Ty Majeski’s Milwaukee Mile Winning Engine Under Scrutiny

Update: A previous version of this story referenced a rule about intakes needing to remain stock but thats entirely in reference to the SSPE engine.

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As a matter of due diligence, the ASA STARS national Super Late Model series sent the intake manifold from the McGunegill Engine Performance power plant on the No. 91 car driven to Victory Lane by Ty Majeski on Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile to an independent auditor for additional analysis.

There was a bit of a technical dispute before the race on Sunday with teams pointing to Majeski, Toby Nuttleman and company using an engine that had its intake powder coated black. Technically, there are no rules in the Sealed Engine Alliance Leaders (S.E.A.L.)  guidelines that specifically prohibit coating.

This intake was coated by MEP several years ago as it was presented that way to the industry at a Performance Racing Industry trade show.

The engine has also been used at various points since that PRI presentation by Majeski and the No. 91 team and this was the first time it had been used since a recent refreshing by MEP.

While tech was cleared at the track on Sunday night, ASA STARS did send the intake for additional analysis and series promoter Bob Sargent says the team and engine builder would be subject to penalties should any improprieties be found.

“We dealt with a situation over the weekend where the intake on a sealed engine was painted black and we sent it for review over any potential performance advantages,” Sargent told Short Track Scene. “Because it’s not in the rule book that you can’t have a black intake, and because it’s not in the SEAL guidelines approved by officials from around the country, there was no cause for disqualification. But we have confiscated the part and sent it off for additional review.”

McGunegill had been warned in the past by S.E.A.L. representative Ricky Brooks over the intake. Brooks determined that it was not specifically disallowed by the S.E.A.L. guidelines but he did not personally want to see one coated at a track again. Engine builder Dewaine McGunegill says only three of his engines was coated in such a manner for the trade show, two of them were in the field on Sunday at Milwaukee, and another one is being raced in California.

Ultimately, the decision to not disqualify Majeski and the No. 91 team over the weekend came down to the engine not previously being disqualified in the past.

McGunegill has accepted responsibility for the incident.

“I take full responsibility,” McGunegill told Short Track Scene. “It was a fairly last minute decision for them to race that engine and they asked for a refresh and asked how quickly we could turn it around. I didn’t put a lot of thought into the coating and I should have. Is there a horsepower difference? No. Is there a competitive advantage? No. It’s not a thermal coating and they were only made this way for PRI and wanting to make sure they looked as good as possible on the floor.”

McGunegill says it’s really challenging to find a Ford intake and they’ve started porting their own. As a result, they do not look as good as McGunegill would want on a trade showroom floor and that’s ultimately why the three pieces were coated to begin with.

Earlier in the ASA STARS national season, Dan Fredrickson was disqualified after winning the Joe Shear Classic at Madison International Speedway for a 1″ carburetor spacer with the rules allowing only a 1/2″ maximum — the subject of a December rules change.

That was specifically in the rule book, where again, the coating of an intake is not specifically written.

The pushback and criticism is also something McGunegill says he empathizes and sympathizes with.

“I understand their questioning it,” he said. “Those rules have been controlled by the sanctioning bodies. They were presented by RJ (Scott) and I do believe they need to be in the rule book that they can’t be coated. That’s a lesson that I think we’ve all learned.”

Sargent has expressed a desire to refine the rule book before next season with the intent to address some potential gray areas like this one or over ABC body regulations. That could also mean needing to work closely with Brooks, who also operates the SRL National series, over changes to the rule books or the continued usage of the SEAL rules in ASA competition.

Right now, Brooks and Sargent do not have the healthiest of relationships from both a ASA/SRL or ASA/S.E.A.L. standpoint, but has said he is open to the conversation.

“There has always been a willingness, from the time I offered him a job, to today,” Sargent said. “I’ve always been all about a level playing field and a rule book that supports it.”

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