NHRA Pomona Finals!

Ray Frescas — 2009-11-17T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher is the first Top Fuel driver in NHRA history to win six consecutive world championships! Robert Hight in Funny Car, Mike Edwards in Pro Stock and Hector Arana in Pro Stock Motorcycle were all first time champions in their respective categories! Top Fuel driver Spencer Massey won the Road to the Future Award which recognizes the top NHRA rookie performer of the year. Congratulations to all the world champions of the NHRA!

2009 SEMA SHOW

Ray Frescas — 2009-11-10T14:54:00Z

Now that some of the dust has settled from the week long show at SEMA, we have a few pictures to share. The new Camaro was the car most seen at SEMA as there were literally tons of them out there in any configuration you could imagine. Remember we have our Multiple Spark Coils for you new Camaro owners out there! Check back soon as we have our new products to post up as well as continuing to pre-celebrate our 40th Anniversary which is coming up here in a few short months.

ProMedia 'Project Buck' on the Rollers

Ray Frescas — 2009-11-09T14:54:00Z

Here it is the first day back in the office after a week at Sema and we’re on the chassis dyno! Scott Sparrow and Arron Hahn from ProMedia Publishing flew to Dallas to pick up their ’66 Buick Special and were cruising back to California and stopped by for a little dyno tune. We ran the crate LS2 on our dyno two years ago with our 6-LS2 Ignition Controller to drive the coils on the carbureted engine. After a couple quick timing adjustments, we picked up 30 hp (peak of 361) and about 20 ft-lbs of torque (351)! Needless to say, Scott was a happy guy as they rolled back on to I-10. You can follow their progress at www.nmcadigital.com.

Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge

Ray Frescas — 2009-11-09T14:54:00Z

Four high school groups participated in the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge - the Showdown at SEMA. We're happy to say that the MSD team made it to the finals and took home second place with each participant taking home $7500 in scholarship money!

The teams tear down and then rebuild an entire engine and are scored on not only time, but also on technical accuracy as judges tear them down again and check torques and assembly. Congratulations to all the members of Team MSD!

MSD Cash for Cruising Rebate

Ray Frescas — 2009-10-28T14:54:00Z

Due to an overwhelming successful rebate campaign, we are backlogged in getting many Cash for Cruising rebate checks sent out. Rest assured that the MSD team is working diligently to get the matter resolved and we appreciate your patience.

Thanks for choosing MSD Ignition

Mojave Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE)

Ray Frescas — 2009-10-26T14:54:00Z

2009 Powder Puff Desert Race
Barstow, California
October 10, 2009

Ok, if you’re a desert rat you’ll get what I’m talking about…if not, check it out – here’s a crash course! Desert racing is a completely different sport from your pavement races and dirt track events. Most think Baja now for longer races, mostly due to BLM and land issues.

There are still some US desert races that run a longer race loop such as SCORE’s Primm 300 and BitD’s mega-sweet Parker & Vegas to Reno events in Nevada and Arizona. But, travel and entry fees are much on everyone’s minds going racing.

As today’s economy has dictated where racers go race – long time “smaller” promoters like MORE, MDR, SNORE have continued to see good car counts and are absolutely great venues for good old fashioned, grassroots racing. Following the “best bang for your buck” idea, these are the events you need to try!

This year’s MORE Powder Puff race is an excellent example. With a sea of pink crew shirts and race car paint schemes excited ladies only drivers and co-riders showed up in anything and everything they could borrow, beg or…well, you know just to make the race.

Very much a family affair, off-roaders have always had a big heart and love their sport. Benefiting the Cedar Sinai Women’s Cancer Research Center - moms, sisters and daughters wore the fire suits, helmets and gloves today. The guys did the crewing duties for the weekend!

Tons of excitement during Staging

Profile of a 1600 Race Buggy

Remember Baja Bugs? They’re alive and well!

Vintage racer, but it’s all in having fun

Great Light Covers!

Trust me…we have suspension

For those unfamiliar with desert racing, here’s how the pre-runner craze first started!

You don’t see these Pit Boards in NASCAR!

More VW Baja’s

This is not Vintage

Old school racers out there – Pit Sign or Skid Plate??? (oh yeah, great decal placement!)

Who says UTV’s are for hunting?

No fair! Windows up means A/C on!!!

On the other spectrum, Class 11 is as LIMITED as you get…stock everything! But, they finished and are all smiles – congrats!

How did those get on the bumper???

Who’s catching who?

Time to cruise the desert! Bring 4 of your best friends…

Finishing is half the battle, isn’t it?

This is not a pre-runner.

*** Special thanks to everyone at Jefferies Racing. I had a great time, thanks for the hospitality! ***

Even with some down time on their 3rd lap, Mindy and Jenna finished 9th out of 20 in class. The truck looked good!

So Jenna, what happened?

Did I mention fun for the whole family? After the girls took the finish flag, cool mom Mindy tends to her next generation racer…

Wanna read more? Check out http://www.knfilters.com/news/news.aspx?ID=2336

See you at the races!
Ed/MSD

LIVE FEED-2009 California Hot Rod Reunion

Ray Frescas — 2009-10-16T14:54:00Z

LIVE FEED-2009 California Hot Rod Reunion at Famoso Raceway Oct 16-18

Our friends over at BangShift.com have the LIVE FEED of the California Hot Rod Reunion happening right now! Don't miss the Cackle Fest on Saturday night!

NHRA Virginia Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-10-12T14:54:00Z

It was a record-setting final day for the racers of the NHRA. In Top Fuel Brandon Bernstein finally takes the win against tire-smoking Antron Brown. In Funny Car Del Worsham also had his day defeating Tim Wilkerson in the process. In Pro Stock Mike Edwards took out crowd favorite Greg Anderson in the final. Congratulations to all the winnners.

Engine Masters Challenge Results

Edgar Mendez — 2009-10-12T14:54:00Z

The 2009 Engine Masters Challenge is in the books! The results were down to the wire with Jon Kaase taking the win by less than two points. The Kaase Ford relied on a complete MSD Ignition system including a Programmable 7 Plus Ignition Control .

1st - Team #5 Jon Kaase Racing (Almost Kaase)/Ford - 2,632.8

2nd - Team #10 B.E.S Racing Engines/Chevy - 2,631.4

3rd- Team #2 Hot Heads Research/Gene Adams Performance/Chrysler - 2,598.2

4th - Team #17 Performance Crankshaft, Inc/Chevy - 2,598.0

5th - Team #4 School of Automotive Machinists (Entry #2)/Ford - 2,585.4

6th - Team #1 Jon Kaase Racing/Ford - 2,583.2

Engine Masters Challenge Update!

Edgar Mendez — 2009-10-06T14:54:00Z

A few surprises on the dynos today. The front runner as of Tuesday afternoon is a 403 small block Chevy, with a 404 Ford not far behind. There's also a pair of LS engines, one EFI and one with a carb, in quarantine joining a Pontiac and another big Ford. (There was also a 426 Hemi with a crossram setup going on the dyno to wrap up the day...) Stick around for more cool dyno action on Wednesday!

Unofficial results so far this morning. Still have a few more engines to dyno.

