At 7,000 rpm, a spark plug ignites the air/fuel mixture nearly 60 times per second. Any one of those 60 sparks going amiss can at best be mildly annoying, and at worst cost you a race or an engine.

When Jim Hairston from Pertronix sent us the Ignitor II drop-in electronic ignition for older, point-triggered Autolite and Motorcraft distributors, it was deja vu all over again. Ten years ago, we ...