Jeff Baldwin's engines are known for their unique sound. "Whether it's true or not, I don't know," said Baldwin, "but they say our engines sound different from our competitors."

Racers running rival engines hear the difference. "Everybody can tell what I'm running," said 52-year sprint car veteran P-Nut Campbell, whose Number 7c 410 winged sprint car is sponsored by Baldwin. "You hear mumblin,' and some are cussin' it, because it does run well."

Every year, Baldwin builds 85 to 100 turnkey engines in his 8,500-square-foot shop in Friedheim, Missouri, plus rebuilds, updates, and machine work for both racing and industrial customers. Most of his fresh builds are for circle track or demolition derby, what Baldwin calls "our heavy hitters, what we have in the shop all the time." Drag racing and street performance are also in the mix. Truck and tractor pulling, although "really big" 20–25 years ago, has rebounded in recent years.

How does Jeff Baldwin explain the unique Baldwin Racing Engines sound? "Attention to detail," he answered, plus attention paid to top experts in the field. Whether or not those things have enhanced the sonic quality of his engines, they have certainly contributed to his success.

GIVING AND GETTING

Baldwin built the 582-cid big block Chevrolet that was raffled at the 2024 PRI Show in the Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA) booth, as well as the 565-cid supercharged BBC for the 2023 Show. The raffle raises money for the Engine Rebuilders Educational Foundation (EREF). Baldwin is first vice chair of the AERA, which established EREF in 1997 to help qualified applicants pay for training in engine building and rebuilding. "AERA came to us two years ago and asked if we'd be interested," said Baldwin, "and obviously we agreed."

The specific engine built for the annual EREF Engine Giveaway is...

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