TM Enterprises	2465
Corey Short Chrysler	2252
Semco Performance Pontiac	2415
Automotive Machine and Performance Ford	2459
Raceheads Chrysler	1864
Mckeown Motorsports Engineering, Inc Ford	2329
SKMFX Engines Dodge	2282
Racing Engine Design Team #1 Chevy LS	2422
Dove Performance Ford	2160
MPG 404CI Ford	2504
TPIS & Scott Parkhurst Chevy	2411
Survival Motorsports Ford	DNQ
R.M. Competition Ford	2358
TM Enterprises FordPerformance Crankshaft Chevy	2592
Hinkle Performance Engines Mopar	2184
Weingartner Racing Chevy	2401
Power Shop Racing Engines Ford	2539
Tim Zepp Engines/Darin Morgan Ford	2540
BTR Performance/Earl Emery Multifinancial/Dale Cubic CFM Carb. Olds	2507
BH Performance 395 CI Mopar	2429
BES Racing Engines Chevy	2632
McKeown Motorsports #2 Ford	2532
Engine Dyno Service Pontiac	DNQ
Revolutionary Performance & Machine Chevy	2354
Ted Eaton Specialty and Balancing Ford	1949
Jon Kaase Racing (Almost Kaase)Ford	2646
SAM Ford	2583
Advanced Products Engineering Chevy	2502
Hot Heads Research / Gene Adams Perf Chrysler	2598
Jon Kaase Racing Ford

2009 Engine Masters Challenge

Ray Frescas — 2009-10-06T14:54:00Z

The 2009 Engine Masters Challenge is off and roaring this week! The EMC is taking place at the University of Northwestern Ohio and we have day one wrapped up. This year’s rules accept nearly any V8 domestic powerplant and even EFI or carbs!
Today, and... majority of engines we saw in the shop are fueled by carbs, but there were a few EFI systems coming up. But what a variety of engines! Today we saw a couple Fords including a Mod Motor and a 429, a 426 Hemi and even a Pontiac. There were also a couple LS engines waiting in the wings for tomorrow.

Follow along with the EMC updates- click here as well as Facebook updates here.

NHRA Midsouth Nationals Memphis

Ray Frescas — 2009-10-06T14:54:00Z

NHRA Drag racing was concluded yesterday in Memphis due to the rain delayed race. In Top Fuel Morgan Lucas scored his third win of the year by upsetting Tony Schumacher in the final round. In Funny car action Jeff Arend scored his first victory since 1996 against a tire smoking Tony Pedregon. In Pro Stock Jason Line took the easy win as Ron Krisher red-lit in the final. In Pro Stock Motorcycle Michael Phillips takes home the wally running past Eddie Krawiec in the final. Congratulations to all the winners.

Godspeed Shaun Carlson...

Ray Frescas — 2009-10-05T14:54:00Z

MSD is saddened to learn about the untimely death of sport compact pioneer Shaun Carlson. Carlson had been diagnosed with Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disease characterized by an abnormality in the heart’s electrical system. Shaun was the talented owner of NuFormz Racing in Ontario, Calif., and a former Team Mopar NHRA Pro Stock driver for Don Schumacher Racing. Carlson was named one of the Top Ten Innovators of all time in the sport compact world and was the first Front Wheel Drive builder to run in the 9’s and in the 8’s as well as building the first sport compact drag car with a tube chassis. There are no details on a memorial service at this time.

MSD sends our condolences to his family.

MSD Sponsors Biggest Corvette Event

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-29T14:54:00Z

Steve and Karen Nichols of Las Vegas, Nevada follow the SoCal/SoNev Caravan Section's Lead Car along historic U.S. 66 east of Seligman, Arizona.

The largest Corvette events in the World are the National Corvette Caravans, staged every five or six years by the National Corvette Museum (NCM) in Bowling Green Kentucky. From over two dozen starting points around the U.S., Corvette Caravan Sections begin their trips, all of which end in Bowling Green, which, since 1981 has been the home of the GM Assembly Plant which builds the Corvette. The shortest Caravan Section covers less than 100 miles. The longest Caravan Sections, from the Pacific Northwest and Southern California/Southern Nevada run nearly 2500 miles and take five days. Flowmaster has sponsored the last two Southern California/Southern Nevada Caravans.
"MSD has been instrumental to providing a memorable experience for all our Caravaners," Hib Halverson, the the NCM's Section Captain for SoCal/SoNev in '03 and '09 said. "For the last two National Caravans, they supplied SuperConductor Plug Wires and other ignition parts for the SoCal/SoNev Caravan Lead Cars and purchased ads in our 'Route Book', the publication we give all 450 Caravaners and which contains maps and instructions for the trip. No doubt, MSD sees the value in supporting the grassroots enthusiasts of America's Sports Car."
The five-day trip, which began at Auto Club Speedway at Fontana, California overnighted in Flagstaff, Arizona; Tucumcari, New Mexico; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Little Rock Arkansas. Each night included a party and with each day as more Caravaners joined up in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, the parties were bigger and bigger culminating with well over a thousand happy Corvetters at a blow-out, barbecue hosted by Bale Chevrolet in Little Rock.

Corvettes, wall-to-wall and every model year and color at the National Corvette Caravan. At this Reform Stop at Rhodes Chevrolet in Van Buren, Arkansas, the SoCal/SoNev, Oklahoma/Texas Panhandle and Central Texas Sections joined with the Arkansas/West Tennessee Section. By this time, the group was about 450 Corvettes.

Capt. Halverson's "SoCal/SoNev Caravan Organizing Team" planned the trip's first 3 1/2 days to follow parts of old Route 66 with stops at Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In at Seligman, Arizona; the famed Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas; the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma and the Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler, Oklahoma. From there, Route 66 went northeast towards Chicago and the Caravan continued east, on I-40, towards Bowling Green.
The arrival of all Caravan Sections in Bowling Green were spread over two days to reduce the congestion on I-65 which runs north and south through Bowling Green and is a major transportation artery between Chicago and the Gulf Coast. On September 2, The Southern California/Southern Nevada Section arrived in Bowling Green about 6:30 in the evening with an eight mile long group of Vettes. It took almost an hour for the Caravan to thread its way through the Museum grounds.
The Southern California/Southern Nevada Section of the 2009 National Corvette Caravan went 2500 miles on it's five-day trip and MSD helped the SCSN OT make the trip a memorable experience for all its Caravaners. Images provided by Sandy Rubel.


The SoCal/SoNev Caravan met the Oklahoma/Texas Panhandle Caravan at Adrian Texas in front of the famed Midpoint Cafe. Shown here are the two Caravan Sections' lead cars along with part of the 525 Caravaners from the two groups. Adrian was the halfway point between Chicago and Los Angeles on old Route 66. The two Sections held a link-up ceremony across the street from the Midpoint Cafe where reproductions of the original Auto Club of Southern California, Route 66 midpoint signage posted in the 1920s are located.

The SoCal/SoNev Caravan met the Oklahoma/Texas Panhandle Caravan at Adrian Texas in front of the famed Midpoint Cafe. Shown here are the two Caravan Sections' lead cars along with part of the 525 Caravaners from the two groups. Adrian was the halfway point between Chicago and Los Angeles on old Route 66. The two Sections held a link-up ceremony across the street from the Midpoint Cafe where reproductions of the original Auto Club of Southern California, Route 66 midpoint signage posted in the 1920s are located.

NHRA Fall Nationals-Dallas

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-28T14:54:00Z

Top Fuel had Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon going at it in the final with Tony once again coming out on top of his former team. Funny Car action had Robert Hight winning his second race in a row against Jack Beckman in the final. Pro Stock racing has Greg Anderson coming out on top of Johnny Gray. In Pro Stock Motorcycle Hector Arana once again pulls it off again for the fifth time this year against Eddie Krawiec. Congratulations to all the winners!

Hot Rod Dragweek Results!

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-21T14:54:00Z

In the first-ever back-to-back win for Hot Rod Drag week, Larry Larson pulls it off, winning the Unlimited class and the new Hot Rod Magazine Fastest Street Car in America in his 1966 Chevrolet Nova. Larry not only set the quickest and fastest pass for Drag Week ever but also drove it almost 1,200 miles in five days. Congratulations to all the winners!

