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Ferguson says K&N and his other sponsors have helped to get the car "super-nice."
"The Carolina Clash would like to announce the official results from the Skyler Trull Memorial race," read the message from the Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, North Carolina. "After post race inspections Chris Ferguson has been declared the race winner in the Dirt Late Model Series."
Chris Ferguson says he's got his new car dialed in just the way he likes it and he feels optimistic about the 2011 season.
"The reason why they decided to have a post race inspection," explained the Mount Holly, North Carolina racer, "Was because of tire chemical alterations being a problem in Dirt Late Model racing. They stated before the season started that they were going to check tires, and the race winner's tires were altered, so we were declared the winner."
Tire samples were taken from qualifying and the feature event and sent to an independent laboratory for testing. The tire samples from three drivers did not conform to the American Racer Benchmark. All three drivers are currently appealing the results. Ferguson, on-the-other-hand qualified fifth out of 32 cars on legal tires, and by lap 38 in the feature, he had moved into second place before running out of time.
Ferguson claims he will always have his Dirt Late Model car equipped only with K&N Filters.
Ferguson says he's very optimistic about the 2011 season. "We have a lot of big races scheduled, and so far we are doing really good running against top notch competition. I'm a young driver, so I'm still learning a lot of the tracks and I feel like the more I learn, the better I get."
Ferguson began his racing career at the age of 12 in go-karts, and in only three years of competition, Chris racked up over 100 feature wins. Included in those wins were races that successfully led him to becoming a WKA Two-Time National Champion in the junior ranks.
Winning the 11th Annual Skyler Trull Memorial on legal tires was a great boost for the entire team.
Now for the past three years Ferguson has proudly been representing team owner Jack Starrette, in the K&N sponsored number 22 Late Model. During that period he has already amassed 17 feature wins and set several track records at both Carolina Speedway and Toccoa Speedway.
Ferguson says the team made a few changes to the chassis during the off season which has paid off so far. "We also have gained a lot of factory support," he says, "So the learning curve has sped up a good deal for us. My goals are just to win races this year. We would like to just be consistently fast enough to win all year."
"I'm excited about this new car and all my product sponsors like K&N that have helped me get this car the way it is right now. It's a fine piece and there is nothing on it that's not super nice."
Chris Ferguson Motorsports will be back competing in the Carolina Clash Series at Lancaster Motor Speedway in Lancaster, South Carolina, this weekend.
"Again, we really want to thank K&N for all the backing. We support top notch products and will always have our Dirt Late Models equipped with K&N Filters."
Jason Johnson understands that using K&N products continues to give him the added advantage in the hostile Sprint Car racing environment.
"It felt great to start the 2011 racing season off with a victory," commented K&N sponsored Jason Johnson. "The JJR organization has been working hard during the off season, and to come back to America and win the first night in competition just shows how dedicated and strong this team really is. The very next night, finishing on the podium completed a great weekend."
The JJR team's goal for 2011 is to reach 25 plus wins.
There were 52 Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints at the 38th Annual Spring Nationals, and after spending a part of his off season in Australia racing, this was Johnson's first race back on U.S. soil in 2011. And, the JJR number 41 team managed to get their first Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters win of the young season. Johnson followed up his win in the first of two nights of racing at the historic 1/2-mile clay Devils Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, with a third place finish the next evening.
For the Jason Johnson Racing team, 2011 will be a highly diverse season. Competing for the Lucas Oil, presented by K&N, American Sprint Car Series is among the top priorities of competition throughout the season. However, when he's free due to scheduling, JJR will compete throughout the United States, within some of the ASCS Regional Events. The team also has plans to compete at the 51st Annual Knoxville Nationals, along with periodic events with the World of Outlaws.
The 38th Annual Spring Nationals was Johnson's first race weekend back on U.S. soil in 2011, and he drove away with a win and third place finish.
