Full Throttle

Chevrolet took the wraps off of its all-new Midget racing engine at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today.

Designed by GM Racing specifically for the USAC National Midget Car Series, the purpose-built, four-cylinder Chevrolet racing engine initially will power Tony Stewart Racing drivers Tracy Hines and Levi Jones in upcoming events. The new engine will be available to all USAC competitors through independent engine builders.

“The Chevy Midget racing engine is definitely going to be an asset to Tony Stewart Racing,” said Tony Stewart. “Having the Chevrolet bowtie on the engine and not just on the side of the car as a sponsor is indicative of how much technical support the brand has given our program.

In the past, we’ve competed with engines that were based on Chevy parts but weren’t necessarily a Chevrolet engine. The Chevy Racing engineering and marketing staffs have really embraced [our] racing programs, and the debut of this new engine is the start of another exciting new chapter in our relationship.”

Let it be said, I don’t buy for a hot second the Stewart “loyalty to Chevy” meme that has surrounded the rumors about Stewart moving from Gibbs Racing and Toyota.

Stewart’s’ Sprint Car and Midget programs ran with Mopar power for a number of years while he raced both Pontiac and Chevy at the Cup level. Where was the loyalty then?

Loyalty, in my opinion, has little to do with it. It’s all about team ownership and Tony getting to the point where he’s looking at a future where he’s not “up on the wheel” every week. If I were to Swag it (A Navy term meaning “Surface-Warfare Wild Assed Guess”) I suspect he would listen just as intently if a Toyota team were to offer a ownership deal comparable to others he may or may not receive.

He’d be a fool not to.

A couple things on this new Chevy powerplant: I don’t mean to imply it was produced as an enticement to bring Stewart back into the Bow-Tie fold it was on the drawing board long before Gibbs, with Smoke dutifully tagging along, shifted allegiances to Toyota.

And secondly (said as he adjusts his foil hat) what would happen if one were to take this engine mate it with a “sister” and having it result in a V8 5.4 liter engine with mechanical fuel injection producing 700 hp for Sprint Cup racing? (2.7 and 350hp in its present form)

It would never happen of course, NASCAR seems joined at the hip with the outmoded carburetor set-up despite manufacturers all claiming a preference for fuel injection that more closely matches what they sell.

And truth be told NASCAR hasn’t exactly kissed any Big Three + Toyota asses lately (maybe that should read Big Three + Chrysler?), at least not since the Winged Warriors and homologation, and it sure isn’t going to happen anytime soon.

If ever.

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