UNLIMITED: Larry Larson
PRO STREET PA: Michael Roy
PRO STREET NA: Curt Johnson
MODIFIED PA: Doc Fox
MODIFIED NA: Jay Brown
BIG BLOCK PA: Mike Thompson
BIG BLOCK NA: Gary Satterlee
SMALL BLOCK PA: Jon Huber
SMALL BLOCK NA: Mike Crow
DIESEL: Mike Wood

NHRA Carolinas Nationals at Zmax

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-21T14:54:00Z

Cory McClenathan took the points lead in Top Fuel over Shawn Langdon when his engine let go and allowed McClenathan to move around him with a 3.857 run. In Funny Car, Robert Hight also made huge points move, from 10th to third when he got the victory over rookie driver Matt Hagan. In Pro Stock, Mike Edwards dominated the Pro Stock contigent by qualifiying No. 1, setting low e.t. and top speed, running low e.t. of every round of eliminations, and winning the event over Greg Stanfield. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana once again finds himself in the winners circle with a win over Karen Stoffer. Congratulations to all the winnners and good luck with the countdown!

Hot Rod Drag Week 2009

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-16T14:54:00Z

Ever see 7-second drag cars tow a trailer on the highway? If you’re in the Midwest this week, you just might. Hot Rod Magazine’s Drag Week is taking place as we speak. Three days of racing are in the books, and the word we heard is that last year’s Unlimited Champ, Larry Larson, just uncorked a 7.25 pass at 199 mph! As of this morning he was actually trailing Eric Yost in a twin turbo ’57 Chevy. Check out more at hotrod.com.

For more updates, check out www.bangshift.com as they cruise along and www.1320video.com for great updates throughout the day.

New MSD Videos!

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-15T14:54:00Z

If your using one of our programmable ignitions or use our Pro-Data+ Software, be ready for an up and coming 6 part series that explains the basic ins and outs of the Pro-Data+ Software. Watch episodes 1 and 2 as we go over the basic functions of the software and move our way up to setting up rev limiters.

Common Firing Orders

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-11T14:54:00Z

Download and print this handy chart containing the most common domestic vehicle firing orders. As always confirm with your cam manufacturer to make sure you have the correct firing order for your application since it can vary especially if you have swapped the cam to an aftermarket cam. Must have the Adobe Acrobat reader to view file. Click here to download the firing order chart.

Crandon International Off-Road Raceway

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-10T14:54:00Z

Follow along as our very own Ed Monte follows up on his trip from Crandon, WI where he attended the annual 2009 World Championship Off-Road Races. Click here for the photo gallery.

NHRA U.S. Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-08T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher wins the U.S. Nationals for a class-record-tying eighth time from a traction-plagued Larry Dixon in the Top Fuel final. Funny Car also had a big score with Ashley Force Hood becoming just the third female Pro winner at Indy. She took down teammate Robert Hight in the process. In Pro Stock Jeg Coughlin came out on top over Greg Stanfield in the final. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana took down Michael Phillips who both had never been to the final round in the tour's biggest event. Congratulations to all the winners!

Crandon Short-Course Races

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-04T14:54:00Z

Top drivers like Ricky Johnson and Jeremy McGrath of Motocross fame, Rob MacCachren and the infamous Robby Gordon prepare for the 40th running of the Crandon Short-Course Races in Northern Wisconsin! MSD is there – stop by the Jim Conner Trailer!

Tech Tip: Magnetic and Non-magnetic Pickups

Ray Frescas — 2009-09-04T14:54:00Z

When trouble-shooting your MSD Ignition and you have a no spark situation make sure your distributor or crank trigger pickup is triggering the ignition. This handy chart will tell you if you pickup has gone bad. All you need is a meter to check the resistance between the pickup. If you using one of our own MSD distributors, it will have a magnetic pickup. If your using a crank trigger it will have a non-magnetic pickup. Use the following chart to find the correct resistance for your pickup thereby letting you know that your ignition is okay and the pickup is bad. Click here for the resistance values.

25th Annual NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-08-24T14:54:00Z

Larry Dixon scored big with a win against rookie driver Spencer Massey in the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. Bob Tasca III took the wally in funny car over a sleeping Mike Neff who had a .235 second reaction time. In Pro Stock Jeg Coughlin once again takes the green with a win over suprise finalist Johnny Gray. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Eddie Krawiec got an easy win as Michael Phillips had to click his bike off early. Congratulations to all the winners!

One more week for Cash for Cruising Rebate!

Ray Frescas — 2009-08-21T14:54:00Z

Thats right, one more week left to get your rebates in before our rebate expires so make sure you download your rebate form and send it in to us before the end of the month! Official rules and entry form click here.

NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-08-17T14:54:00Z

Morgan Lucas scored big time in the Top Fuel final by edging out Larry Dixon in a thrilling 3.814 to 3.818 final round. Tony Pedregon took the win despite competing without a crew chief over a tire smoking Ron Capps in Funny Car final round action. Pro Stock had Greg Anderson finally getting the win light this year defeating teammate Jason Line. In Pro Stock motorcycle Hector Arana takes the wally over a red-lighting Juniour Pippin.

MSD's SEMA Pinewood Derby Entry

Ray Frescas — 2009-07-31T14:54:00Z

MSD’s latest project car will be in competition this weekend…at the SEMA Installation Banquet weekend. We’re running in the Modified Pinewood Derby class squaring off against many of our industry colleagues! Stay tuned for results.

NHRA Fram Nationals in Somona

Ray Frescas — 2009-07-27T14:54:00Z

Antron Brown pulls it off and becomes the eighth driver to sweep all three races in the annual NHRA Western Swing! Antron took out Cory McClenathan in the money round. In Funny Car racing, Tim Wilkerson has returned to form with back-to-back wins in Seattle and Sonoma. He faced Tony Pedregon in the final. In Pro Stock, Jason Line hole-shotted his way into the finals besting teammate Greg Anderson in the final round. Pro Stock Motorcycle also featured a pair of teammates as Eddie Krawiev and Andrew Hines faced each other in the final round with Andrew coming out on the winning side. Congratulations to all the winners!

NHRA Northwest Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-07-20T14:54:00Z

Antron Brown keeps stays alive in hopes of capturing the elusive Western Swing sweep! Brown scored his fourth win of the season by denying Tony Schumacher a second straight Seattle victory. In Funny Car action, Tim Wilkerson defeated low qualifier Tony Pedregon in the final round. Pro Stock had Mike Edwards finally taking home the wally in his final-round defeat of Jason Line. Congratulations to all the winners!

NHRA Mile-High Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-07-13T14:54:00Z

Mopar sponsored driver Allen Johnson took the Pro Stock win at the Mopar Mile-High nationals in Denver with a holeshot win over Jason Line. Antron Brown was able to streak by Doug Kalitta in final in Top Fuel while Ron Capps defeated Ashley Force Hood in the Funny Car final. In Pro Stock motorcycle, Eddie Krawiec reached the final round again taking the easy win as teammate Andrew Hines red-lighted. Congratulations to all the winners.

Happy Independence Day!

Ray Frescas — 2009-07-02T14:54:00Z

Happy 4th of July! MSD Ignition will be closed Friday, July 3rd. We will resume back to work on Monday, July 6th. Have a great holiday weekend from everyone at MSD!

NHRA Summit Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-06-29T14:54:00Z

Larry Dixon takes the wally for the 4th time this year taking out Brandon Bernstein in the Top Fuel final. In Funny Car, Jack Beckman had an easy win with Bob Tasca III smoking the tires upon the hit in the final round. Pro Stock racing had Jason Line take the win over Mike Edwards. In Pro Stock Motorcycle Andrew Hines faced his teammate in the final Eddie Krawiec with Hines coming out on top when the smoke cleared. Congratulations to all the winners.

MSD Wall of Honor

Ray Frescas — 2009-06-19T14:54:00Z

Check out the MSD Wall of Honor that is showcased in our production building. Lupe Tapia, Julie Chavira and Agustine Franco came up with a great idea to have an area to put up photos of family and friends that have served in the USA Military forces. The photos range from current employees to parents, brothers, sisters and family. A terrific idea and it’s been great to look and read each photo. Thanks guys!

