Joe Carroll Pulls Spec Puzzle Pieces Together At Engine Masters Challenge

Engine Masters Challenge Is Sponsored by AMSOIL, Presented by HOT ROD, and Operated by the University of Northwestern Ohio

- Phillip Thomas 

For the 2016 AMSOIL Engine Master’s Challenge Presented by HOT ROD, the Spec Big-Block class limited builders to off-the-shelf Edelbrock cylinder heads, but allowed porting and chamber modifications so long as the valves retained the original dimensions from Edelbrock and no material was added to the head with epoxy or welding. This meant that each builder’s secret sauce would be in the ports and combustion chamber. Joe Carroll with PTS Engineering won the class with an average of 605.6 hp and 636.8 lb-ft of torque from 3,400 to 6,500 rpm.

We know some readers guffaw reading about a Chevrolet motor winning anything, but for Carroll, it started at the valves: “We started looking at valve sizes on everything [allowed in the class] and realized that the big-block Chevy would probably have the best cylinder head for us with the biggest valve.”