Hot news out of the 2024 PRI Show in Indianapolis is that BluePrint Engines has announced the formation of a specialist BluePrint Motorsports Division, focused specifically on race-ready engine packages.

BluePrint has been making factory-style replacement engines like the small-block Chevy since 1982, but those have been predominantly built for street cars.

“We’ve built performance crate motors for decades, but they’ve been designed more for the street, early and vintage muscle car, that kind of marketplace,” says BluePrint Engines Sales Manager Jason Bruce.

“We do know some of our motors are used in drag racing, so we’ve decided to really look at the motorsports market and come with up with Blueprint Motorsports,” he continues.

“Effectively, it’s a line of crate engines that will be more upmarket than our current motors, with a hotter cam, higher rpm [and so on].”

It’s not yet clear exactly what engines BluePrint will be offering under the new program, but one certainty is that they’ll be aimed at the entry-level racer.

“The grassroots-level racer is the foundation of all racing,” says Jason.

“The feedback we’ve had from drag racers specifically and into the bracket-racing community [is that] there’s blokes running 350s and 383s all day long, and others running the big 632 big-block Chevys, so trying to have the broadest offering to reach as many racers as we can is our goal.”

If you’re worried the program will only be for the old school-style small- and big-block mills, then don’t sweat it – BluePrint has new-age stuff in its sights as well.

“Our base development we’re starting now will cover your small-block Ford, Chevy, big-block Chevy and also the Gen III Hemi – so we’re not forgetting our Mopar buddies,” says Jason. “We have invested in our own LS block, a high-strength block [as well].”

The other key goal of BluePrint’s program is to offer off-the-shelf, ready-to-go racing motors thanks to its mass-production capabilities. “We build up to 15,000 engines a year, [and] when you have single engines being built by a shop, generally speaking, you would have an expert building that motor,” Jason says. “That expert is great, but their time is very expensive.”

“With a factory-type setting, we’re able to build an engine at scale so there’s a better supply, so you have availability if your engine goes down,” he continues. “We can supply engines much quicker, and you’re dealing with really good quality.”

BluePrint is taking feedback now in order to start the program in 2025-2026, so odds are we won’t see any engines for some time yet. When they do lob, local supply can be sourced through Eagle Auto Parts in Melbourne, which already offers a range of BluePrint crate motors as well as direct factory crateys, all of which can be found on Eagle’s website.