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SuperLite Championship Embraces K&N's Show of Support as Program Sponsor

Jul 3, 2012

Synchronized truck flights are always a huge fan favorite.

Fidel Gonzales had us with "Come out to a race and we'll set you up with a truck to drive around the track." That's like offering pharmaceutical-grade adrenaline to a race junkie. Gonzales is the Media Marketing Director for SuperLite Championship and that's what they do, they set up professional racers and budding racers with race-ready trucks, and/or parts and equipment as they compete in the SuperLite Class in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. They also attend a myriad of special events throughout the season. The "Championship" part is a little confusing, being that they aren't an actual championship; it's the name of their company, or program. Yet, regardless of how they escape being boxed-in or labeled, their impact on short course off-road racing is undeniable.

LOORRS is packed with bangs and thrills, and when bumping damages trucks, SuperLite Championship is onsite with three semi-trucks packed with replacement parts.

Gonzales explains it like this "The intent and purpose of the SuperLite Championship Arrive and Drive program is to serve as the launch pad for professional short course off-road racing. We do this by providing the fully prepped truck and its support infrastructure, which includes a racing school, instructors, mechanics, a professional pit, media, marketing, PR and a dedicated television package that provides extensive exposure on CBS, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Speed TV and MavTV."

At only 15-years-old Sheldon Creed already has the steely stare of a champion.

Put another way, the SuperLite Championship Arrive and Drive program is a gateway for anyone looking to jump behind the wheel of a jacked-up, high-flying race truck for the sheer thrill, or as a professional venture. Understandably they have amassed a notable list of celebrities and crossover athletes from action sports and other venues.

"This is a win for the series, its trucks and its racers," said SuperLite Championship General Manager John Harrah regarding K&N's decision to product sponsor them. "K&N is an automotive and Powersports icon for performance. SuperLite is the off-road racing gateway for crossover motorsports pros and action sports athletes. The partnership will improve our results on and off the track."

Creed is ready for his post race close-up.

SuperLite Championship will present racers with K&N product vouchers throughout the 2012 SuperLite Class Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series effort, which includes $100.00 for first place, $50.00 for second and $25.00 third.

Truck out-riggers would come in handy here.

When purchasing a SuperLite Championship truck you have two options; you can either buy a completely built truck according to your specs or at a discount by purchasing a crated race truck kit. The race-ready truck is delivered completely assembled, fully tested and ready to race. The powerful Mazda-Speed Rotary Engine is built to SuperLite Championship specs and it's vigorously dyno tested. The Build-It-Yourself-Kits consist of pre-assembled components that are crated and shipped direct to you, and either way they now come equipped with K&N filters.

Sheldon Creed, the 15-year-old race prodigy would be one of the first to tell you he's enormously pleased with his SuperLite Championship truck. At Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah last Saturday, Creed tallied his fourth victory in round 7 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, and he had to do it the hard way. Off the start, jamming into turn one, the leaders were three wide, and Creed caught an edge and rolled. Remarkably, he powered back through the pack, seemly passing at will, and wound up on top of the box with the $2500 purse.

All SuperLite Championship trucks, whether race-ready or crated, will be breathing through K&N filters.

The weekend of August 3rd to the 5th LOORRS moves to Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California for rounds 9 and 10.

"We have Sheldon Creed, Drew Britt and Ryan Hagy in a sniper hunt for the coveted championship," said Gonzales. "There is always talk about a conservative race, but that podium is like fresh meat to a blood-thirsty tiger. You have some fierce competitors out there, with throttles that seem more like an 'on-off' switch that is welded to the rev-limiter. And you also have a roulette wheel of drivers that enter into the series who are determined to make their presence and sponsor list known before the watching eye of the TV cameras. Anything can happen. And it usually does. With Glen Helen Raceway serving as the proverbial Mecca of the off-road racing and extreme action sports lifestyle, the crowd will be remarkable and the excitement-meter will clearly be pegging."

