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K&N's Jody Lang Caps Season with National Event Super Stock Wally & Stock Division Title

Dec 1, 2011

NHRA Super Stock Win for Jody Lang

2011 panned out to be another very exciting year for K&N's Jody Lang, who over the course of the season put together an incredible six NHRA National Event victories that were evenly split between his Stock and Super Stock entries. The final win for the Puyallup, Washington resident came in Super Stock during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, California. Along the way, Lang also collected the 2011 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 6 Stock Championship to add to his ever growing list of accolades.

Jody Lang during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals

A pair of those NHRA National wins came at the same event when Lang doubled up in both his Stock category 1981 Malibu Wagon and in his Super Stock 1981 Malibu during the Seattle race. Although Lang had doubled up once before a few years prior in Las Vegas, he still revels in how big an accomplishment like that really is. "It's really crazy," he admitted. "I mean there are some races you don't go any rounds at all and to win both classes with that many people [friends and family] there is pretty incredible, actually to even think about."

Many racers who get the opportunity to go deep into rounds in two cars reflect how chaotic things become between rounds and Lang shares the sentiment. "When you have two cars going like that, it's kind of easy to get confused," he confessed. "Not as to which is which, but numbers and your dial-ins and stuff like that. You really have to take a moment and pay attention to putting the correct dial on the correct car."

While all the wins during 2011 were very important to Lang, it was the Seattle double that meant the most to him. "Seattle is my home track, so I have a lot more friends and family who attend or can attend that event than say a Pomona race," he explained. "So to be able to not only win one class, but both and share that experience with everyone was absolutely fantastic."

For the Pomona event, Lang was pleased at where he ended up on the qualifying ladder, especially in Super Stock. "I think a lot of times, where you end up and who you end up racing is very important," he said. "You know you are not going to make a perfect run, every run. I don't want to say it's destiny how you are qualified, but it's just how it works sometimes. You don't make a great run, but you are able to sneak by that round. Especially when you see ten other guys that round that would have been able to beat you that round, but you were the one that ended up winning. Like Alan Reinhart says, it's a right place, right time kind of a sport."

While he was ultimately happy with where he landed in qualifying, because he feels it put him on the right track to the win, he had been shooting for a particular spot and just wasn't able to make it happen. "Well I had been shooting for one of the quadrants, which I'm pretty sure, we had sixty-five cars and that means there is a single every round of the race," he said. "And my little quadrant didn't have one. So, not one bye to be had where I ended up, but obviously it worked out just fine for me not having a chance at any singles."

Where Lang didn't have any planned single runs for the Pomona event, he did get several lucky rounds when his competition went red. "There were three of the seven rounds where they went red," he said.

In addition to going rounds in his Super Stock entry, he was also doing well in early rounds of Stock. Sunday evening however, the situation got a little bit hairy. "I almost missed the round," he admitted of the third round of Stock Eliminator. "They said they were going to have a round of Super Gas in-between, but between all the traffic leaving and all the festivities for the pros, there wasn't enough time for Super Gas to get up there. So they call Stock and I'm up there running in the other class. I almost missed it and at least I was able to run it. I was within just a minute or two of missing out on the whole run, which would have been heartbreaking, even though I ended up just missing the tree with a .003 red."

With the early curfew at the Pomona facility, Lang would have to wait until Monday morning to finish the rounds in Super Stock. "I would have rather to have kept going and I think anybody who is still in like that would just want to keep going," he said. "I drive pretty good at night, but looking back I was actually getting pretty lucky there. So I guess the break helped me get my lights back to where they needed to be. That definitely helped me in the semi-final with my win over Jimmy DeFrank."

"I was a little tardy in the final, but I still wasn't late," he pointed out. "But, I guess I got away with that one because Abe [Loewen] left a little early there."

For the most part being the slower car and leaving first, Lang quickly saw his win light come on shortly after launching when Loewen turned it .008 red, and let her coast on across the stripe to take the final 2011 NHRA National Event Super Stock Victory and the special 60th Anniversary pewter Wally.

Both Lang's 1981 Malibu's did very well for him during the 2011 season and while he couldn't grab a win at Pomona in Stock, he had already secured his sixth division championship. His stellar season also included finishing number nine in the NHRA Super Stock national standings and a mere three points kept Lang from a national title in Stock, where he still landed at a very impressive number two in the country.

