With the Jegs Engine Masters Challenge finished, we got the chance to examine the winning 400-ci small-block Ford of Jon Kaase up close. We’re going to have a detailed story on this high-tech marvel in our March 2009 issue, but this interesting tidbit is worth talking about. During the teardown, Jon and his crew discovered that his flat-tappet mechanical camshaft was on the verge of failure during its last competition pulls. Check out the photo, and you can see where the opening side of the cam lobe has worn through its nitriding, and started to erode the lobe. We’re awaiting the exact specifics of the cam profile and lift specs, but Jon’s engine employs an extremely high lift rocker ratio (in the 2.0 – 2.1:1 range). No doubt, Jon’s use of Mobil 1 synthetic (15W50) helped stave off catastrophic failure on his “moon shot” camshaft, and the big trophy—along with the winner’s paycheck—was the result.