photos by Michael Galimi and courtesy ofScott Shafiroff Racing Engines

T he old cliché of “work smarter, not harder”applies to many aspects of life, and theremight be a new application for it in the dragracing world. This past spring, as the winter

released its grip on the Northeast, Scott ShafiroffRacing Engines (SSRE) hit the track to test its latestrace engine, a 582-cid big-block Chevy, with thecompany’s new Hot Hydraulic cam/valvetrainpackage. The Hot Hydraulic cam and valvetrainpackage was a year in the making as SSRE designed,dyno tested, and finally track tested the combinationto ensure the power and reliability were up to itsstandards. By using a hydraulic-roller camshaft, aracer will experience less maintenance on his or herrace car or dragster but still pack a serious punch tostay ahead of the competition. Up until this point, using a hydraulic-roller

camshaft inside a race engine had been consideredtaboo both from a power standpoint and reliability.There are instances, especially in several specificracing categories, where it has been done but veryrarely — if ever — on an engine destined forSuper-style or bracket racing. And adding to theuniqueness of the SSRE 582 is that this 975-horsepower package retails for slightly less than$16,000 without carburetor and ignition. In just a few minutes of talking with SSRE

owner and former NHRA Pro Stock racer ScottShafiroff, one could feel his excitement andenthusiasm regarding his new toy. “You just can’t believe it does what it does,”

Shafiroff said. “It actually makes more power andmore torque than what we’ve done with that

identical engine but with asolid-roller camshaft. There isvirtually no loss, and thecamshaft is smaller by 60- to70-thousandths of lift and atleast 10 degrees of duration.”

The hydraulic-roller projectbegan nearly a year ago whenJohn Callies at Morel Liftersapproached Shafiroff aboutbuilding a race engine with ahydraulic-roller camshaft. “Iwasn’t sure it was possible at firstand initially thought that an800/850-level package wasrealistic,” Shafiroff said. Callies had been working on a

new lifter, and Shafiroff agreed to giveit a shot. After all, the two have beenworking with each other for nearly 30years, so he would give the new liftersthe benefit of the doubt.Shafiroff looked at his current lineup

of engines and decided the company’s 582Sportsman package would be a good fit.“I thought it would be lucky to rev to7,000 rpm,” Shafiroff said whileshaking his head in disbelief of whattranspired during the winter dynotesting sessions. The plan was to have Comp Cams

design three different grinds — small,medium, and large — to evaluate on thedyno and on track. Comp ran all threegrinds on the Spintron machine, and

Comp’s Gordon Halloway toldShafiroff that as long as the valve-spring pressure was correct, then anyof the cams would work well.

Shafiroff began searching and developed a setof Isky custom springs that would fit the installedheight as well as the open-spring pressuresrequired to keep the valves under control.“Another trick is the valvetrain weight from thelocks, retainers, springs, and valves,” Shafiroffsaid. “Everything on that side of the rocker armmakes a difference.”On paper, the Morel lifters, Isky springs, and

Comp camshaft should work together, but raceengines work in the real world, and it was time tohit the engine dyno at SSRE. The 582 Sportsman

RACING TECHNOLOGY with MICHAEL GALIMI

Just Roll With ItScott Shafiroff Racing Engines pulls off nearly 1,000horsepower with a low-maintenance hydraulic-rollervalvetrain package

A Comp Cams hydraulic rollercamshaft with lift numbers in the .770-inch range helped the Scott ShafiroffRacing Engines (SSRE) 582 Sportsmanmake 993 horsepower at 7,200 rpmand 815 pounds-feet of torque at 5,800rpm. The Hot Hydraulic package isgetting so popular at SSRE that theteam is scrambling to apply the sameconcept to its popular small-blockChevy packages.

National Dragster NationalDragster.net134

test mule made 988horsepower with itssolid-roller stick andoptional Moroso Propan. That served as abaseline for this test.The cam and valvetrainwere swapped right inthe dyno room for a trueA-B comparison.“After we warmed it up, I said, ‘Let’s just take it

to 6,000 rpm and shut it down,’ ” Shafiroff said. “Ijust concentrated on listening to the engine duringthe dyno pull. I also watched the fuel curvebecause any time an engine goes into valve float,you will see it in the fuel flow.” The veteran engine

builderexplained that the signalgets messed up, so the fuelflow goes crazy. The first pull up to

6,000 rpm netted someshocking results: the 582Sportsman made 900horsepower. The dyno

room was silent before smiles erupted all around.Shafiroff told his dyno operator to keep taking theengine up by 200 rpm for each pull. It pulled cleanand smooth once again and made a little morepower each time. Several more dyno pulls, and the team finally

arrived at peak power. The engine peaked between

7,200 and 7,300 rpm and made 993horsepower.

