Latest News

Michael Lewis Stays with PREMA Powerteam to Compete In F3 Euro Series Championship

May 25, 2012

The K&N sponsored driver is excited to carry his highly success 2011 momentum into the 2012 F3 Euro Series.

In 2011 we figuratively rode along with Michael Lewis as he campaigned in his inaugural year in the ACI Sport Formula 3 Italia Championship. The 21-year-old Laguna Beach, California native's debut on the F3 Italia stage was hugely successful, as he won three races and clinched the Series' Rookie Championship. Lewis also nearly won the overall Series Championship, coming up just shy in the final lap, in the closing round of the 2011 Italian F3 Championship at Monza.

Based on his stellar 2011 season the K&N sponsored driver and the PREMA Powerteam have agreed to another year together. Lewis returns to the Prema Powerteam to contest in the highly competitive 2012 Formula 3 Euro Series championship. Lewis will also compete in all the 2012 FIA Formula 3 International Trophy events, and this season Lewis is driving a Mercedes Benz-powered Dallara.

"It is great to be back with PREMA Powerteam for another season in Formula 3," said Lewis. "With the hard work from Angelo Rosin and René Rosin at PREMA, and Mercedes-Benz, our engine manufacturer partner, I am excited to race in the prestigious Euroseries F3 championship. 2011 was an exceptionally good year in my first season of Formula 3, and I look to continue that progression with such strong entities as PREMA and Mercedes-Benz."

Lewis proudly wears the Mercedes-Benz logo on his helmet and driver's suit as he was selected to join the HWA Mercedes-Benz drivers' group for 2012. (Photo by Thomas Suer 2012)

"Having Michael Lewis back with us was a priority after his excellent 2011 season in the Italian F3 Championship," said Angelo Rosin. "His move to the F3 Euro Series is a logical progression for him as well as for us. Michael is the kind of racer who can adapt to new situations pretty easily and I'm sure he won't have any problems in being at the top of the European level, too."

Lewis kicked off his Formula 3 Euro Series campaign earning a solid 9th and 10th place finishes in Rounds 1 and 2 the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg circuit in Hockenheim, Germany. In Round 3 at the 4.574-km German race track, Lewis was eager to deliver an even stronger finish for the PREMA Powerteam in his Mercedes-powered Dallara F312. However, on lap 5 Lewis initiated an overtaking maneuver on the outside of a right-hand corner and slid up into the marbles and then flew off into the sand pit, ending his hopes for a strong finish in Race 3.

Lewis collects his thoughts before Round 3 F3 Euro Series at Hockenhein.

"I had a really good car and I was confident that I could get the results the PREMA Powerteam expected today," said Lewis. "I wanted to get up to the front and challenge for a podium finish. Unfortunately, I misjudged my line into the corner, which resulted in my drifting off into the sand trap ending my day at Hockenheim." As a result of his 18th-place finish, Lewis currently stands in 11th position in the 2012 Formula 3 Euro Series points standings.

After the Round 3 race Lewis returned to his European home base of Baveno, Italy, and began preparing for the FIA Formula 3 European Championship event at the Grand Prix de Pau in Pau, France, contested last weekend May 11–13. As a result of Lewis' qualifying on Friday, the second best qualifying lap by each driver set the starting grid, placing Lewis in 14th for the start of Race 2. Understanding the difficulty of passing at Pau, Lewis knew the importance of getting a strong start and to try to pass as many cars as possible at the start and then keep pace with the lead pack.

Michael Lewis (center) confirms his 2012 race season plans as he shakes hands with PREMA Powerteam Team Principal Angelo Rosin, as teammate René Rosin stands alongside.

When the lights went out on the starting grid, Lewis and his PREMA Powerteam Mercedes-powered Dallara F-312 vaulted from the 14th position on the grid into 11th place in just one-half lap. For the entire 40 minutes of the race and for all 31 laps Lewis remained right on the tail of PREMA Powerteam teammate Sven Muller's car. In fact, positions 6 through 11 were pretty much in a train, with each of the drivers trying to figure out a way to pass on the narrow street course.

"I needed to have a good start because once everyone gets in a groove it is very hard to negotiate an overtaking maneuver and there is high risk here with every pass," explained Lewis. "My objective was to take it easy on my tires early on so I would be able to save them for the later stages of the race. However, all of us were going about the same speed and I knew that Sven had a good car, too, so I just wanted to be safe and get as many points as possible without the risk of making a mistake."

