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Josh McGuire Takes Checkered Flag in the Down And Dirty 30 at Beckley Motorsports Park

Nov 11, 2011

Shortly after winning at Beckley Motorcports park, Josh McGuire and his crew earned another checkered flag at the K-C Raceway, at Chillicothe, Ohio.

Josh McGuire and the Josh McGuire Racing (JMR) team recently earned their fourth victory of the 2011 season, during a race held at Beckley Motorsports Park, in Beckley West Virginia.

Josh McGuire and the Josh McGuire Racing ream rcently earned their fourth victory of the season at the Beckley Motorspoets Par, in Beckley, West Virginia.

Competing in the Dirt Late Model class, McGuire qualified with the fourth fastest lap of the day prior to finishing second in the dash. Lining up on the outside, in the front row of the feature, Down and Dirty 30, the driver took the lead in the first lap of the event. Once owning the first place position, McGuire was in a heated battle early on with a fellow driver, but managed to hold his spot and eventually pulled away to take the checkered flag.

"We were challenged early in the race by Tom Dohm," recalled McGuire. "He was all over us for ten to fifteen laps, but then we were able to pull away and start lapping cars deeper into the field. We don't travel to this speedway very often," continued the driver, "usually once or twice a year."

Referring to the key to success at this particular event, McGuire explained, "Getting the lead early. The track was going to be fast and very hard to pass on, so whoever got the lead first was probably going to win."

According to Josh McGuire his #41 car "has really performed well throughout 2011 season, and at times has been exceptional. "However, our finishes don't show how fast we have been," explained McGuire. "It's very easy for the team to get down when we run so well, and don't have the finishes to show for it. But the team has stuck together, and it will make us stronger when we are able to get back on top again. I don't know if you can ever use the lows to your benefit," shared McGuire. "You just have to ride out the bad times by thinking about how much you really like the good times. The work ethic pretty much stays the same when you're on the top or the bottom. It's just part of this sport we love that is known as racing."

Although the JMR team has experienced their share of highs as well as lows throughout 2011, as the season winds down, McGuire and his crew are prepared to and anticipating finishing the season on a positive note. When asked the key to experiencing success through the remainder of the year, McGuire explained, "You have to stay sharp, even though the season is winding down. It's easy to start the vacation early and get lazy. But the better you finish out the season, the easier the winter can be when the bills start piling up." Even though a well-performing car does not always lead to taking the checkered flag, Josh McGuire has an acute understanding that the odds of success increases drastically if mechanical issues are not added to the equation. That said, the JMR team are strong advocates of maintaining their racecar, and depend on K&N products to keep the internal components of their engine free of contaminants and well lubed.

"We've been using K&N product exclusively since 2007," stated the driver. Their oil filters are the easiest to use with the wrench-off option, and they provide the best in filtration, which keeps our engines running longer between rebuilds. The air filters work in perfect tandem with the oil filters by keeping all the dirt and debris we encounter out of the engine. K&N air filters are also able to breathe when they are in very dirty and dusty environments. They can keep out all that dirt and still breathe better afterwards. They are amazing," he continued. "Other than running fast on the track, maintenance is the most important aspect of racing."

Since taking the checkered flag at Beckley Motorsports Park, Josh McGuire and the JMR racing team have seen their share of success. McGuire was runner-up in the "Harvest 50" at the Skyline Speedway, in Stewart Ohio, and finished second at the Annual "Fall 50" at the Florence Speedway, in Union, Kentucky. The driver also earned his fifth victory of the season at the K-C Raceway, in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Referring to his followers of racing, Josh McGuire said, Fans make the sport. Sponsors give us the ability to race for the fans. We are all one big team, and must work together to make sure racing stays a viable sport in the future.

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.

Terry McCarl Takes 257th Career Win and His 87th at Huset's Speedway

Nov 11, 2011

Terry McCArl recently earned his 87th career win at Huset's Speedeway.

After an all-night scramble to get the race car in working order after Terry McCarl's son, Austin got into the fence at the Huset's Speedway, at Brandon, South Dakota, McCarl and his crew wrapped up the project with very little time to spare. In fact, they didn't even hot lap before his heat.

Terry McCarl is gearing up for the final race of the 2011 season at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

During the heat, McCarl struggled, as the car obviously had other problems, but still managed to finish second quick. During intermission a cracked bell housing was discovered. Eager to compete in the feature, McCarl and his crew went back to work, and managed to pull the rear end, replace the defective part and put the car back together with ample time to race.

