Horsepower Wars $10K Drag Shootout 2 Cars Badly Burned in Fire – Teams Vow to Rebuild

MURRIETA, CA —  POWER AUTOMEDIA’s wildly popular Horsepower Wars $10K Drag Shootout 2 suffered a massive blow as the four race cars cars were recently involved in a fire disaster during transport. The transporter that was hauling the $10K Drag Shootout 2 cars caught fire and the blaze engulfed the vehicles.

Three of the four $10K Drag Shootout 2 cars on the rig were damaged, but, most notably, the COMP Cams Dream Team’s Ford Mustang was totally destroyed while Team Bigun’s Ford Granada wagon’s entire front clip, including the engine and transmission, were scorched.

Within hours of the initial announcement, shock quickly turned into determination with a goal of rebuilding in time to race. However, once the full scope of the extensive damage was assessed, it became clear that it was more practical to push the race forward to Donald “Duck” Long’s “Lights Out” event in February 2020.

“There is a roller coaster of emotions when something like this happens. At first, you feel completely crushed not only for all the hard work that Power Automedia put into it, but the effort and dedication that these teams showed over the ten days they spent building these cars – time away from their families, plus all the time they spent planning leading up to the competition,” explained Scott Parker of Horsepower Wars. “That heartbreak, though, was replaced with the resilient and hopeful spirit of these dedicated racers.”

Despite being badly burned, it has been confirmed that the teams intend to rebuild and will be ready to race! It will be a monumental undertaking to get everything repaired, however, Horsepower Wars, the teams, and wonderful partners are committed to making the best of the situation for both the participants and the fans. The affected teams will rebuild their cars, and the fire will not be the end of the $10K Drag Shootout 2.

“It was discouraging to see the condition of the Dream Team race car after the fire,” said Dream Team’s Dave Henninger. “On the bright side, all the competing teams were on board to come together and fix all the cars. We will bring the car back to life to compete at the same level prior to the fire. The Dream Team is committed to showing the other three teams that we can rise up to any challenge, including this one,”

Similarly, Chad Reynolds of Team Bigun shared the same sentiment and determination to rebuild. “It’s legitimately heartbreaking because you spend ten days building this thing nonstop, putting in blood, sweat, and tears, and then a freak accident burns it to the ground.” Although his team’s car is crispy, they intend to stand proud in the face of adversity and are going to leave as much as possible of the burned parts intact. “I don’t know if it’s wishful thinking and we’re trying to be positive, but we’re not done. That son of a bitch is going to fly and we’re going to win the ten grand!”

Of course, the enormous undertaking to rebuild wouldn’t be possible without the blessing from Horsepower Wars. Fortunately, the focus has been turned to seeing what the teams can accomplish despite the adversity. Rather than simply cover the rebuild with a blog or video blog, the goal is to still allow the competitors to showcase their technical talents and determination as originally intended in a full episode, which hardcore racers and casual fans alike will surely appreciate.

“The amount of hard work and effort that these teams and sponsors have contributed was jaw dropping. Now, after the tragedy, they are willing to get back at it and rebuild. It really is amazing their commitment. What an incredible group of racers and builders…” said James Lawrence, Power Automedia’s CEO. “Quitting has never been an option for anyone involved in the $10K Drag Shootout, which gives teams a budget of $10,000 and a timeline of 10 days to build the fastest drag car possible. This setback will only serve as a temporary speed bump and not an insurmountable roadblock.”

The storyline has since shifted from a pure rivalry to more than just a competition – now, it’s about redemption and resurrection, with the validation of finishing the task at hand being a prize all will be able to enjoy (regardless of the ultimate overall outcome).

Out of respect for all involved, and for the amazing job that the competitors did to build their entries in the first place, the show must go on. While the scheduled race and final episode will be delayed, the remainder of the build episodes will air every Tuesday at 5:00pm PST/8:00pm EST as scheduled.

