At the end of the 2016 NMCA season the Junior Pro Stock spilled onto the drag racing scene, and it’s scheduled for a full season of 2017 shootouts. For those unfamiliar with this new class; “This will be a bad ass, heads-up small block class that basically is anything you feel like putting together as long as it’s kept at a minimum 2,300 pounds and 401 cubic inches or smaller with no RPM limit,” announced Bob Book (one of the creators of the class) in a press release.

These naturally aspirated engines can be of any combination of GM, Ford or Chrysler powerplants and bodies, so LS-powered Mustangs, and Ford-Powered Camaros can irritate and subvert the brand loyalties of everyone within earshot of the track.

We stopped by Dart to see one of the first new offerings to accommodate the GM side of engines, Tony Mcafee explained; “This is pretty much the LS Next block, other than it’s an 8.800 deck height. Not only is it an 1.062-inch lifter, it’s got a .950-inch diameter wheel on it which smooths the cam profile out tremendously.”

This display engine featured a mix of parts to illustrate the different configurations it could be setup to run with. “One side of this engine it’s 400 ci Pro Stock, the other side is economy 400 ci Pro Stock, and these parts are top Sportsman 400, so this block will work in all three classes,” Mcafee explained.

“There’s lots of little things that we take for granted being in the racing industry. This is the first version of the 400 cubic inch stuff.