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Strong 2012 Supermoto State Championship Opener for Team Honda Austria

May 1, 2012

Florian "Superflo" Wedenig put on a show of his off-road talents by battling from the back of the pack, pulling out a seventh and fifth place finish.

The International Austrian Supermoto State Championship got underway last weekend in Burgenland, Austria and for K&N's Team Honda Austria, weather proved to be the most challenging opponent. What makes Supermoto racing so compelling for the growing legions of fans is that it combines motocross and road racing skills into one exciting event, and at these opening rounds those skills were put to a thorough test.

Andi Rothbauer overcame the extreme weather conditions in Burgenland finishing both race one and two with a solid fifth place.

Team Honda Austria is one of the premier international Supermoto teams with International Supermoto stars, Florian Wedenig and Andi Rothbauer as team riders. Florian "Superflo" Wedenig competes in Class S Open, and Andi Rothbauer battles in the elite Class S1, and both riders overcame some intense challenges presented by severe weather. Heavy rain and extreme hourly weather changes presented problems not only with track conditions, but also with finding the correct bike set-up.

The two Team Honda Austria riders had the benefit of using two separate bikes, one for rainy and one for dry conditions which allowed them to use every single practice minute. The weather in fact became such an issue that for the first time in the Austrian Supermoto history, a decision was made by the organizers to keep a portion of the off-road section open so that races wouldn't be run only on the tarmac.

"This was a correct decision," commented Rothbauer, "they did a perfect job on preparing the off-road section, but during the day this was something that really split the Supermoto riders. Like myself, I have no off-road background such as motocross, so these muddy, slippery conditions were very tricky. Also, we did not get to practice on the off-road section on Saturday because it was closed during free practice, which did make for really exciting racing."

On Sunday during the Class S1 warm-up laps Rothbauer realized that the weather was creating problems for his tear-off goggles, signaling that he would be experiencing problems during the race. In the first race Rothbauer got off to a good start securing third coming out of the first corner, and that's when the trouble with his vision started and he fell back to fifth. Rothbauer was able to stay close with the riders in front of him to lock up a solid fifth place finish.

In the second race Rothbauer and his perfectly prepared Honda CRF450R got off to another strong start, yet with 20 other riders all cramming into the first turn seemly at the same time, he was again pushed into fifth place. Rothbauer fought through the brutally slippery conditions, pushing the riders in front of him the entire way and finished with another strong fifth place.

In Class S Open Wedenig had his chance to highlight some of the motocross skills he brought with him to the team. Wedenig got the hole-shot in race one, but the slippery conditions proved too much and he went down, dropping him back to 15th place. Wedenig immediately got things righted and for the next 20 minutes he put on a show by passing one rider after another until he finished 7th overall.

The second race started off nearly perfect again for Wedenig, until a rider in front of him crashed taking him down as well. This time Wedenig found himself back in 13th position, and once again the exciting chase was on. Wedenig once more displayed his off-road prowess as he battled all the way up into a fifth place finish.

After the opening rounds Team Honda Austria Press Coordinator Claudia Rothbauer remarked, "Conditions were very tricky, but it was the same for everybody. This year we will have seven events with 14 races overall, so it was very important for us to keep the risk to a minimum. But, now we definitely know that our Honda CRF450R's very competitive overall. We didn't make the podium this time, but we proved we are capable of getting there real soon."

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French Team 3ART-Yam74 Has Strong 2012 Debut at Circuit de Ledenon

May 1, 2012

Overall Yann Cancade and the entire team were pleased with their season debut.

Circuit de Ledenon, or Ledenon Raceway, is by far one of the most winding, hilliest, and most technical circuits in all of France. It's an incredibly challenging course demanding full attention at all times and averages roughly 38 gear changes per lap. It is also the only circuit in France that runs clockwise. It was here that the French Promosport Cup opened their 2012 season last weekend, and making the course even more challenging was the constant down pouring of rain and unnerving gusts of powerful wind.

French Team 3ART-Yam74 had a strong opening race at Circuit de Ledenon.

Team 3ART is a creative designation referring to the three "A's" in Yamaha, with the "R" representing "Racing" and "T" for team. Two of the team's accomplished riders, Mathieu Charpin and Yann Cancade, overcame more than just bad weather to post points and open strong at Ledenon.

"The Yamaha has a lower level of power in regards to the others bikes," said team spokesperson Marc Lamure, "and nevertheless we have to show that it's possible to obtain some good results with it."

Despite racing on bikes they feel are unpowered compared to the other brands, Team 3ART feels they can make up for it with riding skills.

