Mopar Engine Challenge 2006

Those of you who have been following the '06 Royal Purple/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge know that these 500ci big-blocks made excellent power on Rockett Brand's 93 octane fuel, with most easily topping the 700hp mark. There were only a few minor mishaps during the challenge, which kept two of our competitors from qualifying for the judged portion of the challenge, but none of the engines succumbed to catastrophic failure. All who attended this year's challenge were impressed by the hospitality of Comp Cams and the efficiency of their dyno crew. Even with an unforeseen power outage on our first dyno day, the guys at Comp quickly caught up, even getting us far enough ahead of schedule that we had time to play with a Zex nitrous-oxide kit on one of the engines.

The engines brought to the '06 Engine Challenge were as diverse as the builders themselves; we can't wait to see what next year's challenge brings.

Comp's dyno operator, Rich Smith, not only worked dyno controls, but also found time to help pump fuel for the competition.

So with this contest over, we're looking forward to our next engine challenge, which will feature powerful small-block Mopar powerplants. The applications have been pouring in, and we believe you'll see some previous competitors, as well as some new faces. We've changed it up a little with a less restrictive cylinder head rule, and we should see some unique and powerful combinations in the '07 engine challenge. Will they top the numbers posted by last year's wedges? While we feel the potential is there given the rule changes, we'll just have to wait and see. Meanwhile, let's take a final look at the dyno sheets for the big-blocks.

Mid America Racing Engines, Washington, IA
David Bruns of Mid America Racing engines brought a somewhat docile Hemi to our first engine challenge, placing respectably with the most streetable engine of the inaugural competition. This year, however, his careful parts selection and machining techniques put his 500ci big-block ahead of the field. While his engine wasn't the most powerful, or the most economical engine of the competition, it was the best blend of the two, which equated to a first place finish.

Learning from his entry in last year's challenge, David Bruns tuned his economical engine to more than 740 hp, winning the '06 Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge.