RacingJunk’s Top 10 Articles of the Year

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Buckle up, gearheads! RacingJunk.com is shifting into high gear to bring you our Top 10 Articles of the Year! These aren’t just stories—they’re adrenaline-packed pit stops filled with epic builds, killer tips, and event coverage that’ll make you feel the heat of the track. Whether you’re wrenching in your garage, dreaming of the winner’s circle, or just here for the tire smoke, this list is your backstage pass to 2024’s most jaw-dropping moments. So rev those engines and let’s burn through the highlights that made this year unforgettable!

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Let me tell you, there’s nothing worse than installing a beautiful engine you’ve just spent days or weeks lovingly rebuilding and reinstalling in your hot rod or strip burner and going to fire it up, only to find out that it either runs terribly or doesn’t run at all. What’s even worse is spending more time and effort determining that the why of it running terribly or not running at all is because you torque some bolts incorrectly, or didn’t torque them at all. Another horrible experience is getting it all back together and installed, only to have it fall apart on the street or track for the same reason – incorrectly torqued bolts or bolts that weren’t torqued at all.

In this article, I’m going to show you pictures of the patterns you should follow when torqueing certain parts on the most popular Small Block Chevy (327 and 350_ engines, 289, 302, and 351 Ford engines, and 318, 360, and 5.7-liter Hemi Mopar engines.

Full article HERE

Lebanon Valley Dragway in rural West Lebanon, NY was the site of NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series’ Division 1 race this past weekend. Unfortunately Newburgh, NY-based Top Sportsman competitor Bill Janke was fatally injured during Sunday’s eliminations on July 7th, causing the balance of competition to be postponed until Monday, July 8th.

Janke was racing his 2013 Chevrolet Camaro when the incident occurred. According to those at the scene, Janke’s Camaro flipped over the wall and the crash resulted in fatal injuries. The severity of his crash of course highlighted the risks all racers face in competition. Safety measures, while regularly updated could not stop Janke’s accident and his resultant death on this quarter-mile racetrack.

Full article HERE

While there were winners in this week’s PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals on the Virginia Motorsports Park drag strip, anything that occurred after the first round of Funny Car competition may take awhile to register with race fans. In the run between 16-time champion John Force’s Chevrolet Camaro SS driving in the right lane against Terry Haddock’s Ford Mustang, Force suffered an extreme engine implosion as he reached the timing lights to claim his win.
Full article HERE

Shocking news came down from Pro Media LLC today — the beloved NMRA Ford Nationals and NMCA Muscle Car Nationals will be no more. The company is ceasing operations on motorsports events starting in 2025. The announcement came days after the NMRA’s World Finals in Bowling Green Kentucky were impacted by Hurricane Helene. This is a huge loss for the drag racing and motorsports community. The NMCA has been around since 1988, and the NMRA since 1999. Losing these institutions is a blow to the grassroots racer everywhere.
Full article HERE

1968 Dodge Dart GTS Real deal big block 383 Know has a stroke 499 big block with 900 + HP on motor. Car has run 9.40s with a 150 shot of nitrous. Will run 9.70s on motor. Very original mint car that can show or race. Has original mint sheet metal Never cut or tubbed. I have all the original paperwork for this car and everything that's been done to it. I have tons of time and money into this car ,like a $140,000 + The is motor has $ 50,000 +into it. Very few runs on new motor . One of the fastest Darts that I've ever seen. This is a turn key car only will not Split. Not looking for any trades.
Full article HERE

When it comes to tuning a Holley carburetor the power valve has always seemed a mystery to many. But, once you know how power-valves work, it’s easy to select, troubleshoot, and install the right one for your application.

The power is a vacuum-operated fuel valve that is designed to enrich the fuel flow to the engine under varied vacuum conditions. It is located in the metering block, and opens at a set vacuum that is determined by the spring it contains. Depending on the spring in the power valve, this can occur at varying engine rpm and directs extra fuel into the carburetor’s main power circuit. The valve itself is a small rubber diaphragm with a small coil spring. When opened, it allows fuel to flow through the calibrated opening in the metering block (power valve channel restrictor). This restrictor determines the amount of additional fuel delivered to the engine.
Full article HERE

This isn’t just any Chevelle—it’s a jaw-dropping, top-notch build that’s been featured on the cover of a major magazine! Powered by a beastly 540ci engine with NOS, this Chevelle SS is a head-turner and a heart-stopper.

Every detail on this car is complete and meticulously crafted, making it the ultimate ride for collectors and muscle car enthusiasts alike.

Why wait to build your dream car when you can own this masterpiece for half the cost of a new build? Don’t just take our word for it—check out the pictures and see for yourself!
Full article HERE

It’s not rocket science. Sure, setting up ring and pinion gears can seem challenging, but it really is simple enough that anyone can do it—If they’re willing to pay attention to proper procedures. When setting up the positioning of a ring and pinion in any rear end, there are only two settings that need to be done/measured correctly to ensure proper gear setup and long gear life. These settings are:
* Pinion depth (how close the pinion is to the ring gear)
* Backlash (how close the ring gear is to the pinion).

Bearing preloads are equally important, but we’ll address those particulars in a later article. All we will be focusing on at this time is the actual setting of the gears.
Full article HERE

*Current cert 8.50 crmly cage with extra bars tied into torque boxes
*Wild rides torque boxes
*Glass out on rotisserie paint job-as clean as they get. Perfect
*Mike lough dart block 388ci. BR1 head $20k long block (this entire car/setup has 20 passes on it) all paperwork
*shearer fab A2W 2000hp intercooler
*forced inductions billet wheel GTR 102mm turbo
*custom hot/cold piping w/ gates and blow off valves
*fully built 3 speed th400 trans from Anthony apuzzo-Accurate transmission and
*custom fab. 8.8 rear end shortened 9in ends 40 spline strange axles/spool with 355’s anti roll bar/braced/control arm brackets
*full fire suppression system car/driver
*lightweight strange brakes 4 corners
*complete new wiring entire car. Still retains headlights,brakes lights, blinkers,horn, power windows….street legal
*controlled by Holley dominator with ALL the sensors for data and speedwire control panels
*lightweight keizer wheels
Full article HERE

John Force Racing took over the floor of the Performance
Full article HERERacing Industry (PRI) show in Indianapolis on Friday, December 13, 2024, with the announcement that Jack Beckman, winner of the NHRA’s In-N-Out Burger Finals, would continue in John Force’s PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS in 2025, after elevating the legend’s points standing from sixth to second in his eight-race 2024 campaign.