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Duane LaFleur Builds on Positives Heading into 2012 With His K&N '67 Camaro Roadster

Jan 5, 2012

For me and every vehicle I race or drive, there is only one choice and that's K&N filters.

Racers that are considered to be good drivers never stop learning, reaching for more and for the most part, never dwell on the negatives. One such racer is Clarence Center, New York's Duane LaFleur and as he heads into his sixteenth year of competition. He continues to look for the positives from each of his events during the season to use as building blocks for the year ahead.

2011 was full of exciting moments for LaFleur and his K&N sponsored 1967 Camaro Roadster, with one of the more notable ones happening for him during the NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. "The Englishtown national event was one of the highlights of my season, where I went to the semi-finals before getting beat by Mike Sawyer," said LaFleur. "The car had a little malfunction that round, but instead of making a negative out of that race, it really was a positive for me because it was a good outing and I feel like I did very well there. I went four rounds at Maple Grove's points race, I left there went to Englishtown and made it to the semi-finals and that was all good," he added. "So those were the highlights of my season."

Every racer has an event or facility that they look forward to on their schedule every season and for LaFleur it would be the NHRA Div 3 event in late August, capped off with a trip to Indy. "Yeah, I really look forward to going to the Bowling Green-U.S. Nationals swing each year," he admitted. "The divisional race prior to Indy really brings a lot of folks out that I wouldn't normally get to race with. I really enjoy seeing the racers at Bowling Green because they come from all over the country on their way to the U.S. Nationals. I've made it to the semi-finals at Indy for the U.S. Nationals and if I'm able to win a big one [NHRA National Event], that's the one I want to win," he continued. "I strive to make that one every year and it's kinda like my ultimate goal- to win Indy."

New York's Duane LaFleur heads into his sixteenth year of competition.

There are some competitors that race just to race while there are others who look to count every point they can obtain over the season, with obtaining a championship as their goal. "I approach each season as not really chasing the points," LaFleur explained of his annual strategy. "I let the points lay where they are and if I need to chase it at the end of the year, I will. I usually try to do six to seven points races a year as well as six to eight national events."

"I enjoy running division 3 events. The people are great and it's a lot of fun and the tracks are nice, but I'm just not a points chaser," he continued. "After I put my schedule together and I go out there and [later in the year] if I'm doing well, that's different. The only time I ever went out there and really chased something was two seasons ago when I was just four points behind Connolly for the JEGS All-Stars, so I had to chase it. I had to go to extra races, ones that even rained out and then I had to go back. I just don't like to be forced to going to a place and if I say that I'm going to chase the points and then go somewhere and it rains out, then I'm obligated to go back. But if I should do well during my schedule, I will go chase it. Really, I don't need to have a certain number on my car at the end of the year. That part just isn't that important to me."

Folks who are familiar with LaFleur from racing or from his work at Jiffy-Tite may find it hard to believe that he considers himself as a fairly quiet kinda guy. "I'm actually a pretty laid back person," he pointed out, "a quiet, family-type individual. I say that because when folks see me at the races or tradeshows or working the midway, I talk a hundred miles-a-minute and I never shut up. When I'm home, I'm an outdoors type of person. I don't like to be around a lot of people. It's just me and my quiet time."

Although LaFleur always has a very busy schedule, certain times of the year put him into maximum overdrive and he's looking forward to taking a breather. "You finish up the race season, then you have three trade shows that you work, plus the holidays tossed in and all the follow up from the shows on top of trying to get the team ready for the next race season. It's fairly hectic," he confessed, "but there won't be much of a break when we will start our race season very soon."

I enjoy running division 3 events. The people are great and it's a lot of fun and the tracks are nice.

"We are busy trying to get everything ready for our February/March outing," he explained. "We are going down south to run the four races which include three NHRA Div 2 races at Orlando, Gainesville and SGMP and a national event at the GatorNationals. So we don't have much time to get everything torn apart, rebuilt and ready to go again. We only make what we call our 'southern swing' every other year, and this is our year to do it. We will be continuing to claim division 3 and we are just getting started early this year."

While LaFleur's race schedule may change a little from one season to the next, how he prepares and maintains his race operation stays consistent right down to the K&N filters that you will always find on his Camaro Roadster. "For me and every vehicle I race or drive, there is only one choice and that's K&N filters," said LaFleur. "The product works. It does exactly what they say it's supposed to do and the results I have had over the years speaks for the extremely high quality K&N puts into everything they manufacture. K&N puts a lot into their R&D, whether it's for a new air or oil filter for a daily driver to the line of filters that are available for motorsports. The wrench-off oil filters, for example, are fantastic inside and out. You get the assurance and comfort of knowing that your engine's oil is being filtered by the world's best filter along with the ease of removing the filter when it's time to change it without a big mess or crushed filter."