This is precisely what the K&N sponsored team did, on Sunday with unsettling crosswinds standing riders up or blowing them over, Mathieu managed to find his rhythm lap after lap putting together an excellent race. Despite having less power, Mathieu confirmed the potential of the Yamaha R1 by finishing in a very strong 5th place overall, collecting 12 points towards the overall standings.

Although showing moments of brilliance, Yann faced some additional race challenges, as he went down early on the rain slink track while braking hard setting up for a turn during qualifing. Yann started at the very back of the pack, yet moved past 20 riders to finish 25th. "Our goal is to be in the top-5 and to be competitive for the year long battle with the other brand bikes," added Lamure."

The next race for Team 3ART-Yam74 is Rendez-vous at Croix-en Ternois, on the 12th and 13th of May.

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Netherlands' Randall Lawson Debuts Strong at Hockenheim Historic Jim Clark Revival

May 1, 2012

Randall Lawson and his Equipe Alpine Jaronn team are fire-up for the 2012 season.

It was a long tough winter for the Netherlands' Randall Lawson and his Equipe Alpine Jaronn team. Lawson competes in the hugely popular Dutch Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge Series; it's a series for cars from the 1970's and 1990's. In 2009 the team made the decision to race a Renault Alpine A310 V6, which was not intended as a circuit racer, but rather as a rally car. "We took up the challenge and created a circuit winner," commented Lawson after winning the 2009 Championship. In 2011 Lawson again won the Division II Championship and at the time he remarked "It's nice to have that trophy, but it would be more interesting to also get a podium in the overall standings of the Championship."

With the 50 extra horsepower, Lawson feels he now has an even better shot at beating the big guns.

Although Lawson has been successful in winning division championships running up against cars decades younger and with an average of 120hp, he clearly wants his share of an overall title. At the end of 2011 when we last spoke with Lawson he said, "For 2012 we already have a new engine ready with more horsepower. Next season is going to be interesting; maybe I can win the overall championship with it. We have a lot of work this winter to test and prepare the car for a new battle though. With K&N's help over here in Holland, we are going to make a special air-box for it. This is not going to be so easy, because we don't have a lot of room between the inlets of the Kugelfischer injection system and the rear bonnet of the car. But problems are there to be solved, and with the technicians of K&N, I think it's going to be something we will have no problem managing. That is one of the best parts of having fun with racing."

Lawson designed and built a "special box" to fit above the inlets which allows it to house a standard K&N air filter.

The long hard winter's effort has paid off for Lawson and his team, as the Group 4 Alpine A310 got a new engine with the experimental Kugelfischer injection from the seventies. "We found the parts for the Kugelfischer pump and throttle from a PRV engine in Germany," said Lawson. "Only three were ever made so it was hard to find. We worked all winter and built a complete new V6 around it from engine parts we still had."

The Alpine A310 is using the still experimental Kugelfischer injection from the seventies for the first time this season.

Renault experimented with the same system for their 1978 A310 Le Mans racecar effort, but then made the decision to switch back to Weber carburetors before the actual racing started, so the Kugelfischer system was never race tested. Admittedly the first test with the new engine in the beginning of the year didn't go well. But, after a lot of work by engine builder Griemelink, everything fell in place at the first two races at Historic Hockenheim event held on April 13th to 15th.

"We didn't know what to expect," Lawson explains. "It was all again last minute work. Thanks to K&N and a lot of other sponsors who also worked directly with the team to get everything ready in time, we managed it. When I got out of the pits on Friday morning for free practice, I knew immediately that everything would be okay. The engine is a real beauty, the extra 50 bhp is a dream come true. Of course we now have to work on a lot of other small things to make the car even better."

The Equipe Alpine Jaronn team finished 5th place overall in the first race and 3rd in the second at Historic Hockenheim event.

Road handling is still an issue and also the front brakes are now too small to handle the extra power, yet Lawson's skills were enough to earn him a solid 5th place overall in the first race and 3rd in the second. "I'm walking with a smile on my face that will stay there a long, yes a long time," exclaimed Lawson. "This is what we needed as a team after all the hard work this winter. 2012 is going to be a very great season in the Company Cloud Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge."

The next race for Lawson and his Equipe Alpine Jaronn team is May 18th and 19th at Zandvoort racetrack the Netherlands. "We will fit new, bigger brakes on the car and make the handling better by adding additional damperners on the front suspension," adds Lawson. "We will definitely be ready."