NHRA Supernationals at Englishtown!

Ray Frescas — 2009-06-15T14:54:00Z

Larry Dixon in the Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi Racing Top Fueler took the easy win when Antron Brown red lit in the final round. Funny Car saw a repeat of the Chicago final a week ago where Pedregon once again defeated Ashley Force Hood to claim the win. The Pro Stock final was also a repeat of Chicago where Jeg Coughlin beat out Mike Edwards on a holeshot win! In Pro Stock motorcycle, Craig Treble beat out Eddie Krawiec on the starting line and never looked back. Congratulations to all the winners.

Power Tour Wrapping Up

Ray Frescas — 2009-06-12T14:54:00Z

Can you believe it’s Friday already? Six days of Power Tour are winding down as the largest turnout ever heads to Bristol, Tennessee. Hopefully the weather holds out so everyone can make a blast down the quarter mile and maybe, just maybe, a lap around the track? Tune back in to find out.
The Tour was in Somerset, Kentucky, last night and the city welcomed us in. On Wednesday we were in Dayton Ohio for another great day and night of cruising.
For all of you long haulers checking in, we’re sorry about the shortage of ’09 Long Haul magnets! I don’t think anyone suspected there’d be so many! We’ll have the artwork posted on our site next week.

MSD Ignition Power Tour Update!

Ray Frescas — 2009-06-10T14:54:00Z

Monday morning came far too early after a terrific Sunday – the biggest Power Tour day ever – in Racine. The morning greeted the tour to gray weather and Chicago traffic, but everyone cruised on to South Bend. Tuesday brought us to the east side of Michigan at a great venue right on the water in Mt. Clemmons (where Power Tour has roots from the early years). Cruising by the lakes with thousands more made for a fun filled day, with plenty of cruising action back in Warren at night. Wednesday will lead us to Dayton, Ohio! See you there!

MSD on the Power Tour 2009

Ray Frescas — 2009-06-08T14:54:00Z

As you’re settling down at your desk this Monday morning, MSD and a couple thousand other hot rodders are on our way to South Bend Indiana for day three of the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour!
So far, we’ve been cold and damp in Madison Wisconsin, followed by a huge turnout of horsepower in Racine, Wisconsin. Both cities rolled out the red carpet for Power Tour and the people, and cars, have just been great. We’ve posted a few pics here and be sure to check back for more updates along the way.

NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-06-08T14:54:00Z

Rookie Spencer Massey won his first NHRA Top Fuel win of his career beating Antron Brown in the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Chicago. Defending event champ Tony Pedregon held off Ashley Force Hood for the win in Funny Car. In Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin was able to hold off the hard charging Mike Edwards. In Pro Stock Motorcycle Matt Guidera defeated Eddie Krawiec to collect his fourth career win. Congratulations to all the winnners!

Loading Up for Power Tour!

Ray Frescas — 2009-06-01T14:54:00Z

Holy cow – it’s June! And that means it’s time for Power Tour! Our crew is packing up and heading north for the kickoff this Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin. We’ll be trekking our way through the Midwest all week and ending in Bristol. Be sure to try to make it out for a day or three or four for an excellent adventure!

O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-06-01T14:54:00Z

Larry Dixon rebounded nicely in Topeka with his 45th career victory defeating Clay Millican in the Top Fuel final. Ron Capps wins for the fourth time this year taking out Ashley Force in the process. In Pro Stock, Allen Johnson picked up his first win in almost two years defeating Mike Edwards. Congratulations to all the winners.

On the Dyno...

Ray Frescas — 2009-05-19T14:54:00Z

We were testing some new goodies on our own Tech, Victor Contreras’ ’93 Cobra today. The Dart block only has 364 cubic inches, but there’s a huge Precision Turbo T88 packing the engine with air. To date, Victor’s had the car in the lower 9’s at over 150 mph. Today he rolled over 900 horsepower off the drums of our Superflow. In other words, testing went well.

NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-05-18T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher successfully defended his NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals title, defeating Doug Kalitta to score a second straight Top Fuel victory at Bristol Dragway. In Funny Car action, Del Worsham won his second straight wally defeating Tony Pedregon in the process. In Pro Stock Mike Edwards won his second race of the year with a 6.633 to Greg Anderson's 6.658. Congratulations to all the NHRA Winners!

MSD Car Show Winners

Ray Frescas — 2009-05-12T14:54:00Z

Congratulations to the MSD Car Show winners:

1st: Mario Gonzalez- ’64 Corvette

2nd: Ralph Gonzalez- ’55 Bel Air

3rd: Race Schmidt- Jr. Dragster

Jump on the link below to see some more pictures from the show.

MSD Car Show Photos

MSD Car Show Success!

Ray Frescas — 2009-05-05T14:54:00Z

MSD's Employee Appreciation Day and Car Show was the best one yet. We had over 50 cars entered in the car show, from rat rods to blown door cars and everything in between. Thanks to all who participated and helped out with the festivities. We should have some pictures highlighting the days event very soon.

NHRA Midwest Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-05-04T14:54:00Z

The seventh race of the 24-race NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series stopped in St. Louis this weekend. Antron Brown took out Brandon Bernstein in the Top Fuel final. Del Worsham scored his first victory for the new Al-Anabi team. Worsham defeated points leader Ron Capps on a holeshot in the Funny Car final. In Pro Stock Jeg Coughlin gets the win to a red-lighting Jason Line. In Pro Stock Motorcycle Eddie Krawiec wins against Craig Treble in the final.

MSD Car Show Today! MSD Closed...

Ray Frescas — 2009-05-01T14:54:00Z

MSD Ignition will be closed at 11AM (MT) on Friday, May 1, our fifth annual company car show. If you happen to be in El Paso, please cruise over and enjoy the fun! We will be back in the offices and in action on Monday the 4th. Please leave a message or email and we’ll get back to you next week. Enjoy the weekend!

NHRA Southern Nationals Results

Ray Frescas — 2009-04-20T14:54:00Z

Rains were a constant threat but that didnt stop the NHRA racers from getting some great runs down the track. Morgan Lucas earns his first Pro win over Spencer Massey in the Top Fuel final. Jack Beckman took out Ashley Force in the Funny car final. The Pro Stock final was run this morning with Mike Edwards edging out Jeg Coughlin. In Pro Stock motorcycle Eddie Krawiec races past Doug Horne for his first Pro win ever as was the case in Top Fuel. Congratulations to all the winners.

How to set your timing video!

Ray Frescas — 2009-04-16T14:54:00Z

Setting your timing on your engine is one of those things that is often misunderstood. Follow along with David and Chad as they show you what to look for when setting your timing.

Jeff Gordon gets first victory at Texas!

Ray Frescas — 2009-04-07T14:54:00Z

MSD sends out a big Congratulations to Jeff Gordon and the entire HMS Team for their win at Texas this past weekend! This win leaves only one track on the schedule that Jeff hasn't won at yet (the key word there being 'yet'). Jeff is currently leading the 2009 points as the schedule brings the series to Phoenix on the weekend of the 18th. Jeff's Chevy is fired with an MSD HVC Ignition system! Again, congrats to the whole team!

NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-04-06T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher took over the Top Fuel points lead with his final-round victory over Brandon Bernstein. Ron Capps has led the points all year long, and he just added to his lead when he defeated teammate and new second-place driver Matt Hagan; Jeg Coughlin took over the points lead when he won the final round against Greg Stanfield.

NHRA Top Fuel Driver Antron Brown at MSD Ignition!

