Engine Builders Finally Get Their Due in New Hall of Fame

Race car drivers always remember to thank their sponsors in victory lane when the cameras are rolling, and sometimes they even thank, “All the guys in the shop.” But how often do the engine builders get acknowledged? Without them, the winning car would have been just a mid-pack chicane.

Well now there is a shrine to the innovators of the engine bay in The Engine Builder Hall of Fame, to be constructed within the American Museum of Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The date of that opening has not been set yet, but the first class of inductees has, and it’s an entirely fitting group of gearheads.

The class is broken up into decades, starting with Pre-WWII starring mechanical innovators Ed Winfield and Harry Miller; Post-WWII honors Vic Edelbrock Sr. and Ed Iskenderian; The ‘60s and ‘70s is “The Old Master” Ed Pink and the remarkable duo of Holman and Moody; and The ‘80s and ‘90s are covered by Bob Glidden and John Lingenfelter.

Those who know those names, know their significance to racing. Each one was a master of engine innovation. From Ed Winfield’s experimentation with camshaft designs and carburetors that saw his carbs and cams on race cars across America, to Bob Glidden’s dominance and 10 Pro Stock titles in NHRA in cars he built himself powered by engines he designed.

You can read more about each inductee at The Hall’s website enginebuilderhalloffame.com. Click on each name to get a page full of history. You can also go to The Hall’s YouTube page, here.

“This is the first year of the Engine Builder Hall Of Fame, and we have support from Edelbrock, Comp Cams, Total Seal Piston Rings, and United Engine & Machine for the first 5 years,” said Hall of Fame’s Lake Speed Jr. (yes, son of the NASCAR racer and an expert himself in race engine lubrication). “We will have one class of inductees per year for the those first 5 years.”

There are certainly plenty of worthy future inductees, but the inaugural class is impressive.