In the past, we’ve brought you plenty of engines that Keith Dorton and his son, Jeff, have had a hand in. They have ranged from interesting to outright wild and showcase the range of expertise possessed by the Dortons and their shop, Automotive Specialists.

However, if you only know them from those projects, you are missing out on what put them on the map: circle-track engine building. Keith Dorton’s start came from NASCAR powerplants, and then branched out. With such a high-level resume, it’s no surprise that his work is highly sought after and he is well-regarded within the world of engine building.

In this EPARTRADE Race Industry Now weekly webinar interview, Brad Gillie of SiriusXM Channel 90 Late Shift hosts a wide-ranging discussion with both Keith and Jeff. They discuss their path to arrive where they are now, as well as some of their projects ranging from the oval track to land-speed racing and chasing records. In today’s market, you see a lot of specialization, with shops spending their entire existence only working in one discipline or even on one specific engine family, the Dortons, as the shop name suggests, specialize in, well, everything.

When we say “wild” we mean it. This F-1R-blown, Ardun-headed Flathead is a crazy project we covered that came out of the Automotive Specialists stable.

The interview spans enough topics that you quickly realize that the Dortons don’t just take on any kind of challenge, but will do well at it, and more than likely set a record or two while doing it. Topping off the interview, viewers get a tour of what’s happening in the Automotive Specialists shop right now, including some of their current research and development projects that happen to be on the bench.

The insight into an industry icon — Keith Dorton — makes for an entertaining watch, so we suggest carving out enough time to watch the episode in full. Also make sure you are subscribed to EPARTRADE’s YouTube channel for more episodes of Race Industry Now, and head over to their site to connect with other industry professionals.