"I'm really looking forward to the 2012 season and representing K&N," he added. "I thoroughly enjoy working with a company like K&N who are constantly listening to the racers, working with them to develop products that are not only protecting their large investments but helping to keeping them out there round after round. We all know the harsh conditions that we racers put our power plants through, but with the many ways that the K&N products protect from air filter to oil filters; it's one less thing that we just don't have to worry about."

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.

K&N's Gary Stinnett Retains NHRA National Super Comp Crown for a Second Year

Jan 5, 2012

Gary Stinnett warming up the tires before a big race.

After an outstanding 2010, Gary Stinnett returned to the trail in 2011 not thinking he had a shot of repeating so soon. He went on to not only deny all other hopefuls when he secured his fourth national Super Comp title as well as adding to his already impressive divisional championship count by winning the LODRS Div 5 Super Comp title, and did so during a season of rather extreme experimentation.

"Basically after winning the championship last year, I got a new car and I thought the chances of repeating are like nil," Stinnett explained of his early season plans. "You know it just doesn't happen that often. It's only happened twice since 1986. I just didn't concern myself with thinking I was going to go out there and win another championship. I had all these ideas that I had wanted to try for years, so I thought now was the time to do it."

"So I changed everything; my wife hates it when I do that," he said with a laugh. "I wanted to try a different gear, different converter, and different throttle stop combination. Well I went out for the first race at Dallas and I did go five rounds, but it was horrible. The graph just didn't look good at all."

While most racers may have thought to give up on the experimenting at that point and go back to what they knew was a proven setup, Stinnett did just the opposite. "I thought if that didn't work maybe it was telling me to be going the other way," he said. "So, I changed everything again and went out to a couple of races and eventually, with that combination I won the Brainerd divisional race. The car was just phenomenal."

Now feeling like he had really hit on something, Stinnett left the car in its new trim and went on to his next NHRA Div 5 event at Bandimere Speedway, just outside of Denver, Colorado. "I ended up winning that race, but every round the car was getting worse and worse," he admitted. "I drove well enough and had a couple of redlight wins or whatever and won the race, but I came home and I knew that I was going to need to change everything again."

Gary's office doesn't have the most space, but it has a great view.

Every event during a season has its individual level of importance for a racer's overall season. For the next trip on Stinnett's schedule, it would be one of the most important of the year- a NHRA National event claim at Route 66 Raceway along with the prestigious JEGS All-Stars Shootout. "The car was just Jekyll and Hyde all weekend," he pointed out. "First round I was double-oh on the tree, second round I was double-oh on the tree, then I go fifty. At this point they are calling us right back up for the first round of the All-Stars."

"I know I am paired up with Tommy Phillips in the first round of the All-Stars and I'm thinking to myself, 'Well I just missed it,'" he explained of his reaction time just moments earlier. "I go back up and I'm fifty again and of course that's death with him. So I get beat and all my buddies are telling me there is nothing wrong with my car, that it's just me. But the next morning, for the national event, I go out there and go fifty again although I did get lucky enough that the guy lifted on me and I got around him."

At this point, Stinnett knows he cannot go on hoping that luck will carry him through and he's back to the drawing board. "I go back to the trailer and start changing buttons and delay boxes and solenoids and just everything that I could change and when I went back up for the next round, I went double-oh. I thought 'OK, I fixed it and I'm in the semi-finals against [Kevin] Klineweber and I'm fifty again.'"

When Stinnett returned to his home in Emporia, Kansas following the Chicago race, it would be a lot more than a button or two that he would be swapping out on his dragster. "I changed the transmission, converter, the gear and so on. I was still too hard headed to put everything back to the way it was the year before. I was trying to achieve perfection. I knew what I had last year was good, but it still had flaws. I was like a mad scientist and I was just trying this and this and in the process, I was learning things. You know I've been doing this Super Comp racing since 1989 and I'm still learning things."

Stinnett lining up on the starting line.

Stinnett went on to put a near strangle hold on the class with his back-to-back victories starting with the national event win in Brainerd and then scooping up the divisional win at Heartland Park Topeka- his home track.

"That was the same thing I did last year," reflected Stinnett. "Winning those two races back-to-back; in fact I have won Brainerd [national] three years in a row now."