Ray Frescas — 2009-04-01T14:54:00Z

NHRA Top Fuel Driver Antron Brown makes a pit stop at MSD Ignition while in route to Las Vegas for the next stop in the NHRA! MSD has been working with Antron Brown way back since his days in Pro Stock Motorcycle. With the transition to a top fuel dragster, Antron still relies on MSD Ignition controls. Antron and his Matco Tools crew got to tour of the facility where MSD Ignition controls are made. Antron uses our MSD Pro-Mag 44 to fire his Top Fuel ride to sub 4 second runs at over 300 mph! MSD would like to wish him well in Las Vegas. Click for a few pictures: 1 2 3

NHRA Spring Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-03-30T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher, Ashley Force Hood, Ron Krisher, and Craig Treble emerged the winners at the record-breaking 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Houston Raceway Park. The favorable weather conditions led to a bunch of career bests this past weekend. Tony Schumacher and Cory McClenathan met in the Top Fuel final with Tony winning on a holeshot. Ashley Force Hood takes her first win of the year by defeating Jack Beckman in the Funny Car final. Ron Krisher wins in Pro Stock over Jeg Coughlin when Coughlin runs into mechanical issues. Craig Treble beats rookie rider Doug Horne in the Pro Stock Motorcycle final. Congratulations to all the winners.

NHRA Gatornationals Results

Ray Frescas — 2009-03-17T14:54:00Z

Larry Dixon and the Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi team qualified No. 1 and went on to win the wally as Dixon defeated Cory McClenathan in the final round of Top Fuel. Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III gets his first Pro win by defeating good friend Tony Pedregon in the funny car final. Bob Tasca III had to go through Tim Wilkerson and John Force before meeting Tony in the final. In Pro Stock, Jason Line regains the points lead with win over Allen Johnson. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana defeats Matt Smith in motorcycle final.

Monster Trucks and Sprint Cup Cars...

Ray Frescas — 2009-03-06T14:54:00Z

Take a look at some live action shots from this weekends event in El Paso, Texas:

MSD was treated to a two visitors this week! The monster trucks are in town this weekend at the UTEP Sun Bowl (live coverage this Saturday night too!) so they came by on Thursday to hang out, roll out their trucks and eat some good Mexican food. We had the Batman truck and the Blue Thunder truck filling up our parking lot all day. Next, we had one of Matt Kenseth's Sprint Cup car on display - complete with the MSD 6ALN Ignition system. (The trucks both run 12LT Pro Mags!)

Thanks for stopping by, everyone at MSD enjoyed the visit and best of luck for the show and race this weekend! Speaking of racing, the IHRA kicks off its season this weekend in Louisiana too!

MSD-V in GM High Tech Performance

Ray Frescas — 2009-03-03T14:54:00Z

Be sure and check out more of the MSD-V in GM High Tech Performance Online Magazine. The MSD-V is loaded with the lastest technology from MSD, along with components from our sister companies Racepak and Superchips. If you missed the build, click here to get a quick refresher on our MSD V build.

Kyle Busch takes Las Vegas!

Ray Frescas — 2009-03-02T14:54:00Z

Kyle Busch started in the back, but finished up front to win the Shelby 427 Sprint Cup race in Las Vegas. The winning Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is fired with an MSD 6-HVC series ignition control! Clint Boyer, David Reutimann and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top five. The next race in the Sprint Cup Series takes place this coming weekend in Atlanta.

Sprints and Stockers in Vegas!

Ray Frescas — 2009-02-27T14:54:00Z

Donny Schatz capped off his third win of the young 2009 World of Outlaws season on Thursday in Las Vegas! This win brings him up to 5th on the all time A-feature win list with 91 checkers. Schatz pulled past Jason Sides, Craig Dollansky and had to fight off Sammy Swindell to get the win. Schatz relies on an MSD 12LT Pro Mag!

Vegas is the racing capital this week with the Outlaws running followed by the NASCAR series this weekend. Can Kenseth extend his win streak to three? We bet you can get the odds in the stands!

25th Annual NHRA Arizona Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-02-23T14:54:00Z

The 25th Annual Lucas Slick Mist Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona crowned another set of Wally winners. In Top Fuel, Antron Brown kept Brandon Bernstein at bay when Brandon smoked the hides. In Funny Car, Pomona winner Ron Capps kept the stride alive by running a single against Mike Neff when he was not able to stage his funny car. In Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin took out Kurt Johnson. All the winners were fired by MSD Ignition.

Check out these phtographs from our president Russell Stephens:

Daytona 500 Update!

Ray Frescas — 2009-02-16T14:54:00Z

It may not have ended with a checkered flag waving followed by a series of smokey doughnuts at the finish line, but the 51st Daytona 500 is in the books. Matt Kenseth was crowned champ of the 380-mile, rain shortened race. Kenseth got by Elliot Sadler and held off Kevin Harvick until NASCAR threw up the red flag due to rain. His win brought car owner Jack Roush his first win at the Daytona 500! All of the Roush Racing cars at Daytona use MSD Ignitions to fire their Fords. The next race is Feb. 22nd in Fontana, California - plus the straight line NHRA racers will be duking it out in Phoenix!

Daytona 500!

Ray Frescas — 2009-02-13T14:54:00Z

The ladder is set for the Daytona 500! Thursday's Gatorade Duels were won by Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch. Gordon beat got the win over a hard charging Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson while Busch was able to hold off Mark Martin and Brian Vickers. Both winning teams rely on MSD Ignition Controls to fire their engines and will be on the second row for the green flag on Sunday!

Firing Up an Old GTO

Ray Frescas — 2009-02-09T14:54:00Z

While racers and fans alike were sulking around the wet pits of Pomona, we were installing a Pontiac Ready-to-Run Distributor in our pal Bill's '71 GTO. The well used 400 had an equally used up HEI in it but the engine was detonating at cruising speeds and idling a little rough. The new distributor helped the detonation and we were even able to add a few more degrees of idle timing which helped clean up the idle and provide much better throttle response. Click here for a picture of Bill's '71 GTO.

Update! NHRA Winternationals

Ray Frescas — 2009-02-06T14:54:00Z

C'mon Sunshine - We Want to See Some Racing

Mother nature must not have received the memo about the NHRA season kicking off this weekend at Pomona. Friday was a wash as rain continued to hammer down on the west coast. Hopefully racing will resume on Saturday and we'll see some action all day Sunday. Click here for a picture of the situation out there on the west coast.

It's race season! Hard to believe, but the 2009 NHRA season is kicking off this weekend. That means the MSD Racing Support Semi is back on road ready to help racers at the track. MSD's Support semi is a rolling test facility for MSD Ignition. Its is at most every NHRA National Event as well as a number of other events throughout the year. MSD sends a trained factory support tech to each event to help answer our customers questions and concerns or to simply recommend a system for their specific application.

Watch for the MSD Support Semi at a race or even near you and stop in to say hi.

Racing Services Semi

Ray Frescas — 2009-01-30T14:54:00Z

It's still January and all we're thinking about is getting our Racing Services Semi on the road to Pomona this weekend. There was a short break, but it's been a thrash to get our rolling MSD warehouse and tech center updated and on the road for the NHRA kick-off in California on February 5th-8th. Be sure to stop by and ask our techs for a recommendation for your car! See you at the races -

Congratulations to Sammy Swindell!

Ray Frescas — 2009-01-19T14:54:00Z

Sammy Swindell, longtime MSD sponsored racer and MSD friend, won the prestigious 23rd Annual Lucal Oil Chili Bowl midget race in Tulsa. This is one of the biggest races of the year for midgets. This was Sammy's 5th time winning it. Get more Chili Bowl headlines here.

Welcome to 2009!

Ray Frescas — 2009-01-08T14:54:00Z

Can you believe it's 2009!? It will only be a few weeks before NHRA kicks off in Pomona and the Cup cars take to the track in Daytona. Although you guys up in the midwest still have a few more months of cold and snow to deal with, but that gives you plenty of time to fiddle with your hot rods and race cars to get them dialed in before pulling them out. Remember to inspect the cap and rotor and think about a fresh set of plug wires for the new season coming up!

