Pro Motor Engines captures fourth title

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Pro Motor Engines captured their fourth consecutive MAHLE Engine Builder Showdown championship on Thursday with a record-breaking build time.

The Pro Motor Engines team of Josh Hypes and Matt Jackling built a complete Chevrolet R07 race engine and successfully ran it for one minute in an astounding 18 minutes and 3 seconds, beating their previous record and defeating the Hendrick Motorsports team of Mike Maiwald and Scott Vester.

Team Hendrick Motorsports and team Pro Motor were neck-and-neck during the competition, with Pro Motor firing their engine first. Maiwald and Vester were close behind, but while their engine was running during the mandatory timeframe, it went silent at the 57-second mark due to a disconnected fuel line. Team Hendrick reconnected the line and fired their engine, ending with a final build time of 20 minutes, 1 second.

"This competition is intense, no question about it," Hypes said. "This was our first year representing Pro Motor after Dennis [Borem] and Darrell [Hoffman] took the championship the past three years in a row. We are thrilled to win it again."

Former crew chiefs Jeff Hammond and Larry McReynolds hosted the event, which is a tiered, three-round competition designed to recognize the knowledge, skill and speed of professional engine builders who assemble special performance engines for NASCAR teams.

A total of six teams competed. Joining Pro Motor Engines and Hendrick Motorsports were: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines, Penske Racing Engines, Triad Racing Technologies, and 2009 runner-up Roush-Yates Engines.

Both Hypes and Jackling took home a cash prize for their efforts and will have their name engraved on the Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy.