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Dan Fletcher won five NHRA events in 2016 (photograph by John DiBartolomeo)

John Force leads the list with 145 career wins over his 38-year career. Frank Marzo is second with 105 and retired from racing after the 2013 season.

Dan Fletcher entered the 2016 NHRA drag racing season with 94 wins. He won five events in NHRA Sportsman classes and there is little doubt he will join the 100-win club at some point in 2017.

“I haven’t thought a great deal about what it means,” Fletcher said. “I’m just so busy putting my head down, just clocking in every day, going to work and doing my job. A hundred wins, it’s a huge plateau, just the number itself.

“But the fact that Force and Manzo are the only two ever, to be mentioned in a club with Force and Manzo, I’m just a guy who worked at Xerox and quit his job to go racing full time. Here I am 20 years later to be at a 100-win mark.”

Fletcher started the season by winning in Stock Eliminator at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California. He won events in Super Comp and Super Stock during the season. Racing at Pomona has produced successful results over the years for Fletcher.

“It’s treated me pretty well. I’ve done pretty good there,” Fletcher said. “This is what I do for a living. It’s my job. I need to win races to provide food for the family. I’m going there to win the race because that’s what I do for a living.”

He won his second event in Las Vegas in Super Comp. In a car he borrowed from Luke Bogacki, Fletcher won for the first time in his career in Super Comp.

Dan Fletcher won two NHRA events at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona (photograph by John DiBartolomeo)

Fletcher said that winning races has become more difficult over the years. The drivers and the equipment they use are fairly equal. Luck plays as big a role as preparation sometimes.

“Everyone’s equipment these days is really, really sound,” Fletcher said. “Everyone drives well. It’s gotten incredibly, incredibly hard to win. No matter what, it’s just so hard to win. They used to come a lot easier.”

Fletcher won his third event in Atlanta in Super Stock. That made three event wins in three different classes. He drove the car his dad built in Atlanta. Fletcher said it is his favorite car to race, for sentimental and technical reasons.

“I really wouldn’t say one is easier than the other. The class that I compete in that has the least driver aids is Stock Eliminator,” Fletcher said. “They’re the hardest to be good at because you have less tools in your toolbox. Yet that class seems to be the hardest one. Guys’ reaction times in Stock Eliminator are as good as the guys’ reaction times in Super Comp it seems. It’s incredibly difficult to win in that class."

But Super Comp is where Fletcher’s passion for racing comes out.

“That car is obviously extremely special to me,” Fletcher said. “That one’s the most important thing to me.”

Fletcher won two more events in Super Comp. He won in Chicago, then had a bit of a drought through the summer. He was stuck on 98 wins for about two months.

Dan Fletcher has 99 career NHRA event wins in his career (photograph by John DiBartolomeo)

“I have trouble even saying it,” Fletcher said. “To be at the point and at that level, in rarified air that is occupied by Force and Manzo. To be only the third person to accomplish something, that’s pretty awesome.”

The 2017 season starts in February in Pomona. Fletcher said he will be there and hopefully win his 100th event.

“It’s kind of fun having it waiting there,” Fletcher said. “It’s kind of like a Christmas present. I’d like to think within the first, second, third event of the year, I will knock it off. I just hope that, A, I would like to do it in my father’s car, the Super Stock car. And B, I would truly hope that my wife will be at the event when I do it.”

Fast and consistent racing has garnered Chad Wienen 5 consecutive titles

“Winning my fifth straight championship is definitely the standout highlight of my season,” says Wienen. “When I first started riding, I dreamed of one day becoming a champion, but never did I imagine becoming a 5-time champion.”

While it seems that specific highlights would be hard to single out in such an impressive and lengthy winning streak, Wienen is quick to identify moments that were particularly challenging. Clearly Wienen knows it is not just effective front-running that wins championships, but also coming through when a race becomes seemingly futile.

Chad Wienen has assembled a winning support team

That kind of raw determination is part of the reason Wienen was named a Yamaha Wall of Champions inductee in 2016. Wienen is quick to sing the praises of his ATV sponsor.

“It means so much. Yamaha came in and supported me after my back injury in 2011 and we have been a dominate partnership since,” says Wienen. “Being a part of a company who supports you and recognizes all of the hard work and dedication you put into your sports is truly remarkable.”

K&N decals have been stuck to Chad Wienen's #1 ATV for years

“I have been sponsored by K&N since before I started the Wienen Motorsports team back in 2012, and when I had the opportunity to form my own and run my team as I pleased, I knew I wanted to be partnered with K&N,” says Wienen. “I trust the craftsmanship of K&N’s products and know I am getting a good quality product from a company who keeps striving to make the best products for all different kinds of machines.”