The Horsepower Wars $10K Drag Shootout was developed to showcase the “never say die” attitude where goals are relentlessly pursued, and this incident only further highlights the sheer skill and determination of the involved teams. To watch a video outlining the extent of the damage and the recovery plan, please visit http://bit.ly/35Gpv0g. For more information on Horsepower Wars and the $10K Drag Shootout, please visit HorsepowerWars.com.

MURRIETA, CA — POWER AUTOMEDIA’s exciting Horsepower Wars show has announced a partnership with Dana Aftermarket’s Victor Reinz Sealing Products has for its second season.

Without the support of Victor Reinz and others, it would not be possible to develop the Horsepower Wars shows. It’s the generous contributions of partners companies that enable the participating teams – and millions of viewers worldwide – to take part in the epic Horsepower Wars challenges.

“Victor Reinz is excited to serve as a premier sponsor of this year’s edition of Horsepower Wars, especially as we enter the 110th anniversary of Victor Reinz this season” says Beth Mooney, Senior Marketing Manager at Dana Aftermarket. “Our top-quality performance gaskets are a perfect solution for the demands that the competitors will place on these vehicles.”

Building a competition vehicle – especially under pressure – requires precision and reliable gaskets and sealants, and Victor Reinz’s products offer a history of outstanding performance. A number of Horsepower Wars’ teams used Victor Reinz’s products in their builds to ensure tight seals and no leaks.

Victor Reinz has been a leader in the industry since the Victor brothers invented the cylinder head gasket in Chicago in 1909. Supplying gaskets and sealing products to original equipment manufacturers for decades, Victor Reinz is also the world’s largest manufacturer of gaskets and sealing products.

To watch Horsepower Wars Season 2, please visit HorsepowerWars.com. For more information on the full line of products offered by Victor Reinz, please visit VictorReinz.us.

MURRIETA, CA — POWER AUTOMEDIA’s Horsepower Wars series features ProCharger Superchargers to add boost to an already supercharged second season. Millions of viewers around the globe followed the action of Horsepower Wars’ inaugural season, and the series’ return for 2019 was possible thanks to support from companies such as ProCharger.

Horsepower Wars features a variety of challenges that focus on specific areas of aftermarket performance and offer unique obstacles, such as the $10K Drag Shootout, Pony Wars, LS vs. Coyote Shootout, Junkyard Challenge, and more. The top-tier production combines with best-of-the-best talent to form a unique series.

ProCharger is a leading manufacturer of supercharger kits for street cars, trucks, SUVs, boats, race cars, and more, and can create horsepower gains up to 40-80% over stock. By watching Horsepower Wars, fans can see first-hand how easy it is to add a ProCharger supercharger system to take their own car’s performance to the next level.

“ProCharger superchargers deliver maximum horsepower, and we’re proud of being a sponsor of the Horsepower Wars series which is geared toward pushing the potential horsepower limits of modern-day engines and muscle cars,” said David Turner, ProCharger’s Marketing Director.

In the Pony Wars Shootout, the 2019 Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro teams chose ProCharger D-1X and P-1X Stage II supercharger systems in an effort to make more than 800 rear wheel horsepower.

To watch Horsepower Wars Season 2, please visit HorsepowerWars.com. For more information on the full line of products offered by ProCharger, please visit ProCharger.com.

MURRIETA, CA — POWER AUTOMEDIA’s Horsepower Wars series has officially teamed up with Lucas Oil Products for the show’s second season.

Companies like Lucas Oil Products are the key to Horsepower Wars’ success, as the show could not be produced without the support from industry leaders. Tom Bogner, Lucas Oil Products’ Director of Motorsports, had worked with the Power Automedia team in the past, and with so many great companies and race teams involved – including Summit Racing (a distributor of Lucas Oil Products) – it made sense for Lucas to get in on the action, too.

“This is a great way to be involved in a very interesting build with three separate teams, all having great following in the very popular Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, and Chevy Camaro American muscle market,” stated Bogner, who worked closely with all of the teams as they spec’d out their builds.

