The Australians are absolutely insane about building vehicles specifically for burnout contests, and this supercharged 406 making more than 1,000 horsepower was sent down under for just that purpose.
“It’s kind of scary when you think of what they do to these poor things,” says engine builder Mike Rinehart of United Racing Engines [1] in Glendale, Arizona. “They just wring its neck out for a minute and half.”
Primary objectives for a burnout engine is to spool up the power as fast as possible and hold that power until the tires blow.
This 406 small-block is built around a Dart [2] block, AFR [3] 227 heads, Scat [4] crank and rods, Arias [5] pistons, MSD [6] ignition, The Blower Shop [7] 8-71 supercharger and a pair of 850cfm Quick Fuel [8] alky carbs. Rinehart worked with Comp Cams [9] to match a solid-roller grind to short-travel hydraulic lifters.
“These guys don’t want to be lashing valves all the time,” quips Rinehart.
The engine eventually dyno’d out at 1080 horsepower with 8 lbs of boost (about 5% under on the blower drive).
If you’ve never seen an Australian burnout contest, here’s a taste of the action that URE’s customer will be facing: