RPM Magazine September 2023 Teaser

STRAIGHT-WEIGHT PERFORMANCE

HIGH PERFORMANCE MINERAL DRAG RACING OIL

Mineral based engine oil designed to enable maximum power while providing ultimate protection under the most severe race conditions.

• Unique friction modifier system enables maximum power output

• “Stay-in-place” chemistry and 2X Zinc anti-wear system provide lasting protection

• High quality base stocks enable effective ring seal

• Advanced, proprietary additive system keeps your engine clean

• Designed to prevent separation caused by fuel dilution

• Available in 50WT, 60WT & 70WT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.............................................................. CHRIS BIRO EDITOR@RPMMAG.COM

V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS TRISH BIRO TRISH@RPMMAG.COM

E VENT MEDIA ..................................................EVENTS@RPMMAG.COM

E VENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR SHERRIE WEBER SHERRIE@RPMMAG.COM

ART DIRECTOR ............................................................ JIM MCHARG

PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRIBUTIONS: MARK GODRAGRACING. ORG, GEORGE PICH, MATT WOODS, LOUIS FRONKIER, BLAKE FARNAN, JERRY GARRISON, NEIL ZIMBALDI, EDDIE MALONEY, WES TAYLOR, STEVEN TAYLOR, DAVID GATES, AND ANDREW RADIOTIS

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: CHUCK SCOTT, MARK GODRAGRACING.ORG, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, GEORGE PICH, JAY MISENER, EDDIE MALONEY, WES TAYLOR, AND SCOTT FORBES

TECHNICAL WRITING CONTRIBUTION: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TIM BIRO AND JAY MISENER

RPM Magazine is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK of Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. RPM Magazine is a worldwide motorsports publication distributed online.

To subscribe to RPM go to www.rpmmag.com or email Trish Biro at trish@rpmmag.com, or call 519752-3705.

The focus of RPM is to bring a diverse mix of high performance street and race automobiles to life within its pages including race cars, muscle cars, hot rods and street legal machines with an emphasis on the “EXTREME,” including fast doorslammer and outlaw forms of drag racing. Not familiar with these types of cars? They are considered to be the top-shelf of the industry and are on the edge with regard to design, performance, and power!

RPM Magazine does not sell its mailing list or share any of the confidential information regarding its subscribers.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT

TRISH BIRO........................... 519.752.3705....... TRISH@RPMMAG.COM

S PECIAL EVENTS MANAGER: CHRIS BIRO EVENTS@RPMMAG.COM

S PECIAL EVENTS SALES: TRISH BIRO: 519-752-3705 TRISH@RPMMAG.COM

SUBSCRIPTIONS/ADDRESS CHANGES: CIRCULATION CIRCULATION@RPMMAG.COM

G ENERAL INQUIRIES: 519.752.3705 INFO@RPMMAG.COM

RPM Magazine has been a world leader in motorsports publishing for 24 years and has support locations in Ontario, Canada, Alabama, Texas, and Virginia, along with contributing writers and photojournalists worldwide.

If you have a story that may fit within the focus and scope of RPM Magazine’s coverage, please email our Editor In Chief at editor@rpmmag.com. Submission of an article does not guarantee that it will be published.

Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. (RPM) / RPM Magazine IS NOT responsible for errors or omissions in ANY advertisement or article. Advertisements may be rearranged or altered at the sole discretion of RPM to allow the ad to fit in the space purchased by the advertiser.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY ADVERTISING WHICH WE CONSIDER TO CONTAIN MISLEADING, OFFENSIVE OR FALSE INFORMATION. REPRODUCTION OF ANY INFORMATION HEREIN IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT.

Many RPM readers were shocked to hear on July 18th that after 24 years of not missing a single issue (aside from the covid crazy month of May 2020), we were cancelling the August 2023 issue of RPM MAG. The decision was made due to the sudden heart attack of one of our key team members.

As published in that Press Release; “This was not a difficult choice due to our relationship with those we work with as our primary focus is always on the health and wellness of them all. While the prognosis is positive at this point, time is needed for recovery and the last thing anyone needs is the stress of production

Thank You!

It is said that tomorrow is promised to no one, and nothing drives home that message more than a heart attack.

Frankly, many decades of long work hours, little sleep and living on cigarettes and coffee was bound to have serious consequences some day. That day, for me, was July 17, and even then I was in denial.