Manufacturing not only additives for engine assembly during the build phase, Lucas Oil also manufactures engine break-in oils, synthetic racing oils, and oils for standard passenger cars. “We had a great time interacting with Ron Mowen of Vengeance Racing and Chad Reynolds as they conducted their builds,” shared Bogner. “And how can you not enjoy time with Dennis Pittsenbarger and the bickering?” he added, laughing.

“Having a one thousand horsepower street car myself, I can relate to the challenges and really look forward to continued support of Horsepower Wars,” Bogner continued of the show’s strong relationship with Lucas Oil Products. As the days of a simple oil change are long gone, Lucas Oil understands that it’s important to have peace of mind when it comes to choosing the right oils to support engines that make big power – just like the teams involved in Horsepower Wars.

Lucas Oil currently manufactures all of the lubes that the cars participating in the various Horsepower Wars challenges need in order to run reliably, and successfully, in the harsh environments they’ll have to face in competition. A proudly family-owned company, Lucas Oil’s products are made in the USA and distributed worldwide.

To watch Horsepower Wars Season 2, please visit HorsepowerWars.com. For more information on the full line of products offered by Lucas Oil Products, please visit LucasOil.com.

MURRIETA, CA — POWER AUTOMEDIA’s innovative automotive series Horsepower Wars will be working with Toyo Tires as an official sponsor of the 2019 season. With millions of viewers clamoring for more Horsepower Wars action after a successful inaugural season, the next iteration of the show promises to be bigger and better than ever.

From Pony Wars – where a 2019 Mustang, 2019 Camaro, and 2019 Challenger square off, to the Junkyard Challenge, a competition of budget trucks built to compete in a series of extreme competitions, it’s going to be intense.

“We are proud to be a partner of Horsepower Wars,” said Marc Sanzenbacher, Senior Manager of Motorsports at Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “Pony Wars and the new Truck Challenge show provides us a great opportunity to showcase our Proxes RR and Proxes R888R tires for cars and Open Country tires for trucks. From the track to the dirt, we can’t wait to watch the competitors prove our performance, consistency, and durability.”

The Toyo Proxes line of tires are a favorite of performance enthusiasts, and deliver exceptional performance for the modern American muscle cars built by Chevrolet, Ford, and Mopar. All of the Proxes tires are an excellent upgrade for stock and modified vehicles. For trucks and SUVs, the Toyo Open Country line offers a wide range of products and fitments spanning from rugged to refined for off-road to on-highway driving. “These shows demonstrate how a vehicle can be made even better with aftermarket upgrades and a premium set of tires,” continued Sanzenbacher.

To watch Horsepower Wars Season 2, please visit HorsepowerWars.com. For more information on the full line of products offered by Toyo Tires, please visit ToyoTires.com.

MURRIETA, CA — POWER AUTOMEDIA’s hit motorsports series Horsepower Wars and world-leader in the fuel industry, VP Racing Fuels, have partnered for a superb second season.

Thanks to VP Racing Fuels’ support, the second installation of Horsepower Wars promises to be more action-packed than ever. VP’s high performance street and racing fuels are an integral part of Season 2, not only for making sure teams have the fuel they need to get their entries down the track and around the corners, but for putting all teams on a level playing field.

As the spec fuel of choice in many racing series, this is not unfamiliar territory for VP and care was taken to select specific fuels for each Horsepower Wars challenge. For the Junkyard Challenge, VP will supply 100-octane unleaded fuel to teams while C9 (95-octane unleaded) was the required fuel for Pony Wars. In the $10K Drag Shootout, teams were given the option to use either X85 (ethanol) or C16 (leaded race gas).

With so many of the quickest and fastest racers in the world already trusting VP Racing Fuels’ products to power their high-horsepower monsters, it made perfect sense for the company to continue its relationship with Horsepower Wars after signing on for the inaugural season.

Since its creation in 1974, VP Racing Fuels has dedicated all of its time and resources to becoming the world leader in race fuel technology. VP Racing Fuels carries a catalog of 70+ fuel blends and supplies them to a growing roster of VP-fueled champions across the entire spectrum of motorsports. In addition to its renowned racing fuels, VP also supplies traction compounds, performance chemicals, and specialty lubricants for racing use.

