC and one of their intakes and do some hand work to them.

Do you know what the numbers were on the previous winning engine?
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I like the Indy heads idea as well.

BTW, what is this angle milling thing, it’s come up a couple of times recently and I have no idea what it is?
 
tjpatte said:
I like the Indy heads idea as well.

BTW, what is this angle milling thing, it’s come up a couple of times recently and I have no idea what it is?
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milling the deck of the head at an angle can provide specific advantages. better flow, quench, more complete combustion, improving valve angles, etx.

in this instance it would probably be more useful in limiting spark plug shrouding and primarily, i'm guessing, valve angle.
 
junkyardhero said:
milling the deck of the head at an angle can provide specific advantages. better flow, quench, more complete combustion, improving valve angles, etx.

in this instance it would probably be more useful in limiting spark plug shrouding and primarily, i'm guessing, valve angle.
Click to expand...
Ah, that makes sense and kinda figured that’s what it was, just didn’t know what kind of benefits it provided.

Thanks!
 
junkyardhero said:
milling the deck of the head at an angle can provide specific advantages. better flow, quench, more complete combustion, improving valve angles, etx.

in this instance it would probably be more useful in limiting spark plug shrouding and primarily, i'm guessing, valve angle.
Click to expand...

tjpatte said:
Ah, that makes sense and kinda figured that’s what it was, just didn’t know what kind of benefits it provided.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
JYH covered it well. The big benefit would be cylinder filling. It really helps the air not have to turn around the valve.
 

srduster340 said:
225cc Eddy Victor heads, Super Victor intake, 1050, appropriate roller cam if I had the coin to spend. The short block you laid out is exactly what I plan for my 414. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Jack Barna from Valley performance won this competition several years ago using victor heads on a 370 ish inch 360.
 
I find the choice of fuel interesting. I would think that is something to take a good look at.
 
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B3422w5 said:
Jack Barna from Valley performance won this competition several years ago using victor heads on a 370 ish inch 360.
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Rules have changed since then. Must be between 400 and 410 cubic inch, and victor heads are not legal anymore due to the fact they dont have a 18° valve angle
 
Newbomb Turk said:
By a cursory reading of the rules a W2 head isnt legal.

Im not sure I like the fuel for the compression ratio.

I definitely don’t like being told what oil to run.
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I'm pretty sure W2s are legal. The fuel and oil are stipulated however
 
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