TIS THE SEASON FOR A REFRESH

摘要

Spring through summer brings with it the fervor of hot rod enthusiasts and racers eager to get their cars back in action. The demand on engine builders to get their cars back on the road hits a high point. Covered, in the garage and out of sight until spring, no thought is given to some of these vehicles until the race season is close or the cruising weather arrives. Off-season, whenever it may be, is the time for an engine refresh, making it the on-season for engine builders. One such builder from Lakewood, CO is Madcap Racing Engines, which specializes in drag racing engines for classes such as Top Sportsman and Top Dragster. We spoke with Bob Reinhardt to get a rundown on the shop's engine refresh services. At Madcap, winter is when they do the majority of their engine refresh work. "Most people drag their feet for a little bit, so right about Thanksgiving until Easter is our busiest time of year," Reinhardt says. Turn-around time for a complete engine refresh varies, depending on their workload and also the parts they need. "It could be anywhere from three weeks to two and a half months," Reinhardt says. "It just depends on how busy stuff is and we're also at the mercy of the vendors. If I have to get pistons made or get other parts, I'm at the mercy of whatever we have to buy." Madcap operates on a first-come, first-served basis until it gets really busy, and they'll make sure at that point that if someone has a race coming up, they get their engines in time. "You have to prioritize at some point by who's racing, and we make sure they get their stuff in time to go racing," he says. "With our local stuff, we don't start until April, so I don't need to put off a guy who's going to Pomona for a local guy who's not racing until April."