Lang's winning philosophy includes being very particular in his selection of the parts and products that he chooses to use on both of his championship Malibu cars. "It's all about consistency and reliability," he explained. "There are guys that buy used stuff and that might be OK for guys who run a couple of races a year, but if you really want to go up there and not worry about something breaking, you have got to start with the best you can get your hands on."

Some of those "best you can get your hands on" products for Lang come from K&N Engineering. "I absolutely love them," he expressed. "I started using the oil filters a few years ago and they are so easy to work with and take off. Same with the air filters, you don't have to worry about dust or small rocks getting into your motor, it just makes it really nice when you know you are protecting all the best parts you can get, with the best filters you can get and that's 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.

Jimmy DeFrank Captures 2011 NHRA Div 7 Super Stock Title Along With Las Vegas Victory

Dec 1, 2011

2011 NHRA LODRS Div 7 Super Stock Champion Jimmy DeFrank

Some seasons, championships are won by pure domination and others by a driver or team's constant persistence throughout the year. The latter would be true for Jimmy DeFrank who was recently crowned as the 2011 NHRA LODRS Div 7 Super Stock Champion after what he refers to as somewhat of a struggle during the course of the year.

Jimmy DeFrank's NHRA Super Stock Chevy Cobalt

DeFrank, who hails from Chatsworth, California, notes that he wishes the 2010 Cobalt that he competes with in SS/BS had been set up all season, as they had it for the final division event in Las Vegas. "During the season we kept changing things and trying to make performance improvements," he pointed out. "And we were struggling to try to win rounds and win races. For the last race in Vegas, we put the car back to a set up that we are familiar with, which is also a set up that we have won a national championship with in 2009 and the very first race out, going back to that set-up we won the event. We really learned our lesson there and that taught us a lot."

Over the season, DeFrank had several Super Stock final round appearances on both the national and divisional scene including the WinterNationals, the SportsNationals event in Fontana and during the spring division event in Las Vegas - all runner-up finishes and he was looking to finish the job before the season came to a close.

He is certainly no stranger to the championship podium. DeFrank currently owns three NHRA National Championships and with his latest accomplishment in 2011, he has now acquired a total of nine championships on the divisional level. "We were just so excited to win the championship," he said. "When you start racing, you just don't think about that stuff. When we look back now and think, 'Wow, that makes our ninth', it is pretty amazing."

In addition to his Super Stock ride, Jimmy also very successfully wheels a 1969 Chevy Camaro in Stock. "We didn't race that car very much during 2011, since we were really focusing primarily on Super Stock," he admitted. "But for all the more than we had it out, we had some good races and final rounds in that car, too. Next year we are going to try to race both classes on a fulltime basis."

Every racer has their own way of approaching each event, or one may call it their style of racing. DeFrank is no different and where he qualifies on the ladder is very important to him, no matter if it's in his Stock or Super Stock Car. "We run the cars fairly conservative and that helps with their consistency," he explained. "We take the same approach with both cars and we kind of try to choose the best spot on the ladder that we can, although everyone is so good. Each year racers get better and it keeps getting tougher."

For DeFrank's final divisional event of the season, not only did he want to take care of the rounds he needed to seal the championship, but he was also looking to grab his first race win of the season and with time quickly running out, the pressure was on. "It was such a big race for us," he said. "Going into that race, we hadn't won a race all season. We had just been straggling and got off our game. Going into that race in Vegas, we were second in the divisional points, with a chance to win the division. During the summer, when things were just not going well for us, we never really thought we would have a shot at it."

Just like his entire season, even for this event things weren't going to be easy. "It rained during one of the qualifiers," he noted. "So we only had one qualifier pass for the event and needless to say, our nerves were up a little bit. We got by first round on Saturday night and all of the competitors that all had a shot at the championship, all lost first round. That was such a great break for us, because now all we had to do was win second round to close the divisional championship."

DeFrank would have to wait until Sunday morning for second round and when he made it past DeCarlo and won the championship, emotions were running high. "There was such a ease and a peace about that," he confessed. "To struggle like we did and then still win the championship, we were just so thankful and excited and after that, it just really took the pressure off."

He may have had the championship in his back pocket, but he didn't want to go out winless for the season and had some heavy hitters to get through if he wanted to make that happen. "Third round, we had one of the best racers and fellow K&N racer, Dan Fletcher," he reflected. "We were happy to get by Dan, who is so good. Anytime you can get by Dan, it's kinda like winning a race. So that kind of set the tone for the rest of the race."