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

Bryce Menzies Eagerly Accepts Invitation to Compete in 2012 X Games RallyCross

Jul 3, 2012

Menzies and Red Bull teammate Travis Pastrana have been testing the new Dart all week, and Menzies gives it a thumbs-up for X Games 18 this coming Sunday.

Last year was a benchmark season for Bryce Menzies as he won both the 2011 SCORE Trophy Truck and TORC Pro-2 Championship. Then, in what was arguably Menzies Motorsports biggest race of their 2011 season, he capped off the year winning the 44th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. It was the team's first attempt at the Baja 1000.

In his first ever X Games RallyCross, Bryce Menzies will be introducing a new car to the event, a 600hp Dodge Dart.

Yet, as blazing hot as he was last year, Menzies has his sights set on slaying even larger dragons this year. Menzies has been invited by fellow Red Bull Athlete, Travis Pastrana to compete in the RallyCross portion of the 2012 X Games. Pastrana made a highly successful transition from motorcycles to cars and has amassed a total of 11 MotoX and Rally gold medals so far.

"Being asked to team up with Travis for this event is an amazing opportunity," remarked Menzies. "Travis is such a well-known athlete and the chance to learn from him about a different form of motorsports is an opportunity I can't be thankful enough for."

Menzies enjoys the challenge of being one of the younger competitors in this year's RallyCross event and he's focused on displaying his entire skill-set.

Menzies and Pastrana will both be competing in Dodge Darts, which is a new vehicle to the RallyCross competition lineup . The European production based all wheel drive car produces 600 horsepower, 60lbs of boost, and can go from 0-60 in just two seconds. To put that in perspective, that's similar to the performance of a Formula-1 car, which is why the Dart is one of favored cars in this year's event. The two drivers have been testing throughout the week and they have total confidence with taking both cars to the course this coming Sunday for X Games 18.

RallyCross has been described as "autocross-on-dirt", or a combination of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. The thoroughly compelling, fan thrilling event focuses more on driver skill and car handling, rather than speed and horsepower. RallyCross was first introduced two years ago at ESPN's Summer X Games 16 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Menzies will need to contend with competing against some of the biggest names in the sport such as Ken Block and Rhys Millen, as well as Brian Deegan, a familiar foe from his off-road racing conquests. Menzies and Deegan have squared-off in the Pro-2 ring numerous times, with Menzies finding the top of the podium over Deegan more times than not.

"Racing against Deegan in a different atmosphere will be a great learning experience. He is great at what he does and it should make for some fun and friendly competition," said Bryce Menzies. Menzies will be one of the youngest RallyCross competitors in this year's event and he will be going head-to-head against some of the pioneers of Rally. It's a position Menzies welcomes, as it motivates him to showcase his talents on the stage.

This year's RallyCross event will take place in Downtown Los Angeles, right outside of the iconic Staples Center and will feature a ramp-to-ramp jump, the only jump of its kind in the RallyCross competition that sends the drivers flying 70-feet through the air.

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

Vaughn Gittin Jr. Earns Formula Drift Victory in The Gauntlet at Wall Stadium

Jul 3, 2012

"The Gauntlet" at Wall Stadium was accurately named as the racing was edge-of-the-seat thrilling all weekend.

"Winning this event feels awesome, We have been working very hard to claw our way back up to the top, and to do it so close to home, with so many friends and family in the audience is just awesome," remarked Vaughn Gittin Jr. "This win speaks volumes about our team's attitude and commitment to never give up, no matter what, and we plan to carry this momentum throughout the rest of the year. It is our goal that when the smoke clears this season - we will have had one of the best comebacks from a rough start to the season this sport has ever seen!"

Vaughn Gittin Jr. was sweeping the bank and scraping the wall, leaving his rear bumper in the blue tire smoke on route to victory.

Gittin's understandable confidence stems from his Round 4 Formula Drift win last weekend at Wall Stadium in New Jersey. The event was fittingly referred to as "The Gauntlet." In Medieval times throwing down the gauntlet was the knight's method of choice for challenging another knight to a duel. Picking the gauntlet up was the signal that the challenge had been accepted. Looking to restore order in his camp after a shaky start, and collect some crucial points in the chase for the FD Championship, Gittin got medieval on the competition. After numerous extremely tough battles against fierce competitors, the K&N sponsored driver drove his Mustang RTR all the way to first place.

