{{Infobox company | name = Competition Cams, Inc. | logo = CompCamsLogo.png | type = Privately held company | foundation = Memphis, Tennessee, USA (1976) | founder = '''John McWhirter, Ivars Smiltniks, Tom Woitesek, Bob Woodard''' | location = Memphis, Tennessee | industry = Automotive aftermarket | products = Automotive parts | parent = Industrial Opportunity Partners [https://www.iopfund.com] | divisions = Automotive<br>Motorcycle<br>Go-kart | num_employees = 100-250 (2004) | homepage = {{URL|https://www.compcams.com}} | key_people = '''Chris Douglas''', CEO & President<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-15 |title=F-150 Lightning Named Truck of the Year; Edelbrock Names Chris Douglas President, CEO |url=https://www.sema.org/news-media/enews/2022/50/f-150-lightning-named-truck-year-edelbrock-names-chris-douglas-president |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) |language=en}}</ref> }} '''Competition Cams, Inc.''', often styled as '''COMP Cams''', is a specialty performance automotive aftermarket, motorcycle, and kart parts manufacturer. The company has five US locations including headquarters in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

== History == Although founded in 1976,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1065179|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080927055228/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1065179|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 27, 2008|title=Competition Cams Inc. - Private Company Profile|work=Business Week|publisher=The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc|accessdate=2008-09-29}}</ref> Competition Cams wasn't incorporated until 1977, when it began by selling valve train products through satellite distribution stores. The company has acquired manufacturers of transmissions, electronic fuel injection, and nitrous oxide systems through its holding group, COMP Performance Group, consisting of 13 companies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://compperformancegroup.com/|title=COMP Performance Group|accessdate=18 December 2008}}</ref>

In the late 1980s, the company contributed to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), and its annual trade show in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Competition Cams was started by John McWhirter, Ivars Smiltniks, Tom Woitesek, and Bob Woodard. Former owners, Ron Coleman and Paul Brothers were inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 2000 and 2005, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SEMA Hall of Fame - Ron Coleman, 2000, Competition Cams.|url=http://www.semahof.com/Ron_Coleman_2000_Inductee|access-date=2021-05-26|website=www.semahof.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=SEMA Hall of Fame - Paul "Scooter" Brothers, 2005, Competition Cams, Inc..|url=http://www.semahof.com/Paul%20Scooter_Brothers_2005_Inductee|access-date=2021-05-26|website=www.semahof.com}}</ref>

In January 2020, Competition Cams was acquired by private equity group Industrial Opportunity Partners.

== Industry contributions == COMP Cams created the "Spintron" engine testing system, which uses an electric motor to drive a dummy engine outfitted with high-speed sensors and cameras to record data about the valvetrain dynamics.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Magda|first=Mike|title=What is a Spintron and How Does It Work?|url=https://blog.trendperform.com/what-is-a-spintron-and-how-does-it-work|access-date=2021-05-26|website=blog.trendperform.com|language=en}}</ref> The test observes valve-spring seat pressure, coil dynamics, camshaft and pushrod flex, and lifter movement to identify problems in the engine's performance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://offroadbusinessmag.off-road.com/offroadbusinessmag/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=432470&sk=&date=&pageID=2 |title=High Technology Helps COMP Cams Deliver Performance |last=Steele |first=Lance |date=2007-06-01 |work=Off-Road Business |publisher=Advanstar Communications |accessdate=2008-09-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926194837/http://offroadbusinessmag.off-road.com/offroadbusinessmag/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=432470&sk=&date=&pageID=2 |archivedate=September 26, 2008 }}</ref>

A partnership between Richard Childress Racing, Okuma, and COMP Cams was established to develop the process for grinding camshafts for NASCAR engines, with an Okuma GC34NH cylindrical grinder; a CNC grinder.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lorincz|first=Jim|date=2008-09-01|title=NASCAR Is All About Teamwork|journal=Manufacturing Engineer|publisher=Society of Manufacturing Engineers|volume=141|issue=3|url=http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/find-articles.pl?&ME08ART70&ME&20080901&&SME&#article|accessdate=2008-09-29}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Pro Plasma Nitriding}} COMP Cams developed the process of ion nitriding for camshafts, or Pro Plasma Nitriding.<ref name="Comp_Cams_Pro_Plasma_Nitriding">{{Citation |author=COMP Cams |year=2018 |title=Pro Plasma™ Nitriding |work=COMP Cams website |url=http://www.compcams.com/nitriding/ |accessdate=2018-04-11 |postscript=.}}</ref> This is a 36-hour process that uses pulsed nitrogen plasma in a vacuum controlled environment to embed chains of nitrogen ions into the camshaft surface approximately .008” - .010” deep, significantly hardening the surface.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.circletrack.com/enginetech/ctrp_0807_flat_tappet_cam_lubricants/pro_plasma_nitriding_synthetic_oil.html|title=Engine Lubricants - Solving The Flat-Tappet Puzzle|last=Fisher|first=Rob|work=Circle Track|publisher=Interlink Media|pages=3|accessdate=2008-09-29}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Micro Surface Enhancement}} COMP Cams also developed a new surface finishing process called Micro Surface Enhancement (MSE).<ref name="Korn_2018-04-01">{{Citation |last=Korn |first=Derek |date=2018-04-01 |title=Evolution of performance camshaft grinding, finishing |journal=Modern Machine Shop |volume=90 |issue=11 |pages=68–75 |url=https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/evolution-of-performance-camshaft-grinding-finishing |accessdate=2018-04-11 |postscript=.}}</ref> By removing peaks from the surface finish (speaking in nanoscale terms), it improves bearing surface performance and life span of camshaft lobes and bearing journals.<ref name="Korn_2018-04-01"/> The appearance of this new process is somewhat reminiscent of the development of superfinishing in the 1930s in the respect that a new metalworking process for surface finish improvement was developed in the quest for better shaft life span in automobile engines.

== Sponsorship ==

Competition Cams does not sponsor a NASCAR team directly, but has access to advertising through a deal with NASCAR where the COMP Cams contingency sticker is placed on every NASCAR race car.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/icons/news/story?id=3315850|title=Contingency stickers fill front fenders and help with bottom line|date=2008-04-11|work=ESPN|access-date=2008-09-29}}</ref> Contingency sponsorship is a common form of 'after the fact' sponsorship whereby racers place stickers on their vehicles from companies that post monetary awards to racing teams for winning, in exchange for visibility and the right to use images of the driver and their car in promotional literature and advertising. Similarly, COMP Cams also posts contingency awards to drag racers and various other classes of auto racing.

== References == {{reflist|2}}

== External links == *[https://www.compcams.com/ Competition Cams company website]

Category:Auto parts suppliers of the United States Category:Automotive motorsports and performance companies Category:Manufacturing companies based in Memphis, Tennessee Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1976