Even though they were racing in the desert, it actually became too cold to continue and the race was held over until Monday. "When we came back in the morning, we kept the car set up exactly the same as we had had it for our run with Dan," said DeFrank. "One by one we went through the rounds and won the race. It was just all so big for us and such a relief to win that race and everything."

"Vegas was such a confidence booster, we didn't want the season to end," he continued. "We just wanted to keep going and go right into the WinterNationals. That win and that championship felt like such a big comeback for us after the way our summer months went."

Both DeFrank's Stock and Super Stock cars utilize K&N air and oil filters and in addition to protecting his power plants with K&N, DeFrank is also very pleased with the K&N scoop on his Super Stock Cobalt. "My dad has always had the belief that you must use the absolute best-best quality products available , because by doing so, you have much better reliability and chance to win rounds and races. K&N is the very best in any product that they sell and not only just the products, the company as a whole is just awesome. Using the highest quality products is such a big part of being successful, it really does help you win races." And for Jimmy DeFrank, not just races but many more championships.

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.

Finding the Right K&N Air Filter, Performance Air Intake or Oil Filter for Your Vehicle

Nov 30, 2011

Use your mobile device to find the correct K&N performance product to fit your vehicle.

K&N Engineering offers hundreds of premium air filters, complete intake systems and oil filter products for thousands of vehicles. Searching for the right one, is a breeze using K&N's website www.knfilters.com.

The K&N website makes it easy to find what you are looking for.

K&N offers multiple ways to search for the parts that you want for your car, truck, motorcycle or ATV; all listed in this new reference video showing the quickest way to find the best parts for your vehicles Finding the Correct K&N Part.

In this video, K&N shows you how a quick application search of your vehicle's year, make, and model can give you a listing of all available K&N parts for your car. Another simple method is to search by your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). This number is located on a few visible places on your car or truck so that you can easily search for the filters, oil filters and intake systems that K&N has engineered specifically to fit your mode of transportation.

K&N also offers a number of universal air filters designed to fit almost any custom assembly or application. These filters can all be seen by logging on to https://www.knfilters.com/universal/universal.htm.

K&N covers many of the parts available for your vehicle with an industry leading 1,000,000 mile warranty making them a perfect gift for the motor enthusiast in your family or group of friends.

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 Mike Edwards Grabs Final Pro Stock Pole of 2011 at NHRA Finals in Pomona

Nov 30, 2011

Mike Edwards grabs his third number one qualifier in a row

Mike Edwards wrapped up the regular season by adding his third number one qualifier in a row during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona, California. With the accomplishment, he and his Penhall/K&N Pontiac tightened the points between the top three drivers to only ninety-five, in the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge.

Mike Edwards during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona

During the very first qualifying session and the only scheduled Pro Stock run on Thursday, Edwards, who had both qualified number one and won the previous event at Las Vegas, continued to show that he and his team were on to something when he thundered down the historic southern California track to the tune of a 6.520. The run also reset the track Pro Stock E.T. record and set the bar fairly high for the rest of the field. Greg Anderson landed in the provisional number two spot but with his very respectful 6.537, he would need to find a ton if he hoped to pass Edwards.

Edwards was quite pleased with his first hit at the track and even though he left the other teams well in his rearview mirror, he pointed out he thought he had more as track conditions were in his opinion the best he had seen in years. "I think I can go quicker," he said. "The whole class will go faster."

When Friday rolled along, weather conditions were similar to Thursday's session, although the adjusted altitude was over three-hundred feet to the worse and the numbers on the boards showed it. This time around it would be Greg Anderson who would post the quickest pass of the pack, [6.543] but still miles off from Edwards fifty-two. Edwards, now making a pass in the opposite lane from last session, fell off his pace a full four-hundredths of a second by only covering the quarter mile in 6.560.

Other than a few moves for several teams, the order of the field changed very little and Edwards noted that he wasn't surprised, because "conditions changed a lot. Conditions got considerably worse."

For Saturday's final two scheduled sessions, Mother Nature draped the facility with very cool and very moist air and while the first part of that equation is great for the naturally aspirated power plants that make up Pro Stock, the ladder is not so friendly and the teams did all they could to combat the much higher water grains.

