Dennis Borem and Darrell Hoffman of Pro Motor Engines walked away with the top prize at the 2007 MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder Showdown. The top prize included the Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy and a cash prize of $26,000. Kevin Webber and Scott Vester of Hendrick Motorsports received $9,000 in their runner-up effort.
The 2007 MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder Showdown at NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, NC, was the culmination of four preliminary rounds, ending with the Championship on May 23 in front of nearly 1,500 screaming fans.
"This year was one of the most competitive and exciting Showdowns ever," said Jesse Jones, director of marketing for MAHLE Clevite Inc.
A record 19 teams from 10 of the biggest NASCAR engine shops took part in the competition.
"This proves success in our goal of reaching out to NASCAR engine builders with our message of quality and performance," Jones said.
The MAHLE Clevite Engine builder Showdown is a tiered four-round competition for professional engine builders who assemble engines for NASCAR teams. Each team of two engine builders competes to build and successfully run a NEXTEL Cup 357-cubic-inch Ford Engine in the shortest time possible.
The 2007 Showdown Champions from Pro Motor, runners-up in the 2006 Showdown, broke the all-time Showdown record with an engine-build time of 16 minutes and 25 seconds with no penalties for the title. Borem and Hoffman went head-to-head with Hendrick Motorsports’ Kevin Webber and Scott Vester, who finished second with a build time of 17 minutes and 47 seconds with no penalties.
Dennis Borem has worked on muscle cars since he was in high school. According to Borem, his interest in stock car racing and road racing fueled his passion for building NASCAR engines. He has 25 years of engine building experience, 22 of them with Pro Motor. Teammate Darrell Hoffman says his interest in engine building began with racing cars on dirt tracks. He has 20 years of experience in engine building and has been at Pro Motor for four years.
The following is a complete list of the 19 NASCAR engine builder teams who participated in the 2007 MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder Showdown:
• Penske Racing: Kelley Thacker and Chris Moroch.
• Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates: Mike Lanci and Jesse Hardee; Brad Thrower and Todd Hamm.
• Dale Earnhardt, Inc.: Joe London and Mark Purvis; Bill Brunker and Shawn Redwine.
• Bill Davis Racing: Robert Scott and Matt Flogel.
• Toyota Racing Development: Mike DiMascio and Ben Morris.
• Arrington Manufacturing: Chris Seidle and Chris Martin.
• Roush-Yates Engines: Randy Ping and Mike Kasch; David Hamm and Kent Mashburn; Jim Snyder and Mike Robinson; Trey Davis and Mike Buttrick.
• Pro Motor Engines: Dennis Borem and Darrell Hoffman.
• Hendrick Motorsports: Mike Maiwald and Shane Parsnow; Kevin Webber and Scott Vester; Jay Wiles and Jason Ingle.
• Richard Childress Racing: Greg Gunnell and Wes Adams; Ken Swanson and Timmy Petty; Freddie Turza and Cameron Brown.
The semifinals featured these four teams in head-to-head competition at NTI on May 22:
• Jim Snyder and Mike Robinson from Roush-Yates Racing Engines versus Dennis Borem and Darrell Hoffman from Pro Motor Engines; and
• Robert Scott and Matt Flogel from Bill Davis Racing versus Kevin Webber and Scott Vester from Hendrick Motorsports.
This year also marked another first for the competition that continues to grow every year – the addition of the world-renowned MAHLE brand. Most engine builders and enthusiasts are very familiar with Clevite performance engine products. "Clevite engine bearings, Victor Reinz gaskets and Perfect Circle piston rings have long been an integral part of the NASCAR racing scene," Jones said. “MAHLE pistons and filters are not only a great addition to our product line – but the torture they are put through in each Showdown round, really proves the quality contained in these products,” continued Jones.
The Showdown engines always feature Clevite engine bearings, Victor Reinz gaskets and Perfect Circle piston rings, all official NASCAR Performance Products – the addition of MAHLE pistons and filters ensure that competitors have only the highest quality parts throughout the engine.
For more information about MAHLE Clevite, go to: http://www.engineparts.com.
