Beast – The Top Secret Ilmor-Penske Engine that Shocked the World
By Jade Gurss
In the mid-1980s, the United States Auto Club, sanctioning body for Indianapolis, tried to help “the little guy,” by instituting an equivalency formula for turbocharged engines that gave single-cam pushrod stock-blocks a displacement of 3.43 liters against the 2.65 liters permitted multi-cam racing engines. They also got 55 inches of turbo boost versus 45 for the multi-cammers. By 1993 those stock-block turbos had proven powerful and fast, but not very reliable, so USAC opened the rules hoping that aftermarket blocks might address the disparity. Instead, they opened the door to an entirely different result.
Roger Penske, Mario Illien and Paul Morgan of Ilmor Engineering took advantage of the new rules to design and construct a purpose-built pushrod engine just for Indy. The rush project, sequestered behind walls any secret organization would envy, required much midnight oil and other lubricants, but in the end turned out to be, as the title suggests, a Beast.
As unveiling time approached, Penske sold the idea to Mercedes-Benz whose name branded the new Beast, scooping victory in the 500 and tons of favorable publicity. Author Gurss tells the tale from the insider’s perspective, outlining all the preparation and execution, as well as USAC’s response to being beaten at its own game. As one of racing’s more riveting stories, it’s a tale not to be missed.
Available for US$29.95 from enthusiast bookstores or direct from publisher Octane at www.Octanepress.com
