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Jarrod had been a normal, fun-loving boy up to the age of seven when he was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Jarrod Holly is a young man from Arizona from whom we could all learn a lot. Jarrod had been a normal, fun-loving boy up to the age of seven when he was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a recessive form of which results in muscle degeneration, difficulty walking, breathing, and a shortened life expectancy of only eighteen to twenty-five years.
Even after being diagnosed Jarrod, who already had a deep passion for cars and drag racing, successfully participated in Jr. Dragster racing winning an event in his specially modified half-scale dragster. As his disease progressed, even the changes that were made to his car were not enough for him to continue to compete safely and after a crash when he was ten, his parents has to sadly pull the plug on Jarrod's racing program.
Although young Jarrod is wheelchair bound, he continues to be as involved with his love of cars and drag racing as much as his extremely limited mobility will allow. He makes as many visits as possible to his local drag racing facilities, including his home track Southwestern International Speedway [SIR], in Tucson, Arizona. He has also taken up participating in RC race cars, something that he can still enjoy being a part of the action even with his deteriorating health.
The HOT ROD Power Tour is rolling tribute to the performance car and is the ultimate gearhead road trip.
"He recently graduated high school and is going to college on a part time basis, about 2 hours a week, where he is studying Computer Graphics," said his father Ethan, who not long ago retired from his position to take care of the now 19 year-old, Jarrod. "He knows what is happening to him and he has a 'Bucket List;' he saw the movie. Participating in the 2012 HOT ROD Power Tour is a major part of that list. His prognosis is not good, but maybe they are wrong and he will be around a lot longer. There is so much to do in a short amount of time. He enjoys life and he doesn't complain about what is going on. That right there gives my wife Barbara and I the strength to keep going, but it weighs on our minds every day. We enjoy seeing him happy and that's all that counts right now. So when we say thanks to all those who are helping Jarrod make his Power Tour dream come true, we really mean it."
The HOT ROD Power Tour is rolling tribute to the performance car and is the ultimate gearhead road trip. Now in its eighteenth year, the tour consists of seven days in seven cities. For 2012, it will kickoff June 2nd in The Motor City and spend the next week driving and bench racing through the Midwest, including other Michigan stops as well as in Illinois and Oklahoma, before wrapping up June 9th in Arlington, Texas.
"I met Jarrod and his father, Ethan, at the 2011 SEMA show through a mutual friend," explained Devin Rickey, Sr. Manager of Special Projects for K&N Engineering. "After hearing about Jarrod's plans to participate in HOT ROD Power Tour and what he wanted to do with the car, I thought that there is an opportunity for the aftermarket community to help this young man's dreams come true. Jarrod's dad, Ethan is also building a custom trailer to tow behind the 2007 Mustang that will give them the needed capacity to carry Jarrod's wheelchair and any other support equipment."
Starting with K&N Engineering, numerous manufacturers and companies along with various individuals have joined in the quest to make Jarrod's dream a reality. "The generous outpouring of support in needed parts for this young man's wish list and his project have been wonderful," said K&N's Rickey. "But we could still use some help in making this Power Tour trip a reality for Jarrod and that is why we are reaching out to let others know about his story. Anyone who may like to take part, may contact me directly."
Although young Jarrod is wheelchair bound, he continues to be as involved with his love of cars and drag racing as much as his extremely limited mobility will allow.
"It's such a wonderful project to be involved in and even though we have been very successful in acquiring much of Jarrod's wish list for the car itself, there is only a very short time to make his dream a reality," added Rickey.
Current supporters for Jarrod and his Mustang Power Tour Project:
- K&N Engineering
- Saleen Speedlab [Series 6.5 Supercharger Kit]
- Ford Racing - Tom Detloff and Wayne Geoffery
- Brembo Brakes - Big Brake Kit
- Sharp's Transmission and Auto Repair [Axle Upgrade]
- Don's Hotrod Shop [Axle Upgrade]
- Army SSG Nathan Guzik [Front Hood Strut Cylinder Kit]
- American Muscle - Various Dress Parts
- Classic Design Concepts - Various Dress Parts
- Tucson Dragway/SIR - Jim and Lori Thomas
- Brown Motorsports Custom Trailers - Custom Wheelchair Trailer
- MSD Ignition
- Southwest Custom Trucks
For more information on how to join the in helping Jarrod Holly, contact Devin Rickey at K&N Engineering 951-826-4119 or email him.
