Clevite Prepares for the Engine Builder Showdown’s Seventh Season

Clevite Engine Parts is gearing up to once again shine the spotlight on NASCAR’s hidden heroes of racing by sponsoring the 2006 Clevite Engine Builder Showdown. In keeping with previous competitions, 16 of NASCAR’s top engine builders will participate in the first round of the showdown. The competing engine builders will assemble 357 cubic inch Ford engines – similar in design to those used by NASCAR’s Ford race teams.

ANN ARBOR, MI — Clevite Engine Parts is gearing up to once again shine the spotlight on NASCAR’s hidden heroes of racing by sponsoring the 2006 Clevite Engine Builder Showdown.

In keeping with previous competitions, 16 of NASCAR’s top engine builders will participate in the first round of the showdown. The competing engine builders will assemble 357 cubic inch Ford engines – similar in design to those used by NASCAR’s Ford race teams.

As with last year, the first round of the Showdown will serve as a qualifying round, with the eight fastest times advancing to round 2. Engine builders from NASCAR’s top race teams will be vying for the title of Clevite Engine Builder Showdown Champion – and the right to have their names immortalized on the Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy. In addition to last year’s champions Danny Lawrence and Greg Gunnell of Richard Childress Racing and runners-up Mike Maiwald and Shane Parsnow of Hendrick Motorsports (they receive an automatic bid) the field will include the following teams:

Bill Davis Racing — Ken Swanson and Robert Scott

Chip Ganassi Racing — Mike Lanci and Jesse Hardee

DEI Engines — Joe London and Brian Sommers, Brian Price and Bill Brunker

Hendrick Engines — Danny Emerick and Jay Wiles, Kevin Webber and David Evans

Penske-Jasper Engines — Chris Moroch and Mark Cuzzen

Pro Motor Engineering — Dennis Borem and Darrell Hoffman

Richard Childress Racing — Lanny Barnes and TBD

Roush-Yates Engines — Randy Ping and Mike Kasch, Nick Ramey and Mike Ellis, Kent Mashburn and David Hamm, Jim Snyder and Dan Bagle

Toyota Racing Development — Tim Ambrose and Mike Dimascio

Round 1 of the 2006 Clevite Engine Builder Showdown will kick off on Tuesday, May 2 and Wednesday, May 3 at the NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI) in Mooresville, N.C. The eight fastest times will receive a cash award of $1,000 and will advance to the second round of competition.

Round 2, also at NTI, takes place Thursday, May 4. The winners of round 2 will receive cash awards of $1,500 and will proceed to round 3, which awards $2,000 to each winning engine builder.

Round 3 takes place Monday, May 22, and the final round is Tuesday, May 23. The final round’s runner-up will receive a cash award of $5,000. The champion receives a cash award of $20,000, their place on the perennial Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy and will be dubbed the 2006 Clevite Engine Builder Showdown Champion.

Race fans and engine building enthusiasts can check the results of the various rounds by going to the Clevite Engine Parts web site at www.engineparts.com . For the last three years, showdown fans have also been able to view the Showdown on the SPEED Channel.

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