These motors are anything but stock

The STLE annual meeting this year in Las Vegas was a great success by any measure. One of many highlights for me was the keynote address by Dr. Andrew L. Randolph, technical director for Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines. Titled Lubrication Challenges in an 850-hp NASCAR Sprint Cup Engine, the talk actually included discussions of the origins of NASCAR, maximizing the efficiency of engines, lubrication and materials and coatings to minimize friction. Dr. Randolph was particularly interested in the contributions of tribology to winning races, and gleefully described himself as a closet tribologist. What a racing oil doesn't require, however, is long life. Therefore, little or no detergent or dispersant is required.