Joe Lunati, founder of Lunati Cams, passes away

Joe Lunati, the founder of Lunati Cams, passed away Sept. 13.

 Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1939, Lunati moved to Memphis, Tenn., in the early 1960s and began drag racing with the Memphis Rodders. H went on to become a three-time NHRA national title holder in AM/SP, putting himself on the map by winning the U.S. Nationals in 1964.

A production engine rebuilder by day, Lunati began experimenting in the evenings with different cam grinds using the shop’s cam grinder and found his calling. In 1968, Lunati made the leap to open his own cam shop offering one-on-one personal service to his customers. He quickly added crankshafts, rods, pistons, piston rings, and complete engine rotating assemblies to its product line, ready for assembly into the customer’s prepared block. By 1970, Lunati Cams had created its own niche in the racing cam market, catering primarily to weekend sportsman drag racers and local Memphis area circle track racers.

By the mid-1990s, Lunati Cams had grown into a sizeable, profitable operation with a shop filled with high-quality machinery and a stable, highly skilled workforce. Lunati received an offer he couldn’t refuse and sold the company to Holley, which eventually sold it to Comp Cams in 2007. Lunati was run as a separate entity to keep its identity until it was announced as the sixth power brand for Edelbrock Group this year.

Lunati was a true pioneer in the performance aftermarket industry. He started Lunati Cams with a vision to create high-quality camshafts that would help enthusiasts get the most out of their engines. Over the years, Lunati Cams became one of the most respected names in the industry, and Joe's products have helped power countless race cars and street machines.