When it comes to drag racing and other extreme horsepower applications, the name Alan Johnson Performance Engineering is not a stranger to anyone’s lips. From the 500ci V6 engines that have gone from the sand dunes of Arabia to their drag strips and set records to the blocks that contain the most powerful piston engines on Earth, they all get made at the same place in California. Recently the NHRA was there to talk with Johnson about all kinds of stuff and they took the time to get a quick rundown on what goes into making a block from start to finish.
This is not a comprehensive look into every aspect of the process but it is a rare peek into the one of the most renowned operations in the world of racing. The blocks coming out of that building have powered and continue to power some of the most brutal stuff in the world. It is not a luxurious looking place but one that was definitely built for a purpose and it is serving that. It is not a glamor business, it is a massive and highly advanced machine shop with five axis mills and other computer controlled monsters that cut, hone, and shape each and every block that comes out of the place perfectly.
We talk about aspirational parts a lot but the reality is that for lots of people an AJPE engine is something that they are working towards. Whether we are talking about blocks or heads the components stand at the tops of virtually every serious drag racing performance standard across the globe. The cool thing is that they are now found in stuff like small tire and outlaw cars whereas this was all the realm of alky and nitro funny cars/dragsters.
You are not going to learn how to make a block here but you are going to learn a little about Alan Johnson Performance Engineering and their operation in California.
