8/6/2025
CARS Tour West
Sealed Engine Alliance Leaders (S.E.A.L.) Gather for Dyno Review of Crate Engine Packages
For Immediate Release
Sealed Engine Alliance Leaders (S.E.A.L.) Gather for Dyno Review of Crate Engine Packages
Sealed Engine Alliance Leaders (S.E.A.L.) came together Monday morning (8-4-25) to dyno crate engine packages used at last weekend’s CARS Tour Pro Late Model Event at Hickory Motor Speedway. This gathering and testing was the first of multiple tests planned for this year.
Following last Sunday’s race, S.E.A.L. and CARS Tour officials took one each of all four combinations of crate engines that are most commonly used in Pro Late Model racing. Included in these four engines were the engines of the event’s first and second place finishers.
Officials taking part in the dyno evaluation were S.E.A.L.’s Greg Wood, CRA JEGS Series’ Scott Menlen, CARS Tour’s Robert Turner, CARS Tour West’s Chris Wright, Southern Pro Late Model Series’ Rick Davis and one team member from each team whose engine was tested. The engines were run on the dyno at the independent facility of Robert Yates Racing Engines with RYRE’s David Lewis and staff overseeing all of the processes.
The effort to check these engines had multiple purposes. One was to verify they were in compliance with the guidelines set forth for these engines. Another was to gather more data for S.E.A.L., whose goal is to unify the crate engine racing community even more, with similar rules across the country. The data will be combined with additional data gained later this year to provide updated rules and guidelines for the 2026 season as soon as possible.
According to all the leaders present, all the engines put on the dyno were found to conform within the expectations for those packages.
All the dyno runs were completed using common headers and a common gauge legal carburetor. Additionally, comparative runs were made utilizing the carburetors that were used by the teams during the event at Hickory Motor Speedway. Performance analysis results were consistent with recent data that has been gathered through various outlets.
S.E.A.L.’s Wood noted, “This was a collaborative effort amongst several groups that are committed to making the best decision possible for the betterment of pavement Late Model Racing. I appreciate everyone’s hard work and cooperation in this process. I’d also like to share that David Lewis and his staff at Robert Yates Racing Engines were outstanding, and we appreciate the professionalism and the integrity they brought to this process.”
Following the testing, industry leaders such as Five Flags Speedway owner Tim Bryant and CARS Tour ownership representative Kevin Harvick made their thoughts known. Harvick commented, “In an effort to make sure the competitors are on a level playing ground to start 2026, this process was super important. I am extremely proud of S.E.A.L, ULRA (United Late Model Rules Alliance), and the CARS Tour to have made it happen after our Hickory event.”
Bryant noted as well, “We're super appreciative of the guys at Robert Yates Racing Engines for working with us on this test. It was a great collaborative effort from CARS Tour, CARS Tour West, JEGS CRA All Stars Tour, and the Southern Pro Late Model group. We also want to give a huge ‘thanks’ to the race teams involved in this project. These collaborative efforts are refreshing and will benefit short track racing."
Submitted By: Greg Toumassian