Happy Holidays!

Ray Frescas — 2008-12-24T14:54:00Z

Happy Holidays from everyone at MSD Ignition! Keep in mind that MSD Ignition will be closed from December 22nd through January 5th to give our employees time to enjoy the holidays with their families. We will resume operation on Monday, January 5th. Thank you for your patience and we'll see you at the races in 2009!

Performance Racing Industry Show - Almost Ready!

Ray Frescas — 2008-12-10T14:54:00Z

We're getting ready for the doors to open on Thusday at the PRI Trade Show in Orlando, Florida. You can get that racers will be trolling the aisles filling out their Christmas wish list with high performance goodies. We have our new MSD 8 Plus on display throwing sparks and our new Programmable 6AL-2 so racers can see how to program their timing curve and rev limits through a laptop.

The show is Thursday through Saturday, we hope to see you there!

Holiday Schedule 2008

Ray Frescas — 2008-12-05T14:54:00Z

MSD Ignition will be closed from December 22nd through January 5th to give our employees time to enjoy the holidays with their families. We will resume operation on Monday, January 5th. Thank you for your patience and we'll see you at the races in 2009!

Congratulations to the NHRA World Champions

Ray Frescas — 2008-12-02T14:54:00Z

Congratulations to all the World Champions:

Tony Schumacher - Top Fuel
Cruz Pedregon - Funny Car
Jeg Coughlin Jr. - Pro Stock
Eddie Krawiec - Pro Stock Bike
Bill Reichert - Alcohol Dragster
Frank Manzo - Alcohol Funny Car

Come See us at the PRI Show!

Ray Frescas — 2008-11-21T14:54:00Z

Come see us at booth #3901.

New Product Preview for 2009!

Ray Frescas — 2008-11-03T14:54:00Z

Check out our new products for 2009! We are debuting our new products this week at SEMA! Download our new product preview to get a glimpse of our new products coming to you for 2009. From our Programmable 6AL-2 to our LS 2-Step Launch Control, we have all your needs covered. Stay tuned for more details and information.

Hot Rod Magazine's Speed Parts Hall of Fame!

Ray Frescas — 2008-10-27T14:54:00Z

MSD Ignition is excited to announce that we were selected into Hot Rod Magazine's Speed Parts Hall of Fame! You'll see in the new December issue that the MSD 6A made the grade to be inducted with esteemed companies such as K&N, Garrett Turbos, NOS and Detroit Locker.

In 2007, Hot Rod felt it was important to recognize the impact of of specific performance parts that shaped the way we drive and race our hot rods today. Charter inductees include Iskenderian, Auto Meter, Flowmaster, Holley, Cragar and many more. Be sure to check out www.hotrod.com magazine for more.

MSD would like to thank everyone that voted for our inclusion in this venerated group of companies.

New Products for 2009!

Ray Frescas — 2008-10-27T14:54:00Z

The racing seasons are winding down, leaves are changing and the days are getting shorter. For anyone involved in the performance aftermarket, that means one thing - SEMA. The world's largest automotive tradeshow takes place this week in Las Vegas.
MSD will have our booth (#23229) dialed in and ready to show off our New Products for 2009. It's a trade only show, but hopefully we'll see you - stop by our booth to check out the latest greatest ignition goodies!

Virginia NHRA Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2008-10-13T14:54:00Z

Performance records and career bests were shattered at the 3rd annual Virginia NHRA Nationals. Tony Schumacher won his 14th race of the season over a hard charging Hilary Will. Cruz Pedregon won the wally in Funny Car over a tire smoking Jack Beckman. Dave Connolly bested his Cagnazzi Racing teammate Jeg Coughlin in the Pro Stock final. Congratulations to all the winners.

NHRA Midsouth Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-29T14:54:00Z

There was great side-by-side racing at the 21st Annual Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, Tenn. Tony Schumacher once again takes the wally in a decisive final-round victory against Doug Herbert. Tim Wilkerson puts away Ashley Force in Funny car and Mike Edwards wins in the final against Jason Line in Pro Stock. Craig Treble put away Eddie Krawiec in the Pro Stock motorcycle final. Congratulations to the all the winners!

NHRA Fall Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-22T14:54:00Z

J.R. Todd finally ended Tony Schumacher's streak this past weekend winning with a holeshot win in Top Fuel. Tim Wilkerson won against Tony Pedregon in the final in Funny Car. Greg Stanfield scored his first victory in Pro Stock beating out Jeg Coughlin. In Pro Stock Motorcycle Chris Rivas upset Matt Smith in the final. Congratulations to all the winners!

Drag Week '08 Winners!

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-15T14:54:00Z

Drag Week ’08 is in the books! It’s not always the fastest car that wins on an event like Drag Week as the road rash wears on through the week. Here’s the winners! Watch for more pics, including all of the participants, later in the week!

Unlimited - Larry Larson, 7.97 average

Power Adder Classes:

Pro Street - Eddie Miller, 8.67 average
Modified - Doc Fox, 16.68 average
Small Block - Paul Sviniki, 10.45 average
Big Block - Shaun Brackett, 12.04 average

Normally Aspirated Classes:

Pro Street - Todd Berry, 11.12 average
Small Block - Mike Crow, 10.60 average
Big Block NA - David Paschall, 11.12 average
Diesel - Mike Wood, 10.32 average

Daily Driver – Steve Eden, 13.20s

NHRA Carolinas Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-15T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher wins at the all-new zMax Dragway! This win also makes him the sports winningest Top Fuel driver with 53 victories. He defeated Antron Brown on his way to his 7th winning streak for the year. Jack Beckman also scored big with a win against Cruz Pedregon in the Funny Car final. Justin Humphreys scored his first wally with an upset victory over a broken Kurt Johnson. In Pro Stock Bike Steve Johnson rode past Eddie Krawiec for the win.

Drag Week 2008 a Wrap!

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-13T14:54:00Z

It's a wrap! Drag Week 2008 is in the record books and the overall winner is a familiar '66 Nova belonging to Larry Larson! Larry's first pass was tossed out due to timing equipment troubles, but he made a second pass, complete with an exhaust pipe flinging off and spinning down the the track, to the tune of a low 8-second run. His average dipped below the 7's and he took the win. Special congrats go to Michael Crow for securing the "Spirit of Drag Week" award! Other winners include Todd Berry in his super clean '55 Chevy Pickup for Normally Aspirated, Eddie Miller in his Pro Street nitroused Duster (by a tenth!), Doc Fox with Modified Power Adder, Paul Svinicki in Small Block Power Adder ('07 Mustang), David Paschall in Big Block NA, Shaun Brackett in BB Power Adder and Mike Wood in Diesel and Steve Eden in his gear pulling '70 Nova! It was a great week of racing, hats off to all the participants and Hot Rod Magazine. Watch for more pics this coming week.

Day 4 winding down

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-12T14:54:00Z

Winding down on day four at Memphis Motorsports Park. One of our favorite cars to listen to is Michael Crow's small block Barracuda. Screaming rpm and Michaels in there rowing the gears! One thrash story we heard about was when Clark Rosenstengel broke an axle in Alabama. He shipped a new custom one in for the next day, but it showed up too long. They cut and spliced then hauled over to the next track in time to make a pass! We're packing up and heading out for another day of 280 miles in southern heat as we head back to Bowling Green, Kentucky to wrap up DW08. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for live coverage as most of these drivers plan on stepping up their tune and standing on it!

Day 4 of Racing on Drag Week!