On lap 7 Lewis posted the second fastest lap of the race at 1:11.967, illustrating just how strong all the PREMA Powerteam cars were for this event. Lewis' teammate Raffaele Marciello won the race, leading every lap, while another PREMA teammate Danni Juncadella finished 4th, and Sven Muller finished 10th.

Next Lewis will travel to another FIA camp in Vienna, Austria, before heading to England on Thursday for Round 2 of the Formula 3 Euro Series race at the Brands Hatch Circuit. This will be a combination event featuring both DTM and Formula 3 Euro Series cars.

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.

Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports Eagerly Gets 2012 Underway at LOORRS Race

May 25, 2012

Patrick Clark joined team Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports in 2012 and is anticipating a successful season.

Team Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports recently embarked upon the first two rounds of the LOORRS series at the Firebird International Raceway, located in Chandler, Arizona. Experiencing a few changes during the off-season, the crew hit the track with confidence that good things were to come in 2012.

Racing in the opening rounds of the series, Jerry Daugherty and his E3Spark Plugs Pro 4 #23 truck were eager to get the show underway. After qualifying eleventh for the opening round of racing, the driver was determined to push through the field and earn a good finishing position on Saturday. When the race was over, Daugherty was happy with the results as he had worked his way to the seventh position at the waving of the checkered flag.

Once again qualifying eleventh on the following day, the driver had no intentions of simply following the field of drivers ahead of him. In fact, at the race's end, he had managed to muscle his way to a sixth place finish. As the Pro 2 class rolled onto the track, team Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports eagerly awaited the waving of the green flag. Their new team member, Patrick Clark, was gearing up to make his Pro 2 rookie debut against a field of tough drivers. After experiencing carburetor problems, the Clark managed to position the Pro 2 #52 in the tenth spot for the opening round. After an entertaining and fierce battle, the newest member of the team took a seventh place finish.

Patrick Clark earned a Fast Lap award during his Pro 4 rookie debut with the Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports team.

When round two rolled around, Clark was determined to experience a better start than he had during round one. That said, the driver qualified in the sixth position, and after the first place qualifier, Rob MacCachren pulled a six from the hat, the field was inverted six positions. The inversion put Clark exactly where he wanted to be. He was on the pole and after a hard fought race, the driver crossed the finish line in seventh place. Although he would have preferred a spot on the podium, Clark did manage to set the fastest lap of the race.

"The Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports team has a high level of confidence going into the 2012 season," explained Jerry Daugherty. "We have made many changes and added improvements to all aspects of our organization. The most exciting change that has been made to our organization is the addition of Patrick Clark, and the Pro 2 #52 program to our team. Patrick is a great driver with great things ahead of him. The inclusion of Patrick and the Pro2 #52 brings a complete package to our Pro Program, as well as an excitement toward new success."

When asked the key to success throughout the 2012 season, Daugherty continued, "I have felt that my Pro 4 program has been gathering steam this season," shared Daugherty. "We are doing what we can to get seat time and to gain speed. I feel that we have the ability to improve during each round of racing," he continued. "In our opinion, the keys to success for the 2012 season have been to enlist a great team, maintain a high level of expectation with respect to equipment, implement driver training, and to stay out of trouble. We will follow this mentality throughout the season, and hope for a great outcome."

Referring to his truck's performance thus far, Jerry Daugherty said, "I have a great truck and a great crew. Collectively, with my foot on the gas, we have the ability to win races. Our goal in 2012 is to have each of our entries on the podium at least once."

Racing in the Pro 2 class, Jerry Daugherty is excited about what might transpire in 2012.

"I believe that Patrick is a great addition to our team," he continued. "He is young, energetic, and brings many qualities to the organization. He has not only worked hard at his Pro 2 program, but has also become an intricate part of the team. He has assisted me in my program; stepped into spotting for me, and collaborates with both me and Aaron in order to gain position on the track in all classes. It is our goal to bring my years of experience together with his young and energetic perspective in an effort to progress all programs."

Along with Patrick Clark, a new V-8 Pro Lite driven by Aaron Daugherty has been added to the Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports team. According to Jerry Daugherty, "The Jesse Lewis built truck is proving to be a great piece of equipment, and one that is extremely competitive."

Although the Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports team has experienced its share of change between 2011 and 2012, they are still firm believers in the performance of K&N products. In fact, the team uses K&N oil and air filters, filter wraps, air filter cleaner, and spray oil, and has been depending upon their products since the 1980's.

"K&N products have never failed in all of my years if use," explained Daugherty. "The air filters keep the dirt out, and the engine free of debris without restricting air flow. This is extremely important when you're trying to maintain engine performance on the track."

