Reher-Morrison 1,200-horse BBC Up For Grabs in Charity Drawing

Powerful drag-race engines are becoming the ideal charity draw as Reher-Morrison Racing Engines is building another 1,200-horsepower big-block Chevy to benefit the Victory Junction children’s camp.

This is the fourth straight year that David Reher and his crew have assembled a 583ci Rat valued at $25,000 that will be raffled off at the Performance Racing Industry show in December.

Here’s last year’s winning engine from the PRI show.

“I definitely feel it’s for a real good cause,” says Reher. “This is a 100 percent giveway to the camp. There’s not a single penny coming back to us.”

The first attempts to help the charity offered a dirt-track engine to attract ticket sales. Then Reher was chatting with rep from Sunnen Products, which is a major backer of the project, and suggested a drag engine would be more successful at the PRI show. Ticket sales doubled the first year, then soared past $47,000 the next year. Last year’s raffle contributed more than $50,000 to the camp.

Another view of the 1,200-horsepower big-block Chevy.

“At the time I told them this was more of a drag racing crowd than a roundy-round show,” remembers Reher. “Our engine at Daytona wouldn’t do anything at a giveway.”

All proceeds to the Victory Junction camp, which is based in North Carolina and founded by former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie to honor their son Adam, who at 19 years old was killed in a 2000 racing accident. The camp is open to children ages six to 16 with chronic medical conditions or serious illness.

“I had made the statement that I thought last year would be our last year,” says Reher. “Then I met everyone from the camp and one of the children. It feels good to do a good thing for them.”

Those interested in participating can follow this link to purchase tickets online until November 28, or at the Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes booth on Machinery Row at the PRI Show, which is held December 11-13 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Price is two tickets for $5. The winning ticket will be drawn at 2 pm. The winning ticket holder need not be present to win; however, the winner will have to assume costs for transporting the engine from the convention center.

The winning engine from two years ago.

The engine is designed for bracket racing and would be especially fitting in a 4-link dragster with potential to hit 6.9 seconds in the quarter. It will easily dyno out at 1,200 horsepower with a 880 lb-ft peak torque.

“It’s the same build strategy as before because I build a lot of those engines,” says Reher. “Two of the winners are still being raced.”

The engine is based around a Dart Big M block bored to 4.600 inches. The rotating assembly includes a Dart 4340 forged-steel crank (4.375-inch stroke), Manley H-beam steel rods fitted with ARP 2000 bolts, Ross 15.0:1 pistons, Total Seal .043, .043, 3mm rings and Trend tool-steel pins. Other short-block components include ATI damper, Jesel belt-drive, Comp Cams camshaft (ground with 7/4 firing order swap), Isky roller lifters, Manton pushrods and Moroso pan and billet pump.

Reher-Morrison supplies the RMRE Raptor 12-degree cylinder heads that sport Manley titanium valves, T&D shaft-mounted rockers and PAC springs. Pulling vacuum from the RMRE/Moroso billet valve covers is a Moroso pump that is monitored with a Star Machine regulator. A Gary Williams carb is mounted on a RMRE anti-reversion plat and Edelbrock intake manifold. Additional components include MSD ignition, Akerly & Childs bearings, BHJ lifter-bore sleeves, XRP plumbing and gaskets from Cometic, Fel-Pro and Mr. Gasket.

Again, follow this link to participate.

 

About the author

Mike Magda

Mike Magda is a veteran automotive writer with credits in publications such as Racecar Engineering, Hot Rod, Engine Technology International, Motor Trend, Automobile, Automotive Testing Technology and Professional Motorsport World.
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