“We took it to 7,500 [rpm] without anyproblems or valve float,” said Shafiroff. Andadding more shock to the 993 horsepowerproduced (a five-horsepower increase over thesolid roller) was that the torque increased byalmost 20 pounds-feet with the hydraulic camshaft.

Power is one thing, but the goal was to be able torace the combination and keep maintenance

time down. The rest of the winter consisted of moredyno abuse until the tracks in the Northeast openedin early March. Shafiroff called his buddy Scott Weney of S&W

to page 136

Morel Lifters are the reason the Hot Hydraulic project was evenhatched. The lifters feature a robust .904 body, and the engine will rpmnicely when matched with the proper valve springs, lightweightcomponents, and camshaft. Scott Shafiroff routinely turns the 582Sportsman to 7,700 rpmwithout valve float despitethe hydraulic-roller lifters.

Like with most of SSRE’s enginebuilds, the starting point is a

Dart engine block. Here is aBig M 9.8-inch deck block

that has its borespunched out to 4.600

inches.

SSRE uses Comp Ultra Gold lightweightroller rocker arms, and sitting under theroller wheels are Manley titaniumvalves. Isky/SSRE valve springs keepeverything under control as peak powercomes at 7,200 rpm, and there is zerovalve float at 7,700 rpm.

A Manley 4340 Pro Series crankshaft with a4.375-inch-long stroke is bolted down in theDart block via four-bolt mains. The enginefeatures the optional Manley H-beamconnecting rods with ARP 2000 bolts. Theconnecting-rod option bumps the price tag byabout $175.

NationalDragster.net May 31, 2013 135

Race Cars to conduct theon-track testing. Off thetrailer at Atco Raceway,the S&W dragsterknocked down a 7.38 at181 mph, and the timesinstantly dropped to 7.34at 181 mph once some heatgot into the track surface. A week later, the car ran

even quicker with a 7.32 run offthe trailer, which was eventuallybettered to a 7.28 at 182 mph. Theyabused the engine within reason and ran it outthe backdoor to 7,700 rpm. Weney reported that theengine kept pulling all the way through the finishline despite revving it past the redline. Flat out theS&W dragster ran hard and consistent with eighth-mile to quarter-mile increment splits virtuallyidentical on every run. The next step was to hit the Hot Hydraulic hard

with a throttle stop, and once again the dragsterresponded with consistent times that were within ahundredth or less from run to run. After countless dyno pulls and dozens of runs

on and off the throttle stop, it came time to checkthe valve springs. To the engine builder’s surprise,none of the springs had lost more than 5 pounds ofpressure despite some intentional abuse. “It isn’t just about adjusting valves. The springs

don’t go away like in a solid-roller setup,” Shafiroffsaid proudly. “The cam lobes aren’t always getting

slapped because there isconstant pressure on thecam in a hydraulic-rollersetup.” That also ensuresa longer life for the rollerlifters themselves. Lightspring pressure and no

slapping also increases thereliability of the roller-lifter

wheel.According to Shafiroff, the package is perfect

for a racer who needs a reliable near-1,000-horsepower combination. It affords you the time torun another car or even relax between rounds andworry about other stuff instead of doingmaintenance on your race car. For racers who want to run this combination on

nitrous oxide, Shafiroff recommends they look athis other offerings because the cylinder pressureswould probably be too great for the valvetrain tohandle, but he admits that he hasn’t tested thattheory. For now, he is having too much fun applying the

Hot Hydraulic package to other SSRE engines, likehis 920-horsepower 598 Twisted street engine andsoon-to-be-released packages for small-block

engines in the Ultra Street and Sportsman SSREprogram. “Everyone thought we were kidding when we told

people at the dragstrip it was a hydraulic roller in theS&W dragster,” Shafiroff said. “It idles like a raceengine and runs like a race engine but doesn’t requireall of the valvetrain maintenance of a race engine.Now you can just focus on your driving ability ratherthan your mechanical ability.” ND

Michael Galimi is a regular contributor to nationalpublications, including Muscle Mustangs & FastFords, Super Chevy, GM High Tech Performance, andChevy High Performance. He also is involved with theNational Mustang Racing Association and NationalMuscle Car Association to promote street-legal dragracing, including the NHRA Unleashed program.