In closing, Jerry Daugherty said, "I feel that the Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports team will consistently move toward the front of the pack in short course. We have implemented a strategic goal plan that we as a team will continue to work toward. Most importantly, we are working on gaining speed and improving position. As always, the fans can expect great effort and an appreciation for the greatest fans on racing."

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.

Menzies Motorsports Start the TORC Season on the Right Track with Podium Finishes

May 24, 2012

Bryce Menzies and Ricky Johnson are geared up and ready to continue their winning tradition in 2012.

The Menzies Motorsports team recently pulled into the Charlotte Motor Speedway fired up and anxious to get the 2012 TORC Short Course Off-Road Racing season underway. After a successful 2011, they had no intentions of letting up and were prepared to compete in rounds one and two of the series.

After experiencing a stellar practice session, Bryce Menzies and Ricky Johnson eagerly awaited the following day, when they would race in the qualifying rounds. Not only did the qualifying races determine where the drivers would start the race, but it was also a great opportunity to stack up a couple of points. The fastest driver in each class would earn two points, and the second fastest would earn one.

Although the fastest driver would receive points, in turn they would be inverted to the third row for the start of the race. Menzies and Johnson were confident that they could still prove to be the team to beat from the third row, and focused on qualifying at the top of the list. That said, both drivers earned their two points in their class and qualified on the pole.

Lining up in the Pro 2 class Bryce Menzies and his Menzies/Red Bull #1 kicked the season off for the team. At the waving of the green flag, the driver showered down on it, wasting no time as he worked his way toward the front of the pack. Coming out of turn two, Bryce had already worked his way from sixth to the third position. Muscling is way into the second spot coming out of turn three, the driver was focused on passing Jeff Kincaid, the only driver standing between him and the first place spot. Calculating every move, Menzies saw and took advantage of the opportunity at the end of turn four to take the lead. The driver then pulled away from the field of drivers and held the first place spot until the mandatory yellow. As the green flag dropped again, Menzie continued to set the pace until a minor mistake with only two laps to go left him in third place, the position that he held until the waving of the checkered flag.

Starting in fourth on the second row on the following night, Bryce Menzies had no intentions of finishing anywhere but in first place. Patiently maneuvering his way through the field, Menzies had managed to work his way to the second position by the half-way caution. When the race was once again deemed underway, the driver pulled away from the remainder of the field and held the lead position until the waving of the checkered flag, earning the top spot on the podium.

Menzies Motorpsorts began setting the standards for their competitors early in the 2012 season.

At the events end, Bryce Menzies had not only earned a third place finish and logged his first victory of 2012, but he had also managed to take home two Oakley Bombs, for running the fastest laps of the races. "After racing in Charlotte last year and winning, I knew I was capable of doing the same this year," explained Menzies. "I try not to be over confident. I just remind myself to stay focused, and the confidence can come when the results show." After losing his lead on the first day, the driver was focused on not spinning out again. Referring to his third place finish, Bryce continued, "I lost focus for one second, and it cost me the race."

Ricky Johnson was just as determined to prove that Menzies Motorsports was going to be the team to beat. Lining up in the Pro 4 class, during the last race of Friday night, Johnson started fourth. Stuck in the middle of the pack, the driver's patience was a testimony of his experience, as at the most opportune time he took the lead prior to the mandatory caution. Upon the waving of the green flag, Johnson never looked back and continued to hold the first place spot until the race's end.

Anticipation filled the air on the following night, as fans hoped for the repeat of a "chaotic battle" that took place last season between Johnson and Johnny Greaves. As luck would have it the battle never transpired though, as Greaves' truck malfunctioned and was not able to finish the race.

Johnson almost found himself in the same predicament as did Greaves, when at the halfway point, it was announced over the radio that his left rear tire appeared to be low. During the mandatory caution, the decision was made to continue the race and avoid pulling into the hot pit to change the tire. After the restart, the driver gained a three-second lead. Sure enough, their decision was the right one, as the tire held long enough for him to take the checkered flag.

In the TORC series, Menzies motorsports is a well-known name, as the team has experienced their share of success. When asked what separates them from their competitors, Bryce Menzies said, "Every team strives to win, and every team puts their heart and soul into racing. It all comes down to how everything comes together during the race. We tend to be in the top spot most of the time, and that's where we need to be to separate ourselves from the competition. Off the track though, we all are here racing because we love doing it, and that makes us all the same."

