Competition Cams, Inc., often styled as COMP Cams, is a specialty performance automotive aftermarket, motorcycle, and kart parts manufacturer. The company has five US locations including headquarters in Olive Branch, Mississippi.
 | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive aftermarket |
| Founded | Memphis, Tennessee, USA (1976) |
| Founder | John McWhirter, Ivars Smiltniks, Tom Woitesek, Bob Woodard |
| Headquarters | Memphis, Tennessee |
Key people | Chris Douglas, CEO & President[1] |
| Products | Automotive parts |
Number of employees | 100-250 (2004) |
| Parent | Industrial Opportunity Partners [1] |
| Divisions | Automotive Motorcycle Go-kart |
| Website | www |
History
editAlthough founded in 1976,[2] Competition Cams wasn't incorporated until 1977, when it began by selling valve train products through satellite distribution stores. The company has acquired manufacturers of transmissions, electronic fuel injection, and nitrous oxide systems through its holding group, COMP Performance Group, consisting of 13 companies.[3]
In the late 1980s, the company contributed to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), and its annual trade show in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Competition Cams was started by John McWhirter, Ivars Smiltniks, Tom Woitesek, and Bob Woodard. Former owners, Ron Coleman and Paul Brothers were inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 2000 and 2005, respectively.[4][5]
In January 2020, Competition Cams was acquired by private equity group Industrial Opportunity Partners.
Industry contributions
editCOMP Cams created the "Spintron" engine testing system, which uses an electric motor to drive a dummy engine outfitted with high-speed sensors and cameras to record data about the valvetrain dynamics.[6] The test observes valve-spring seat pressure, coil dynamics, camshaft and pushrod flex, and lifter movement to identify problems in the engine's performance.[7]
A partnership between Richard Childress Racing, Okuma, and COMP Cams was established to develop the process for grinding camshafts for NASCAR engines, with an Okuma GC34NH cylindrical grinder; a CNC grinder.[8]
COMP Cams developed the process of ion nitriding for camshafts, or Pro Plasma Nitriding.[9] This is a 36-hour process that uses pulsed nitrogen plasma in a vacuum controlled environment to embed chains of nitrogen ions into the camshaft surface approximately .008” - .010” deep, significantly hardening the surface.[10]
COMP Cams also developed a new surface finishing process called Micro Surface Enhancement (MSE).[11] By removing peaks from the surface finish (speaking in nanoscale terms), it improves bearing surface performance and life span of camshaft lobes and bearing journals.[11] The appearance of this new process is somewhat reminiscent of the development of superfinishing in the 1930s in the respect that a new metalworking process for surface finish improvement was developed in the quest for better shaft life span in automobile engines.
Sponsorship
editCompetition Cams does not sponsor a NASCAR team directly, but has access to advertising through a deal with NASCAR where the COMP Cams contingency sticker is placed on every NASCAR race car.[12] Contingency sponsorship is a common form of 'after the fact' sponsorship whereby racers place stickers on their vehicles from companies that post monetary awards to racing teams for winning, in exchange for visibility and the right to use images of the driver and their car in promotional literature and advertising. Similarly, COMP Cams also posts contingency awards to drag racers and various other classes of auto racing.
References
edit- ^ "F-150 Lightning Named Truck of the Year; Edelbrock Names Chris Douglas President, CEO". Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). 2022-12-15. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
- ^ "Competition Cams Inc. - Private Company Profile". Business Week. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
- ^ "COMP Performance Group". Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- ^ "SEMA Hall of Fame - Ron Coleman, 2000, Competition Cams". www.semahof.com. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
- ^ "SEMA Hall of Fame - Paul "Scooter" Brothers, 2005, Competition Cams, Inc." www.semahof.com. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
- ^ Magda, Mike. "What is a Spintron and How Does It Work?". blog.trendperform.com. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
- ^ Steele, Lance (2007-06-01). "High Technology Helps COMP Cams Deliver Performance". Off-Road Business. Advanstar Communications. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
- ^ Lorincz, Jim (2008-09-01). "NASCAR Is All About Teamwork". Manufacturing Engineer. 141 (3). Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
- ^ COMP Cams (2018), "Pro Plasma™ Nitriding", COMP Cams website, retrieved 2018-04-11.
- ^ Fisher, Rob. "Engine Lubricants - Solving The Flat-Tappet Puzzle". Circle Track. Interlink Media. p. 3. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
- ^ a b Korn, Derek (2018-04-01), "Evolution of performance camshaft grinding, finishing", Modern Machine Shop, 90 (11): 68–75, retrieved 2018-04-11.
- ^ "Contingency stickers fill front fenders and help with bottom line". ESPN. 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2008-09-29.