Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

I’m doing some research on engines that have been used in the Chili Bowl. The goal is to find out more about some of the engines that have not won the main events. We all know about the Fontana, Arias, Toyota, Esslinger, Gaerte, Barnes, SESCO, Mopar and VW engines. But I want to hear about things like what Robert Bell the "Colfax Comet" did in 2017. Or the year Matt Sherrell drove an outboard powered car.

My first Chili Bowl was in 1997 and I’ve always been fascinated by the ingenuity and variety of the power plants in the pits.

What I am asking for is if you were a competitor, team member or owner and used something not listed above (or an unusual variation of the above) could you please tell me a bit about that? Maybe the year, the driver, your results and what you learned i.e. great torque, bad decision, excellent response, etc.

What I don’t want is this thread to turn into is a people complaining about costs, rules and general whining about midget racing.

If you had the privilege of being able to say that you have “been there and done that” please share your experience.

Bart

We took a V-4 Chevy in 87 built by Canaday Brothers from Lathrop Mo
Scott Weyant drove it and I cannot remember where we finished but somewhere in the B
Of course I'm thinking there were only 60 cars

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

Thanks.

Was it a V8 cut in half? I see Scott came back for 6 or 7 more years. Did he use the same V-4 in 1989 or any of the following years? Do you remember what number you ran?

Bart

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

Synergy V8's back in 2010

We ran the number 70
Yes it was a 302 cut in half with Brodex -11 heads bought as casting defects and cut in half
The crankshaft was purpose built with both rod journals being on the same plane, much like a Harley Davidson motorcycle engine
It had an unique sound that can be best described as obnoxious
The thing had incredible torque
I know this sounds crazy but I really don't remember how many times we ran that engine configuration
I think I drove it once or twice, Scott switched back & forth whenever he could get into someone else's car
It was a little different time, we could take a car, run it, make enough to basically pay for our trip
It's not possible today, but it's still the best week in racing for old midget nuts like me
Thanks for your interest

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

The Scat V4 was wicked and unique sounding. Is that the motor your talking about?

Robert bell has a "d2" Chevy ecotec from zero Motorsports if I remember correctly

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

Thank you!

I remember the engine, in fact I brought it up last week when talking to Mel Kenyon about his V8 motorcycle engine project.

This video is great for more details.

Bart

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

I've said for several years now that the V6 or V8 Motorcycle configuration motors were the answer to midget racing. They are designed to do 12,000 RPM and would last probably a hundred races before a overhaul. Overhead cams and multiple cam motors are the answer throughout racing. The less hard that motor has to work the longer they will last.

But lets keep throwing tens of thousands at a displacement and single cam tech can take us.

Not the Scat, it's crank journals are 180 degrees apart
The Canaday V-4 had them on the same plane
It had a totally different sound from the Scat
It sounded like 2 Harley's idling
It sounded like a fart under acceleration
It made crazy harmonics and always cracking the oil pan and headers in odd places

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

I wouldn't be too quick to condemn pro engine builders on cost
Engine development is very time consuming and a lot of dry runs come with the deal.
Credit Ron Hoettels in Milwaukee for the original motorcycle V8
It's correct to say this engine would last as long as D2 Ecotec PROVIDED all details are worked out.
4 valves mean lighter springs and longer lasting seats. ditto pistons and rings
Perhaps Synergy has got it there. They use a billet block, Hoettels' was cast. Oiling was an issue.
I think the attachment is from 1987 when we went to the Chili Bowl.
Vogler liked to win everything including hot laps. This car was faster. Lots of power and the car put it down.
Suzuki GXR 1000cc air cooled cylinder heads. BUT, we ran into problems (can't remember exactly what) and got sidelined early.
Last race with this engine was a USAC show at Moberly MO. Engine started slowing down coming off 4 on first lap of time trials. Pulled off as soon as crossed finish line. Set fast time. Done for the night, lost rod bearing on #5.
Check the price of a Synergy engine. Not cheap but, from my experience, they deserve what they ask.

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

Thanks Crash. Great info.

My notes say J.R. Miller was part of the 1989 Chili Bowl.

I always thought Hoettels was credited with SESCO. I did not know about the motorcycle V8.

How many races were on the engine before it failed?

Bart

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

Bart,
Well, if I can't even remember what year it was for Chili Bowl, I'd be pressed to give an accurate time on the motor. Took it apart quite a bit.

Bearings were the wear items, particularly that #5. Don't know whether it was too much clearance in the mains as they wore that kept enough flow getting to the rods or whether it was simply a design issue. Perhaps Synergy has a rigid enough block allowing tighter clearances similar to motorcycle engines. We engineered a "floating" front engine mount so it wasn't frame / car flex transferring into the engine.

Had both a long stroke and short stroke variation. Long stroke quit at about 10,300. Had amazing low end. Very driver friendly. Short stroke peaked at 11,200, torque curve not very flat. It was the short stroke motor that lost the bearing at Moberly. Moberly is fast and allowed wide open all the way around so the short stroke motor was ok there...until it wasn't.

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

If I'm not mistaken, Colorado's Rory Peachey finished 16th in the A feature in 1988 driving a Stewart chassis car with Cosworth Vega power, owned by Rossi Morris out of New Mexico.

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

Murdock at Zero Motorsports said it was a D2 legal engine, what he won the Allstar Midget series title with in 2016.

I was in the pit next to Bell when he pulled in after his heat win. It was crazy with the camera crew and the other drivers there to congratulate him!

Bart

Re: Chili Bowl Engine History – Non-winners
 

Anybody else have any engine stories from the Chili Bowl?

Bart

There's a Boyles V6 package floating around in Missouri. It doesn't make a whole ton of power but from what I hear it isn't bad. It would be interesting to see what could be done with it if it were modded out.