As one might suspect, team Menzies Motorsports is a strong advocate of proper maintenance of their vehicles. That said, they depend up K&N filters to keep their engines contaminant free during the rigors of off-road racing. "We've been using K&N air filters from the beginning, and the results speak for the product," explained Bryce. "When you're behind someone in an off-road race, chasing their dust, K&N filters are key to making the truck last."

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.

Holland's Speedtec Racing on Track to Win 2012 Dutch Supercar Challenge

May 23, 2012

Speedtec Racing's Nico and Peter van Vliet will next be racing the team's new Zilhouette BMW Z4 at the Nürburgring motorsports complex.

In 2011 the Dutch Supercar Challenge team, Speedtec Racing, made it to the podium a remarkably consistent nine times out of 16 races, with four of those being victories. During the course of their eight weekend race schedule the K&N sponsored team finished every race, without a single DNF. Speedtec Racing runs two cars in the Dutch Supercar Challenge, a Dodge Viper driven by Robert de Graaff and Philippe Ribbens, and a new BMW Z4 piloted by the team owner's sons, Nico and Peter van Vliet. The team was fully focused and determined on their march to last year's title, and although they have only completed their second weekend of racing, confidence amongst the team is high for a repeat performance.

Robert de Graaff and Philippe Ribbens drove the ETEC-Viper to a fourth and second place finish at Circuit Park Zandvoort.

"I think it's very possible for us to win the championship again this year," Peter van Vliet told K&N. "But as you know in motorsports anything can happen. At the moment we are the runner-up in the championship and only 17 points behind. When you win in the Supercar Challenge you get 20 points. So, as I said, anything can happen."

Last season Speedtec Racing took the championship battle down to the last race weekend at TT Circuit Assen, located in Assen, Netherlands. This year the second race weekend of the season got underway at Circuit Park Zandvoort, located in Burgemeester van Alphenstraat, along the Netherlands North Sea coastline. Saturday afternoon Robert de Graaff started the first race of the weekend behind the Wheel of ETEC-Viper. Earlier during qualifying de Graaff remarked, "This circuit is very bumpy and the Viper's handling is suffering as a result." Adjustments were made and the Viper immediately began running faster lap times, providing de Graaff with the confidence to go racing.

The Viper lost some valuable time during a pit stop but the Speedtec still managed to pull out a fourth place finish.

At the halfway point de Graaff brought ETEC-Viper in third place with the Ferrari 458 GT2 driven by Peter Versluis breathing down his back. Philippe Ribbens took over the controls for the second half of the race, and he held on to finish Saturday's race in a very solid fourth place.

"We lost some time during the pit stop," said Ribbens, "But then I was able drive a strong consistent race. We were one of the fastest cars on the track, the race was just too short otherwise we would have caught up," he added with a grin.

"Our pits stops in the Supercar Challenge can't be over one minute, including the drive through time in the pit lane, so normally a pit stop is just a little more than one minute. In our class it's not possible to change the tires. So we as a team can only check and double check things on the car," explained van Vliet.

"We didn't really change anything on the car from last year, and the reason for that is quite simple- our race organization feels our class was becoming too fast," continues van Vliet. "The only changes we made are ones to create more down-force to the car. We added a small wing under our back wing and we added on some other wing-end plates. We also installed a more efficient intake to use with your K&N air filters. It's working great!"

The next race weekend for Speedtec Racing will be in Nürburg, Germany at the famous Nürburgring motorsports complex. "The Viper will of course be competing, and this time it's also my turn to race the Zilhouette BMW Z4," said van Vliet, "along with my brother (Nico)."

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.

Luke Bogacki Grabs Sensational Super Gas Win With New Car at its First NHRA National

May 23, 2012

Jeff and I grew up together and we have been really close friend for about twenty or so years. I mean just recently, I was in his wedding and he was in my wedding, we go way back.

K&N's Luke Bogacki has always been known for his prowess at many of the big money bracket races across the country and with his latest feat, is becoming known for his growing list of NHRA National event victories. With just one event under Bogacki's belt in his brand new 1963 Corvette bodied Charlie Stewart Race Cars roadster only the week before, he took his new Super Gas ride all the way to the championship during the 25th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals in Baytown, Texas. The victory came for Bogacki and the new car during its first NHRA National event.

"I knew we would be competitive in Super Gas eventually," said Bogacki. "Charlie and his team build a great car, and we bolted on nothing but the best components. Plus, my team is really fortunate to have support from some excellent sponsors and we've got a decent database for throttle stop tune-ups and settings. But I never dreamed it would all come together this quickly. To win in our first national event is beyond my wildest dreams."

While the Super Gas national event crown was the first in the category for Bogacki, he had two prior national victories already to his credit both coming in Super Comp for the well-known sportsman racer.

