Listen as This Small Block Chevy Turns 10,000 RPM

May 25, 2023

The engine was built to compete in the NHRA’s Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund.

The small-block Chevrolet may be one of the most ubiquitous V-8 engines of all time, but the pushrod icon is rarely thought to be a stand-out motor. The folks over at Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Raceshop in Lubbock, Texas, might be able to change your view on the SBC’s capability to morph into an exotic powertrain. Just listen to the shop’s 297 cubic-inch Chevy motor spin 10,000 rpm on the dyno.

SDPC has been serving the local enthusiast community in Texas since 1929 and has learned a thing or two about building racing engines over the years. The shop maintains full machining capabilities, while offering blueprinting, balancing, and headwork alongside their engine building services. This particular motor was constructed for use in the NHRA’s Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund, which will support Divisional 4 events throughout the 2023 season. This particular engine has been equipped with a host of upgraded components, which include a Bullet camshaft and Wiseco Pistons. In order to reach those sorts of engine speeds, the V-8 also has been fitted with an upgraded Jesel valvetrain, as well as Victory valves and PSI Springs. Book Racing provided the racing intake setup on top of the engine.

The SDPC small block doesn’t sound particularly different from a stock engine at idle on the dyno. Even when the team begins to feed in some power, the motor retains a familiar and unmistakable tone. That changes rather quickly however, as once the throttle fully opens, aural madness ensues. The small block screams to life with proper motorsports aggression, sounding like the Can Am heroes of the 1970s in the process.

Had Chevrolet not decided to adopt the flat-plane layout for the Z06’s LT6 V-8 engine, this is what a high-revving small block could’ve been like. While SDPC doesn’t currently offer a crate engine in this displacement, there’s little reason a Corvette or Camaro owner couldn’t order one up for themselves. After hearing what this thing can do on an engine dyno, it’d be a tempting endeavor.

Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.

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