"For the past eight years, I personally had very little down time during the American off season," Johnson said. "With great opportunities to compete in Australia, my wife (Bobbi) and I make an annual trek down-under to compete with the World Sprint Car Series (WSS). As soon as the season ends here in November, we head off till the beginning of a March return. This allows me to stay sharp at the wheel, competing 12 months a year. In addition, it's a wonderful opportunity to visit another great country."
"We definitely have 2011 goals we would like to accomplish," continued Johnson. "For the past several years, JJR has won 20 to 25 victories per season. For 2011 we would like to produce a few more, with perhaps 25 plus victories this season."
"Obviously, with JJR currently leading the ASCS car owner championship, we would like to capitalize on another championship. Although this season, we will have to reap the benefits as owners, due to the absence of not competing at the first four national events personally."
Jason Johnson Racing's other big goals for this year are to win some of the spotlight events such as, The Fred Brownfield Memorial, the 360 and 410 Knoxville Nationals, the Short Track Nationals, and the Eagle Nationals. "And any other big events JJR competes in," adds Johnson.
"With this being Jason Johnson Racing's second year in existence, we greatly appreciate the opportunity to work along with branding the K&N name throughout the 360 marketing area. JJR has been a lifetime believer in K&N products, and it is great to be affiliated with such a successful company, and to get such an obvious track advantage. Utilizing K&N product within our JJR organization, we know we have a clear advantage in the dirty climate of sprint car racing."
Up next for the JJR team will be the race in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the I-30 Speedway.
Don Gatlin's drag racing season got off to a bit of a rocky start. He set some high standards after winning two championships in the past four years, so even after winning races in Bakersfield and Sonoma, he said he was off to a slow start.
Drag Racing's Don Gatlin collects his $1,000 check.
"Honestly, I've been a little disappointed with my driving so far this year," Gatlin said. "The last two weekends have turned it around a little bit. We've been in two finals in two weekends, so we've been better. I fully expect to win the track championship in Bakersfield. I'm pretty confident we'll win at least one Big Bucks race back East. From there, try to get out there and keep competing for wins."
Gatlin, a 44-year-old driver from Bakersfield, has been racing in the Summit Drag Racing series at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. In his first two races at Bakersfield, he won one and lost to the eventual winner in the third round in the other.
One would never guess Gatlin took a nearly 10-year hiatus from drag racing from 1998 to 2008.
In his first races at Sonoma, he won one of the four he entered. He made it to the third round in one and the fourth round in another.
But after five races in the Fontana Summit Drag Racing Series, he is 13th in the Super Pro standings.
Gatlin won the SCEDA Electronics championship and the Famoso Super Pro championship in Bakersfield last year.
"The first three (races), the car was perfect, the driver was not," Gatlin said. "I red lit it in the first round three races in a row. Got a little more conservative. We went four rounds in races four and five."
Gatlin has two dragsters, one on the West Coast and one in Indiana for races in the Midwest. He is planning on racing the car in Indiana, a 2007 Mullis, at tracks in Kentucky and Tennessee primarily.
"We're leaving that out in Evansville, Ind.," Gatlin said. "The whole purpose of having that car back there is there's really good and profitable bracket racing in that part of the country. That car will be racing in the K&N sponsored Spring Fling 20s which is over at Bristol, the Jeggs sponsored US Open in Bowling Green."
Gatlin took a nearly 10-year hiatus from drag racing from 1998 to 2008. He said he left drag racing because he thought he couldn't invest enough money and resources into his cars to be competitive.
"We were running super comp in the ‘90s," Gatlin said. "At the time I just didn't think I could afford to compete. I've since changed my mind. I think anybody can be competitive. I took some time off. Cars have always have been my passion. Tried playing with street cars and all kinds of other stuff and it led me right back to the drag strip.
"I'm back into it and back in pretty heavily. We're having fun. We've had some success, but we're having a lot of fun as well."