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-12T14:54:00Z

" + __flash__argumentsToXML(arguments,0) + "")); }">

It's Friday morning and we're heading to Memphis Motorsports Park for Day 4 of racing. Yesterday's drive was brutal for the non-AC cars (most of them) with southern humidity and heat plus a few scattered showers. What would Drag Week be like without one really long day to test cars and drivers? We passed a few cars on the drive and you can see them racing soon right here live!

Day Three is Almost a Wrap!

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-11T14:54:00Z

Day three racing is almost over! Doc Fox and Marc Dettman started it off with a 'roll' down the track with trailers attached. Doc's engine is hurting for a set of lifters and Marc's taking it easy as well but they had to take a green to get a time to count today. Other news was Jeff McConnell standing his '80 Malibu on the rear bumper and coming down hard with drips from pans, steering jacked up and a lot more of a gap between the fenders and the doors. Long drive to Memphis today, so everyone's hitting it early.

Wednesday Drag Week Update

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-10T14:54:00Z

We wrapped up another day of racing on Drag Week! Steele, Alabama, was the track and the racers hit it hard. Clark Rosenstengel broke an axle in his pro street Camaro which may have ended his DW 08 run. Doc Fox replaced a couple lifters last night enroute, but made a 'soft' pass of 9.17 or so. There were transmissions getting checked out an plenty of thrashing taking place - after just one drive! We just rolled into Montgomery, AL, and will be on the track again in the AM! Be sure to check out for live streaming video tomorrow too! (Starts around 9 central time) Thursday's drive will be a brutal 300+ miles!

Drag Week - Day 1

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-09T14:54:00Z

Day one of Hot Rod's Drag Week saw some fun racing! Racers were greeted with overcast skies, but the rain held out. We were treated to a pair of 7-second passes by past winner Eddie in his Duster and Larry Larson's pink Nova with dual turbos. A bunch of other cool cars were running the numbers then made the 250+ mile drive to Alabama where we'll be running today!

Watch Drag Week Live below!

Drag Week Update!

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-08T14:54:00Z

Bowling Green, KY - About 80 hardcore racers have shown up at Beech Bend Raceway Park for the start of Hot Rod Magazine's DRAG WEEK! Today was tech, test and tune and we've seen a little big of everything so far. How about a Mustang with a diesel? 4-door '62 Dodge in the 11s! An 8-second Willys and a whole slew of other cool drag rides. Check back with MSD for updates every night (and sometimes day, if we can score a fast connection)!

Nothing says 'street car' more than a 'chute!

Drag Week is On!

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-08T14:54:00Z

We're at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green for test, tune and tech for Drag Week! So far, a good turnout of 'street' cars are rolling through tech. Test and tune all day long but the official green light drops Tuesday AM! We'll be on all week long!

NHRA Update: U.S. Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2008-09-03T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher wins his 7th Top Fuel victory at the 54th U.S. Nationals defeating Doug Kalitta in the final at drag racing's most prestigious event. Robert Hight defeats Jack Beckman in Funny Car while Dave Connolly took out Larry Morgan in Pro Stock. Steve Johnson in Pro Stock Motorcycle aced out Andrew Hines.

Fast Cash for Fast Parts Rebate!

Ray Frescas — 2008-08-22T14:54:00Z

One more week left to take advantage of our Fast Cash for Fast Parts Rebate! Products must be purchased through an Authorized MSD Dealer between May 15, 2008 and August 31, 2008. Rebate form and product receipt must be sent to MSD within 30 days of purchase. Offer good only in the USA and Canada.

NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2008-08-18T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher defeated Larry Dixon to score his fifth straight victory in Top Fuel. Jack Beckman and Jeg Coughlin each earned their second wins of the season in their respective Funny Car and Pro Stock final-round conquests of Frank Hawley and Dave Connolly. Matt Smith took home the trophy in Pro Stock Motorcycle over Angelle Sampey.

NHRA Update: Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals

Ray Frescas — 2008-08-11T14:54:00Z

Schumacher won his 50th career Top Fuel title defeating teammate Cory McClenathan in the final round of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Tony Pedregon claimed his fourth win of the year after Jack Beckman red-lighted in the Funny car final. Kurt Johnson takes the Pro Stock win over Jason Line for the No. 2 spot in the Pro Stock standings. Matt Smith won Pro Stock Motorcycle title on a single run when Angelle Sampey’s Buell could not fire in the final round.

MSD's all new website!

Ray Frescas — 2008-08-08T14:54:00Z

It's here! It's up! It's MSD's all new website! And when we say all new, we mean ALL of it. Our web man Ray and the IT team have been thrashing for months to get our site moved from a hodge-podge of different technologies to a lean, mean CMS machine. What's that mean to those of us non-geeks? It means that the MSD site will be much easier to navigate through products and information as well as being able to deliver more of the information you're looking for. Product recommendations, instructions, wiring and support products are going to be easier to manage and find. We'll also be updating the site more often with news from the tracks and shows that we attend.

The new site is a work in progress so if you have suggestions or find a quirk on a page, let us know! Thanks for visiting the MSD site and we'll see you at the races!

Vote for MSD Ignition!

Ray — 2008-08-08T14:54:00Z

Hot Rod Magazine's 2nd Annual Hot Rod Speed Parts Hall of Fame has compiled a list of 75 products that have played a significant role in shaping the aftermarket. MSD Ignition has made the list with our 6A Ignition Control and encourages you to vote for MSD! Follow through the link to start the survey!

Hot Rod's Drag Week presented by MSD Ignition!

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

It's now time to register online for the 2008 HOT ROD Magazine Drag Week sponsored by MSD Ignition.
If you've got the car and are willing to drive your car over 1,000 miles plus race it at four different drag strips over five days, Drag Week is the event for you. You've been waiting for the opportunity to register online, so here's the link. Click here now to register.

The Next Generation MSD 6AL-2 Ignition Control!

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

The next generation MSD 6AL-2 is here! It's digital, smaller, faster and more powerful that its cousin, the MSD 6AL. Learn more after the jump or better yet get one now through our online store! Check out MSDvideos.com for an MSD 6AL-2 install in a classic Nova!

Racepak's AF-1 Single Channel Air Fuel Sensor

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

Check out Racepak's new Air/Fuel sensor package designed to be used with any of Racepak's Vnet (canbus) series of data loggers. More details after the jump.

Sold on the 7AL-2

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

Bud Yancer has been building engines since 1972. He's had his engine dyno since 1982 and has run hundreds of engines ranging from 100 to 1300 horsepower. Bud is known for his innovation and commitment to quality, and he wanted eveyone to know that he is still running the same MSD 7AL-2 box that he put on his dyno back in 1982. As Bud says, "When it comes to MSD products, just run it and you don't have to worry". Bud's never had a problem and he knows he never has to wonder if his MSD box will deliver. MSD thanks Bud and his staff at MACH Developemnt in Phoenix for their commitment to quality. Contact them at: www.machdevelopment.com

Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals

Ray — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

Doug Herbert scored his first Top Fuel win of the season at the 2nd annual Summit Racing NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Tony Pedregon won his third race this year, making it his 39th career win. Greg Anderson was able to take an easy win with a redlighting Larry Morgan in the final. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana won his first career national event.

NHRA Final Round Results
Winners Class
Doug Herbert Top Fuel
Tony Pedregon Funny Car
Greg Anderson Pro Stock
Hector Arana Pro Stock Motorcycle

GodSpeed Scott Kalitta

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

MSD sends our prayers and wishes to the teammates, family and friends of Scott Kalitta. Scott Kalitta was fatally injured in a high-speed crash during the NHRA Lucas Oil Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J. Scott shared the same passion for drag racing as his legendary father, Connie. He also shared the same desire to win, becoming a two-time series world champion. He left the sport for a period of time, to devote more time to his family, only to be driven to return to the drag strip to regain his championship form.

