Steve Bauer

Steve Bauer
Sales/Engineer/Technician, Rottler Manufacturing

Steve works for Rottler Mfg. in a sales and support role for Rottler’s new CNC cylinder honing machines. Steve brings over 25 years of honing and surface finish experience having worked for Sunnen Products Company for a majority of that time. Steve is well versed in surface finish parameters, different types of abrasives from standard vitirified abrasives to diamond & CBN super abrasives. Steve has spent the majority of his time at Rottler working on new CBN abrasives and is expert in what works and doesn’t work.

Steve has been married to his lovely wife Debby for over 40 years and says his hobbies are cars, cars and more cars as he maintains and drives three different convertible muscle cars.

John Martin

John Martin
Retired, Lubrizol

John Martin was trained as a physicist (M.S. Engineering Physics, University of Missouri at Rolla), but he has spent his career working as a mechanical engineer because he is an obsessed motorhead. He has over 20 patents to his credit.

His work experience includes:

8 years at Shell Oil research
6 years at Automotive Research Associates (an independent test lab)
1 year at the Cummins Engine Company
2 years at Harley-Davidson
25 years at the Lubrizol Corporation (the world’s largest additive chemical company)

He is an industry-recognized expert on:

diesel engine oils
racing engine and driveline oils

John has done R & D work with Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Freightliner, Fed Ex, Mercedes Benz and UPS. In addition, he has helped design lubes for several NASCAR and NHRA pro stock teams.
In retirement, he writes a monthly column for Fleet Equipment and occasional articles for Engine Builder and Turbo Diesel Register magazines.

John’s car credentials include:

’51 Mercury with a Caddy engine
’62 Chevy 409-409
Several AHRA Ultra Stock and early funny cars culminating with a blown 427 Chevy Camaro in 1969 (Dick Harrell’s #2 car)
1969 Nova SS with a 375 horse 396 engine
Shell Mileage Marathon world record (1959 Opel)
Honda motorcycle drag racer and road racer

Today John builds street rods:

1940 Chevy convertible street rod
1953 Studebaker Commander custom rod
1967 Chevelle El Camino 396, 4-speed (restored)
1948 Olds 98 fastback early style custom
1934 Ford 5-window coupe with an injected 693″ BBC

Scott Shafiroff

Scott Shafiroff
Owner, Scott Shafiroff Racing Engines

If you’ve been around Drag Racing for any amount of time there’s a name that’s stood out in the engine building world for over 40 years…. Scott Shafiroff. He first gained notoriety in the early 70’s with his AHRA/IHRA World Championship GT small block Camaro. When his domination of that field led to the virtual extinction of those classes due to lack of participation he switched to NHRA and IHRA Pro Stock along with some forays into Comp Eliminator. After scoring 2 World Championships, 13 National Event wins and dozens of Divisional victories he hung up his helmet and dove full tilt into the engine building business in 1978. It wasn’t too many years later he started selling some engine and race car parts on the national (and International) stage thru ads in National Dragster. With no formal business background training he learned “the ropes” the hard way and after many missteps he developed a winning formula to being financially successful in the notoriously cut throat engine and parts business.

In this seminar he’d like to offer some business insights and some “rules to live by” to be successful in the engine business today. A must attend for not only the beginners in the business but even the seasoned shop owners that are looking to improve not only their “bottom line” but also their quality of life in this tumultuous field of endeavor.

Who said you can’t teach an old dog “new tricks”?? Not Scott Shafiroff.

Bob Dolder

Bob Dolder
Automotive Sales and Application Manager, Sunnen Products Company

Bob Dolder is the Automotive Sales and Application Manager for Sunnen Products Company, serving the engine building and performance markets. Dolder is a 17-year veteran of Sunnen where he previously served as a field sales engineer for the region that includes Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. During that time Bob was awarded the prestigious Joe Sunnen Salesman of the Year award on three occasions signifying him as Sunnen’s top salesman.

Bob’s career prior to Sunnen included stints selling machine shop equipment, managing an automotive machine shop and teaching in the automotive machine shop program at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan.

