About Us
Clay Smith Cams - Family Owned & Operated for Over 90 Years
Our legacy began in the early 1930s when Clay "Mr. Horsepower" Smith began manufacturing high-performance camshafts with his first company Smith & Jones Camshafts in Long Beach, CA. Smith's innovative techniques in engineering were quickly recognized by the racing industry with Speed Records in Drag and Boat Racing throughout Southern California. Our beloved, cigar-chomping woodpecker "Mr. Horsepower" is a cartoon depicting Clay's fire red hair and love of cigars. Competitors were mesmerized by the performance of his products, and Clay decided to expand his horizons and thus emerged SMith's own company Clay Smith Cams and Engineering in the late 1940s. Smith was highly respected in the Motorsports Industry up until the day of his untimely death in a racing accident in 1954.
Following Smith's death, Clay's widow Ruth-Ellen kept the business going with the help of committed employees and friends of Smith. Ruth-Ellen eventually remarried "Red" Wilson, another racing enthusiast and engineer. "Red" and Ruth-Ellen ran Clay Smith Cams until "Red" was also lost in a racing accident in 1964. Ruth-Ellen then sold the company to George "Honker" Striegel in 1969. George "Honker" Striegel is famous the motorsports industry and recognized as a highly-respected innovator of high-performance engineering. His Camshaft and engine combinations have set countless land, water, and speed records all over the world, in numerous competitive Motorsports classes and fields.
George has enhance the already proud and respected reputation of Clay Smith Cams with the performance of this craft, but also with his truly American values of the "Family-Run Business". Clay Smith Cams and Mr. Horsepower Apparel are employed by the Striegel Family including, wife Patty, daughter Sherry, and grandchildren Trayce and Nicolas Woods. We are proud to say our business is going strong in our 94th year!
High Performance Parts and Accessories for Race, Street, and. Marine Applications
Specializing in customer, high-performance camshafts, Clay Smith Cams takes pride in making high-quality, long-lasting, precision ground camshafts for race, street, and marine applications. Our camshaft technicians take time to create specs for optimal performance within your engine application with nearly 90 years of experience.
Machine Shop
Cylinder Head Services: for both aluminum and cast iron heads, blue printing and port work, surfacing, pressure testing, welding, flow bench analyzation, and more
Engine Block Services: hot tank and manafluxing, boring, torque plates for most domestic applications, align honing, square decking, cam-bearing installation, stroker clearance, and more.
Balancing: available for complete rotation assembly, cranks, pistons, rods, flywheels, dampers, and heavy metal installation.
Speed Shop
Official dealer for all of your favorite high-performance brands including:
Holley - JE Pistons, Total Seal Performance, CP Carrillo, Cometic Gasket, Edelbrock, Lucas Oil Products Inc, T & D Machine Products, AFR, ARP, Milodon, Manley Valve SPings, Dart, Russell