To reach the top of the podium Gittin needed to get by teammate, Daijiro Yoshihara, the only competitor he's never defeated after numerous attempts.

Wall Stadium is only a few clicks from where Gittin and the rest of Drift Alliance in fact began to hone their drifting skills back in 2002. A decade later, Gittin has a Formula Drift Championship, with multiple wins and podiums trips inked in the record books. Accomplishments he once only dreamed about. Round 4 saw yet another sold-out crowd and the live Drift Stream saw over 200,000 total views in a 24-hour period. Even with Friday's semi-wet track conditions, Gittin was able to perform a near-perfect run that earned him a score of 96 and the second place qualifying spot.

During Saturday's main event, Gittin fought his way to the semi-finals after beating out Miro Ovcharik in his battle of the top 32, Robbie Nishida in the top 16, and then Matt Powers in the top-eight. He met with his Drift Alliance brother and good friend, Chris Forsberg in the semi-finals. This was a highly anticipated match-up as these two are known for holding nothing back when lined up against each other. As billed it was a thoroughly exciting battle that disappointed no one.

Pardon me, but do these K&N air filters make my Ford Mustang look phat?

Gittin took the lead position first, sweeping the bank and scraping the wall, leaving his rear bumper in the blue tire smoke pluming from behind. He continued to blast through the course undeterred with maximum angle and put his car exactly where it needed to be as defined by the Formula Drift judges. When it came time to give chase, Gittin followed Forsberg into the bank and remained glued to him throughout the entire run. With a better lead run and closer proximity on the chase run, Gittin earned a trip to the finals, where he faced his arch nemesis and Falken Tire teammate, Daijiro Yoshihara.

Yoshihara was the only competitor that Vaughn Gittin Jr. had faced numerous times and had never defeated. So, in addition to his desire for the top-tier of the podium, Gittin desperately wanted this win against his rival. Gittin once more took the lead first and threw down the gauntlet with an amazing run, while Yoshihara pushed just to stay close. Yoshihara, feeling the pressure pushed a tad too hard, causing him to straighten up which gave Gittin the advantage.

The Round 4 Formula Drift win and 2nd place qualifying moves Gittin into 4th place overall in the championship.

Then it was Gittin's turn to give chase and he never let up once, dialing up the pressure to eleven and sticking to his competitor's door like white on rice. When the engine echoes faded and the smoke lifted, Gittin was crowned the victor of the final battle and 1st place winner overall of Formula Drift Round 4.

"It took me a little longer than expected to harness this brand new 2013 Monster Energy Falken Tire Ford Mustang," said Gittin after the event. "But we overcame the challenges and got back on the podium and it feels amazing!"

With the points earned from his 1st place finish and 2nd place qualifying, Gittin moves up to 4th place overall in the Formula Drift Championship. Next up on the FD circuit is Round 5, July 21 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington.

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

Shea Holbrook Experiences A Stellar Season

Jun 28, 2012

Shea Holbrook and her team have experienced a stellar season thus far in 2012. (photo by John R Walker)

Shea Holbrook, and team TrueCar Racing recently traveled to Miller MOTORSPORTS Park, located near Toole, Utah, with anticipations of a successful weekend. Although the competition was stiff, at the event's end, Holbrook had managed to do exactly what she had set out to do, as she finished the event with two top five finishes. In fact, the twenty-two-year-old driver experienced what she considered "the best weekend of her racing career thus far."

Driving the #67 TrueCar Honda Civic Si, Holbrook spun her car during the first race. Quickly regaining control, she never let up and focused on making up the ground she had lost. When all was said and done, the driver had managed to work her way back to the sixth place spot at the checkered flag. Eager to improve her standings, Shea Holbrook prepared for the second race of the event. In spite of an errant stock car competing in a different area of the complex accidently driving onto the track where the SCCA Touring Cars were racing, she managed to remain focused and actually ran her best race of the event. In fact, Holbrook managed to finish in fourth place.