Bob works hand-in-hand with Sunnen salesmen, manufacturer’s reps and customers to support the company’s automotive honing product line. His in-depth knowledge of both honing and teaching make him a favorite in the industry when it comes to sharing his knowledge of engine building. He has presented honing classes at numerous AERA Regional Technical Seminars and PERA webinars over the years and is always happy to help engine builders improve their honing operations.

In his spare time Bob enjoys working on his 1969 Camaro SS, driving it to car shows with Joan, his wife of 38 years, and spending time with their six grandkids.

Mike Laws

Mike Laws
BLP Racing Products

Mike Laws began working on racing engines at the age of 12 years old. Working at his father, Bo’s shop, Mike ported and polished his first set of heads while in Junior High School. Later, his cylinder head & manifold work was commonly used in the NASCAR Cup Series for many years by multiple teams, particularly Dale Earnhardt Sr during his championship runs in the 80’s and early 90’s.

Mike is a multi-patent holder, including the Revolution Inertia style engine dyno and various other racing related inventions. He has developed numerous unique and proven carburetor design modifications that have propelled BLP customers to the winner’s circle in major races across the world. New product development is a passion of Mike’s.

In July, 2012 in Norwalk, Ohio – Mike realized a lifelong dream of winning a NHRA national event by outlasting a field of the best Top Dragster racers in the country to receive his first of 2 Wally’s.

Mike was born and raised in Central Florida and is married to Tracy with four children and four grandchildren. Time permitting, Mike is an avid fisherman and especially enjoys competing in tournaments with his friends of the Florida Disabled Anglers.

Dick Amacher

Dick Amacher
Performance Bearing Applications Engineer, Daido Engine Bearings

Daido Metal is a global leader in bearings and bushings for the automotive, off highway, industrial and marine markets. Daido Engine Bearings are used in both OEM automotive engines and race engines worldwide. Daido is a recognized leader in both markets. Close global coordination between OEM and racing applications has resulted in the most advanced design, analysis, materials and production being applied in both markets for increased power, efficiency and reliability. Daido supplies the most recognized automotive brands and competes at the highest levels of racing. Technologies developed and applied in these markets are being applied to products for the Performance Aftermarket.

Jim McFarland, Don Ward & Jeremy Worm

Jim McFarland, Don Ward & Jeremy Worm
E3 Spark Plugs

Jim McFarland

Jim McFarland began his career as an enthusiast, building and racing his own cars mainly in the various stock classes. Jim was also a graduate automotive engineer, and a lot of early innovations for the stock classes came as a result of his engineering background. As an engineer, Jim has been instrumental in developing some of the best intake manifold and fuel induction systems available.

Jim serves as a technical consultant for SEMA, working primarily in the area of state and federal environmental and regulatory issues. With his engineering background and 25 years of experience working directly with both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board certification staffs, he contributes a vital technical perspective. He is a renowned automotive journalist and a member of the SEMA Hall of Fame.

Don Ward

Don Ward has been in the spark plug business for 38 years, including 12 Years in Manufacturing and Quality and 26 years in Engineering.

Over the years, Don has worked with many race teams to design and test new product. He made the first silica nitride spark plug for Top Fuel Drag racing, among many other contributions.

Don also pioneered the use of cylinder temperature testing in race applications for both dyno and track testing. Utilizing his expertise, Don was able to tune his customers’ race engines by reading spark plugs.

Jeremy Worm

Jeremy Worm is a Researcher in the APS LABS at Michigan Tech with nearly 20 years in engine development, calibration and testing. Jeremy focuses on combustion systems with emphasis in high-performance applications, and has been Principal Investigator on numerous projects involving advanced studies in valve timing and actuation, ignition and alternative fuels.

Before Michigan Tech, Jeremy worked at GM, where he was a combustion engineer and Lead Development Engineer. Jeremy worked on engine programs with very aggressive targets for power and efficiency. One of the engines Jeremy worked on made it to “Ward’s 10 Best Engines” list.

Jeremy continues to be involved in cutting-edge engine R&D. One of his current projects involves developing strategies to enable BMEP levels to reach twice the world-class benchmark.

