We met up with Mike Horak, powertrain director at Mercury Marine, who couldn’t wait to tell us about the new crate engine series that Quicksilver is ushering in to dirt track racing this year. “This is a great new series that involves our 357 and 383 crate engines and a couple of the General Motors crate engines,” said Horak.

Quicksilver’s 357 Circle Track engine with the Quicksilver Street Stock Performance Series logo in the background.

“The details are still being worked on but here is the basics. It is a traveling Street Stock series between five tracks that will run from March to November,” he added. “These tracks are in the Tennessee area, and Clarksville will be one of those tracks.”

From a quick look at the rough outline of the rules, the GM 602 crate engine will be allowed to run with the two Quicksilver dirt track engines. If a competitor opts to run the 357 engine, he is given a 200 pound weight advantage. The Quicksilver 383 and GM 602 will operate under the same rules. 

Quicksilver’s 383 Circle Track engine.

The sealed engines will be inspected to ensure that the factory seals have not been tampered with. The emphasis will be on fair, safe competition. VP Race fuels is the official fuel for the series and there will be penalties for illegal fuel.

A Hoosier H-500 tire has been selected as the spec tire for the series. No grooving of the tires is allowed. Steel bodied shocks without Schrader valves and not adjustable at the track will be required on all four corners.

The series will have more rules to follow. Find out more about the Quicksilver dirt track racing engines and the Quicksilver Street Stock Performance Series at Quicksilver Products.