Starting the third and final race of the Privacystar Utah Grand Prix, Shea Holbrook was in a good position. Third on the grid due to a third fastest time in the previous race, she had full intentions of keeping herself positioned toward the front and in turn being in contention for the win. That said, her plans quickly went south at the waving of the green flag, when a clutch spin and improper up-shift lent to a very slow start. Once getting full power back, the driver began working her way forward from the back of the field, overtaking drivers one at a time. By the end of the race, Holbrook had managed to move into the fourth place position, less than four seconds behind Tristan Herbert, the driver of the lead car. With the event behind her, Shea Holbrook had not only earned two top-five finishes but had also held the touring car fast lap at least once in all sessions.

Twenty-two year old Shea Holbrook has experienced a stellar year thus far and is anticipating the remainder of the 2012 season.

"Going into Miller Motorsports Park was a bit tough," recalled Holbrook. "I had never been there and had no prior testing. Miller Motorsports Park has to be the only track without reference points! Not one tree is on the course, which makes detail to attention even more crucial. After my first session on track, my confidence was a tick low because of the difficulty of finding braking references, car placement apexes and so on. Once I got the flow, my confidence sky rocketed," she continued. "My weekend at Miller Motorsports Park was fantastic, and the track is a joy ride once you get the hang of it."

With a memorable and successful event behind her, Holbrook and her team later rolled into Mosport with a boost of confidence, and a determination to avoid the stroke of bad luck she had previously experienced at this particular venue. "My confidence going into Mosport was 110%, as I was able to test two weeks before the race," she explained. "Mosport is the fastest track in North America, and it demands respect. Mosport is known to be a huge success story for some drivers or a complete horror story for others. This track can be dangerous, as 99% of the corners are large radius, high speed corners. Being on point is crucial. I was at Mosport in 2010 and unfortunately, my weekend ended quickly," she recalled. "I dropped a wheel on exit coming onto the front straight, sending me right into the inside wall. Prior testing at this track in particular is very important if you want to win. I definitely have an affair with Mosport. This track really showcases driver's talents."

After earning two top-five finishes at Miller Motorsports Park, Shea Holbrook later traveled to Mosport where she took a position on the podium twice and won the "Hard Charger" award. (photo by John R Walker)

At the event's end, Shea Holbrook's hopes and expectations of a solid and successful weekend at Mosport were not let down. In fact, the driver earned a spot on the podium twice during the event and won the "Hard Charger" award for passing the highest number of cars. "Mosport launched me where I needed to be, and where I always knew I could be," she explained. "Mosport was a huge relief, because I was able to deliver the results the team deserved. With two podiums, the 'Hard Charger' award, and now fourth in the championship race, Mosport was my best weekend yet."

With hopes of taking the championship at the end of the 2012 season, Shea Holbrook knows that keeping her car in tip-top running condition is essential. That in mind, she and her crew are strong advocates of a stringent maintenance program. In turn, they depend upon K&N products to keep their engines contaminant free. "The car is completely set down after it gets off of the track to be looked over. Simply checking your equipment, which can be time consuming, can make or break a team. K&N air and oil filters add to the overall performance of the car maximizing horsepower to get the job done."

The fact that Shea Holbrook has managed to go to college full-time and still finds time to race is a testimony that she has a burning passion for the sport of racing. When asked what she enjoys most about the sport, she explained, "Self competition. You can always be a little faster, but finding that speed isn't easy. Racing constantly pushes you to do better." Referring to what her fans can expect from Shea Holbrook, the driver said, "Kindness, a good performance, thankfulness, a good time and top three in the championship!"

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

Jake Lewis Captures His First AMA Pro Racing Victory at the Big Kahuna Atlanta

Jun 27, 2012

Jake Lewis recently experienced his first win in the AMA Pro Racing Series, while competing in the Big Kahuna in Atlanta.