Edwards was able to turn the tables on current K&N Horsepower Challenge leader, Jason Line, after giving the pole up to him during the first event of the season.
With just two races in the books for the young 2012 NHRA season, K&N's Mike Edwards came back from a near-miss at the number one Pro Stock qualifying spot in Pomona to sit on top of the pack at the latest race at Firebird International Raceway, just outside Phoenix, Arizona. Edwards was able to turn the tables on current K&N Horsepower Challenge leader, Jason Line, after giving the pole up to him during the first event of the season, this time bumping Line from the top by just three thousandths of a second to take the top spot, the $3,000 K&N Low Qualifier bonus check and helping himself gain a little ground by receiving the maximum points awarded during each event for the most prestigious event in all of Pro Stock, the K&N Horsepower Challenge.
Jason Line came out swinging during the first qualifying session when he posted a track E.T. record of 6.556 at 211.00 MPH. Right on his heels was K&N's Mike Edwards, just a thousandth of a second behind and with a little track record setting of his own when he blazed through the traps at 211.13 MPH. Before the dust settled for the day, both drivers would reset their previous lap track records, Line improving another three thousandths to a 6.553 and Edwards bumping his MPH up to 211.53 during session number two.
"It's good, but it will not stand," Line said of his 6.553 E.T. after Friday's sessions came to a close. "Somebody is going to go faster. I think there are several cars that haven't made the type of runs they are capable of making, including ours. [Saturday] is definitely going to be a little faster."
Line was right. The teams and the track seemed to gel even more right out of the gate on Saturday as they made their way through the third qualifying session of the event. With air conditions very similar to the previous session on Friday, teams were able to really start dialing in their tune-ups and making better use of all available horsepower in the low humidity.
My guys did an exceptional job this week and we really made four nice runs.
There was a lot of position juggling during this session as quite a few teams stepped up their game including Vincent Nobile, Ronnie Humphrey and Allen Johnson. While Line came up short and couldn't come near his previous efforts, Mike Edwards shot around Line to take over the number one spot when he picked up over two hundredths with his 6.536, once again resetting the Firebird International Raceway Pro Stock track E.T. record.
After the fourth and final session, other teams could only manage to jockey for position for Sunday's eliminations. Line was able to make his own 6.53 run in an attempt to snag back the number one spot from Edwards, but came up just a few thousandths short for his effort and would have to settle for number two.
When the qualifying rounds came to a close for the NHRA Arizona Nationals, it would be secured K&N's Mike Edwards securing his 40th career number one qualifier, fifth overall at the track and fourth consecutive at Firebird International Raceway.
"There's something about the desert," said Edwards after qualifying concluded. "Our car seems to run really good here. I can't put my finger on why this happens, but we even ran good in the heat here last year. Anytime that you can qualify number one, it's really good for us. My guys did an exceptional job this week and we really made four nice runs. We hung on. Jason [Line] and Greg [Anderson] really came on strong in the final qualifying session. It [qualifying numbers] is all packed in together and it is just fun to go up there and compete against those kind of guys. But, tomorrow is another day and we will see how that goes."
While the 2012 NHRA season may still be fresh, the hunt for the top qualifying positions in the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge is deep into action. With just nine events left to acquire points before the big shootout in Norwalk, Ohio slated for early July, Edwards recent accomplishment at Phoenix begins to give him a little more breathing room in the number two spot, now forty points in front of Greg Anderson at number three and helping him to zone in on current leader Jason Line, still ninety-five points ahead.
Teams get a short break after back-to-back events before firing up again at one of the more historic venues on the NHRA tour and the 43rd running of the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida March 8-11.
We had a great experience in Ocala, and we really did learn a lot about running a dirt car.
California sprint car star Kody Swanson got a jump on brother Tanner and the 2012 season during Speedweeks in February. Kody and his Ted Slinkard-owned dirt sprint car traveled to Ocala, Florida for the Winter Dirt Games as part of the USAC National Sprint series.
