Chevy to unveil new race engine in Texas after nine years in making

[guitarlix]

Chevy to unveil new engine in Texas after nine years in making
April 12, 2007
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

In this year of change in NASCAR, there's another one taking place this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.


While the Nextel Cup drivers are back in the familiar cars they have been driving for years after the first two races in the Car of Tomorrow, several of the Chevrolet entries will be powered by a new engine.

The Chevrolet R07 engine, which has been in development for nine years, makes its racing debut in Sunday's Samsung 500.

"This engine now called R07 actually started out as R99 because we ran it the first time in 1999," said Mark Cronquist, chief engine builder for Joe Gibbs Racing. "There was an R03. There was an R05 that never got off of the chalkboard, basically. We had it all designed, but never made it.

"Then there's this one, R07. So really, this R07 has been worked on by GM teams since 1998. I've got notes in my office from the very first time we talked about this engine. It was January 1998."

It was a frustrating process, but Cronquist said it's been worth the wait.
"The awesome thing is that, if you look at R99 and R07, they don't even look alike, so I'm glad NASCAR never approved it," he said. "It had some updates, but every time NASCAR didn't approve it, we went back and worked harder on it and changed more things on it."

As many as six teams are expected to run the new powerplant this weekend, including JGR's Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley, Hendrick Motorsports' Casey Mears and Kyle Busch and Scott Wimmer, driving a fourth Richard Childress Racing entry.

General Motors had hoped to have the engine ready for racing earlier this season, but a few technical difficulties slowed the progress of the long-term project.

Cronquist is excited to finally be getting the new engine into competition.
"With the motor we've been running, the block part of it was actually designed in 1955," Cronquist said. "We've made a few modifications to it, but it would still bolt into a 1955 Chevy Bel Air. The new block has got a lot more technology in it. It's a more updated block than what we've ever had before."

Asked if the new engine produces more horsepower or more torque or is more fuel efficient, Cronquist said, "It's just better all over.

"We're finally more even with what Dodge and Toyota have. It kind of got us back in the same playing field, back in what's considered NASCAR's box. We were outside of the box, actually below the box.

"We had disadvantages and they finally let us get the same advantages that other manufacturers had over us. I don't think that we've really gotten into much of the performance part about it.
"A lot of it is that the shop needs just a lot less time to work on the parts and pieces of it. There's a lot of stuff in this block that's already cast into the block that we used to have to make ourselves and try to fit into our blocks. That took a lot of time and effort to do. If the performance comes, it will come because we're going to have a lot more time in our shop to work on it."

http://cbs.sportsline.com/autoracing/story/10123465/rss

[bad03xtreme]

I am very curious as to how it preforms this weekend!!!

[likearock00]

Junior is waiting til the All-Star challenge before he tries it.

[espo19047]

Originally Posted by guitarlix

"We've made a few modifications to it, but it would still bolt into a 1955 Chevy Bel Air. [/url]

That is incredible. The small block Chevy still is a great engine.

[red_xtreme95]

Get Toyota out of NASCAR.....Sorry this has nothing to do with this tread...

[CobaltSScrazy]

I am EXCITED! Could this replace the LS7? Be based on the LS3 or it off that? Who knows? Could this be the engine for the Corvette SS, contrary to popular expectations? who knows, only time will tell! How cool would it be to get a "Hemi of yore" sweep on the podium this weekend! GO CHEVROLET!

CobaltSScrazy

[spaz]

Larry McReynolds said on TV during nascar practice that the new R07's main advanvement for the teams is that the block requires much less machining than the SB2 they run now

[adplusone]

If history is any indication..bombs away for the first couple of races....

[Elk]

Originally Posted by CobaltSScrazy

I am EXCITED! Could this replace the LS7? Be based on the LS3 or it off that? Who knows? Could this be the engine for the Corvette SS, contrary to popular expectations?

You’re never going to see this engine in a production car. It’s only “new” in the way an engine can be “new” under the complex NASCAR rules.

And if it does actually have any advantage over the other engines NASCAR will ban it.

[DemonKnightDK]

I dont think it can be based off any thing that modern they said it would bolt into a 55 bel-air... I want a bel-air with that engine though... why dose nascar insist on using carbs though? thats my only question...

[Elk]

Originally Posted by DemonKnightDK

why dose nascar insist on using carbs though?

It’s all about holding back performance.

[bone]

I am surprised the Gibb's team is using R07 in each of its cars. Hendrick,with 2 of 4 and Childress,with 1 of 4 are being more cautious.

[IROCNROL1]

Originally Posted by Elk

You’re never going to see this engine in a production car. It’s only “new” in the way an engine can be “new” under the complex NASCAR rules.

And if it does actually have any advantage over the other engines NASCAR will ban it.

All true. It's a "modern" carbed engine and as such it was never intended for production. I can see why they made it as the SB2 was labor intensive, but still very competitive judging from the results so far this year. Still, I just wish GM would abandon NASCAR and invest it's money into venues that would benefit production cars.

[tdrumm]

What I have always wondered is why GM still uses an engine architecture that will bolt into a 50 year old car instead of the LS engines?

[motorman]

the parts will be available thru GMPP later so you can build your own. it is a neat looking engine as i have seen it at hendricks.