ANN ARBOR, MI — The final round of the 2006 Clevite Engine Builder Showdown — held on May 23, at the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, NC — will go down as one of the most exciting and closest competitions in Showdown history, according to Clevite.
In front of more than 1,500 fans, Mike Maiwald and Shane Parsnow of Hendrick Motorsports made their third straight final round appearance and built against first-time Showdown participants Dennis Borem and Darrell Hoffman of Pro Motor Engineering.
Both teams stayed neck and neck throughout the entire build, working in perfect sync. Borem and Hoffman fired their engine two seconds ahead of Maiwald and Parsnow, but it cut out after running just a few seconds. Borem and Hoffman fired their engine again… but it was too late. When the noise stopped, Maiwald and Parsnow finally captured the prize that had eluded them the past two years – the Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy.
Maiwald and Parsnow posted a phenomenal build time of 16 minutes, 54 seconds (a new engine build record), with Borem and Hoffman of Pro Motor Engineering posting an equally impressive time of 16 minutes, 59 seconds. The competing engine builders assembled 357 cubic inch Ford engines — similar in design to those used by NASCAR’s Ford race teams.
“The energy and excitement at every stage of this year’s competition was the highest we’ve ever seen,” said Ted Hughes, light vehicle brand manger for Clevite Engine Parts. “The Showdown engine build record was broken in each of the last three rounds and two teams that never competed in the Showdown made it to the semi-finals; and one of them — Pro Motor Engineering — advanced to the final round.”
Maiwald added that his team’s sole motivation was to take home the Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy. “This was for all of the guys in our engine shop,” said Maiwald. “We felt like we let our team down the past two years, so this is really special for all of us.”
Borem and Hoffman received a cash award of $5,000 along with runner-up trophies. Maiwald and Parsnow received a cash award of $20,000 and the title of 2006 Clevite Engine Builder Showdown Champion. Maiwald and Parsnow will also take their rightful place alongside past Showdown Champions on the Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy.
Check local listings later this year for news on when the Showdown will air on a television station near you.
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