Tom Lieb

Tom Lieb
Owner, Scat Crankshafts

Tom Lieb started SCAT Enterprises, Inc. (SCAT) in 1962 while attending college at Loyola University of Los Angeles, graduating in 1964. SCAT joined SEMA in 1965, exhibited at SEMA first in 1966 and every year since. SCAT, under Tom’s tutelage began manufacturing crankshafts in 1967, connecting rods in 1971 and started manufacturing the SCAT USAC 4-cylinder Midget Engine in 1973. SCAT produced over 6,000 units through 1995.

In 1975, Tom moved SCAT into its current 45,000 square foot facility in Redondo Beach, California. By 1981 SCAT had put together the most modern CNC equipped crankshaft facility in the United States. The SCAT operation today utilizes the most modern, high tech equipment, employing cutting edge design and quality control.

SCAT manufactures cast, forged and billet crankshafts for the performance aftermarket and is a prominent supplier to Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Industrial engine builders for product development, crate engine and replacement crankshafts and connecting rods.

Tom has grown SCAT from his one man shop 54 years ago to what it is today. Tom has never forgotten that we are just car guys, doing what we have a passion for, while producing the finest, most innovative parts possible.

Chris Paulsen

Chris Paulsen
President, C&R Racing Inc.

At the age of 13, Chris Paulsen began working on sprint cars and supermodifieds. Chris traveled throughout the West working on race cars for the next 4 years. In 1978, he moved back to the Midwest and started working on several top sprint car teams including those of Rich Vogler, Billy Vukovich, Bruce Walkup, and George Snider. In 1980, he went to work for Nance Speed Equipment in Wichita, Kansas, one of the nation’s leading fabricators and suppliers of sprint chassis and components. While at Nance, Chris designed and built the sprint cars driven by Sammy Swindell. Sammy won two (2) World of Outlaw Championships while driving the Nance sprint cars.

Chris’s first exposure to Indy Cars came in 1979 when he worked for “shoe string” Indy entrant and sprint car graduate, Roger Rager. While they missed the show in ’79, they returned in 1980 and were successful in qualifying for the race. Their stock block powered car contained the famous “school bus” engine; the block actually came out of an old school bus from a junkyard.

In 1982, he began working full time on Indy Cars, signing on as Chief Mechanic for Alex Morales Autosports and Team Manager, John Capels. He has been Chief Mechanic for several top drivers including Al Hobert, Kevin Cogan, Pancho Carter, Didier Theys, Howdy Holmes, PJ Jones, Donnie Beechler, Gordon Johncock and 3-time Indy winner, Johnny Rutherford.

In 1988, Chris left Alex Morales Autosports to form C & R Racing, Inc. a specialty machine and fabrication shop serving the Indy Car industry. He capitalized on his skills as an Indy Car Chief Mechanic and engineer as he ran teams for the 3-500 mile races; Indy, Michigan, and Pocono. Chris did this through 1998 for Stoops Racing, Granatelli Racing, Hemelgarn Racing, Pagan Racing, Greenfield Racing, and Cahill Racing.

Besides being the largest supplier of custom-built radiators for NASCAR Sprint Cup, C & R Racing builds parts for all professional forms of auto racing. C&R has become one of the largest design and manufacturing companies in professional racing and has grown to 60 employees with 2 locations. The Indy facility is 35,000 sq. ft and the C&R South facility is 30,000 sq. ft.

In addition to building his company, Chris still found time to race sprint cars from 1980 to 1991. He occasionally does consulting work and works as an Indy Car Chief Mechanic on a limited basis during the Indianapolis 500 in May. He also participates in off-road races like the Baja 1000. During his time off, Chris restored and built several vintage Indy cars from scratch. In the late 90’s, he built a replica of the 1963 Indy 500 winning Watson roadster for Parnelli Jones, which can be found in Parnelli’s museum California.

In recent years, while operating C & R Racing, Chris was inducted into the Indy 500 Old-timers Club in 1998 and is a lifetime member. He is also on the nominating committee for Indy 500 Hall of Fame. He served as Chairman of the Board for the Indiana Motorsports Association from 2004 to 2012. IMA is a motorsports trade association working with the governor’s office.

