Former Richard Childress engine builder Forster Fry is starting the Race City Engine School out of his Moorseville, North Carolina, shop.

The class schedule is designed so that students can cram in a full assembly program in just one weekend. According to Fry, it’s not geared toward a beginner but rather students with some engine building background who want to sharpen their skills and learn a few tricks of the trade.

“It may turn into a longer school,” says Fry, who also ported cylinder heads for many years. “I do know that if I had something like this when I started, it would have saved me a lot of time and trouble.”

Fry says the school will be very hands-on with six or fewer students in each weekend class. Assembly is emphasized more than machine work.

“We’ll show how to check and make sure the machine shop did everything properly,” says Fry.

The class agenda will also focus on the traditional Chevy small-block.

“I’m old school but we’ll look at doing the Ford and LS engines down the road,” says Fry.

The current two-day program is priced at $899. Short-block assembly is covered in the first day with instruction covering all the major clearances, proper torque procedures and fitting rings in addition to the assembly. The second day covers cylinder heads with instruction covering valve jobs, setting up springs, determining push-rod lengths, cc’ing combustion chambers and and setting up the distributor. Additional instruction will cover durability and tuning secrets. Engine-build tips can be applied to road racing, drag racing, marine and off-road engines in addition to stock car classes.

The school is located in the heart of NASCAR country, so students can also visit the racing museums and other attractions in the area in addition to attending class.