If there are two things of which Quarter Mile Performance (QMP Racing Engines) in Chatsworth, California can be proud of, it’s that their built race mills are dyno tested using true horsepower numbers, and that none of their work is ever outsourced. As a matter of fact, all of QMP’s proven race motors are built under one roof in their current Chatsworth location, where they have been since 2000.

With access to 4- and 5-axis CNC equipment, a Superflow 902 dyno, Superflow 600 flow bench to name a few just goes to show that this shop means business. Whether its machine work, a decked out race build, dyno testing, over the counter parts service, or even the occasional consultation, QMP is well equipped to handle your requests. No matter what kind of high performance application you may be interested in building a race engine for, QMP can build a turn-key motor that’s nothing short of epic.

No one knows this better than QMP’s satisfied customers, Doug Lightfoot of Los Angeles, California. “Lightfoot,” as is he is known by Mike Consolo and the QMP crew, is the owner of the 531ci big-block that was thrown on the dyno for extensive testing.

As the dyno footage shows, the 896-horse beast roar from behind a fortified windowpane like a maniac in an insane asylum. One has to wonder: Will the dyno output monitor be blown away this time, or will the big-block simply clear away everything around it? It’s a thing of fear to watch Lightfoot’s 531 rip and roar on QMP’s Superflow 902 engine dyno. With these kinds stats, Lightfoot’s cube-happy rat is anything but “light.”

All image credit: QMP Racing Engines

Lightfoot’s bored and stroked big-block began as a Dart block and was quickly fitted with Brodix, “Big Brodie” heads. The “Big Broadie” castings are fitted with 2.300-/1.800-inch intake/exhaust valves. At its heart sits a custom roller cam from Comp, however, its one which QMP was keeping in the books and resisted revealing to us.

Not stopping there, one of QMP Racing’s hallmarks is  their own in-house machining. QMP has been successful in boring Lightfoot’s overall camshaft diameter from that of a stock, Chevy big-block to the larger, fist-sized 55mm roller setup which, according to QMP’s Mike Consolo, is a considerable increase.

The extent to which QMP exercises their incredible sense of self-machining does not end with racing cams, however. While building Doug Lightfoot’s incredible 531-inch mill, QMP also lifter-trued the block. During this rather complicated machining process, QMP Racing realigned the Dart block’s lifter bores, pressing bronze bushings into them after. Once the lifter bores were aligned, QMP promptly bored-out the lifters from a stock 0.842-inch diamter to a larger, 0.937-inch in diameter.

Doug Lightfoot and QMP’s 531-inch rat is built to a race ready, 13.5:1 compression. No doubt this is all thanks to the mill’s domed, Ross pistons with Total Seal rings. An MSD distributor fires at all eight cylinders. Check out minute marker, 1:23. Even the starter has a difficult time bumping over 13.5:1!

As you can see from the featured dyno pull, there’s nothing lacking here on the power. QMP of Chatsworth builds some of the best race mills that the San Fernando Valley area has ever seen, and Lightfoot’s 531 rat motor is living proof of why sometimes it’s better to be a “lightfoot” than a “leadfoot!”