The new spec engine, designed by Carl Wegner and being introduced into the NASCAR Grand National Division as a cost-saving measure, will be on display this Saturday, July 22, at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway. Competitors and media will have an opportunity to see the new engine first hand.

Spec engine kits are currently available from Provident Race Supply in Concord, N.C. The spec engine has been approved for use in the Grand National Division, which includes the Busch East Series and Auto Zone West Series. The engine kits will be available to competitors beginning August 1.

Gary Nelson, owner of Provident Race Supply, will also be on hand at Irwindale, to field any questions competitors may have about this new engine.

In addition to the new spec engine, NASCAR has also introduced a composite body as another cost-saving option for Grand National Division teams. These one-piece bodies are designed to lower costs for Grand National Division teams; less time and labor are need to install and repair these bodies, yet the durable materials keep cars looking good on the track.

Brett Thompson, of Jerome, Idaho, was the first driver to adopt this new technology in the AutoZone West Series. On April 29 in Stockton, Calif., Thompson put the composite body to its ultimate test: the quarter-mile Stockton 99 Speedway. Thompson, who finished fourth in that race, left the track with very little bodywork needed on his No. 61 Chevrolet. Meanwhile, many of Thompson’s fellow competitors were faced with significant sheet metal damage after the 150-lap short track race.

The first team to install the composite body on the Busch East Series hails from Maryland. The No. 84 Jamerson Motorsports team and driver Dion Ciccarelli were the first to use this new body in the East. After the first six races of 2006, the team reports that it has spent considerably less time and money on bodywork – yet the car looks as good as new.

To learn first-hand about the impact and benefits of this new technology, contact these teams at the numbers listed below.

Busch East Series
Jamerson Motorsports
Contact: Alan Claffie
Phone: (413) 441-9425
E-mail: aclaffie@bnsracing.com

AutoZone West Series
Thompson Motorsports
Contact: Rob Dixon
Phone: (208) 324-3123
E-mail: tms@velocitus.net