Gatlin won the SCEDA Electronics championship and the Famoso Super Pro championship in Bakersfield last year. Winning two championships surpassed the goal he set for himself at the start of the season. He wanted to win only one championship.
"We've won two different championships, four in two years," Gatlin said. "Two years ago (my goal) was to win a championship. We exceeded that by winning two championships. Last year I picked a number that we wanted to win more races than the previous year. We accomplished that. This year, my goal was to win a bracket race that pays $20,000 or better. The level of competition when you win one of those is very important."
Using K&N products in his cars has been one of the reasons for his success in recent years. He said he wouldn't even think of using anything else.
"With or without their support, that's all I use," Gatlin said. "I haven't used anything else because I trust them. I know it's a solid product. It's well-engineered. It's race-tested. We just have too much money in these engines to allow dirt to get in the carburetor. I've never used anything but K&N. I have so much trust and faith in their stuff, I've never used anything else."
Henry says his K&N Filters, Wide Open Graphics backed number 15 is dialed in just the way he likes it this year.
Attica Raceway Park located in central Ohio was the site for the season opening UMP Late Model race series. While the night air was a bit chilly, the racing surface was in excellent condition, and the action on track was smoking.
"I really felt comfortable with my racecar from the beginning and knew our team had a good shot," said Ada, Ohio's Jon Henry beside his K&N Filters, Wide Open Graphics backed number 15. Henry redrew the number two starting position for the feature which helped him on the exceptionally fast racetrack.
Jon Henry won the opening UMP Late Model race at Attica Raceway Park and followed it up with another victory the next weekend.
Although lap traffic created a struggle a few times, causing him to lose the lead, he was able to quickly regain the top.
"It was an exciting race for the fans and I was able to hold off charges from the 2010 UMP National Champion, Rusty Schlenk, and the 2009 World of Outlaw Rookie of the Year, Russ King."
Henry first battled with the 2010 National UMP Champion and then traded slide jobs with King the last half of the race before taking his second career ARP victory. For Henry, the late model victory was extra sweet as his family is fielding their own machine in 2011.
After his win at Attica Henry said he really has to thank his dad for all work and money he has invested in him.
"I first have to thank the fans for coming out on such a cold night. This year is our 'Share the Experience 2011' campaign where we share the ups and downs of racing with the fans through our in-car camera and they will get an eyeful tonight," said Henry. "I really have to thank my dad for all work and money he has invested in me."
Henry commented that he wants all his fans to know he will be posting videos from each race this season on his website, explaining in detail what transpires during the course of his races. "It's a way to keep more fans involved and also give potential fans access to see what really goes on at a dirt race," said Henry.
"After winning our first night out around home we have some high expectations for this season. I feel we have a really good package in our racecar and will continue to learn and grow throughout the season."
During his off season Henry went down to Florida to race at Volusia. "We hadn't really changed anything from the previous year and our program just wasn't where it needed to be. So we came home and spent a couple months evaluating everything and now were really headed in the right direction."
For 2011 Henry also plans on running in the Sunoco American Late Model Series Championship, splitting time between his car and the number 11 Lawrence Motorsports car.
"We will be at Attica Raceway Park for a couple more weeks until we hit the Sunoco ALMS season opener at the famed Eldora Speedway April 16th, remarked Henry at the time of this interview.
The following weekend at Attica Raceway, Henry once again held off a hard charging Rusty Schlenk, to earn his second feature win in a row. It wasn't easy, as Henry took the checkered by only a half a car length over the 2010 National UMP Champion.
"That was a little too close...I was trying to take it easy because I knew dad didn't want me hitting those tractor tires down there. I started to hear something with about two to go, and I was like, I need to stop taking it easy. Two in a row - this is awesome. I have to thank my dad and John McClain for all their help," added Henry.
K&N backed LTD Racing's Tomas Puerta and David Gaviria swept the Daytona AMA Pro SuperSport races.
