New 2 cylinder GRM for 500 Runabout

[Rex Hall]

Now available, the new 440 two cylinder GRM is ready for delivery and has already proven itself a winner by winning the final 500R U.S. Title Series race in Pryor Ok. It won the third heat by over half a straightaway with only 4 laps of test time. There is a lot more to come after some serious testing. Very fast, with incredible acceleration, get your order in now.
Contact: Rex Hall, rexfordhall@aol.com

[Herbie]

Passing at Pryor-services are pending

Herbie says: Those of us that were at the USTS Race in Pryor witnessed the passing of an old friend, the 4 cylinder Koenig/Konney (30-40 year old technology) engine in 500R. Tim Small made a mockery of the field in the newly (Rex Hall/Giuseppe Rossi) designed 440 GRM engine.

This event reminded us all of the passing of the 2 cylinder 250 Yamato in 1997when World Class Racing imported the first GRM into in USA (Chris Hellsten driving 250R). That little engine(the first time out) set a 1 1/4 record at Lake Alfred which as per the APBA site still stands. That same year Chris also won the National Championship in 250R. These events saw the beginning of the changing of the guard in PRO Racing.

[bill van steenwyk]

Don't nail the coffin lid shut just yet.........

The two cylinder, horizonal opposed firing design is not new by any means. All you have to do is look back to the Johnson SR, KR, PR, and in 4 cyl design, the 4-60 racing engines to see the genesis of the current crop of successful PRO racing engines. These designs date back to the 1930's, and possibly even before. Even the 4 cyl designs claimed to now be obsolete are nothing more than two 250 or 350CC engines of this design mounted one on the top of the other. The basic design and firing order i.e both cylinders on the same plane firing together, remains the same. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

As an example, the Rossi engine you describe as putting the Yamato 250 "to bed" was the same basic design as the Yamato it displaced, with the major differences being porting, and induction design (reeds versus piston port on the early model Yamato's) but they were both the same basic 2 cyl, horizonally opposed, both cylinders firing at the same time design, as the afore mentioned Johnson racing engines from the 30's.

Not to say that present porting, both intake and exhaust, cylinder head design, expansion chamber development, and computer controlled ignition systems have not taken that basic design to the current state of the art, but the basic design goes back many, many years. Rossi and Rex are to be congratulated on the improvements that have been made, but limitations on piston speed and other impediments may again give rise to multi-cylinder screamers that will do to these engines what they have done to many of the 4 cylinder designs.

Another factor that may have effected current design (larger displacement, smaller total number of cylinders firing at the same time, and horizonally opposed) can certainly be laid to the smaller courses of less overall length that are prevalent now to keep speeds down. The same trend was popular in two stroke F-1 bike racing (before the manufacturers went all four stroke)in the premier class with the so called "Big-Bang" engines.

Remember, the engines you say are now obsolete have ruled the roost against all comers for the length of time you mention. That is no small accomplishment. It will be very interesting for those interested in two stroke engine design to see what comes forth in the next 30/40 year period, or if the reciprocating piston design, no matter how laid out, is superceded by something else.

[raceright]

Herbie says: Those of us that were at the USTS Race in Pryor witnessed the passing of an old friend, the 4 cylinder Koenig/Konney (30-40 year old technology) engine in 500R. Tim Small made a mockery of the field in the newly (Rex Hall/Giuseppe Rossi) designed 440 GRM engine.

This event reminded us all of the passing of the 2 cylinder 250 Yamato in 1997when World Class Racing imported the first GRM into in USA (Chris Hellsten driving 250R). That little engine(the first time out) set a 1 1/4 record at Lake Alfred which as per the APBA site still stands. That same year Chris also won the National Championship in 250R. These events saw the beginning of the changing of the guard in PRO Racing.

herbie---your view is a little offff
4 cylinder 500's are still the engine of choice --not meaning to take away from Tim as his skills are the best,I believe if not for a blown unit we would have chased him down--We won the second heat and also the first but all had jumped except Tim SOOO the future will remain to be seen. We and Rex will be running 500 four cylinder Rossi's on capsule's next season and remember at Depue nationals the two cylinder 500's were not there.