Wienen’s goals for 2017 are again rooted in consistency. “I am looking forward to another year of racing with my Wienen Motorsports team,” he says. “Each year we strive to make the machines faster, safer, and more reliable. I am beyond thrilled with the people and sponsors I have behind me and behind the scenes supporting not only my career but my dreams.”

K&N congratulates Chad Wienen on another AMA ATV Pro MX National Championship and his induction onto the Yamaha Wall of Champions. We are excited to continue to sponsor and support Wienen’s winning ways.

In the possession of Dave Gotts, this striking 1932 Ford roadster pickup never fails to stop traffic

When you race an 8.0 second Camaro, going fast on the street isn’t all that much of a necessity, according to Dave Gotts, owner of both the aforementioned K&N-supported Camaro as well as the head-turning 1932 Ford Pickup roadster custom that draws crowds wherever it’s parked.

The Ford was built around a very specific concept. It wasn’t to be a full-on restoration or a rat rod or even a modern roadster. Instead the decision was made to recreate an era when hot rodding was high in America’s consciousness.

In the early- to mid-1960s hot rods appeared on album covers, on television shows, and in movies. Car customizers like George Barris and Dean Jefferies became household names when creations like the Monkeemobile and Batmobile hit the small screen. Likewise, NHRA drag racing became popular with television networks in that it took only a few cameras to broadcast a race (versus Indianapolis or a road course), making it very cost-effective. And viewers loved it.

The carb setup is very much to the period, with three single barrel carbs each with a K&N filter

So this 1932 Ford pickup was built very much in the spirit of what a young enthusiast might construct at the time. There are a few concessions to modern technology that we’ll get to later, but for the time being we’ll focus on the similarities to an early 1960s build.

First and most obvious is the removal of the roof, creating what Ford never offered in the 1930s – a roadster pickup. While sunshine in your face and wind in your hair is a side benefit, builders chopped off the roofs of hot rods to get rid of weight and improve performance.

The truck was built by master fabricator Jimmy Riordan at Wellbilt Kustoms in Buena Park, California. Every effort was made to give the truck an early '60s hot rod feel: fabricated headers that terminate in a megaphone (no bundle of snake here), a three carburetor set-up featuring three K&N filters, steel wheels with the original bolt pattern, and reproduction whitewalls with the scalloped sidewalls that were so common in that era.

Wellbilt Kustoms did an excellent job maintaining the theme of a late 1950s/early 1960s roadster

While the engine may appear to be a vintage small block Chevrolet, it’s actually a modern crate motor. Besides the carb set-up and the exhaust, replacing the stamped rectangular valve covers of the 350 with finned cast aluminum versions that make it appear like an earlier small block. And while the use of the 350 small block may appear to many to be ubiquitous, there’s good reason for it. Of all the small block configurations, it has the fewest number of compromises (or most advantages, depending how you look at it). That’s why the 350 has been available since 1967.

The transmission is another nod to modern practicality. Rather than dealing with upgrading a vintage box, the build team chose a General Motors TH350 three-speed automatic. Introduced in 1969, and like the engine, it’s newer than the target time period. However, given its key advantages of strength, size, weight (just 120 lbs.), and cost, it was an easy decision, though.

At the back is a major component that is consistent with the era the builder sought to replicate – a Ford nine-inch rear end. The nine-inch Ford rear end, with its front access to the ring and pinion, was introduced in the 1957 Ford F-100 and F-150 and the Ford Fairlane. The following year it would be fitted to the Ford Thunderbird. And like the Chevrolet 350, which is also no longer installed in new vehicles, reproduction units remain available in the aftermarket.

The brutish headers hark back to a time when science didn't drive product design

Controlling the nine-inch Ford rearend is a three-link suspension system, which keeps the power on the ground. Front suspension is by the original transverse leaf springs. Another concession, this time to safety, is the addition of a four wheel disk brake system.

And then there’s the paint. The truck is painted in a shade of cobalt blue that would make the ocean envious. And it never fails to stop viewers in their tracks whether it's parked at the drag strip or the local drive-in restaurant

Despite the glorious paint, it’s no trailer queen. Dave drives it on a regular basis to shows and races and just for fun. Look carefully and you’ll see stone chips in the paint that serve as witness to his frequent use of the rod.

For example, he and his wife drove the ’32 Ford to the Rockabilly Extravaganza Car Show and Music Festival in Riverside, California, recently. While they intended simply to park and walk around, they were directed instead into the car show display area. In a testament to how unique and magnetic the cobalt-blue ’32 Ford pickup is, Dave Gotts was presented with the car club’s choice award at the event.

The large seven-inch filter protects your engine while providing a large volume of air to draw from

The EcoTec3 lineup consists of the three different power plants: a 5.3L V8 L83 and a 6.2L V8 L86, plus a V6 engine, all mated to six-speed transmissions when sold in the US and Canada. The 5.3L V-8 is rated at 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, while the 6.2L V8 is rated at 420 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. These motors are fitted to the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, 2014 – 2015 Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, and Tahoe, and 2014 – 2015 GMC Sierra and Yukon 5.3L and 6.2L V8 models.

