Speedmaster is proud to announce the addition of Fredrick (Rick) Roberts PhD as North American Director of Engineering. Rick is well known for serving 28 years as Edelbrock's Director of Engineering and played an integral part in the development of their EFI, Cylinder head and Intake Manifold programs.

 Rick received his PhD in aeronautics from California Institute of Technology and upon graduating, got a job with IBM. While a career in tech seemed immanent for Roberts, his passion for cars drew him to the automotive aftermarket. “I left a good paying mechanical engineering job to work for what was then a head porting company, Air Flow Research. It was at AFR where I got a first-class education on cylinder heads.” said Rick Roberts. “I became partners with AFR in the purchase of Brownfield Company, the first aftermarket manufacturer to produce a small block Chevy aluminum cylinder head.”  

After only three years, his work caught the eye of Vic Edelbrock Jr and in 1991 he was appointed Director of Engineering for one of the largest Performance brands in our Industry, a title he held for over 28 years. “While at Edelbrock, I participated in a variety of projects including the first Edelbrock Pro-flo EFI system, the development of an entire line of street performance cylinder heads, and various pure race cylinder heads and manifolds. “Roberts shared.  

In 2019 Rick founded Roberts Automotive consultants. “That gave me the freedom to pursue other interests” Roberts stated, "I was fortunate to link with a variety of contacts from my days at Edelbrock and participated in a variety of projects from a V10 LS Engine Block and Heads to Pre-Runner suspension components.”  

“While conducting our search for a Director of Engineering, Rick Roberts name came up several times by both candidates and industry colleagues.“ said Speedmaster Deputy CEO, Tim Kawasaki. “The fact that someone of Ricks caliber chose Speedmaster over so many other performance brands cannot be overstated.”  

“ In early 2022, I was approached by Tim Kawasaki of Speedmaster to discuss refining their existing product line, helping them develop new products and mentor young talent. For me this is a welcome return to a similar role I had at Edelbrock and, ironically, with a similar opportunity to participate in the development of a strong brand offering the best in aftermarket performance engine parts. I look to the future with great optimism.” 

Rick will be the second PhD Speedmaster has added to its team. "We live our Vision Statement every day, Speedmaster, trusted and respected for its people and products globally. The addition of Rick to our team is just one of many examples of this.” said Kawasaki. “We are working towards our goal of being 85% Made in the USA by 2025 and having a track proven Director of Engineering like Rick Roberts gets us one step closer”