“Due to the huge success we noticed last year, we are proud to renew our involvement with Horsepower Wars and showcase the increased performance of the builds using our recommended fuel blends,” said Donato Bonacquisto, Director of Marketing for VP Racing Fuels.

Teams involved in the intense Horsepower Wars build-off and head-to-head challenges rely on VP Racing Fuels to help get the most from their engines when it counts. With proven power-making capability, reliability, and consistency all synonymous with the VP Racing Fuels brand name, there’s a reason that countless winners and champions all trust VP, too.

The world leader in race fuel technology, VP Racing Fuels is proud to supply all of the fuel needed to run the cars participating in each Horsepower Wars challenge – enabling millions of fans to follow along as the competition continues. VP’s products, including fuels specially formulated for naturally aspirated, turbocharged, supercharged, and nitrous oxide-equipped applications as well as methanol, diesel fuels, and small engine or RC/hobby fuels, are available to racers everywhere and distributors can be found worldwide.

To watch Horsepower Wars Season 2, please visit HorsepowerWars.com. For more information on the full line of products offered by VP Racing Fuels, please visit VPRacingFuels.com.

MURRIETA, CA —  POWER AUTOMEDIA has hired accomplished automotive writer Stephanie Davies as Senior Associate Editor of the Ford Group.

With seven years of published editing and marketing experience, and familiarity with multiple content management systems, Davies has worked hard to pursue her professional career in an industry she is passionate about. She brings with her a wealth of experience and a results-oriented attitude that produces tremendous results.

Throughout her motorsports career, Davies has demonstrated an essential skill set that made her the prime candidate for Power Automedia’s Senior Associate Editor, Ford Group, position including exceptional attention to detail, strong problem-solving ability, and excellent multi-tasking, organizational, and time-management skills. Davies’s ability to communicate clearly and effectively both to her teammates and to her readers has also enabled her to stand out as a top-tier producer.

Working with Power Automedia on a contract basis at first, Davies impressed her group so much that a permanent, full-time position was offered and she quickly accepted. “I’m so excited to be joining the team at Power Automedia full-time,” shared Davies. “Power Automedia has been at the forefront of automotive performance media and news for years, and as an enthusiast and racer myself, I feel beyond fortunate to be working with a team of people who ‘get it.’”

Prior to joining the Power Automedia team, Davies obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from New Jersey’s Rutgers University in 2013. Not long after, she was hired on at Source Interlink Media as an Associate Web Editor where she generated web and social media content for Super Chevy, Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords, Vette, GM High-Tech Performance, High Performance Pontiac, Mopar Muscle, and Circle Track.

“I had the pleasure of working with Stephanie at Source Interlink years ago, back when her Coyote Fox race car was still a daily driver and she was fresh out of Rutgers. It was clear how passionate she was for cars in general, and blue ovals specifically. Since then, she certainly hasn’t slowed down either. When you combine that sort of passion with storytelling, it generates an authenticity that readers can really connect with. Stephanie is going to do some great things in this industry, and I’m excited to have a first-class ticket on her journey,” added Scott Parker, Vice President, Content at Power Automedia.

Davies also spent four years working as the Communications and PR Manager at ROUSH Performance. She produced written content such as press releases, dealer announcements, catalogs, newsletters, blogs, and more – all of which helped to strengthen her robust journalistic skills.

Additionally, Davies had freelanced at Power Automedia where she was involved in developing content for Ford Muscle and FordNXT Magazine, The Enthusiast Network (TEN), and ProMedia over the years while also being involved with several marketing campaigns for Ford, Infiniti, and Toyota.

Davies’s expertise with the Ford brand and its enthusiasts, combined with her outstanding writing ability and automotive industry experience, made her the perfect choice for the Senior Associate Editor, Ford Group, role at Power Automedia and she will undoubtedly elevate the role to new heights as she puts her unique touch on the content that is created under her watch.