"When asked if he thought the car would be ready for the feature, Terry said, "Actually, no. At Huset's you have to unload and don't have your trailer right there. We really didn't have all of the parts and tools that we needed. My crew really went to work. They had to basically take the whole rear end out, or at least pull it back where they had room to take the entire drive line out to replace the bell housing. I really thought we were crunched for time, and we got lucky when they had to re-do the race track after the heat races, so we were fortunate there. If I would have had to bet, I would have bet we weren't going to be finished in time for sure, but in the end, it worked out for us. McCarl said, "Experience is extremely important when something like this happens. This is when an experienced crew comes into play. They don't panic and stay focused. You can't get into too big of a hurry or you'll miss something or forget to tighten up the bolts. I'd say an experienced crew definitely earns their money in a situation like this."

Starting the feature inside row two, it didn't take long to figure out that the problem had been alleviated; as the car ran to perfection from the word go. In fact, Terry passed Donovan Peterson in lap ten and wasn't challenged throughout the remainder of the race, and earned his eighty-seventh win at Huset's Speedway, at Brandon, South Dakota, and his 257th overall.

"Wins like this are a little more special, especially to the crew," explained McCarl. "It shows when they work hard and stay focused, that good things can happen. You know, when you work that hard and win the feature, it makes everything worth while. Those types of wins are a little more gratifying."

When asked the key to success throughout his career, Terry said, "You know, there's a lot of variables there. They call it motorsports for a reason, and the guys with good motors are going to have more fun in this sport. You have to have good equipment, a good crew, a good driver, and a little bit of luck on your side too. That's what makes it exciting, especially dirt track racing. The track changes so much as the night progresses, and it takes a lot of experience to stay up on it. I have been fortunate enough to have good people around me and good equipment for the past few years, and it's really paid off for us."

Referring to K&N product's role in his success, McCarl continued, "Again, it goes back to motorsports. If you don't have a great running motor, then it's going to be difficult. The guy with the best running motor has a little bit of an advantage. These motors are so expensive these days that you've really got to take care of them. I try to tell all of the young mechanics that I meet that you have to keep the dirt out of the engines. In dirt track racing, the more you keep the dirt out of the motors the longer life they'll have. We've been with K&N forever," explained McCarl, "and I wouldn't change for anything. You always know it's going to be a high quality product, and they're great people to work with."

Terry McCarl and his team will wrap up the 2011 season on Saturday, November 5, at the World Finals held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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.

Shane Stewart Earns Podium Spot at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Arkansas

Nov 11, 2011

Shane Stewart is leading in the 2011 points race with just a few races left on the schedule.

Shane Stewart and his crew recently came to Little Rock Arkansas, with anticipation of racing in the Lucas Oil ASCS 24th Annual Short Track Nationals. One-hundred of the best drivers in the country were scheduled to compete on the quarter-mile dirt oval track.

Shane Stewart's #57 Paul Sylvia's Wesmar-Powered Rockstar Energy Drink-Makita A.R.T.

On the first evening of the three night event, Stewart finished first in his heat race. As the night progressed, the driver crossed the finish line ahead of the #99 car of Brady Bacon, in the ten-lap qualifying race, earning his second victory of the night. Although the rain eventually began to fall, Stewart managed to run in the "A" feature before the event was delayed until the following day. Once again, Shane found himself in a heated battle with Bacon, and although he crossed the finish line in second place, Shane Stewart and his #57 Paul Sylvia's Wesmar-Powered Rockstar Energy Drink-Makita A.R.T. had earned a guaranteed spot in the finale where $15,000.00 awaited the driver who earned the checkered flag.

Although plagued with rain on the first night of the event, the precipitation was short lived and the following two evenings were optimal for racing. After cinching a spot in the championship race on the first night, Stewart watched on as the remaining drivers fought for one of the twenty positions in the finale. Once the spots had been filled it was finally time to get out there and run against the drivers who had proved to be the best at this particular event.

After finishing second in the dash, Stewart lined up beside Danny Lasoski in the championship race. At the waving of the green flag, Shane took the lead position early, but was eventually challenged by Sammy Swindell, as they experienced four cautions in the first eight laps.

After the fourth lap Stewart and Swindell continued to battle for the lead. Shane held tight to the inside in each turn as Swindell remained just above him. The battle was fierce and Shane managed to hold on to the lead until lap 13 when Swindell finally managed to muscle his way around him and eventually took a commanding lead.

As the race continued, Shane Stewart once again found himself in a battle with Brady Bacon, the driver he had battled for the first place positions in his qualifying and "A" feature races just two nights before. Both drivers had managed to out-do the other on the first night of the event, but this was a different night, and no one knew what the outcome might be. When both drivers had crossed the finish line and the dust had settled, they had each earned a spot on the podium, as Brady finished second and Shane Stewart took third.

