On Tuesday, April 29, Cauble Speed Shop released a statement after the U.S. Legend Cars International Engine Shop put out a bulletin regarding Bandolero engines, painted flywheels, heat shrink on the diode wire, and legality (that bulletin can be found here). Below is the statement from Trevor Cauble, owner of Cauble Speed Shop, stating the changes they made are indeed INEX Racing Series rulebook legal and approved by USLCI Engine Shop, all engines that go through his shop are legal, and none have ever been disqualified in racing competition.
Cauble Speed Shop Statement Regarding Bandolero Engine Bulletin on April 28, 2025
Our Engines Are INEX Racing Series Rulebook Legal
April, 29, 2025, from Trevor Cauble, owner of Cauble Speed Shop:
On Monday, April 29, the U.S. Legend Cars International Engine Shop released a bulletin about possible modifications to Bandolero engines. It said some engines sent in for repair had the outside of the flywheel painted black and heat shrink added to the diode wire—both reportedly done by an unauthorized outside party.
But neither of those fixes is illegal under INEX rules and regulations.
I’ve been involved in Bandolero racing for 22 years, including 6 years building engines at U.S. Legend Cars International. Cauble Speed Shop was approved by the USLCI Engine Shop to paint the flywheel and apply heat shrink.
Painted flywheels don’t add horsepower or offer any performance gain—they just prevent rust. Same goes for the heat shrink. It doesn’t change performance; it protects the diode wire from vibration issues.
And just to be clear—the flywheels are never removed to be painted. We tape them off and paint them in place. Engine seals are untouched. We take tech integrity seriously and always follow the rules set by USLCI and INEX.
In our 15 years at Cauble Speed Shop, not one of our engines has been disqualified. We respect the rulebook and stick to it. In fact, I helped write many of the rules while I was at USLCI.
I would never risk my relationship with USLCI or let down our customers by doing anything illegal with Bandolero engines. That’s just not who we are. We’re racers—and now we’re raising racers. This series is our home. It’s where we’ve raced, where our kids race, and where we’ve always supported the racing community.
We have always—and will always—respect the USLCI Engine Shop and its leadership, including Chad Honeycutt and G.E. Chapman. They work hard to keep things fair, and we support that.
We look forward to working more closely with Chad, G.E., and the USLCI Engine Shop to build stronger communication between teams, tech officials, and USLCI—and to strengthen the trust that racers and builders have in this process.
If anyone has questions—whether you’re a current customer or thinking about becoming one—you can reach out to me directly.
Cauble Speed Shop appreciates the support of USLCI and the racing community, and we hope this helps ease the minds of those racing Bandoleros.
Trevor Cauble
Owner, Cauble Speed Shop
704-202-7650