"The fit and finish on this new car is something else," said Bogacki. "I've really been impressed and it has performed meticulously from the start. Charlie has helped out a lot on the tune up and some little odds and ends here and there. He actually incorporated into the body the K&N Pro Stock composite scoop that also has the slide-in K&N filter in the front part of the scoop. Not only is it a good looking scoop, as far as my vision it doesn't impede it like the ones that were on a couple of other roadsters that I have raced where you wouldn't really want to run the left lane against a slower car, because you would kind of lose them [in your sight] as you went down track. I don't have that problem with the K&N scoop on this car."

Bogacki started off Super Gas eliminations by getting a little revenge on Salter, who he bowed out to the week before, defeating him in round one with a nice opening .006 reaction time. Moving on to round two, the car showed it was as dialed as the driver as Bogacki took his new ride to a near perfect 9.902 to send home Reggie Baudoin. Bogacki gathered a little luck over Hugh Hawkins in round three when Hawkins dipped under the index to Bogacki's .022 reaction and 9.921.

Bogacki used his .006 starting line advance to push Lopez into a 9.878 breakout for a third NHRA national event triumph in as many final round appearances.

Now that the Super Gas category was down to eight cars, normally that would have ended eliminations for the day and save the remaining three rounds for Sunday. That wouldn't be the case for this event as NHRA ran the class all the way down to four cars. While it worked out well for K&N's Bogacki, he was actually hoping to hold off his next round pairing for the following day.

"Travis Ringguth is the defending Division 6 Super Street champion," He explained of his quarter-final match up. "He was driving his Super Street car in Super Gas and I really didn't race him to begin with, but certainly didn't care to Saturday night. The two previous rounds he'd been 9.90 wide open. He left the starting line with a .003 reaction time and I was just fortunate that he didn't make one of his better runs. He was only 9.932 and I was able to get there with my .006 light and just four thousandths at the stripe."

When a sportsman racer has been fortunate enough to make it to Sunday's eliminations during a NHRA national event, depending on your class, it can already be a long enough day waiting to make your next round due to all the festivities and professional class eliminations. Since Super Gas only had two remaining rounds, the wait for Bogacki and his fellow three racers was even longer for the Houston event. "You wake up pretty excited because obviously you are still in at a NHRA national event, but you know you are going to sit through pre-race and a couple of professional rounds," he explained. "But it was even compounded because we had to sit out the first round of sportsman eliminations that day, since we only had the two rounds left. I knew I wasn't going to be out on the track until 3 or 3:30 that day and I just tried to keep myself busy and not think about it too much until it was time to go."

By the time Sunday's semi-final rolled around Bogacki was more than ready to tackle his next competitor, Lloyd Parfait in what would be a close double breakout match, 9.872 to 9.864. That win would not only send Bogacki to his first NHRA national event final in the brand new car, but also to battle it out with multi-time NHRA Division 4 Champion, Jeff Lopez who is also one of Bogacki's very best friends.

"Jeff and I grew up together and we have been really close friends for about twenty or so years. I mean just recently, I was in his wedding and he was in my wedding, we go way back," noted Bogacki. "When we made it all the way down to the semifinal round on Saturday night, Jeff and I knew the opportunity was there to run one another in the final. We had gone to dinner Saturday night and even joked about how cool it would be if we could pull it off. When we both ended up winning in the semi's, that was like winning the whole event right there. I don't think it mattered to either of us who got to hoist the trophy in the end, it was just really cool getting to share the final round stage with one another."

When the final round came, Bogacki used his .006 starting line advance to push Lopez into a 9.878 breakout for a third NHRA national event triumph in as many final round appearances. In addition to the win being his first in Super Gas it was also his first in front of the big Sunday crowd as his prior two wins came during events where the finals were weather delayed and pushed into Monday. "I came into the race really confident because I felt like I had a really good car," he admitted. "But really it's so rare that everything just falls into place that quickly. That win was just really cool being able to be a part of all the festivities, being on the winner's stage and everything else. That was just really neat."

"If you look back at the event round by round, I didn't really do anything special as a driver," confessed the K&N racer. "I made a couple nice runs, but I was pretty erratic on the tree. My car really bailed me out, and I got some breaks. I raced six really talented opponents, all very good racers. I was just fortunate that none of them made their best runs beside me. And as we all know, that's what it takes. It's not who you race, it's when you race them and I seemed to have really good timing last weekend."

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.

Previous Page 1 ... 471 472 473 474 475 ... 1081 Next Page