While you may be thinking that technologies like direct injection and continuous variable valve timing just improve fuel economy or may have some limited impact on performance, in fact they open the door for an improved power-making air intake system like the K&N 57-3082.

The K&N 57-3082 is designed to provide an increased flow of cooler air from outside the vehicle for your L83 and L86 motors to draw from. With more incoming air available, the ECU adds more fuel to match, and the engine produces more horsepower and torque.

And these aren’t empty claims. K&N has evaluated the performance of stock vehicles to those equipped with the 57-3082 air intake system, and these are the results: 2014 Silverado 1500 5.3L, an estimated increase of 10.68 horsepower, on a 2015 Tahoe 5.3L, an estimated increase of 15.39 horsepower, and on a 2014 Silverado 1500 6.2L, an estimated increase of 13.78 horsepower. And these are tested on a chassis dyno at the rear wheel, which reads lower than an engine tested out of the vehicle.

Shielded from hot engine air, the air intake system can draw clean, fresh air for more power

K&N air intakes are designed to dramatically reduce intake restriction as they smooth and straighten air flow. Your engine can now draw a larger amount of air than the restrictive OEM filter assembly. More air means more usable power and acceleration throughout the engine’s RPM range.

Installation of the K&N 57-3082 is simple, with easy-to-follow instructions available both on the website and packed with the kit. You need only basic hand tools and about 90 minutes of your time to increase the power and responsiveness of your L83 or L86 engine.

The only maintenance is a service you can do yourself in no time at all. At intervals of 100,000 miles (depending upon your driving conditions) by using the 99-5000 K&N air filter cleaner, you can easily clean and recharge your air filter, preparing it for 100,000 more miles of driving. Your one K&N air filter is designed to last for the lifetime of your vehicle, which K&N guarantees will perform for up to 10 years or 1,000,000 miles without requiring replacement. For full details visit the K&N Million Mile Limited Warranty.

The K&N 57-3082 is designed to fit the following vehicles:

2015 GMC YUKON XL 5.3L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2015 GMC YUKON DENALI XL 6.2L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2015 GMC YUKON DENALI 6.2L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2015 GMC YUKON 5.3L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2015 CHEVROLET TAHOE 5.3L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2015 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 5.3L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2015 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 6.2L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2015 CADILLAC ESCALADE 6.2L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2014 GMC SIERRA 1500 6.2L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2014 GMC SIERRA 1500 5.3L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2014 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 6.2L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2014 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 5.3L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models

Multiple layers of oiled cotton gauze provide excellent filtration

First off, the Defender’s off-road duty demands a filter that is up to the grimy tasks to which the UTV will be subjected. K&N’s engineers have built extra protection into all of our filters that are intended for dirt duty. The multiple layers of woven cotton gauze media in the CM-8016 offer excellent filtration even in the roughest of conditions. The pleated, oiled media provides a large filtration area that provides high dirt holding capacity and long service intervals. K&N’s rigorous testing protocols verify an overall filtration efficiency of nearly 99%.

The specially designed sealing bead ensures a secure fit

Off-road duty can render a conventional paper filter element useless after just a day of hard riding. The CM-8016’s reusable design means that a cleaning and re-oiling is all that is needed to get the UTV back on the hunt or back to work. The wasteful and expensive cycle of buying and disposing of conventional air filters ends with the CM-8016. The K&N 99-5000 filter care kit is all that is needed for quick and convenient filter service.

The CM-8016 for the Can-Am Defender is ready to use out of the box

The K&N CM-8016 is designed to fit the following vehicles:

2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER XT HD8 800 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER XT HD100 976 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER XT HD10 976 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER XT CAB HD10 976 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER MAX HD8 XT 800 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER MAX HD8 DPS 800 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER MAX HD10 XT 976 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER MAX HD10 DPS 976 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER HD8 800 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER HD10 MOSSY OAK HUNTING ED. 976 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER HD10 976 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER DPS HD8 800 - All Models
2017 CAN-AM DEFENDER DPS HD10 976 - All Models
2016 CAN-AM DEFENDER XT HD8 800 - All Models
2016 CAN-AM DEFENDER XT HD10 976 - All Models
2016 CAN-AM DEFENDER XT CAB HD10 976 - All Models
2016 CAN-AM DEFENDER HD8 800 - All Models
2016 CAN-AM DEFENDER HD10 976 - All Models
2016 CAN-AM DEFENDER DPS HD8 800 - All Models
2016 CAN-AM DEFENDER DPS HD10 976 - All Models