Kody, who has limited experience on the dirt, debuted the new coil-over #19 entry, improved each time he hit the track and ran with the leaders for much of the final night. Kody ended the night by capturing a respectable eighth place finish.
I would be happy if either Kody or I take home the Silver Crown championship and also the Xtreme Sprint Series championship.
"We had a great experience in Ocala, and we really did learn a lot about running a dirt car," Kody said. "My ability to run dirt has been questioned before, and it was great to find out we could start moving forward with this program in such a short amount of time."
The dirt car is a nice break for Kody, who will campaign a Team 6R Racing Beast/Toyota in the USAC Silver Crown series as a teammate of Tanner's full time this season. Kody said that while his goal is to win both the Silver Crown championship and the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series championship, the deal with Slinkard's team is all about having a good time.
"(Ted's) just looking to have fun," Kody said. "The goal is to not only run well and learn a lot, but to have fun doing it, and to make it fun for Ted, for who I am so fortunate to run this car."
Since 2005 we've raced our family owned TK Motorsports Sprint Cars, and we trust our engines to K&N products.
While Kody prepares for his two full-time rides, as well as his run in the Wilke-PAK Motorsports midget in the USAC National Pavement Midget series, Tanner has been hard at work outside of racing. "I am attending Fresno State University, working towards my Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Business," Tanner said, "but it doesn't help. I want to get out of the classroom and start spending my weekends at the racetrack… I am getting very restless. We have put a lot of work and marketing into the 2012 season, but it's not nearly as exciting as getting out there and working on and driving the cars."
Tanner is also planning on running in the Xtreme Sprint Series and will also campaign a midget in the USAC Pavament series on a limited basis, competing for RFMS Racing in the #3F. His first race in the midget is scheduled for March 30-31 at Ace Speedway in North Carolina.
My ability to run dirt has been questioned before, and it was great to find out we could start moving forward with this program in such a short amount of time.
The brothers have a full schedule once again in 2012, but Tanner remains confident that they will continue to win races and hopefully the Silver Crown championship as well. "I would be happy if either Kody or I take home the Silver Crown championship and also the Xtreme Sprint Series championship. I definitely think it's a good possibility, and I look forward to seeing how the season will unfold. We are also hoping to expand our marketing opportunities this year and try to really build bridges into the NASCAR community and try to fulfill our dream of becoming NASCAR superstars."
The Swanson brothers have long been a part of K&N's racing stable. From wins at the historic Turkey Night Grand Prix to victories at the Night Before the 500 and the Ted Horn 100, K&N and this bright, young racing family have been connected in a winning way.
"K&N is a tremendous help to Tanner and I," Kody said. "Since 2005 we've raced our family owned TK Motorsports Sprint Cars, and we trust our engines to K&N products. It started with their High Performance Air Filters, led to their Wrench-Off Oil Filters, and now they've introduced their In-Line Fuel Filters. K&N has a great reputation and ability to provide quality products, and that's why we choose them for our engines, our investments."
Kody continued, "K&N have been great supporters of Tanner and I, as well as the teams we drive for, including Team 6R Racing. We are definitely looking forward to getting this year rolling and putting K&N in victory lane."
At the University of California Irvine, students join together to spend time learning and understanding the ins and outs of the cars they drive.
Building a sweet ride requires significant financial backing, but money is not necessary to become a hardcore car enthusiast. The upfront cost of enjoying automobiles is time and effort. There are many people out in the world that spend time attending car shows and club meetings without even owning a vehicle. Not having a car to work on should not hinder people from getting involved into automotive related hobbies. At the University of California Irvine, students join together to spend time learning and understanding the ins and outs of the cars they drive. They work together on anything form oil changes to custom body work.
The club's main focus is import vehicles but, there were quite a few American made vehicles as well.
A few weeks ago the UCI Import club held their 6th annual car show on the UCI campus with about 325 vehicles in attendance. The club's main focus is import vehicles, but there were quite a few American who made vehicles as well. There was a mixture between tuner cars, muscle cars, and even exotics. The show began at 10am, which is about 7am according to the internal clock of an undergraduate student. All the show cars packed into a sizeable parking lot on the South Side of campus. It was very interesting to see the student body come together and share a common interest with the public.