"The car just seemed to change a little bit and got loose on me," explained Stewart. Referring to Swindell, Stewart said, "He was definitely a dominant car. Once he got around me, he was going to be hard to catch. The track was good. I wish the top had been a little better. The bottom part of the race track was the better part. It just wasn't my race to win, I guess."

As the 2011 season winds down, Shane Stewart is leading in points with just a few races left on the schedule. When asked the key to success throughout the remainder of the season, the driver said, "Just run up front. That's what we have to keep doing. That's the main thing in our sport, just trying to win races for our sponsors. If you can do that, the points kind of take care of themselves."

Throughout the season, Shane Stewart and his #57 car have been a force to reckon with. That said, Stewart and his team are acutely aware that their success depends a great deal on keeping their engine properly maintained. Stewart has been using K&N products for the past twelve years. The driver depends on K&N air and oil filters as well as air filter cleaner and oil. When asked his take on K&N products, the driver said, "K&N products are superior to anything else out there on the market."

Shane Stewart is also aware of the importance of his sponsors and fans. In closing he said, I'd like to thank Rockstar, Makita, K&N and all of the guys who help us," Referring to the fans, he continued, "We'd like to thank everybody for coming out tonight. It was a great crowd."

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.

Wicked Racing Finalizes a Stellar Season With two Championship Wins In Port Angeles, Washington

Nov 11, 2011

Doug Hendrickson and Hannah Macke recently won the A-400 class Championship in Port Angeles, Washington.

When Dan Morrison and Doug Hendrickson, came to the conclusion that it would prove advantageous to combine their jet sprint boats and teams together in 2008, the Wicked Racing team was born, and would quickly become a household name in the sport of jet sprint boat racing. Two other key players in the team's success were on board as well. Cara McGuire would serve as a navigator for Morrison in the Super Boat class and Hannah Macke would be partnered up with Hendrickson, as his navigator in the A-400 class. Macke is considered as one of the premier navigators, and has filled this position for several championship teams, including a number of outings throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Dan Morrison and Cara McGuire have dominated their class this year, and in turn won the 2011 USSBA Championship in the Super Boat class.

Although the extreme sport is fairly new to the United States, jet sprint boat racing has been popular in New Zealand and Australia for in the neighborhood of thirty years. Although to date, the sport is limited to the northwestern section of the United States, According to Dan Morrison, it is increasingly growing in popularity, and interest is being shown as far away as Florida. This particular type of racing is definitely extreme and a sport that is exciting for the participants as well as the fans. The drivers and navigators are faced with the challenge of traveling through a maze of islands and hairpin turns at high rates of speed. In fact, the boats turn as many as eight "G's" while taking corners.

To experience success on a consistent basis, the driver and navigator must work together like a well-oiled machine. When asked the navigator's job, Morrison explained, "We don't know the rotation through the maze of islands, until the night before the race. The navigator and driver both memorize the rotation, which usually consists of anywhere from twenty-four to thirty-seven corners. There's a lot to remember and you have to go through the maze of islands in the correct pattern. Of course it's all timed and you've got to get through it as fast as you can. The main duties of the navigator are to memorize that course and with their left hand be pointing the direction we're suppose to be going next. They're reassuring the driver they have the rotation memorized right. They're very important, because everything happens real quick," he continued. "Typically, we travel about a mile in one minute or less. My boat goes from zero to one-hundred in three seconds. It's extremely quick.. quicker than most cars."

The Wicked Racing team experienced their share of success throughout the first three years of their existence, and this season has been no different. In fact, the team recently pulled into the newly constructed, Extreme Sports Park, in Port Angeles, Washington, to compete in the 2011 USSBA Championship.

The Hendrickson/Macke team entered the event as the 2010 champions and at the days end, managed to walk away with yet another championship under their belt in the A-400 class. With a total of 3,544 points compiled throughout the season, Hendrickson and Macke entered the race in their Bry Craft hull powered with a 400 cubic inch engine capable of putting out an excess of 700 horsepower. When the competition was over they won the 2011 points race by 38 points.

Although they had experienced a stellar season and had the championship in the bag long before the season finale at Port Angeles, Morrison and McGuire had no intentions of coasting. From the seats of their 12'2" Mackcraft hull, powered by a 480 cubic inch engine, they dominated the race in the Super Boat class. Although any driver would have been elated to be deemed the overall champion in their class at the Extreme Spots park, the victory was even sweeter for Morrison, as he is part-owner of the venue and literally put many hours of labor in the construction of the facility.