Session number one of the day also had track temps nearly twenty degrees cooler than the day before. So teams weren't only making engine adjustments, they needed to be concerned with how they would get that power successfully, and safety, down to the track. Most teams did not improve and many were lucky to hang with anywhere near their numbers from previous sessions. Edwards slowed once more and this time it would be Rodger Brogdon with the quickest of the session with his 6.552.

After a rain delay or two, and yet another threatening to drop rain from the sky at any moment, the final Pro Stock qualifying session of the 2011 season was able to be completed in just the nick of time. With a track temp now below seventy degrees and even more water grains, due to the impending weather coming into the area, this session of Pro Stock was certainly not the prettiest of the weekend, as all the factors being thrown at the teams made it fairly tough.

Most teams were well off their pace from earlier in the event and nowhere near Edwards' opening session 6.520, which would remain the quickest of the weekend's qualifying and keep Edwards on the pole for Sunday. It would be his third number one in a row.

"We're hoping to finish up strong," Edwards said shortly following the final session. "We haven't run good at the last few races and we stumbled this weekend. We never really hit on anything today."

While Edwards may not have been able to win the event, his recent successes catapulted him to the number two spot in the 2011 NHRA Pro Stock Championship year-end standings, the second highest finish of his career. In regards to the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge, Edwards' great run of number ones as of late, has helped him shorten the distance between his number three spot and current leader, Jason Line down to ninety-five points.

The K&N Horsepower Challenge chase is well into the second half of the 2012 qualifying season with eleven events remaining for teams to grab one of the elite seven spots by earning as many qualifying points at each event as they can. Again for 2012, the eighth and final position will be awarded to the team who earns the highest amount of fan votes.

The eight teams will square off for the biggest single payday in all of NHRA Pro Stock and the $50,000 championship check from K&N Engineering during the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio in July 2012.

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 Congratulates 2011 NHRA Super Gas National Champion Peter Biondo

Nov 30, 2011

Peter Biondo First NHRA Super Gas Championship Win

In a season that dreams are made of, K&N's Peter Biondo secured his sixth NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series National Championship during the very first round Super Gas during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. The championship in Super Gas was a first for the veteran racer who only began competing in the class in late 2010, after he tested the waters and won a NHRA National Event in only his second outing.

Peter Biondo at the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals

Better known to the racing community as a very successful Stock and Super Stock competitor, Biondo made the commitment to a full season behind the wheel of good friend Anthony Bertozzi's 1963 Corvette Roadster in Super Gas after starting his 2011 season in Florida right where he had left off, producing outstanding results. After putting together three victories, between his Super Stock and Super Gas entries, during just his first two events of the year, Biondo now had a different outlook on the season ahead. Whatever plans he may have had about chasing a possible championship or not, were certainly put into a completely different perspective after grabbing an early and large point lead. It was now a go.

Biondo went on to have a very impressive season in both Super Gas and Super Stock, winning two nationals and divisionals in his Super Stock car and four divisionals and one national coming into the final event of the season, the NHRA Finals in Pomona, California.

Prior to the season ending event, Biondo competed in the NHRA National event in Las Vegas with the hopes of hanging on to the possibility of claiming not one, but two national titles. "Vegas certainly had its ups and downs," said the newly minted Super Gas Champ. "I watched fellow Super Stock competitor, Jackie Alley go round after round and go right around me [in points]. Then about an hour after that, I ran Jackie in the final and beat her. So within about an hour, I had a national [Super Stock] trophy yanked from me and yanked back a National event trophy."

Biondo has raced out west in previous seasons, but it is not the norm for him. With the shot at two national titles, it was his single most important reason for making the trek and to try and keep the hopes alive.

While he had been watching Alley come on strong during the late part of the season in Super Stock, he also was keeping tabs on fellow Super Gas racer, Mike Sawyer. "I think between both Vegas races he probably went about nine or ten rounds. That, of course, pit him in contention and he was on a roll. So it was a matter of Mike Sawyer not going a bunch of rounds and getting to the final round again [at Pomona]."

With already five championships to his name, Biondo confesses that there were many ups and downs during the final few races of the season, with not only his shot at double championships, but also the hopes that his brother and fellow K&N racer, Sal Biondo was going to secure the title in Comp Eliminator. "I have to admit that I couldn't sleep some nights," he said. "You just try to deal with the stuff that's in your hands and as hard as it is, you try to worry as little as you can about the stuff that's not in your hands. You just take each day, each decision and try make them the best you can and I mean that for everything you do both on and off the race track."