2011 is LTD Racing's third season in AMA Pro competition. The K&N backed team's steadfast focus has been on developing young talent, and once again this year they field a three rider team comprised of Huntley Nash, Tomas Puerta and David Gaviria. Last year the team brought aboard former AMA Superbike and World Superbike crew chief Gary Medley to help raise a new generation of hyper-fast road racers, and this season they have additional backing coming from Yamaha Extended Services (Y.E.S.) to help towards that goal.
Fabled crew chief Gary Medley feels that Huntley Nash has the skills to go far in the racing game.
The vastly respected Gary Medley made his name working for Rob Muzzy and with champions like Doug Chandler and Scott Russell. We spoke to Medley to get his insightful take on how things are going at LTD Racing, as he once again has some of the fastest riders in the AMA under his vigilant tutelage.
You kicked-off your season at Daytona recently, give us a few insights from your perspective as to how it went for you and the team? Also, how does Tomas Puerta feel about getting his first SuperSport win?
LTD Racing's three rider team made up of Huntley Nash, Tomas Puerta and David Gaviria, represents the new generation of super-fast road racers.
"We had a great weekend with Tomy winning his first race for us and also David Gaviria winning, too." (In winning his first ever AMA Pro Super race on Sunday, Gaviria lead an LTD Racing sweep of the Daytona AMA Pro SuperSport races).
"Tomy has been with us for a while and this is his third season with LTD. He's worked really hard during that time and to see him get a win was rewarding. It's impossible not to root for him because of his personality. This is the year for Tomy to step up and get the results that Huntley and Joey Pacarella got last year, which was winning and getting on the podium."
"With David, we really did not know what to expect. We raced against him last year and it was clear he had a lot of talent but he wasn't running up front and contending for wins. Any time a team has a new rider, there's a period of when everyone is learning each other. At the start of the weekend, it was clear he was ready to go and there wasn't really much of an adjustment period! We got a good setting and he raced it. We're looking for a great year out of him."
"Huntley (Nash) has moved up to Daytona SportBike and he was 12th in the Daytona 200, a good result for him since he hurt his ankle in the offseason and wasn't quite fully recovered. He put his head down and kept getting faster all weekend. We lacked a little pace at the beginning but that will change."
Talk a bit about the Y.E.S. backing, how did that come about, and how important is it to your team? Also, did the added support make it possible for you to carry three riders this year, or would that have happened anyway?
"We have run Yamahas our entire existence and we wanted this to happen eventually. Their support is invaluable for us. We couldn't compete at the level we want to without it. Three riders are hard to run and LTD Racing has been about giving talented riders the opportunity rather than fielding the guys that can pay. The Y.E.S. deal allows the team to keep operating that way. We are a small organization, but we try to be a team that gets talent ready for the next step. Everything is about getting the equipment to be as good as we can, then working closely with the riders during the race weekends to get the most out of the bikes and their talents. That's our goal and so far, it has worked. The added bonus is being officially associated with the Yamaha brand, which we feel has a lot of class."
Did you do anything out of the ordinary during the off season to prepare for this year?
"We had new equipment for the boys, so the offseason was about getting everything ready. Also, the jump to DSB (Daytona SportBike) means we had to prep a different spec machine, so that added some to our plate. We also got a new hauler so some work had to go into that as well."
What sort of race goals have you set for the team this year?
"Obviously we want to win both SuperSport division titles and we want to contend in every race. Tomy is East Coast and David is West Coast, but it looks like both boys will race every round. DSB is going to be tougher with Huntley because the competition is greater, but that's what he wanted and the team wanted. That kid really can go far in this game. It is going to be a learning year, but we expect good results. Right now, we are looking to get him in the top ten and then we'll take it from there."
Is there anything else new this year you'd care to talk about?
"The competition in AMA Pro gets tougher every year and so you can't sit still. We're always trying to get better on every level of the team."
LTD Racing's next round of competition is in May at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma Valley, California.
