Have you ever heard of the School Of Automotive Machinists, or SAM? If you haven’t, and you’re interested in learning the intricacies of what it takes to construct a race-winning engine, maybe you should have a look-see at their website and Facebook page. The team at SAM has a unique curriculum designed to teach the finer points of what it takes to build race engines. With courses that cover engine block machining, short-block assembly, and cylinder head porting, all types of applications are covered during the classroom and hands-on sessions. In fact, the SAM team can be found at many of the NMRA and NMCA’s races with their shop cars, with proprietors Judson and Linda Massingil giving their students a top-shelf education into what it takes to be successful at the highest echelons of the motorsports industry.

Initially the Massingils had a performance engine building business, Northwest Engine Supply, but after realizing that many of the employees they were hiring ended up leaving to start their own shops, the pair decided to start SAM all the way back in 1985 as a training facility in the unique art of performance engine building. Today, their courses are designed to speed up the learning process for those interested in pursuing a career as a race engine builder.

Their graduates can be found throughout the industry, working for teams in NASCAR, NHRA, IRL, and CART, along with companies like Dart Machinery, Don Schumacher Racing, and Jon Kaase Racing Engines. Their single location in Houston, Texas, provides a location that’s conducive to year-round testing at the local racetracks, and their record-setting LSX Camaro has been at the top of the heap in the all-motor LSX world for some time. Their students get hands-on experience both at the track and in the classroom for an education that can’t be beat…literally. Check out their website if engine building is your thing.