NASCAR engines have been repurposed for drag racing and even drifting, so why not Bonneville?

This video from Horsepower Monster documents the dyno testing of a 260ci SB2 engine using cylinder heads from a former Hendrick Motorsports engine. Yes, 260ci is quite a bit smaller than the usual 358ci found on the superspeedways, but that’s the class the Hotrod Hoodlums want to challenge.

The engine was built by Keith Dorton at Automotive Specialists Racing Engines. A new SB2 block forms the foundation and is fitted with a Winberg crankshaft machined to around 2.5-inch stroke. That puts the bore at around 4.060 inches. Rod length is 6.350-inch, and custom Mahle pistons ride on top.

To reach a goal of nearly 1,000 horsepower, Dorton added a ProCharger supercharger and adapted a Wilson billet EFI intake originally designed for another high-torque application. Managing all fuel and spark is a Holley Dominator ECU that allows the team to tune individual cylinders and utilize traction control.

Not much else is disclosed about the engine. Some of the first questions would be: How much was the deck height shortened? How were cooling issues addressed? What’s the target rpm range? Any changes to the valvetrain now that there are no NASCAR rules?

Still, it’s a cool engine and worthy of a look.