The speeds of the 500's weather runabout or capsule if someone gets a great start it real hard to run them down in 4 laps.

So Like 8 other's at Pryor you have jumped the Gun
But time will tell.

Pat Wright Owner N611 500 runabout USTS 2011 Champion
Jim co owner Brian Payne Driver

[raceright]

Wheres First and Second

[fourblade50]

i agree with pat. the yamato 250 was still competative well into the 2000's. mike krier won 250r at the nationals in 2001 with a yamato 250. the 440 is an excelent engine but i dont think it will outshine the 4 cylinders.

[Rex Hall]

440 two cylinder

What you have to realize is this was the first time the motor was in a race, and with very little testing. Right out of the box, it was as fast as the 4 cylinder motors, with more punch. Tim started next to last in the first heat and passed all but Bryan Payn, who had jumped the gun. By the 3rd heat we had the jetting better and he won by a considerable margin, and with testing and set up, I am sure there is more to come. The 4 cylinders have been running for years and have setup, prop, and jets pretty welll figured out, and the reason the 440 was not at Depue, was it was still being developed. It will run the full season next year, so, time will tell, but if I were a betting man, I would get my order in now.

[Danny Pigott]

Sorry Rex but all you are doing is killing the class, this has been going on from the 50's when the Koing came along the Merc's went away an so on. Who do you think is going to buy a 8,000 dollar eng. to run 6 races a year at best. I have two 500 Konigs that could run but why would i do this to not even be in the race. I'am sorry but Pro seems to be killing it self. You need a 3 year rule on engines at least, we don't have the high dollar teams that we once had to buy these motors. Why not run what you have for a few years

[HydroKyle93R]

Killing the class? Didn't your mother ever tell you: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all.

Rex, sorry to butt in. Good luck with this new motor. The GRM would be my motor of choice if I were to get into alky stuff.

[raceright]

Everyone is right--even Konny is working on new design simiular to Rossi and VRP but with Fuel Injection .
If anything changes in the 500,700 1100's the rotary valve will be the most missed. But jetting from site to site is often why carbed engines run good some times and not so good at other times.

But the 4 cylinder is far from dead--I mean I do not think Rex or Jim Mckean are going to put 2 cylinder 500's on there hydro's are they???

[Rex Hall]

2 cylinder 500 motor

The new 440 GRM was never intended for use on a capsule boat, it was built only for 500 runabout and is not trying to get rid of the class but to give racers with 350 boats a motor that would make them competitive without buying a complete outfit. They are competitive in price with the Konny motors and would be cheaper to run and maintain, half the cylinders, half the parts. They are much lighter and handle better than the 4 cylinder motors. It is called progress, just as every new motor built is slightly better than the existing motors currently available. This motor can make racing more affordable.

[Bruce D. Johnson]

Innovation

I Love it! "Innovation" This is what makes Pro Racing so much fun. It's still the machanic and engine builders division. Good stuff.

[Tim Weber]

Rex,

Just curious, the 440 is a punched out 350, or are the cylinders completely different?

Great class to watch, nothing like a full field of 500's lining up at Depue.

Tim

[David Weaver]

Innovation and Longevity

Kudo's to Rex, et al. for developing an engine for the customer!! But, do not write off the rotary valves yet. There are others working to push that technology further. We all benefit from GRM, VRP, Konny and the many others innovating, experimenting and tweaking. Engines must run fast and finish all the heats!!

Consider the legacy of the 4 cylinder 500cc and 700cc Konig/Konny engines. These have been evolving since the 1970's. Improvements have occurred in exhaust, ignitions, porting, carbueration, heads (compression) and cranks. Quite a success story.

PRO racing has a long legacy of innovation and I hope it continues to drive the sport. Affordability is always a consideration, both upfront cost and maintenance costs. Let's hope that the US dollar regains its strength and all will be more affordable!

[Rex Hall]

440 twin

Tim

The 440 GRM motor is a completely new design and has its own crankcase, crank and cylinders. It is not just a punched out 350.