Stinnett's game plan and outlook on the season now changed from where he was just a few months prior, when the thought of repeating his national championship seemed quite farfetched to him. Now, it was well within reach. "With the Topeka win, I was now in the lead for the world [championship] and it made me start driving differently," he confessed. "You start being a little more conservative and I left that setup in the car. I ended up going four rounds at Indy [U.S. Nationals] and three rounds at Earlville [division event] which gave me my 686 points."

"At that point I got to thinking that all this testing I had been doing and studying, every bit of it, no matter which combination of gear, converter, tires or throttle stop- it all had a flaw," he pointed out. "In other words, there is no such thing as perfection. So for the last race of the year, the World Finals, I just put everything back to the way it was last year. I came full circle and I can tell you that I didn't find anything that worked any better than what I had, but I can definitely tell you things that don't work."

Even though Stinnett was fully aware of how well he was doing on not only the divisional level, but the national level, when all was said and done, he was still quite shocked that he was able to secure his fourth NHRA Super Comp National Championship. "I was like, 'You mean I won, I frickin' won?' I was busy testing all year. I don't mean to say that to insult anybody out there that I can win a world championship and beat everybody out there by fooling around and testing," he said. "I really was truly trying stuff every week."

Gary accepting an award.

Well before the dust begins to settle on the 2011 season, Stinnett has lots of exciting plans in store for 2012 where he will spend his time between not two cars and classes, but four. "Next year I plan to run two divisionals and two nationals in Super Stock and two other divisionals and nationals in Super Street and then probably one divisional and national in Stock," he explained.

He did point out that he will continue to chase championship points in Super Comp, but running for two classes is not something that he cares to do at this time. "I'm going to be fifty shortly and I've been at this a long time," he said. "I do eighty to ninety percent of the work myself and I just don't want to put that on me, especially when we get into the part of the season when we have eight to nine races back-to-back to have to get two cars ready. By breaking it up with the other three cars, it will make a big difference."

A very successful engine builder by trade, Stinnett is quite particular about every part and piece that goes on or in each motor that he builds, including those for his championship winning race cars. Each are protected from the word go, with the full line of K&N air and oil filters. "I think the world of Steve Williams and everybody at K&N," he said. "They have been nothing but extremely helpful for not only my program but all that they do for sportsman drag racing, even down to many of the programs they offer at tracks across the country at the local level. Their products are outstanding and from one to the next the quality is not only unsurpassed but absolutely consistent in nature. You always know exactly what you are getting and with any K&N product, whether it's one of their oil filters or air filters, it's going to be the best there is available to anyone, anywhere. We build seventy to eighty engines a year and every one of them leaves the shop with a K&N oil filter. There is no better way to protect your investment, whether it's for racing or even your everyday driver than to do so by using K&N filters. The choice is quite simple- it's always K&N."

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.

Brian Brown Racing Looks Forward to the 2012 Sprint Car Season

Jan 5, 2012

Although many drivers would be more than satisfied with a seven win season, sprint car driver Brian Brown is accustomed to many more victories on an annual basis and is looking forward to the opening race of 2012.

Brian Brown suffered through a back injury during a portion of the 2011 race season.

"During 2010 we had fourteen wins, and our goal going into this season was to have more wins than we had the prior season. So in my eyes, we kind of went backwards a little bit in 2011. At the season's end, you have to look back at the overall picture figure out why you didn't win as much, and what can we do better, so we can win more in 2012. That's what we're doing right now," explained Brown. "We're really working hard to get our program back to where we feel like we can win fifteen races a year. Our goal is always twenty to twenty-one wins and we really need to be in that fifteen to twenty range to feel like we've had a successful season."

Fans would likely suspect that a back injury might have played a role in fewer checkered flags than Brian Brown Racing team expected during 2011. During hot laps at the 360 Nationals in Knoxville, Iowa in early August, Brown's engine showed signs of mechanical failure. After changing the engine, Brian qualified, but their luck quickly went south during the heat race when he compressed a vertebrae in his back. "I would say, that would be the low point of the season," Brian recalled. "Going into the 360 Nationals, our goal every season is to win."

Although not totally happy with their win/loss ratio in 2011, Brian and his crew did experience some high points as well. Recalling racing in the month of June at the Lucas Oil Speedway at Wheatland, Missouri, Brown said, "We had some motor issues in our heat race. Having to change motors, we started last in the B feature and finished second. Then we started twentieth in the A feature and won it. Anytime you can start that far back and put on that good of a show for the fans it's always good, especially since a lot of the local people who support and help us were there. There's nothing like winning in front of folks who support you."

"We also ran pretty well this season at the Knoxville Nationals," he continued. "I think we ran sixth or seventh. We're still in contention to win that event year after year and hopefully, one of these years we'll get that."

