SANTA ANA, Calif. — WyoTech grads are gearing up to build engines head-to-head for the second consecutive year on PowerBlock’s Horsepower TV. Set to air as a TV special in April of 2009, the second annual “Scholastic Engine Builder Challenge” pits students from WyoTech’s Sacramento, Calif., and Blairsville, Pa., campuses against each other for bragging rights on who can design and build the best performing V8 engine. Each team of two graduates and an instructor from WyoTech’s Performance Power Train curriculum will use new 347cid short block assemblies donated by Ford Racing and a $10,000 parts budget from Summit Racing to configure and assemble the ultimate carbureted V8.
“Last year’s event was our highest rated show,” said HorsePower TV producer/host Joe Elmore. “These graduates are ready to showcase their engine building skills to over two million TV viewers. The competition will be intense.”
RTM Productions President Joe St. Lawrence added, “This special highlights the best of the best in action.”
Taped the week of Jan. 12-16, 2008 at the RTM Productions Tech Center in Tennessee, the special will premiere April 18-19 on Spike TV at 11am ET/PT with an encore airing on July 4 and 5. It will also be streamed free online at PowerBlockTV.com and will be available as a download on iTunes.
The Ford shortblock assemblies will not include cylinder heads, valvetrain, timing set, front cover, oil pump, oil pan, balancer or flexplate. The challenge for each team will be to work with their instructor and designated Summit parts advisor to design their own parts combination and assemble their motor, including port matching, etc. Any parts available through Summit are permitted in the competition, as long as the engines are carbureted. Power adders such as superchargers, turbochargers and nitrous are not allowed. The team building the highest average horsepower and torque over the three allotted dyno runs will be declared the winner.
