OneDirt

GMPP's CT525 Sealed Crate Engine.

General Motors Performance Parts (GMPP) has announced their commitment to helping grass roots racers remain competitive, especially racers with a limited budget, when racing against big dollar custom built race engines.  According to GMPP’s Product Integration Manger, Dr. Jamie Meyer, power and value are the cornerstones to the GM crate engine program.   GMPP’s crate engine line for circle track racing include three different versions of the 350 CI engine that is the standard for many circle track classes and the extremely popular CT525, a crate engine that is based on the 6.2L (376 cubic inches) LS3 engine used in the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro SS.

The press release below details the four racing crate engines and extends an offer to the first 100 subscribers to their newsletter, a free racer’s kit that includes T-Shirts and stickers.  The most recent trends in short track dirt circle track racing are strongly moving to crate engines and sealed crate engines.  Most experts and observers believe that the GMPP CT350, CT355 and CT400 crate engines will become as popular as the CT525 has become.  That’s a tall order with the CT525 having made a huge mark in Dirt Late Model racing.  NeSmith Chevrolet has even created an entire series on the CT525 crate engine, and in other series, the CT525 has competed head to head in open engine classes with remarkable results.

For more information on General Motors Performance Parts Crate Engines, please see the Official Press Release below:

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

GM PERFORMANCE PARTS’ GROWING PRESENCE IN CIRCLE TRACK RACING ROOTED IN POWERFUL, DEPENDABLE CRATE ENGINES

Free ‘Racers Kit’ for the First 100 who sign up for GMPP’s FUEL E-Newsletter

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – GM Performance Parts (GMPP) crate engines are a growing presence in circle track racing series across the United States. They are now used in the racing series of five of the nation’s premier sanctioning bodies, including:

DIRTcar

ASA Late Model Series

IMCA (International Motor Contest Association)

FasTrak Racing Series

NeSmith Chevrolet Late Model Racing Series

GMPP supplies sealed crate engines for specific racing series within the sanctioning bodies, offering four distinct engines. They are designed to level the playing field by eliminating the engine-building “arms race” that can make competition cost-prohibitive for many grassroots racers. The range of engines includes three versions of the tried-and-true 350 small-block and a 525-horsepower “LS” engine (see related section below for more details).

“GMPP’s is committed to delivering powerful, durable and value-driven crate engines for racers at all levels of competition,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, product marketing manager for GM Performance Parts. ”We’ve been working at this for eight years and will continue to advocate for the use of sealed crate engines to equalize competition and maximize the fun factor – for racers and spectators alike.”

All GM Performance Parts circle track crate engines are built with brand-new parts, including the engine block, crankshaft and heads – parts often sourced as used, remanufactured or “seasoned” by many engine builders.

Some of the racing series within the sanctioning bodies that used GMPP circle track crate engines include:

IMCA Northern Sport Mods

NeSmith Chevrolet Super Dirt Car Series

FASTRAK City Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series

“We believe using sealed crate engines is the way to ensure affordable, competitive racing in the future and the series using them already are leading the way into a new golden age of grassroots racing,” said Dr. Meyer.

Sealed performance

GM Performance Parts introduced its first circle track crate engine in 2003 and its role as a supplier of sealed racing engines has grown every year since. The concept of sealed engines – they are assembled with tamper-resistant fasteners – remains controversial in some racing circles, but its acceptance is growing as more and more racers discover the benefits of a “spec” engine:

It levels the playing field for all competitors in the series, making driver skill more important than raw horsepower.

Teams are free to spend more time dialing in a chassis combination and other important aspects of the racing program than building and testing engines.

Value-driven pricing can save money in the long run, especially when it comes to frequent rebuilding.

Races with spec-engine cars are generally more competitive and exciting.

The engines

Four horsepower-certified GMPP circle track crate engines are offered, each assembled with tamper-resistant fasteners. Importantly, every GMPP circle track crate engine is built with brand-new parts, including the engine block. They include racing-specific parts, such as racing oil pans, valve cover breathers and more. The lineup includes:

CT350 (part number 19258602) – GMPP's most economical circle track crate engine is based on the popular 350 Chevy street engine, including a four-bolt-main engine block, Vortec-type iron cylinder heads and a dual-pattern hydraulic flat-tappet camshaft that helps the engine make more than 300 lb.-ft. of torque between 2,000 and 5,500 rpm. Peak power ratings are 350 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. It also comes with an aluminum intake manifold and HEI distributor.

CT355 (part number 88958603) – Based on the successful GMPP ZZ4 350 street crate engine, the CT355 makes great use of that combination's high-flow aluminum cylinder heads. It also includes a tough forged steel crankshaft, a steel hydraulic roller camshaft, a dual-plane intake manifold, balancer and HEI distributor. It is rated at 355 horsepower and 405 lb.-ft. of torque.

CT400 (part number 88958604) – The CT400 steps up the horsepower quotient with the use of GMPP's high-flow 23-degree aluminum Fast Burn heads, which feature large 2.00/1.55-inch valves. They're matched with a forged steel crank, high-lift hydraulic roller camshaft and high-flow aluminum single-plane intake manifold. The CT400 is rated at 400 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque.

CT525 (part number 19171821) – GMPP's only LS-based circle track engine is also the most powerful of the lineup. It is based on the 6.2L (376 cubic inches) LS3 engine used in the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro SS. GMPP builds it with a carbureted intake manifold, a hydraulic roller “hot” cam, a six-quart racing oil pan and other specific racing parts. It is rated at 525 horsepower and 471 lb.-ft. of torque, making it one of the most powerful engines found on any racetrack.

Ordering engines

GMPP circle track crate engines are available through the www.gmperformanceparts.com Web site and authorized GMPP dealers. The sanctioning bodies may also direct racers to authorized sellers who support and assist the racing series. Contact the sanctioning bodies online at the following addresses:

www.dirtcar.com

www.asalatemodels.com

www.imca.com

http://www.fastrakracing.com

http://www.nesmithracing.com

Free ‘racers kit’

The latest in circle track engine information and highlights of champions using them is found in GM Performance Parts’ FUEL e-newsletter. For a limited time, GMPP is offering a free racers kit, including racing stickers and T-shirts, to the first 100 racers who sign up for FUEL at  www.gmperformanceparts.com. It is emailed several times a year and is a great way to stay on top of the latest products from GM Performance Parts.

Enthusiasts who crave the latest technology, maximum horsepower and the expertise and confidence backed by GM, can purchase GMPP crate engines, blocks, heads, high-performance transmissions and components from GMPP Authorized Center dealers or any other GM dealership nationwide. To shop for GMPP products, or for more information, visit www.gmperformanceparts.com.