Kansas Ag Connection - Now That's Rural: Doug Thompson

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Now That's Rural: Doug Thompson - Kansas Racing Products
By: Ron Wilson, Kansas State University - 02/08/2010

Edgewater Sports Park, Cincinnati, Ohio. A new drag racing speed record has just been established, with a run of 8.56 seconds and a speed of 153.34 miles per hour. The racecar which set the record features a new type of engine block. And where was this automotive technology developed? Would you believe, halfway across the country in rural Kansas? Buckle up -- it's today's Kansas Profile.

Last week we learned that Doug Thompson is an attorney, a lifelong auto racer, and founder of the Kansas Auto Racing Museum at Chapman, Kansas. This week we will learn about the auto-related businesses in which he is involved.

Races are very exciting for fans and for the drivers, but of course, there are hours of work and preparation leading up to these races. There is also the time and money put in to traveling to the races themselves.

One day during one of the long drives to the next race, Doug was visiting with his crew chief. He started talking about an idea he had for a new type of intake manifold on his race car engine. It turned out that his crew chief's son had a master's degree in engineering, so they discussed how to design and produce such an improved product. They gave it a try, and it was such a success that it led to a business called Kansas Racing Products.

Doug Thompson began the company in 1996. Kansas Racing Products sells engine blocks, block parts, crankshafts, camshafts, and intake manifolds. These are high quality, high performance products designed for racing automobiles.

Kansas Racing Products created the unique design of their inline engine block for after-market, high performance racing applications. The original block design is based on the GM "Iron Duke" which later evolved into the Pontiac "Super Duty" engine block.

This product has been sold to such prestigious customers as GM Motorsports, for example. For more information, go to www.kansasracingproducts.com.

Doug Thompson is now involved in another new automotive venture called Grail Engine Technologies. Formed in 2009, Grail Engine Technologies was founded by Matthew Riley, the CEO and chief research scientist. Riley invented a pneumatic two-stroke engine with remarkable potential. Doug is the corporate treasurer of the new company.

"This engine can revolutionize the internal combustion engine as we know it," Doug said. "The Grail Engine has the potential to provide the first two stroke engine that does not exhibit cross contamination of fuel and oil, resulting in lower emissions yet producing more power and torque using less fuel than larger engines."

The company Web site, www.grailengine.com, describes these benefits as the Holy Grail of automotive technology. It says, "Our engine design will operate on multiple fuels and performance levels and will reduce pollution compared to a four stroke automobile engine." This is described as environmentally friendly "green" technology. It utilizes pioneering concepts such as something called Forced Semi-Homogeneous Charged Compression Ignition.

The company has assembled an impressive list of scientists and engineers to pursue this initiative. "We are a unique team of individuals with the same aspirations - to improve our environment by developing an efficient emissions friendly engine," the Web site says. "This engine can go more than a hundred miles per gallon while generating 180 pounds of torque and 200 horse power. At the same time, it exceeds federal automotive emissions standards."

Currently, auto manufacturers are evaluating the long-term commercial feasibility of this product. As with Kansas Racing Products, the corporate address for this company is not in a metropolitan manufacturing center like Detroit. Instead, it's in the rural community of Chapman, Kansas, population 1,233 people. Now, that's rural. These are all examples of the automotive entrepreneurship of Doug Thompson.

It's time to leave Edgewater Sports Park in Ohio, where a racecar powered by the Kansas Racing Products unique engine design helped set a new speed record. Now more innovative automotive technologies are on the way. We salute Doug Thompson and those involved with Kansas Racing Products and Grail Engine Technologies for making a difference. Their technology can help us go faster toward a better future.