Every sport has its purists.
In baseball, it’s the power-hitters who refuse to take performance-enhancing drugs.
In football, it’s those who prefer natural grass over artificial turf.
Dom Lester and Pascal Lecompte are purists when it comes to drag racing.
They don’t pump their engine full of nitrous oxide like many racing teams or install a supercharger in their Top Dragster.
They derive all the speed they need from a naturally-aspirated 638-cubic-inch big-block Chevy engine with two good-old-fashioned carburetors.
‘When the nitrous guys come, we beat them with all motor,? said Lester, a 32-year-old Brandon Township resident who resides in the Oxford school district.
‘We don’t like power-adders. Me, personally, I look at it as steroids,? said Lecompte, a 37-year-old resident of New Baltimore. ‘If I cannot build a powerful enough engine, I’m not going to do it.?
Typically, the guys are among the top five qualifiers in a 32-car field, meaning they usually have one of the five fastest cars at the drag racing competitions they participate in, which are typically dominated by nitrous and supercharged cars.
‘We take a lot of pride that we qualify and run as well as we do,? Lester said. ‘For us to always be in the top echelon, it turns a lot of heads.?
Four years ago, the guys combined their knowledge of engines and passion for racing to form L&L Racing Engines.
Lester is an engineer for General Motors who designs cylinder heads at Powertrain Headquarters in Pontiac.
Lecompte works as an engineer for Huppert Engineering in Bloomfield Hills.
Operating out of Lester’s spacious and well-equipped garage on Hummer Lake Road, the guys custom build small block and big block Chevy engines for customers and test engines on their state-of-the-art dynamometer (a machine that measures horsepower).
Although he specializes in GM engines, Lester said he can build any domestic engine including Chrysler and Ford.
But their passion is the drag racing team they sponsor, which consists of them ‘and anybody we can get to volunteer.?
Lester and Lecompte compete in two or three races a month from mid-April to mid-October. They race in Division 3 of the National Hot Rod Association and the International Hot Rod Association, which takes them to Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
Their best time and top speed was achieved in April at the Maryland Int’l Raceway in Budds Creek, Maryland where they burned down the quarter-mile strip in 6.73 seconds at 201 miles per hour. They were the Number One qualifier at the race, however, they didn’t win the event.
Lester believes drag racing is a ‘very humbling sport.?
‘There’s no second place,? he said. ‘Either you won the race or you didn’t. There are no ties in drag racing. It’s put up or shut up.?
Unfortunately, L&L Racing Engines has yet to win a 32-car event, however, the team has made it to what could be considered the final four.
Hope for that elusive victory springs eternal as Lester and Lecompte spend their nights and weekends tweaking their engine.
‘We’re always in search of more power,? Lecompte said. ‘It’s nonstop. Almost every night we’re here.?
Lecompte serves as the team’s driver.
‘For me, it’s the adrenaline rush, the speed,? he said, referring to what he loves about the sport. ‘Of course, I like to win. It’s always fun. But the thrill of that raw acceleration is what really attracted me to drag racing. I’ve always loved it and I always will.?
A native of Quebec, Canada, Lecompte started building engines with his father when he was 15 years old. In 1992, he started driving the dragster owned by his father and partner.
‘For me, drag racing is my drug,? he said. ‘That’s basically one of the reasons I wanted to move to this state.?
Lester is more into the building and engineering side of racing.
‘Anyone can go out and write a check to someone like myself to build an engine for them,? he said. ‘For me, it’s about literally hand-building (an engine) and engineering everything.?
‘When it doesn’t run well, I blame myself. And when it runs great, I get to credit myself.?
Growing up in Prince Frederick, Maryland, Lester spent many hours working in his father’s repair shop.
‘I used to build drag racing and dirt track engines for the local guys,? he said. ‘I built my first engine when I was 12. I’ve been involved with cars and engines my whole life.?
Lester spent many Friday and Saturday nights at the dirt track and drag strip in Budds Creek, which are only about a mile apart.
‘Racing and engines have always been in my blood,? he said. ‘I follow all kinds of motorsports ? anything that’s got an engine in it and goes fast. But drag racing is my love.?
Lester and Lecompte feel it’s only a matter of time before they win their first event.
‘Luck is opportunity meeting preparation,? Lester said. ‘I think we’re prepared to win and now we’ve just got to get the right opportunity.?
For more information about L&L Racing Engines visit www.landlracingengines.com.