Written by Wes Taylor Photography by the author In the world of motorsports, many factors contribute to a winning program. You can't put the power down without optimizing the suspension, chassis, drivetrain, and powerplant. Even at its best, an engine won't do what the tuner asks of it without having enough to drink. Mike Kopchick, the owner of Rage Fuel Systems, set out to make certain that no potent race powerplant goes thirsty. Mike began machining at just seven years old, following his father's footsteps as a tool and die maker. He ventured out to California where he discovered Ed Pink's engine shop and begged for a job. After many attempts, Ed hired him, and Mike's career began. He would move on to Keith Black and Ed Donovan's shop before returning to the East Coast. In the 70s, he spent time on several race teams before speaking up about his fuel system findings. Several teams inquired about Kopchick doing his own thing, so he invested all the money he had into some machining equipment to prove that he could produce a superior fuel pump. After those teams moved from the back of the pack to win championships, others followed suit. That Monday morning, I had 20 messages asking for orders, and as the week went by, I had orders for 40 more, Kopchick recalled. Rage Fuel Systems was born, fast forward 35 years later, and he, accompanied by his wife, Sheila, is still hard at turning out more innovative products. Graciously, he gave us a look at the company's products at his facility in rural Cheraw, South Carolina. His parking lot sits right on the North Carolina/South Carolina state line and to ensure that no one really bothers him while he is working, Mike operates inside a non-descript building with a small logo on the front door. Inside, a glass cabinet near the entry displays some of Rage's products, while the lobby has a few blowers on display, which are on dollies so he can walk the customer through what he has to offer. From start to finish, he does it all at his shop with a flow bench for EFI; mechanical systems for testing; a full machine shop where everything is created; a complete engine shop; a blower dyno; and an engine dyno. His goal is creating a product that not only performs better than others, but is more reliable as well, so it's no surprise that teams rely on Rage Fuel Systems. The company services NHRA teams such as John Force Racing, Cox Racing, and Schumacher Racing, as well as big-time players in the heads-up racing world like Jack French, Steve Jackson, Ziff Hudson, and Jamie Hancock. Rage plays a role in PDRA with the likes of Russell Miller and Team Tutterow. NMRA/NMCA stars like the Mike DiDomenico team and Andrew Demarco also run the company's products. As we wrapped our visit, Kopchick expressed that he's not letting up and will continue to push innovation and design limits. Until then, the company has a number of cool and innovative products that were worthy of our attention. Source: Rage Fuel Systems (843) 623-3500 Ragefuelsystems.us