But try as you may, it's still not as easy as one may think to take rounds into your own hands and pair up with a particular competitor, but Peter Biondo managed to get it done. "I didn't blatantly sit in his pit area of anything, but I saw him go by," he explained of his first round Super Gas match up with Sawyer. "I knew he takes right lane, so I went into the left [in the staging lanes], since I wanted to keep fate in my own hands. I actually missed him by one car, but ironically enough [laughs], his father got pulled for the bye run and because of that, it paired us up."

"Had I not been able to pair up with him, it wasn't the end of the world," he continued. "I was OK with it and we were going to let things play out and then all of a sudden they called out from the tower car number so-in-so has the bye run, [laughs] so I guess that part of it was just meant to be."

In what would become a championship deciding round for Biondo, he quickly went to work with his magic at both ends of the track and quashing any hope for Sawyer by coming out on the better side of a double breakout and therefore clinching the 2011 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Gas title in grand style.

For those that may not be aware, there are special driver's win lights at the far end of each race track near or on the top of the wall. During this particular moment and this round, Biondo notes the win light in his lane caught his eye a little more than usual. "I'm not even kidding, it really seemed like it was super-super bright," he admitted. "That came on, and maybe they are a little brighter at Pomona, I don't know. It was like five o'clock and the sun was going down, so maybe that helped."

"When I had to sit at home and watch him [Sawyer] just run through the field and win light after win light, it was a pretty hopeless feeling to have," he pointed out. "You know, just sitting at a work desk and watching him on the internet in Vegas [division race] go rounds. So to turn on that win light and have it be the deciding factor was very-very special."

With the 2011 Championship now in his back pocket, Biondo didn't let it get in the way of the next six rounds that lay ahead of him. Even though the last few rounds of the event had to be held over until the following morning, he went on to put more like gigantic explanation point, rather than a just a little ol' period, on his season. Biondo ended his season the way he started it by adding yet another win and grabbed the final Super Gas National Event victory of 2011 went he prevailed over Dana Keniry, thanks to a nice starting line advantage.

The memories that Biondo took away with him from this year's Pomona event differ from night to day to those from 2010. "What a difference a year makes," he noted. "One year and a day ago from winning this year, I was flipped over upside down and on fire in a Comp car during first round. It was just horrifying. So just a one-hundred eight degree circle from last year."

The newly crowned champion looks to start 2012 right where he left off and his current plans are to make the first few races of the season out west and again, compete in both Super Stock and Super Gas. "We'll see how I do and how we feel after those first few races and take it all from there," he explained. "As hard as it would be to put the Super Gas car away, I do miss my Stock car. At some point next year, I do want to get that out."

In addition to being a multi-time championship racer, Biondo is also becoming quite the race promoter with his good friend and fellow racer, Kyle Seipel. For the third year they have announced that their K&N Spring Fling 20's will be held at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tennessee and the date for the 2012 four day event has been slated for May 17-20.

K&N is not only a major part of Biondo's annual event, he also considers them be a major part of his on track success over the years, as well. "It only takes one weak link and your whole season could crumble," he explained of the importance of the parts used on all of the cars he races. "Just like a good friend of my, Dan Fletcher says, â€˜You're only as good as your equipment.' I envy him in the way he has the best equipment out there and I try to have the maintenance and the good parts like he does. I know how important it is, so I don't spare any expense as far as parts go. I want to give myself the best chance possible chance at winning. Obviously, K&N is a very big part of that equation, along with Goodyear, VP and many other companies I deal with throughout the year."

In addition to the Super Gas National title, Biondo also finished as the NHRA Div 1 Super Gas champion, finished a very strong second in the country in Super Stock as well as an extremely respectable third in his tough home division.

"I am so very grateful to everyone at K&N, for all they do for sportsman drag racing in general," he continued. "The quality in each and every one of their products is absolutely unsurpassed and as I mentioned, you cannot have one weak link and expect to win rounds, races or let alone championships. Install K&N oil filters, air filters or any one of their products and the job they do speaks for itself."

From everyone at K&N Engineering, congratulations to Peter Biondo on your 2011 NHRA Super Gas National Championship!

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

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