Q&A:
Billy Godbold,
Comp Cams
CHP: How heavily is Comp involved in racing?
Billy Godbold: Right now, it's close to half of what we do and it's extraordinarily diverse.
CHP: Does what you learn on the track find its way to the street?
BG: There's tremendous trickle-down. It's wild. We've only got one team, and each person has a specialty. Race, OE, street...it's all the same team working on it.
CHP: Can you give us a specific example?
BG: The valve timing events of our Thumpr camshafts are almost identical to road-racing apps, especially 24-hour endurance racing.
CHP: Really? I thought the Thumpr was particularly designed for a "rumpity" sound.
BG: The reason we use that strategy is that drivers get tired and don't want to shift, so this cam lets the car pull if it's a gear high in a turn or a gear low on a straight. You get an early torque peak and a long, gentle fall-off. It's more fun to drive.
CHP: Tell us a bit about designing camshafts.
BG: Mine is the first generation that did cams with a Spintron. Before, we did it by the seat of our pants, on the dyno, and tried to imagine what's going on. With a Spintron, we can see where issues are. It lets us know exactly where we're getting in trouble.
CHP: Any parting words of wisdom?
BG: There's nothing wrong with not being able to afford everything at once. You just need to have a plan, the what, where, and how, to create an awesome street combo.
Comp Cams has been hard at work on its Thumpr line of retrofit hydraulic roller and hydraulic flat-tappet camshafts, which are designed to sound off with a lopey idle but maintain a wide, torquey powerband. The cams now come in three versions: Thumpr, Mutha Thumpr, and Big Mother Thumpr, as pictured here. Comp has also introduced a new line of CNC-machined aluminum roller rockers, Ultra-Gold aluminum, which will clear up to a 1.650-inch-od valvespring. We also checked out a couple of Comp's trick new Lightweight Tool Steel retainers, which are only 2-4 grams heavier than titanium but cost half as much.
Lunati rounded out its popular Voodoo line of cams with a new solid flat-tappet version, and has been hard at work creating improved springs and other valvetrain components to work with these popular 'sticks. Three new solid lifters were created to go with the new cams--all are micropolished, which Humphrey says reduces the friction at this vital contact point. And of course, you can't miss Lunati's new Voodoo roller rocker arms, which the company says have a larger bearing and trunnion for improved durability, load capacity, and stability. The roller-tip shaft is secured with an internal C-clip to guard against failure.
Isky was already making solid roller LS cams, and now has multiple new hydraulic roller 'sticks to go with them. These guys have been hard at work on this side of the street, creating new lifters, pushrods, and traditional and B-Hive valvesprings, as well as machined steel locks retainers, and locators.