In November, 2008, Chris formed Performance Events Promotions. PEP was the parent company for the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS). IMIS was a hard core racing trade show that showcased the latest racing technology by the leading manufacturers in motorsports. By the 4th show in 2012, IMIS had grown to using 400,000 square feet. That year IMIS was sold to SEMA and consolidated with PRI. The new PRI/IMIS consolidation will take place in Indianapolis, In. where it will stay for many years.

Chris is familiar with the hard work and dedication it takes to run a race team. With this experience, he has created the “True Grit” award at IMS. This award acknowledges a dedicated mechanic or crew chief for the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, both held in Indianapolis. For each race, a $10,000 cash award is given to honor a colleague who goes above and beyond.

In March of 2015, the PWR Group, based in Queensland, Australia, bought C&R Racing. PWR is a global leader of cooling for upper end professional racing and has quickly become a primary core manufacturer for C&R.
Collectively C&R and PWR are the world leaders for motorsport cooling solutions, creating the largest, most comprehensive motorsport cooling company in the world. They dominate F1, WEC, WRC, DTM, Indy Car, NASCAR, LMP, Tudor Series, Off Road, and short track racing in America. Chris will remain President of C&R Racing, Inc. and C&R will continue engineering and prototype manufacturing, allowing lasting creative diversity in racing.

Chris Paulsen’s Accomplishments:

Built sprint cars and modifieds that won several championships, including 2 World of Outlaw championships.
Indy Car Chief Mechanic with race wins and many top 5 finishes.
Founded C&R Racing Incorporated in December, 1988.
Lifetime member of the Indy 500 Old Timer club.
Started the True Grit Award in 1998.
Member of the Indy 500 Hall of Fame nominating committee.
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in 2006.
Founded the Indiana Motorsports Association with Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana, in 2004. Chairman of the Board for 8 years.
Founded the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) in 2008.
Sold IMIS to SEMA/PRI in 2012, creating the largest hardcore racing show in the world, held in Indy each year. Currently a $47,000,000 economic impact to Indy.
Consultant to PRI for the annual show in December.
Technical writer for National Speed Sport News and many other motorsport related publications.
Currently commissioned and writing a technical book on high performance cooling systems for Car Tech Books.

Leonard Warren

Leonard Warren
President, Tech Line Coatings, Inc.

In 1986 Leonard started G & L Coatings as an applicator of advanced Coatings for the High performance Industry. Leonard had been involved in the chemical Industry since 1968 and racing since 1964. In 1987 Leonard started formulating his own Coatings. One of the 1st was for McDonald Douglas as a protective coating for the fuselage of the X-30 space plane. Today this coating is still sold under the name Black Satin. By 1990 G & L was applying coatings for major OEM’s, Aftermarket Manufacturers and leading Race Teams.

In 1991 G & L Coatings was taken over by Leonard’s brother and Leonard started Tech Line Coatings solely for manufacturing and sale of Coatings, thus opening the market up to expansion. This allowed for more time and resources to be expended on new coating development. As in the beginning the main focus was the High performance Industry, but the Industrial market showed considerable interest in Tech Line’s products due to their extreme levels of performance. Two major Global companies, Victrex whose main offices are in England and Solvay Advanced Polymers also a European company, turned to Tech Line for development assistance. The result were the first PEEK coatings (For both Companies) as well as an insulating coating to allow Solvay’s polymers to be exposed to higher temperatures without degradation in their performance.

Under Leonard’s leadership Tech Line sells Coatings World Wide with Distributors and Agents in: Europe, South Africa, Australia, Japan, The Caribbean, India, The Middle East and is working on establishing new distributors in South America, Pakistan, China and Turkey.

Tech Line has broadened its formulation efforts into additional chemical fields including anodizing by creating DiamonDyze and advanced anodizing treatment that significantly improves both Type II and Type III anodizing. New coatings are in development, that continue to stretch the functionality, ease of application and target less hazardous ingredients for use. Currently Tech Line manufacturers and sells Coatings for virtually every part in an Engine, Transmission, Differential, Exhaust Systems, Cooling systems, Brake systems and more.

Leonard continues to lead the development efforts of the Company as well as being involved in the day to day work. His love of racing continues and he is currently building a 1964 GTO for Drag Racing.