Brain Brown and the Brian Brown Racing team are anticipating a successful 2012 season.

Referring to his wins during this season, Brown credited his entire team with their success. "You've got to have a good team, and we had some really good guys who worked for us this year. If something goes wrong, they're the guys who take the brunt of the blame, but if you win, the driver gets all of the credit. We try to keep everybody's morale up. I think you can attest all of your wins to everybody on the entire team doing their job."

"The competition level is so close that if you're off one bit or one way or the other, you're not going to win. It takes a total team effort, and there's no way that I could ever go out and win a race by myself. I might be able to help the cause, but if I don't have any air in the tires or fuel in the tank, it doesn't really matter how well I can drive the race car."

Somewhat his own crew chief, Brian Brown has a knack for knowing what mechanical changes need to be made to improve the performance of his car. As such he is also acutely aware of the importance of maintenance, and protecting his engines from the rigors of the sport.

Referring to keeping the internal components of his motors contaminant free and well lubed, Brian commented, "We have been using K&N products since I first started racing, about ten years ago. I'm using the K&N carbon-fiber air box and filter oil and filter cleaner." Explaining the importance of using the best of the best, Brown continued, "It all starts with how much clean air is getting down in your engine. That's why we use K&N. They make the best filter on the market today."

Looking forward to the 2012 season, Brown said, "We're focusing on every component, every part, each person who works on the car and me as a driver to get a little better. Every single aspect is going to be looked at. We've just got to make sure that we dot every 'i' and cross every 't' if we want to accomplish our goals. I'm definitely not happy with seven wins, and the 2012 season can't start quick enough. We're going to work really hard and come back as focused as ever in 2012."

In closing, Brian Brown said on behalf of his team, "Without our fans and people who come to the grandstand, there wouldn't be any racing. You have a choice on what you do with your money, and we're thankful that you come out and support something that we love to do. Hopefully, we give something back by putting on a good show." Referring to his sponsors, Brown continued, "Again, thanks. We know you have a choice of who you want to market with, and we're glad you support Brian Brown Racing. Hopefully we can show you a return on your investment and we can continue to be partners for a long time to come."

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.

Ryan Buetzer Wins the 2011 SCCA C-Stock National Championship

Jan 5, 2012

The most unflappable opponent a racer will ever face is time. The clock ticks forward relentlessly, unfazed by intimidation or nerves and few understand, or savor that dynamic any better than K&N sponsored Ryan Buetzer.

"Racing against the clock is extremely difficult," Ryan told K&N. "At the Solo Nationals, you only get three runs so you have make them count (walking the course is permitted but no practice runs). Unlike road racing, if you make a mistake, you're unable to determine how much time you've lost to a competitor. With road racing, you can see other drivers and determine if you're losing or making up time. In autocross you simply have to focus on each corner, and if a bobble occurs, you immediately forget about it and start thinking about the next corner."

The 2011 Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Solo Nationals were contested at Lincoln Airpark in Lincoln, Nebraska. The event brought together nearly 1,200 drivers, competing in a wide array of cars totaling almost 40 different classes, ranging from nearly stock street driven cars to purpose-built racecars. Buetzer, a Seneca, Kansas native, won the C-Stock National Championship driving a 2007 Pontiac Solstice.

Driving his Pontiac Solstice Ryan Buetzer won the 2011 SCCA C-Stock National Championship, his sixth title in just eight years.

Ryan and his parents, Eric and Carol, also former Seneca residents, began autocross racing when Ryan was a junior at Nemaha Valley High School. Now 28 and living in Hermosa Beach, California where he works as a product engineer for Toyota, Ryan has already amassed six National Championships, along with finishing 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th in his 12 years of SCCA competition.

What makes Ryan's six championships even more impressive is that they have come in five different cars. In the first two he drove his family-owned Toyota MR2, and the others have come in four different cars.

"It's rare to win the same class in four different cars. All of the cars had some similar qualities though- rear wheel drive, low horsepower, and they were all fairly light-weight," remarked Ryan. For the 2011 event Ryan had the luxury of driving a car he is very familiar with, as he and co-driver Steve O'Blenes competed in the car that Ryan regularly drives in competition in California.

In autocross, two competitors are allowed to drive the same car in a class. After O'Blenes took the initial run, Ryan took control of the Solstice for the second pass. "One goal the co-driver hopes to accomplish is to build heat in the tires," explained Ryan. "The tires we use are much better (more grip) once they have some heat in them. The co-driver will also provide valuable feedback on the course and can let the other driver know about tricky sections on the course."

