Back when we were truck prep mechanics we marveled at the fact that in off-road racing there were few if any teams that did their power train in house. We were often frustrated by the fact that there were very few people among the groups that provided vital parts, assemblies and services to the teams who really understood the systems outside their own realm with which their assemblies were expected to operate in conjunction. This situation often leads to lots of finger pointing and long time spans between the discovery of problems and their solutions. Absolutely none of the above can be considered remotely productive.
The challenge to gather several of the few people that have “whole car systems knowledge” is greatly compounded by the sheer amount of equipment required to produce, validate and maintain a power train system from water pump to axle shafts. Even that is not enough, there are complex electrical and hydraulic systems, and thermal management systems that must be specified, validated and probably dialed in for optimum performance.
These challenges have been met head on with the co-op that is GearWorks and Kroyer Racing Engines. The results of this cooperative effort, in combination with a serious effort race team with the required talent behind the wheel have proven close to impossible to beat. The co-op began in 2003; the proof of performance is in the record books.
Our thanks to the groups that have teamed with us, allowing us all to achieve something collectively which we would likely not have achieved individually.