Experiencing his first season in the AMA Pro Road Racing series, one would suspect that sixteen-year-old Jake Lewis has been anticipating his first win of 2012. Although the sixteen year-old rider recently arrived at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia with nothing more than hopes, at the event's end, he rolled out of there with the victory he had been looking for under his belt.

Racing in the SuperSport Class, Lewis ran with the front of the pack during their first practice session. In fact, the rider remained in the top six positions throughout the session, and finished in the top three. With an impressive practice behind him, Lewis once again manned a spot in the top three during the Provisional Qualifying run later that day, and managed to work his way into the second place spot in the final lap. With no riders beating his qualifying time on the following day, Jake Lewis was scheduled to start on the front row in P2 for the SuperSport races.

During the first Supersport race Lewis got a good start, and in turn, led a majority of the field for the sixteen lap event. Slightly held up by a lapped driver on the final lap, Lewis crossed the finish line in second place, earning a spot on the podium. At the race's end, the young rider had managed to finish twenty seconds faster than the third place rider.

Returning on the following day, Jake Lewis and his Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R 600 #85 were both ready for a fierce battle. Beginning the second race of the "Big Kahuna at Atlanta" double header, the young rider once again broke away from the bulk of the field early, and found himself in a heated battle with a fellow competitor for the first place position. Leading across the stripe a majority of the race, Jake Lewis was in front when a red flag deemed the race over in the thirteenth lap, awarding him the victory that he had been awaiting. The win and leading the most laps, the young rider earned thirty-one points on the day. Not only was the victory sweet, but Lewis had now congregated eighty-two points in the SuperSport East season championship points standings thus far, with a fifteen point lead over the second place rider.

Jake Lewis, 16, has already become a force to be reckoned with in the AMA Pro Racing series.

"This is my first year to ride Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki's," explained Lewis. "It's going really good, and the team is so supportive. Each race we get better and I feel more comfortable around everyone on the whole team. My confidence was really high going into the weekend, because it was a track I knew very well, and I had a lot of friends and family going," he continued. "I had been there three times before the AMA race, so I knew all the fast lines going into the weekend, which was good. I felt really comfortable on the bike, so it was a great weekend for me and the team." When asked the key to success at this particular event, the rider shared, "Just being comfortable on the bike and giving it one-hundred percent all weekend."

Although Jake Lewis savored his first victory, the rider was also aware that he still has many races in front of him, and in turn must focus on the remainder of 2012. "I just need to stay focused and keep on progressing every weekend," he explained. "I learn something new every race, and get more comfortable on the bike. I just want to keep on learning as a rider and get faster." When asked his strong points as a rider, Lewis continued, "I am definitely good on the brakes and stay patient. Being smooth has always worked well for me, and it helps quite a lot over the duration of the race."

Referring to what he enjoys most about the sport, the high school student said, "Just the speed of everything. I enjoy going fast, and I love the competition of the sport. I wouldn't want to do anything else as a sixteen-year-old. I'm really looking forward to Barber, because I love the track and have a lot of people coming to support me, being a home race. I look forward to every race though, because it's so fun just doing what I love."

Granted, Jake Lewis has already proven his riding skills with his first victory behind him. That said, he is also quick to credit his team as an important element of his success. "The team is really important because it's all about trust," he explained. "I get along with everyone very well, and it's getting better every weekend. If you don't like the team, you usually don't perform well, so it's always good to love the team."

Lewis is also acutely aware of the importance of proper maintenance as well. "It's very important, because you always want the bike to perform well, and not have any difficulties. It's important to keep everything maintained well, so you can be up front every race." That in mind, Jake Lewis and the Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki's team depend upon K&N products to keep their engines contaminant free. "We currently use the K&N air filters on both bikes," Lewis explained. "I've been running these filters for three years now. The products they make are definitely the best out there. They help the bike perform better, which helps me win races."

Jake Lewis has a great appreciation for the support he receives. Referring to his fans, the young rider said, "They can definitely expect me to give my best effort every single race weekend. I hope to continue winning races and be up front during every race, fighting for the championship at the end of the year."

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

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