championship-winning
engine builderS
Located in West Bend, Wisconsin, we are the championship-winning engine builder in North America for USF2000, F1600, F and S2000 and Formula Atlantic engines, among many others. All Elite Engines are assembled in our 16,000 square foot clean, climate-controlled facility. Our shop is divided into six very specific departments: Cleaning, Automotive Machining, Assembly, Dyno Rooms, Parts Warehouse and CNC Machine Shop.
ABOUT Steve Knapp
in 1964 Steve Knapp was born into a racing family from Cokato, Minnesota. He joined his mother Myrna, father Jerry, and one brother Dave. Following in his late father’s footsteps, Steve has always known what he wanted to do when he grew up. While most kids were playing with toy race cars, Steve dreamed of winning the Indy 500. Every step of his life which has taken him to his current position as owner and CEO of Elite Engines has followed a carefully constructed plan designed to move him towards his ultimate dream and goal.
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the brains behind elite Engines
Steve KnapP
Steve's father, Jerry Knapp, a successful Formula Vee and Super Vee competitor, gave Steve his start in racing by working in the family business: Elite Enterprises and Elite Auto Sports - builder of race chassis and Volkswagen kit cars. The younger Knapp worked regularly in his dad’s chassis shop but also at just age 14, Steve became responsible for the preparation and operation of his father’s two-car race team, and from there went on to earn the SCCA Land-O-Lakes Mechanic of the Year award - the youngest ever to receive such an honor, open Elite Engines in 1991 and later clinch the title of 1998 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. Today Steve can be found at the Elite shop in Wisconsin or providing at-track support for each of his engines that power every car in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda Championship in the Mazda Road to Indy.
Kathy KnapP
Steve’s wife Kathy, a former schoolteacher, serves the company through her support by managing the office. She travels to most races and also offers at-track assistance to the Elite team.
logan KnapP
Logan was born in February 1991 - the same year his father created Elite Engines. As a third-generation enthusiast, Logan regularly attended race tracks with his dad as a boy and began fueling his own love of motorsports by go-karting. Finding himself at the shop and at the track for most of his youth, the youngest Knapp decided to take the family business seriously in 2011 when he came to work at Elite Engines full-time. During his tenure Logan has apprenticed under his father an has honed his skills working alongside the company’s other engineers and assemblers. To date, he provides the company with expertise in cylinder head rebuilding, porting, dyno operation and at-track support.
Elite Engines Inc is a team
We value all of our employees. Each one brings a distinctive skill set to our collaborative effort resulting in an Elite Engine. We most appreciate their attention to detail which is the shop standard.
Rob Ernst
Chief Engine Assembler (Elite Engine’s first employee - began in 1991)
Craig Provencher
Engine Assembler and Chief Fabricator.
Miguel DeLeon
Head Engine Disassembler and Cleaner.
Tony Singer
CAD Department Chief.
Chuck Singer
CNC Shop Foreman.
Nick Singer
CNC Machinist.