According to Morrison, along with set-up and horsepower, consistency and the ability to drive smooth is an essential element to success in the sport. "It's hard to do, because you're transitioning so fast and so many times," explained Morrison. "It's hard to be on your perfect mark all the time. These boats are extremely quick around the corner and timing is everything."

The Wicked Racing Team is also acutely aware of the importance of proper maintenance. That said, they depend on K&N products to keep the internal components of their engines well-lubed and dust-free. "Both of our boats run K&N oil filters," explained Morrison. "I've got breather filters on mine and Doug runs a K&N air filter. We use K&N products on our tow vehicles and have noticed a mileage and performance increase. We swear by them. We religiously use K&N products. They're fantastic."

"Jet Sprint Boat racing is very fast and up and coming," continued Dan, "and the media is starting to chase this sport. People need to be aware that this is the quickest and probably the most extreme motorsport that they have ever seen. Once you watch it live, you're hooked for life. Nothing compares to what we're doing. People aren't use to seeing the speed and agility that these boats have. They're way beyond what a car does. It's the quickest motorsport on the planet; the quickest turning, and the quickest to accelerate."

Those interested in learning more about Jet Sprint Boat Racing, can go to www.ussbaracing.com

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.

William McDougal's Dodge Avenger Psycho Clown Paint Theme a Hit at 2011 SEMA

Nov 11, 2011

McDougal started the customizing on his SEMA Dodge Avenger with 22 inch Lexani-LX7's wheels and a K&N intake and continued on from there.

If clowns creep you out, but in a good way, you're going to love William McDougal's blue 2009 Dodge Avenger 2.4L, featuring his totally imaginative psycho clown paint theme. "I wanted to build something different that would turn heads," McDougal told K&N News. "My paint and the amount of detail that went into the airbrush work by Dan Bong is what really makes my car stand out and it will grab your eye from any angle. Trying to find a paint scheme that would stand out from the rest was hard and it took awhile to find just the right colors."

In deciding on the psycho clown paint theme William McDougal says he was looking to turn heads, he may be inspiring a few nightmares at SEMA as well.

McDougal, 22-years-old, has only been customizing vehicles for two years and the Avenger is his first project vehicle, yet his inherent eye for details and color was evident to everyone who passed his car at SEMA, and few directions were required to find the car. "I was an outside vehicle," said McDougal, "and to find my car you just had look for the clown, you can't miss this car it stands out anywhere."

McDougal first began taking note of custom cars when he was just a kid first, but he officially caught the customizing bug back in 2007, that's when he turned 18 and when he attended his first SEMA. "I told myself my ultimate goal was to build a SEMA vehicle, and in 2010 that goal came true and now my car is featured again in 2011, it's just a dream come true," declares McDougal. McDougal says that he would like to make customizing his business down the road and that's the direction he's working towards.

When the 2009 Dodge Avenger isn't turning heads at car shows like SEMA, it's stopping traffic on the street.

Describing the modifications done on his Dodge Avenger McDougal explains, "I started with my 22 inch Lexani-LX7's, then the stereo and interior were done, along with the K&N intake and a new two tone paint job before SEMA 2010. And then I rebuilt the car for the SEMA 2011 show, as of today the brakes are done, the wheels, the paint, the stereo, the interior, slight suspension mods, and slight engine modifications and a custom Tiarra Grille. Also, depending on whether it's a big or small show, I'll spend another six hours or so detailing the car."

McDougal said that finding the precise paint was time consuming, but now his Dodge Avenger will grab your eye from any angle as it did at SEMA.

When deciding what products to put on his Avenger McDougal says he just looks for the best. That outlook dates back to his first car when he was just 16, a Dodge Neon, which is when he first discovered K&N products. "Their intakes are simply the best and no company can compare to the performance and efficiency that you gain with a K&N intake," adds McDougal.

When the psycho clown Avenger isn't stopping people at car shows it's turning heads on the street. "It's a daily driver," says McDougal, "It's always on the road, I've driven over 5000 miles in a two month period just to go to out of state show. I built it to drive and I love driving the car."

Like others at the 2011 SEMA show, McDougal has discovered the high degree of show car mentoring being offered by Show Cars Inc. "The company was created by Steve Burkett, and it was to help market rides that stood out from the pack, but it's also a way for the little guys to get some help from a company who looks out for them," explains McDougal. "Sometimes the custom car scene can run people down, but with SCI they make sure you're taken care of. They will also make suggestions as where to take your car to get top notch service. Their goal is to become a household name in the industry."

As for McDougal's goals he says, "My goals are to change the car up once again and try to go to SEMA three years in a row, that would be the ultimate dream for me, and that would make the countless hours that it takes to get the car built worth it."

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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