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| Features |
| Industry Insider: P1 Engines Growing Into National Force |
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To be successful in karting, you have to come to grips with three aspects of the equation: driver skill, chassis adjustments, and engine power. Throughout the country, there are countless engine ‘builders’ who have made a name for themselves - from the local level up to the national events. With today’s restrictive rules, the engines in most of the categories seem to be putting out the same amount of power, so finding that certain something to squeeze out that extra tenth or keeping the speed consistent throughout the weekend are key factors to finding your way to the top of the podium. One engine guru who is making a name for himself these days is Jesus Vasquez at P1 Engines out of Southern California.
Vasquez began in karting in early 1996 at the age of 15, working at the Adams Kart Track (now Adams Motorsports Park) in Riverside, California. Jesus worked with the facility’s karting school and helped everywhere else from track maintenance to registration, the snack shop, team manager and the lead school instructor all the way to the kart shop manager. In 2003, Vasquez went to work for Luis Martinez (Position One Motorsports) as a personal driver coach, engine builder and chassis tuner for his son - Luis Martinez Jr. The 2005 season was their most successful run, as Luis and Vasquez combined to earn three IKF Region 7 championships, two Cal State Championships and four IKF Grand National victories. Through his time at Position One Motorsports, Vasquez developed the ‘P1 Engines’ brand as they expanded to drivers in the California region. Housed inside the Position One shop, P1 Engines continued to find success and expanded across the country. Martinez helped guide Vasquez when he took over the ownership of the new company to go out on his own. Now, P1 Engines is one of the top leading engine service centers in the United States.
 | Vasquez with Troy Adams and Pat Hansen (Yamaha of America) from the 50th anniversary of the Adams Kart Track - Jesus was an honored guest
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
Prior to the end of the 2010 season, P1 Engines moved from its former Position One Motorsports location to a new home in Fontana, California. The new shop puts P1 Engines just three minutes from California Speedway and the CalSpeed Karting facility, allowing Vasquez to better support his local customers and execute on-track testing on a more regular basis.
P1 Engines currently services two-cycle single-speed type engines. The quickest style and most popular sent to P1 Engines are the TaG (Touch and Go) engine packages (IAME Parilla Leopard, Motori 7, Vortex Rok TT and the PRD). Vasquez has found much success and is stacking up the results in the category all across the country, including WKA, IKF, SKUSA and Florida Winter Tour events. P1 Engines also services the Komet Piston Valve (KPV, formally known as HPV), Yamaha KT-100, and the Comer K80 powerplants.
There is a method to the success of P1. Vasquez follows the same procedure for each and every engine that makes its way to his workbench in Cali. A full inspection upon receipt of the engine and then direct contact with the customer is the first step of the service process. After getting a thorough cleaning to better inspect each component, old parts are replaced as the engine is rebuilt to P1 Engines standards. Each engine is done by Vasquez himself, as there are no other engine builders on his payroll, insuring the highest quality control you can have in the industry. After the rebuild is complete, the engine will go through a few break-in sessions on the in-house dyno before it’s put through multiple performance tests. Each engine is then delivered to the customers with a detailed invoice and its dyno sheet.
 | The P1 Engines shop is customized for excellence and superior service
(Photo: p1engines.com) |
P1 Engines also offers an engine rental program for those that need an engine for a one-off race or for anyone looking to improve their current engine program. And if you are looking to upgrade your engine accessories, such as clutches, exhaust systems, carburetors, spark plugs and more - P1 Engines has the most popular and successful products available.
“I’m a very competitive person, like many in the sport,” commented Vasquez. “When I raced, I got such a high from winning that when I stopped, it left a void. I found an even better rush while watching the engines I have built compete against some of the best in the industry. Racing for me is out of the question, so I truly invest a lot of time with my customers trying to win races because I love it.”
Vasquez’ trackside service helps P1 Engines stand out among the crowd of engine builders. In 2010, Vasquez attended roughly 30 events on the year from coast to coast, working with about 150 customers throughout the season. Watching Vasquez on the sidelines, you can see his enthusiasm as while watching his customers race.
“Getting to know the tuners and the different teams I have worked with has been great,” continued Vasquez. “I try to help in any way to get them and my engines to the front. I myself raced with a small budget, so I know what it feels like to be helpless at the track, so I use my experiences as the back-bone of my customer service.”
 | Miinch and Vasquez were co-winners of the IKF Lake Speed Achievement of Excellence in Karting award in 2008
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
One of the drivers who has been successful with P1 Engines is Taylor Miinch. The California driver earned the Lake Speed Achievement of Excellence in Karting award along with Vasquez following their performances at the 2008 IKF 2-Cycle Sprint Grand Nationals. The two also combined for the SKUSA SuperNationals XIII TaG Senior victory.
“Jesus taught me how to drive when I was four,” commented Miinch. “He is a great engine builder and he is always on the edge but fair. His motors are fast and I will never forget his support to help me earn five IKF Grand National wins, five IKF Screaming Eagle fast time awards, two championships and other assorted victories.”
Miinch is currently progressing up the motorsports ladder, racing in the Late Model division with Position One Motorsports. Another driver who has worked closely with P1 Engines is New Jersey driver Shawn Sharkey.
“Jesus is an awesome engine builder,” stated Sharkey. “He's extremely supportive, he's always at any event that we're at, and he can always be found when help is needed. When we switched to P1 a couple years ago, we were worried because WKA was one of our biggest series, and at that time he had no one else running there, but he still showed up to support us, and now he's even got a following in WKA. His motors are always up-to-date on rebuilds, and as you've seen, they are always towards the front. The results speak for themselves.”
The 2011 season will be another busy one for Vasquez with over 20 events already on his trackside service schedule, including the WKA Manufacturers Cup, Los Angeles Kart Club, Cal State Karting Series, and IKF events. P1 Engines showed well at the WKA Daytona KartWeek event at the end of December, starting the 2011 schedule, with two pole positions, two feature wins and 10 podiums for more than 15 customers in Florida. The upcoming season should another year of growth for the company and another successful one both on and off the track. |
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