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Shea Holbrook Slated as Celebrity Contestant in Epic 2012 Fireball Run AdventuRally

May 1, 2012

Holbrook says he's working very hard to reclaim that winning feeling she experienced after her 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix victory.

Holbrook says she's working very hard to reclaim that winning feeling she experienced after her 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix victory.

The Fireball Run is by definition not a race, and it's totally unlike any rally competition in the world, it is in fact a completely riveting, sport and entertainment hybrid, and an original live point-of-interest and destination based American expedition. To navigate the route and score, teams may use anything (and anyone) at their disposal to solve clues, and accomplish missions. Clues incorporate history, road side points-of-interest, attractions, brands, even pop-culture; anything in relation to the team's geographical location.

At the end of 2011 Holbrook partnered with TrueCar, her new sponsor for a multi-year contract, to race in Pirelli World Challenge (Photo - Alison Merion Padron).

"I was immediately on board when I heard the sole purpose of the adventure is to aid in the recovery of missing children," said Holbrook. "The adventure has already aided in recovering 38 and I hope to add to that."

Holbrook was selected to be a celebrity contestant based in part on her infectious charisma, her competitiveness, and most of all her passion to help others. Holbrook won the 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix, becoming the first female to win a touring car race at Long Beach. We talked with Holbrook to get the lowdown on the Fireball Run and to see what's been going on with her.

It sounds oddly kooky yet completely entertaining, give us some insights about the Fireball Run, how exactly does it work?

"Fireball Run brings you to multiple states in only eight days covering 2,500 miles and all for a great cause, aiding in recovering missing children! I'll be competing against some of the top U.S. executives with my lifelong friend and co-driver, Tarah Mikacich, a professional wake boarder. It's the most fun you can have while going the speed limit."

Holbrook graduates from the University of Central Florida this May 5th, and that's a tremendous source of satisfaction for her, knowing she got it done while also meeting her racing obligations.

"I'm very excited and of course ready to rise to the challenge. But the sole purpose of this is to raise awareness and find missing children. We will each receive a child's name and then we do everything in our power to find them. I can't currently give too much information, but my child is a boy named Donald. Just knowing his name now gives me goose bumps. I can't wait to become a voice for him. Teams must use clues to find final destinations and we can use any resources to do so. Therefore, I'll need fan support along the way. I'll be tweeting often (Twitter:@SheaRacing). So what do we win? Bragging rights and lots of publicity! The real win will be aiding in the recovery of missing children."

How did you get involved with the event and what will you be driving?

"They asked me to be a celebrity contestant (ha ha). This year's Fireball Run is empowering women - it's a perfect match for me! In November 2011 I partnered with TrueCar, my new sponsor for a multi-year contract, to race in Pirelli World Challenge. TrueCar Racing has formed the first ever all Women Empowered Racing Initiative. The opportunity to be a part of the Fireball Run couldn't have come at a better time. At this time, I cannot announce the car I'll be driving."

You fired-up 2012 in a big way, with a strong performance at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, what else has been going on with your racing?

"A Top-5 in St. Petersburg was a great start for me and the Shea Racing/Compass360 team. I'm looking to finish extremely well in the championship this year (1stïŠ). My partnership TrueCar, Lucas Oil, Premier Capital, and K&N has meant absolutely everything to me, and because of these relationships I am where I am today."

How is school going and what are some of your other race goals for 2012?

"I graduate May 5th with my Bachelors in Sciences, majoring in Interpersonal and Organizational Communications, and a minor in marketing from the University of Central Florida. I'm literally flying home to walk at graduation. But I wouldn't miss it for the world. It was my goal to get my four year degree in four years on top of racing - and I did it! It was very difficult (especially this year), but I got it done. I'm actually being honored in the commencement ceremonies... so cool!"

"As for my racing goals, I'm really focusing on becoming a great driver. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, so being talented behind the wheel will help. For the first time I have the appropriate resources to do so. For example, I actually currently have two private driver coaches I'm working with, a wonderful team and support system, and of course fantastic fans. I do feel I have it in me to win the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Championships - this is an ultimate goal of mine. At the end of the day, I need podiums. I tasted what it was like to win a race in 2011 at the Long Beach Grand Prix and now all I want is to feel the way I did on that day - all the time."

You can follow Holbrook as her eight day adventure unfolds September 21-29, 2012. She will need your help along the way uncovering clues and she may be coming to a city near you. Cities include: Independence, Ohio, Monroesville, Pennsylvania, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, Watertown, New York, Waterbury, Connectect, and Bangor, Maine.

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.

