Performance Racing Industry: What’s New and Cool 2024 Edition

One of the annoying things about cooling fans is that they always have such massive inrush current demands, and their steady-state current requirements are typically much lower. But this fancy brushless fan from BOOST products has a soft start feature which should help to mitigate those problems. The fan is also billed as both on- and off-road capable with protection from the environment. It’s also PWM-controllable, with both 10” and 12” applications available. That’s pretty cool, pun intended.

The big 2JZ noise last year at the PRI show was the introduction of a new cast block from DART. This year, JE Pistons keeps the momentum going with an updated 2JZ Ultra Series piston. The Ultra Series features “Aligned Grain Flow forging technology,” which makes for a strong piston capable of 2000+HP in an 8-cylinder application. So that means your 2JZ should be able to make a solid 1500 HP with these. There are over a dozen 2JZ selections in the Ultra Series lineup, so you’re sure to be able to find something that will meet your needs.

Sticking with the theme of Japanese engine internals, MGP has released new connecting rods for popular Honda applications. These trick billet aluminum rods are designed specifically for the B- and K-series engines and utilize MGP’s unique rod cap and bore processing features to ensure both longevity and performance. Since everyone is now trying to K-swap the world, these should work nicely to get us there.

The older I get, the less willingness I have to use crappy tools. It’s totally worth it to get the right tool for the job, and these HRB JZ-specific engine-building tools look like they’re exactly the right tool for the job. Whether you’re doing bottom-end or top-end work, I think HRB has you covered.

BluePrint Engines has been around since the 1980s, providing high-quality, warrantied, dyno-tested performance crate engines. At PRI this year, BluePrint announced their motorsports engine lineup, with engines specifically focused on the racing market. Whether you are doing circle track, road racing, or drag racing, Blueprint has an engine for you. As an example, their LS3 6.2L motorsports engine features forged internals, BluePrint’s own LS heads, a BPE iron block, and is rated for up to 700 HP at 7700RPM with compression ratios ranging from 9.5-10.5:1. And you get all of this for just $11,000 – with a warranty! That actually might be better than a brand-new GM Performance LS3 short block. Granted, it doesn’t come with an intake or any injection setup, and you have to supply your own accessories, but that’s a smoking deal for almost three-quarters of a thousand horsepower.