Ryan began competing in SCCA autocross and Pro Solo events when he turned 16 in 1999. Along with his six SCCA Solo National titles, Ryan was selected the SCCA National Solo Driver of the year, and at the age of 22, he was the youngest driver to ever win the award. In 2007 Ryan added road racing to his résumé and won his first race at Laguna Seca, competing in the Skip Barber Western Series. He followed that up the next year by racing in the 2008 VW Jetta TDI Cup in the SCCA Pro Racing division.

"Autocross fits my skill-set well because I have the ability to find the 'edge' of the car's handling without crossing over it," says Ryan. "Our events have been won by .001 seconds over a two day period, so you must drive the car to the absolute limit. Many drivers can't quite find that edge and they usually end up going over it, pushing or spinning the car."

Ryan lists his particular driving skill-set in the following order of priority- "Finding the cars handling limits quickly, meaning how fast can you really entry a corner without causing under-steer and adapting quickly to a car's handling characteristics. Many drivers struggle if the car under-steers or over-steers. I'm able to adjust my driving style and 'drive around' the cars limitations. And, just like road racing, you need to look ahead to see where the course is going. Something is always coming up very quickly."

How did the K&N connection come about for Ryan? "Because we run in a stock class, we're unable to modify the engine, exhaust, or intake. We're only allowed to change the air-filter, so we're always looking to get the maximum performance. With that said, it's easy to pick the K&N air filters. They provide the best performance for our car and it shows on the dyno sheet. We've been using K&N air filters in our cars for over 11 years."

Regarding his 2012 race calendar, the K&N sponsored driver said, "I have a full schedule of autocross (local and national events) and teaching for a performance driving school. I'm hoping to run a couple open track days in a spec Miata rental. The cost of a road racing weekend can be quite high, so we'll see how things shake out, and hopefully I can find a ride for a race or two in the Los Angeles area."

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.

West Coast Customs (WCC) Debuts Their 7 Steps to Customization Program at SEMA

Jan 5, 2012

SEMA 2011 featured West Coast Customs, one of the most innovative vehicle customization shops in the world.

In the past most people had a person they trusted for certain projects on their vehicles. One might have had an interior guy, a service guy, and a paint guy all work on the same car. Each one had a specific area of expertise. There once was a time where one could make a decent living tuning up carburetors alone. Today, it is necessary to become jack of all trades to be successful in the automotive industry. Local tire shops not only change tires. Some locations will bolt on aftermarket products or even offer full service.

We like to use the best products available. K&N makes a great product so WCC's experience has always been very positive. WCC at the 2011 SEMA Show.

Often times it is difficult to find a trustworthy person to work on one's vehicle. That is not the case for West Coast Customs (WCC), one of the most innovative vehicle customizers in the world. The cars they build might be pretty extreme but, they certainly exceed customer expectations. WCC started out in 1993 and was founded by Ryan Friedlinghaus. He opened a custom car shop with a goal to complete every job in-house and to ensure the job was done right. To do this, he hired experts in every automotive area imaginable to create some of the most incredible customs cars ever. Now WCC is highly recognized and has 6 franchise locations around the world.

WCC success has been result of the innovative styling and unmatched creativeness. You may have seen some of their work on MTV's television show Pimp My Ride or heard of their "7 Steps to Customization" program. The program was displayed at SEMA 2011 and helps customers fully customize their vehicle at a local Best Buy. Alex from WCC described the program in his own words- "The seven steps of customization is a program WCC came up with to use at Best Buy stores where the customer can walk in and purchase one or more of the products we have for each of the 7 steps using his Best Buy credit card. We are starting out with 600 of the Best Buy stores and the program will start out with 21 cars." This will most certainly make it easier for consumers to upgrade their rides. The Seven Steps to Customization are:

The 2011 WCC SEMA Booth showed the entire 7 Steps process, customers can select K&N intake systems for their vehicles.

1) Wheels & tires
2) Graphics
3) Accessories
4) Interior
5) Audio
6) Detail
7) Safety & Security

During the "7 Steps to Customization" process, customers can select K&N intakes to upgrade their ride. We asked Alex why they use K&N products and he said, "We like to use the best products available. K&N makes a great product so WCC's experience has always been very positive." K&N makes products for almost every vehicle on the road and stands behind the Million Mile Limited Warranty on all application specific over-the-road air filters and intake systems.

Stop by your local Best Buy to see if they offer this program in your area. If you would like further information about WCC, check out their website at www.westcoastcustoms.com or view their TV show Inside West Coast Customs Sundays on Discovery's new channel called Velocity.

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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