Engine Masters Challenge is sponsored by AMSOIL, Presented by HOT ROD, and Operated by the University of Northwestern Ohio.
Jon Kaase and teammate Royce Brechler have taken the win in the Vintage class of the 2017 Amsoil Engine Masters Challenge with their absolutely amazing 473ci MEL (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) engine. A perennial contender and now seven-time winner, Jon Kaase has kept the sunken combustion chamber idea in the back of his mind for 40 years after coming across the concept in Dyno Don Nicholson’s shop. As class rules prohibited welding or epoxying in the ports to drastically reshape them, Kaase instead machined massive brass “valve seats” and created high port heads the hard way. The engine produced 770hp at the University of Northwestern Ohio and was a torque monster as well, churning out the twist for the entirety of the pull. Their first place finish earned the duo a check for $11,700. We asked Jon what the plan is for the engine and he said it will likely see action in a race car, putting the unorthodox heads to the test yet again. You can read more about the engine in the story we posted earlier.
Runner up in the Vintage class is the Gene Adams Performance/Smithberg Racing team with the 700hp, 410ci early Hemi featuring variable runners on its Hilborn electronic fuel injection intake. For their effort, the team will take home a check for $2,600. While the Engine Masters Challenge is truly about power density and putting down big numbers, we also awarded the team an additional $500 for being the best-looking vintage engine.
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