Cody Gibson and Team Walsh Race Craft Make A Huge Showing At Aonia Pass

May 1, 2012

Cody Gibson is very comfortable with riding for the Walsh Race Craft team and is anticipating much success in 2012.

The week prior to round one of the 2012 AMA/ATVA GNC Motocross to be held at Aonia Pass Motocross Park, in Washington, Georgia, Cody Gibson and team Walsh Race Craft were focused on getting his Pro-Am Production LT-R450 built. Completing the project with one day to spare, they put the ATV on the dyno. Upon seeing the results of their labors, they were instantly pleased. The quad pulled the best numbers they had ever seen. Their Pro-Am Unlimited WALSH CRF450R had been ready for the rigors of racing for a while and with the Production ATV fine tuned, they were geared up and ready to go.

Cody Gibson and team Walsh Race Craft began the ATVA Motocross Nationals off woth a bang with four moto wins at Aonia Pass, in Washington, Georgia.

"My confidence level was high," recalled Gibson, "because I am back with the Walsh Race Craft Team. I came into this season knowing I was going to win. I was technically pro two years ago, but had started the season off with a broken collar bone. So I just never got into the swing of things. But being that I had won Pro-Am Production and Pro-Am Unlimited in 2009, I knew I could still win it. To sum it up, I have 100% confidence in myself, my team, and my quads, and the products that Walsh Race Craft uses on them," he continued. "The key to success going into the race was my Walsh Race Craft team, my mentality, my physical ability, and endurance."

The first day of racing brought with it instant success in the Pro-Unlimited class for Gibson and the team. In fact, after separating himself from the second place rider by two seconds in the qualifying round, he had earned the option of first gate pick. When the gate dropped Gibson pulled the holeshot and took a demanding lead. Never looking back, the rider managed to take the checkered flag twenty seconds ahead of the remainder of the pack. The second moto of the day was no different, as Gibson pulled the holeshot and left his field of competitors battling for the remaining positions.

With a successful outing under his belt, Gibson returned the next day with full intentions of continuing his winning streak, and continue he did. Racing in the Pro-Am Production class on the Suzuki LT-R450, it was obvious early on that he had not manned this particular bike in nearly two years, as the beginning of the qualifying round proved a little rough. That said, he quickly grew comfortable and managed to set the fastest qualifying time, and was anxious to get the moto underway.

Having earned the first gate pick again, Gibson took the lead early and had no intentions of riding in a close race. Pulling away from the field, he crossed the finish line with a twenty-second lead over the second place rider, and eager for the next moto.

Moto two did not start as smoothly as he had grown accustomed to though. Coming off of the line, Gibson bumped into another racer, in turn slowing his momentum. It quickly became evident that the mishap was no indication of how the race was going to end though, as he eventually found a descent line and swept into third place. Gibson continued forward and took the second place spot. Before his competitors knew it, he had made a pass nearing the end of the first lap and took the lead position. Accepting nothing less than another victory, the rider pulled away from the field and in turn won his fourth and final moto of the weekend.

Although aware that his riding skills are an essential element of success, Cody Gibson is quick to credit his team. "They're very important," he explained. "I have always been completely confident and comfortable with Walsh Race Craft and our supporting sponsors. Walsh picked me up coming out of the A class in 2007 very early in my career. So I had really grown and somewhat been raised with Walsh," he continued. "When I left Walsh in 2010 and went pro with a different team, I never really felt comfortable. Mainly, I wasn't confident in the quad or the management, and was not getting the full effort from that 2010 team, because they had other riders. Where I am planning on going in ATV racing, I need full effort from my team, and now I have that once again."

Cody Gibson and the Walsh Race Craft team are strong advocates of proper maintenance and depend upon K&N products for their filtering needs. "We want to finish every race. We do not want to break down, or break me due to a mechanical failure," explained Gibson. "The team is heavily involved in ATV racing. I mean that is their main form of business, so the maintenance heavily reflects on Walsh Race Craft, and that effects reputation, which affects sales and all of that."

Referring to K&N products he continued, "We use their air filters, air filter oil and cleaner, and their oil filters. As long as I have been with Walsh, it is all we have used. We used K&N products with my previous team also. I would say I've been using K&N for four years now. I love them," he explained. "Their air filters make the best power, hands down, and everything K&N manufactures is high quality."

Looking forward to the remainder of the 2012 season, Cody Gibson said, "Our fans can expect a lot of holeshots and wins; some stunts like heel clickers during motos; probably some 'toss-out' goggles, and any other way we can help make people's race experience the best it can be."

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