Thanks to the insistence of my wife Tracy and Trish Biro, I reluctantly agreed to what I expected would be a relatively brief trip to the Emergency Dept., where it was quickly determined that I was suffering a heart attack. I won’t go into the details of the following week, suffice to say it wasn’t the most pleasant experience, but it was a wake-up call. I no longer take tomorrow for granted.

I’d like to take this opportunity to extend my deepest and most heartfelt gratitude for all your kind words and best wishes for my recovery. I can’t thank Trish and Chris Biro enough for their unconditional support and motivation throughout a very challenging

during that process.”

At this time we’d like to thank not just our RPM readers, but all those who reached out to RPM and Jim directly to support him during such a difficult time. The understanding and compassion exhibited by all was overwhelming!

Jim is no ordinary man, he’s the genius designer behind the high performance art you see each month in RPM and we simply would not be the magazine we are today without him. To say we are happy to have him back, better and stronger than ever is an understatement, and we wanted to provide Jim with this space to express his thoughts about the experience.

week. They went above and beyond, going as far as to suspend the publication of this magazine for a month to allow me to recover.

It’s rare to find such caring, sincere and genuine people in this day and age and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have them as an extended family - they are more than mere friends. Not only did they pull out all the stops to comfort and encourage me, they were instrumental in providing much needed emotional support and reassurance to my wife, who otherwise would have had to struggle through the situation alone.

They deserve most of the credit for making things so much easier for both of us. I’m rested and recovered, and can’t wait to roll up my sleeves with a renewed commitment to the publication I love almost as much as the folks who created it.

So, as you read this issue, keep in mind that it the result of almost 25 years of hard work and dedication by two of the finest people I know.

Thank you everyone - here’s to an amazing tomorrow.

Jim McHarg

Story: George Pich Photos: Robert Richard

Jim Betz is certainly no stranger to fast cars and horsepower.

As far back as he can remember he has always had an attraction towards power and speed – his uncle Lloyd would always be working on his ’70 Maverick under a Sycamore tree in his yard, wrenching on the engine, changing the transmission or something to make

it faster. A few years later, Jim’s brother would pick up a 1970 Ch evelle SS 396 car and soon, with Jim’s help, would swap it out to beefy small block to go racing.

By 1981, Betz was ready for own hot rod and snapped up Z28; “The town I grew up in a small airport that was hardly ever used and they would open up a few times a year, I guess would call it grudge racing,” he plained. “Even then I knew I want ed to race, but unfortunately pocket book would not let me. regret even today, selling that car.”

Jim’s Chwith to a racing. his up a had hardly open it you exwantmy me. I car.”

Jim wanted the car to be all steel and still look like a street car, which adds to the complexity of the build, but the results are top-shelf.

A Man With A Plan… B

With life in full swing, Jim started a family and went to work, only to be laid off in the early 90s, and oddly enough, this was a life changing experience for Betz. “My wife suggested buying a truck and the rest is history.” So successful was Jim in the business of trucking that he sold his first company in 2001 to a group of gentlemen that included a famous baseball player and shortly thereafter started Hard Drive Express, Inc.

Show Them Your Taillights.

GenX® 260 square port GM LS7 cylinder heads from Trick Flow are your best choice for several reasons. The A356-T6 aluminum castings feature more material for increased rigidity and strength. Valve angles and port locations work with existing LS7 intakes and pistons. Modular billet aluminum rocker arm mounts enhance valvetrain stability and are removable for shaft rocker setups. CNC Competition Ported runners deliver maximum airflow. Plus there’s clearance for 3/8" pushrods and through-deck coolant holes that fit all GM LS gasket and block combinations. So take advantage of the huge power GenX 260 heads make and get ready to show your opponents your taillights.

Your Recipe for GM LS Performance!

New heads are just one component of the horsepower recipe. To make it complete, you’re going to need some more ingredients.

Track Max® Camshafts

Give your GM LS an even bigger power boost with a Track Max camshaft. Available in several hydraulic roller designs up to 230°/238° duration and .625"/.625" of lift, they are dyno proven to produce significant power increases over the entire RPM range.

Active Fuel Management and Variable Valve Timing Delete Kits

The problem: most performance camshafts don’t work on engines equipped with AFM or VVT. The solution? Ditch them with these delete kits! They include everything to completely remove AFM and VVT the right way so your engine will make the power you expect with no hiccups.

Cylinder Head Bolt Kits

Keep combustion where it belongs! These high-quality cylinder head bolt kits provide consistent clamping force. The bolts are made from premium quality alloy steel with cold-formed heads and rolled threads. The kit contains all the bolts you need to install a pair of heads.