A few judges were selected to rate the cars and put them into their pre-selected categories. For example, a 1990's Acura NSX took the "Most Unique" award and a 1980's Nissan 240SX took the "Dirtiest" award.
The UCI Import club recently held their 6th annual car show on the UCI campus with about 325 vehicles in attendance.
There were a few students in attendance from surrounding universities including UC San Diego and even UC Riverside. The UCI club has 30 active members and a respectable alumni support which makes about 200 members in total. The club is a non-profit organization that supports many causes, one of them being Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). The best part might be the fact that it is free to join.
A few of the student organization's sponsors were in attendance including K&N Engineering. They provided product information and displayed their very own Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution for students to check out.
Christine, the public relations chair, motivated the club to hand out flyers and reach out the participating alumni. She was very appreciative that K&N came out to support. She mentioned, "K&N has some particularly awesome products. K&N is known for their air filters, but the oil filters are also great." In fact K&N offers an air filter for most applications on the road. Christine went on to say, "Overall, I feel that K&N has outstanding design and quality that makes all the difference in their products."
Every so often Steve Gibson, a program coordinator at K&N Engineering, performs product trainings for the student organization to further educate them on not only K&N products but, basic functions of an automobile. This is a great way for K&N to reach out and further educate the younger generation.
The UCI car club will be hosting a tech day in the near future that involves the club members getting together to work on their cars.
Boutté says he feels optimistic heading into Las Vegas with the way his car is currently set-up and running.
Check close enough and you're bound to find a definition of "busman's holiday" with Greg Boutté face beaming alongside it. Boutté races a Super Comp dragster and he works for K&N where he - wait for it - focuses on making cars run better and faster. More to the point Boutté is a Product Specialist working in customer service and sales. "I travel to the National events, whether I race or not, and support our sponsored K&N racers, as well as support the drivers in Pro Stock, for the K&N Horsepower Challenge."
He is also involved in K&N's Heavy Duty filter program for the trucking industry and clearly one effectively feeds off the other as he's really good in all arenas. Last weekend at the 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals contested at Firebird International Raceway, Boutté notched his first victory of 2012, it is his third National event win in three final trips. Boutté won the final dual on his opponent's 0.004 red-light. Boutté marked with an 8.898 ET and 174.71 mph.
Regarding his win over Steve Whitfield in Super Comp at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Boutté remarked, "Mr. Whitfield is a good racer, so you don't want to lose in the final after the last six rounds. With that in mind, I set the car up to run a 8.91 in the final knowing if I was wrong I would run a 8.89, it ran a 8.898. You don't want to go red so I added .010 more to my delay box, but when I got my time slip and saw the .047 light, wow, was I glad he went red. He would have cleaned my plow."
Greg Boutté's win at the 28th annual NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Arizona Nationals was his third of the 2012 season.
Boutté is a definitive wily veteran, having competed in Super Comp for 21 years, running in about 20 races a year, beginning at Pomona, California in February and ending at Pomona in November. Back in 2003 he won the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 7 in Super Comp in Arizona.
We wondered if the Loma Linda, California driver made any changes to his race car or his GB Motorsports race program during the off season. "My motor and converter and rear wheels are all different. Wayne Silvia (Silvia Construction) lent me a Chevy 565 motor and Hughes Performance lent me a 8" converter. I ran that combination in Pomona at the Winter Nationals and Phoenix. If my Heads are not back from Brodix, I will use the same winning Combination in Las Vegas for the Div-7 race and then the National event the next weekend."
A large part of racing is confidence and momentum and Boutté is justifiably feeling strong about both heading into Las Vegas. "I am feeling very optimistic at this point of the season. I won the make-up Arizona Nationals at Infineon in 2010 on the Monday before the Division-7 race. Last year I was runner up to my friend Justin Morgan in Vegas. I have had very good luck the last three seasons at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The track is one of the best in the Country and NHRA preps the track very well too. If my car is as predictable there next month, as it is now, I hope to get to the winners circle again."