Power Tour 2008 Wrap up

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

Everyone should be home from the 2008 Hot Rod Power Tour by now and needless to say, it was a great event. We certainly enjoyed our time on the road and meeting most of the tour participants along the way. We know that some of you missed out on our Day 1 magnet, so to fill the gap on your Long Haul frame, we're posting the artwork for you to print and cut out. (It's a pdf so it should work on nearly every computer!) We have a very, very limited number of a handful of the daily magnets and we can try to help you out with the missing pieces. Simply email us here, with your address and passport number, along with which ones you missed, and we'll do our best to get you the right magnet (while supplies last). Thanks, and we'll see you on the road in 2009!

Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals

Ray — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher got a nice points lead in Top Fuel with a win against Rod Fuller at the NHRA Nationals in Chicago, Illinois. Tony Pedregon bounced back and won after having a fire during qualifiying, making it his 38th career win. Kurt Johnson also celebrated his 38th national event win in Pro Stock defeating Jeg Coughlin in the final. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Chris Rivas won his first career national event against Craig Treble.

NHRA Final Round Results
Winners Class
Tony Schumacher Top Fuel
Tony Pedregon Funny Car
Kurt Johnson Pro Stock
Chris Rivas Pro Stock Motorcycle

Power Tour 2008 Update

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

Monday generally delivers the droll fact of life of heading back to the daily grind - that is unless you decided to be a part of the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour! Take off for a few days of horsepower and fun with long haulers (if even for a couple days). Today we're heading out of Springfield, Missouri, and setting up at the strip in Topeka, Kansas. Hopefully the track will be dry so people can get out there and test their cars!

Last year in Little Rock it was dark, soup-like gray, with humidity oozing in the air. For 2008, it was just as hot but blue skies were on hand and the fairgrounds were absolutely packed with vintage tin and all sorts of cool hot rod type stuff. Sunday we head off to Missouri - it promises to be a great drive with a parade of power and chrome so if you're in the area, be sure to check it out from the road!

Hot Rod Magazine's Power Tour 2008

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

Gas prices, sour weather and humidity just won't keep a Power Tour Long Hauler down! That's right - it's time for the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour! This year MSD will be on hand for the long haul, just like every year since 1995, or maybe '96...it's been a lot of miles. If you're making it out to the tour, be sure to stop by and say Hi and pick up one of our sought after, collectible magnets - but be sure to come every day for each one! We'll also try to to keep you up to date with the sporadic report from the road and how things are going with the 2008 carnival of horsepower! Watch for our team in the big Duramax and our project MSD-V. See you out there!

Tech Support at Santa Pod Kick-off!

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

Shouting out to all European Racers – MSD Ignition and Racepak will be on hand at European Drag Racing Championship kick off at Santa Pod, May 23 – 26.

To help serve their international customer base, MSD and Racepak will have factory technicians on deck at the event. The dynamic duo of Joe Pando from MSD and Tim Anderson of Racepak (with over 30 years combined experience) will be based out of the GPR support and product trailer. GPR is a UK-based high performance source and will also have product on hand.

If you’ve ever wanted to ask about a certain MSD components or application for Racepak, “The Main Event” at Santa Pod is the place to be. To get your product questions ready, check out www.msdpromag.com or www.racepak.com.

O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

Ray — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher defeats Larry Dixon in the Top Fuel final while Melanie Troxel scored her first Funny Car career win over Mike Neff. Dave Connolly defeated Greg Stanfield on a final-round holeshot in Pro Stock.

NHRA Final Round Results
Winners Class
Tony Schumacher Top Fuel
Melanie Troxel Funny Car
Dave Connolly Pro Stock

MSD Ignition 4th Annual Employee Car Show(2)

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

The 2008 MSD Employee Car Show and Picnic was a hoot to say the least. Well over a hundred cars showed up from the local area to kick back with the MSD crew, take tours and have a good time. All of the MSD gang got to vote for their favorite vehicles and it was the '55 Chevy of Ralph Gonzalez that took the win followed by Ray Grace Vasquez's '71 Chevy Pickup and Jose Guadian's Viper in third. Thanks to everyone for coming out, we'll see you next year! Go to our forums to comment on these cool rides.

MSD Ignition 4th Annual Employee Car Show

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

MSD is holding it's 4th annual Employee Picnic and Car Show in the parking lot of its headquarters here in El Paso May 9th. Everyone is invited to bring their hot rods out to show off and enter for the employee's pick award. There will be music, fun and games including racing from Raceparty.net. Show starts Friday May 9th from 2:00 to 6:00 pm at MSD headquarters, 1490 Henry Brennan Dr., El Paso, Texas.

NHRA Update!

Ray — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

"Hot Rod" Fuller earned the Top Fuel Wally in a great side-by-side race with Tony Schumacher. Tim Wilkerson wins to a losing Mike Neff in Funny car while Kurt Johnson edges out Dave Connolly in Pro Stock. MSD fired all these guys to Wallys!

NHRA Final Round Results
Winners Class
"Hot Rod" Fuller Top Fuel
Tim Wilkerson Funny Car
Kurt Johnson Pro Stock

SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals

Ray — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

The results are in from the Las Vegas NHRA Nationals. Cory McClenathan defeats recent Houston winner Antron Brown with a 4.65 to 4.70 in the final. In the Funny Car division, Tim Wilkerson defeats Ashley Force with a 4.96 to her losing 4.99. And in the Pro Stock division, Jason Line takes his first win of the season over Greg Stanfield. Congratulations to all the winners.

Final Round Results
Winners	Class
Cory McClenathan	Top Fuel
Tim Wilkerson	Funny Car
Jason Line	Pro Stock

ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals

Ray — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

Tony Schumacher, Tony Pedregon, and Jeg Coughlin all victorious at the 39th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Tony Schumacher collects his 43rd victory in Top Fuel, and is now 9 short of all-time class winner Joe Amato with a 4.60 to 4.66 decision over Bernstein. In the Funny Car class, Pedregon Q Horsepower Impala came up on top to defeat Gary Densham in an extremely close match as Pedregon ran a 4.921, 315.21 to Densham's 4.924 309.13. And in the Pro Stock class, Jeg Coughlin runs a 6.652, 208.07 to 6.656, 209.10 over Jason Line. Congratulations to all the winners.

Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals

Edgar Mendez — 2008-08-04T14:54:00Z

The results are in from the 24th annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird Int'l Raceway. With a 4.53 at 327, Larry Dixon was able to win Top Fuel against Dave Grubnic. In the Funny Car division, Jack Beckman was able to take the win running a 4.868 at 320. And in the Pro Stock division, V. Gaines was able to take home his first Pro Stock victory in seven years. Congratulations to all the winners.

Final Round Results
Winners	Class
Larry Dixon	Top Fuel
Jack Beckman	Funny Car
V. Gaines	Pro Stock
Jimmy DeFrank	Super Stock
Toby Lang	Stock
Steve Williams	Super Comp.
Brad Pierce	Super Gas
Ryan Smith	Super Street

MSD and Racepack at Auto Sport 2008!

Ray — 2008-07-31T14:54:00Z

We were happy to skip over the pond to take in the AutoSport International Racing Car Show in Birmingham, England. Racepak had the rally racers and track day enthusiasts checking out the G2X and new IQ3 Data/Dash systems while we had inquiries on our Ignition Controls, Coils and spark plug leads (plug wires). This show is huge and similar to the PRI or Sema show here in the states. It was a great experience to learn about a variety of different engines, racing and the European gearheads. Special thanks to our European Reps, Charlie, Alain and Chris as well as Demon-Tweeks, GPR, Raceparts, Real Steel and Graham Goode.

NHRA Final Round Results
Winners	Class
Doug Herbert	Top Fuel
Tony Pedregon	Funny Car
Greg Anderson	Pro Stock
Hector Arana	Pro Stock Motorcycle