For Steve Matusek, the intake manifold is one piece of a much larger puzzle. However, in the eyes of Matusek, this particular manifold is one very important piece.

Matusek, the driving force behind the Aeromotive brand and a soon-to-be NHRA GSA Pro Mod competitor, has a passion for performance which leads to a better understanding of the bullet he has loaded between the fenders of his innovative new Mustang.

“It just goes to exhibit what we know about racing in general; about cars, about performance. We understand it,” said Matusek, speaking of the Aeromotive research’s development department. “We build it. We live it. The intake is just one part of the equation. It was something we needed for the new car. We looked at having it done on the outside, but the amount of time it would take, and resources and we thought, you know what we can make one of these. We have engineers and machines and programmers and let's just make one and see how it works. So, that is what we are doing.”

For Steve Matusek, the intake manifold is one piece of a much larger puzzle. However, in the eyes of Matusek, this particular manifold is one very important piece.

Matusek, the driving force behind the Aeromotive brand and a soon-to-be NHRA GSA Pro Mod competitor, has a passion for performance which leads to a better understanding of the bullet he has loaded between the fenders of his innovative new Mustang.

“It just goes to exhibit what we know about racing in general; about cars, about performance. We understand it,” said Matusek, speaking of the Aeromotive research and development department. “We build it. We live it. The intake is just one part of the equation. It was something we needed for the new car. We looked at having it done on the outside, but with the amount of time and resources it would take, we thought… you know what we can make one of these. We have engineers, machines and programmers, let's just make one and see how it works. So, that is what we are doing.”

By no means has Matusek abandoned his Roush-Yates turbocharged engine program. Just the contrary, he points out, he’s contributing to the progress of a program which is growing at an impressive rate.
“It's going along real well,” said Matusek. “The motor you see there is the motor RoushYates built for us. We got that the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Basically, the rotating assembly, we defined what that needed to be. Because they're doing the Pro Stock deal, the crank, rods and pistons are a different combination than what we need. We're virtually twice the horsepower of a Pro Stock car; so we have to do things a lot differently. We have a lot more cylinder pressure. The bottom end is something we spec'ed out. But the valve train, the flow of the heads and valves and everything related to the top of the motor is theirs. What they've done so far, from what we've seen, is just unbelievable.”

"They don't understand our application. They don't understand the environment. In most instances they fail miserably. Since we live it, since we understand it, since we are solving problems; for us its not all about designing a fuel pump – it is about getting fuel into the engine. And, if you don't understand the parameters to do that, how can you design a fuel pump?”

Matusek is treading in uncharted waters with a great deal of his technology. The intake, while a major undertaking for Matusek’s team, isn’t the only project they have going on.

Since Aeromotive is in the fuel flow business, development of a new fuel pump is also underway. This is a matter of necessity for the team. Late last year, while testing the new car, Matusek realized their most efficient pump, while excellent for Pro Stock and nitrous Pro Modified applications, was not capable of handling the demands of blown and turbo applications.

They’ve been hard at work on a new 21 – 25 gallon per minute pump which will not only serve their needs but those of the growing nostalgia Nitro Funny Car movement. Noted NNFC racer Paul Romine has been instrumental in the development of the forthcoming pump.

“We knew we didn't have one,” admitted Matusek. “We knew there was a need for it. We are the type of company that, if we don't totally understand the application, we don't go off and just mimic someone else's product. Everything we make we design and everything we design we understand what the application is so that we design it around that application; so that we solve problems. Other companies, what they do is just knock off products. They'll see something that is a good seller and try to mimic or emulate it. A lot of times those companies, at least when they try to knock off our products, aren’t very successful because they don't understand the world we live in.

“They don't understand our application. They don't understand the environment. In most instances they fail miserably. Since we live it, since we understand it, since we are solving problems; for us it is all about designing a fuel pump – it is about getting fuel into the engine. And, if you don't understand the parameters to do that, how can you design a fuel pump?”

Matusek is convinced combining Aeromotive’s development and the professionalism of the Roush-Yates brand is a match made in heaven.

Just the professionalism displayed in Roush-Yates’s efforts is enough to assure Matusek, his team is on the cusp of the next level in Pro Modified racing before getting started.

The team is targeting the NHRA Gatornationals as their competition debut for the new engine program.

“We are going to do some testing in February. I am very optimistic,” said Matusek. “I have to tell you this engine we have is unbelievable. The dust covers for the exhaust ports. Typically you'll put duct tape on them when you shoot the motor. Roush/Yates, they made up aluminum billet plates, anodized them and lasered in their logos – just the dust covers. You pull the valve cover off the engine and every push rod, every rocker arm is numbered, color coded. The engine is a work of art. We are very confident this thing is going to be everything and more than we expected it to be. So, we're very optimistic about getting out next year.”

Even more exciting for Matusek is showing off their newly completed puzzle.

 

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