Wiseco forged pistons feature adome that helps compressionpercolate at 14.5:1. Thepistons are gas-portedand feature a .043 ringpackage. SSRE usesTotal Seal rings in its582 Sportsman engines.

SSRE keeps its engines well-lubricated thanks to aMoroso Race-prepped oil pump and SSRE/Morosoaluminum oil pan with windage tray.

National Dragster NationalDragster.net136

JDRL Membership ApplicationCut this out and send it in!

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION • P.O. Box 5555 • Glendora, CA 91740-0950 • (626) 250-2448REQUEST FOR WAIVERS for MEMBER PARTICIPANTS (Choose this only if you are age 8-17 and will be driving a Jr. Dragster.)

Please send waivers now for parents to sign. Payment of $34 is due when forms are returned. Participants send no money now.PRE-PAID EXPRESS PROCESSING for non-driving MEMBERS (Choose this only if you will not be driving a Jr. Dragster.)

$19 one year OR $38 two years

If paying by check/money order, make payable to NHRA (U.S. funds only. Do not send cash.) OR charge to

Credit Card No. __________________________________________________________________ Expiration Date: _____________ 3-Digit CVV Code: ____________

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(If renewing)

Membership Rate:One Year $34 (participants), $19 (non-drivers). U.S. funds only. Allow 6-8 weeks for processing. Prices subject to change.

� Racing Technology from page 135

Shafiroff practically givesaway the Manley titanium

valves in this enginepackage in order to keepthe engine price tag in

check. The intake valvesmeasure 2.30 inches whilethe exhaust valves are 1.88

inches in diameter. Thetitanium valves and other

lightweight valvetraincomponentsare vital inmaking thehydraulic-

rollercombination

workflawlessly.

Cometic multilayer headgaskets and ARP head studskeep the Brodix heads sealedto the engine.

Piston-to-valve clearance is checked to make sureeverything is in good working order.

The Brodix BB3X cylinder heads comeCNC-ported and feature a 366cc intakerunner with flowing capabilities of more

than 423cfm. The exhaust side, pictured, isa stout; it flows close to 297cfm.

Brodix BB3X cylinder heads arestandard on the HotHydraulic version of the582 Sportsman. “Therunners are a 366ccrunner, which is normallysmaller than what we runon 582s, because wewere looking atgetting moretorque out ofthe engine. Butin the end, wesaw it madegood powerand goodtorque, and wehave a happyenginepackage,” saidShafiroff.

SourcesComp Cams

800-999-0853www.compcams.com

Morel Lifterswww.johncalliesinc.com

Scott Shafiroff RacingEngines

800-295-7142www.shafiroff.com

S&W Race Cars’ Scott Weney tested the package atAtco Raceway. The S&W dragster recorded a 7.38 at181 mph off the trailer.

NationalDragster.net May 31, 2013 137

ENTRY FEES.Test & Tune $45Car & Driver $160Crew Pass $50

TICKET INFORMATION.Friday, June 14 $10Saturday, June 15 $20Sunday, June 16 $252-Day Pass $403-Day Pass $50Friday Children 12 & under FREE with paid adult

Saturday/Sunday Children 6-12 $6 each day

Children 5 & under admitted FREE

THURSDAY, JUNE 13Gates Open ................................. 9 a.m.Tech ............................... 11 a.m.-5 p.m.Test & Tune ........................ noon-5 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 14 Gates Open ................................. 8 a.m.Tech ................................. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Time Trials & Qualifying ............... 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Top Dragster, Comp & Top Sportsman Qualifying.......... 11 a.m. & 2:45 p.m.

TFH Qualifying.......... 12:25 & 3:50 p.m.TAD & TAFC Qualifying ............... 4 p.m.Secure Track ................................ 5 p.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15 Gates Open ................................. 8 a.m.Tech ........................... 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.Time Trials & Qualifying ... 9 a.m.-4 p.m.TFH Qualifying............ 2:30 & 5:15 p.m.Top Dragster, Comp, Top Sportsman Qualifying............... 2:45 & 5:30 p.m.

TAD & TAFC Qualifying 3:30 & 6:30 p.m.

ET Eliminations ............................ 4 p.m.

SUNDAY, JUNE 16 Gates Open ................................. 8 a.m.Round 1 ................................. 8:30 a.m.Pre-Race Ceremony.............. 11:30 a.m.

HOTEL INFORMATION.For hotel accommodations and additional event information, please log on to www.bandimere.com

Schedule is subject to change.

JUNE 14-16, 2013(303) 697-6001

www.bandimere.comEVERY TICKET’S

A PIT PASS®