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Mike Ferderer Pulls Off the Stop at Sonoma National for His First Top Sportsman Victory

Jul 22, 2010

Three-time World Champion Mike Ferderer

Three-time World Champion and reigning Northwest Division Super Gas Champ, Mike Ferderer is obviously no stranger to what it takes to put himself and his K&N Pontiac Grand Am in a final, after all he is the Winningest Super Gas Driver in NHRA history. During Ferderer's most recent NHRA National Event in Sonoma, California, it wasn't his familiar Super Gas class that he chose to enter, but a brand new class to the NHRA National tour for 2010, Top Sportsman.

Mike Ferderer and his NHRA Super Gas K&N Pontiac Grand Am

Top Sportsman and its close cousin, Top Dragster, are classes a little more familiar to those on the eastern side of the county and up until the current season, have never been offered at NHRA National events. The Top Sportsman class consists of "door car" only entries and a quick 32 qualified field, paired on a ladder starting with round one and providing some of the fastest bracket racing you'll see anywhere.

Up until the Sonoma event, Ferderer had not competed with his Grand Am in any other class during 2010 other than Super Gas, where his car utilizes a throttle stop to slow the car down to the high 9-second range.

"I was surprised the thing went as fast and as quick as it did," Ferderer said of his first no throttle stop passes since a Las Vegas meet last season. "I mean 186 [mph] and 7.37, that's quite good."

As a highly accomplished racer, Ferderer notes some of the differences between Top Sportsman and the Super Classes.

"Well, you don't have to be as accurate as a driver, because the cars in Top Sportsman are going so fast, it's harder to be as accurate," he explained. "Super Gas, in my opinion, is a lot harder driving-wise, because you have to be so accurate. In Top Sportsman, you are relying on the car so much more than you do in Super Gas."

Ferderer reflects on some of the more memorable rounds of the weekend that got him to the Top Sportsman final, starting with the very first match up and the remarkably high speeds for the class.

"During the first round, I go double-oh and take a four-thou stripe against a car going 197 MPH," he noted.

The next two rounds came a little easier for the multi-time champ, when a couple of cases of the "right time, right place" played into his hand with back-to-back round wins thanks to his opponent's redlights, and he sailed his way into the semi-finals.

The semi-final match-up would pair Ferderer against one of the quicker cars participating in the event. After almost dead-even reaction times, separated by just two-thousandths of a second, Ferderer was ready to play his hand at the stripe.

"I saw him coming and I knew he was going to get around me, but I didn't think it would be that close," he said of his win light over Slatten. "He broke out by five-thou and I shut mine down a little bit and there you go, off to the money round."

A character both on and off the track, Ferderer shared a light-hearted moment that took place during his final round with eventual Top Sportsman runner-up, Gary Forkner.

"We have radios in the car and Travis, our guy that works on all the cars for Steve, he was helping me back up because the smoke was just laying on the track and I couldn't get a good bearing," he said. "He said ‘right, right, OK straight' and then ‘OK you got it'. So I pulled it in a little and put her into pre-stage and I told Travis, ‘win or lose, I want a drink, a cigar and my cell phone down at the end of the track' and his reply was, '10-4'."

One might note that while other drivers are nothing but completely and utterly serious during any round and possibly even more so in a NHRA National event final, Ferderer is about as relaxed as they come. Possibly a huge secret to his unprecedented successes over the years and something other drivers should take a lesson from.

Ferderer and his K&N Pontiac Grand Am had quite a starting line advantage over Forkner and easily held on for his first Top Sportsman National Event win in his very first attempt, bringing his NHRA National win count to twenty-one.

"It was very-very neat to win at the Fram Nationals with the World's Best Air Filter, K&N in my car," smiled the newest Top Sportsman champ.

His event winning Grand Am is loaded with all the latest K&N products, from oil filters to the K&N Hood Scoop, which dons a K&N race specific high flow air filter and Ferderer had these words to share with any skeptics of K&N filters in racecars that sport large cubic inch motors.

"Well, there are some people that say that K&N doesn't have the technology to make an air filter that will allow the car to run speed," he said. "Well I ran 186 miles-an-hour with a single 1050[carburetor] on a 565 cubic inch motor in a door car and that's haulin'. And I think the K&N filter actually helps improve the speed."

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.

Shawn Langdon Returns to Sportsman Racing and Back to the Winner's Circle at Sonoma National

Jul 22, 2010

NHRA Super Comp World Champion Shawn Langdon

Former multi-time NHRA Super Comp World Champion, Shawn Langdon has been living the dream of many a racer for the last several years. First with his championships and then his lightning move up through the sportsman ranks to Top Alcohol and now professional ranks of Top Fuel as the driver of the Lucas Oil/Dixie Chopper entry.

Shawn Langdon and the Lucas Oil/Dixie Chopper Race Car

Much like several other drivers, who have obtained the level of success Langdon has, even with being a part of a NHRA Top Fuel team, he stills loves sportsman competition and has been pulling double duty at several NHRA events during the 2010 season.

"I just really started running back in the sportsman classes too during the last couple of races just to get a little more seat time," Langdon said. "I just enjoy racing sportsman cars, too, since that's what I grew up racing."

Langdon took a little time off from his roots to first make sure that things were in place with himself as well as the Top Fuel team he drives for.

"I kinda wanted to take the first year and just really concentrate with the fuel car," he explained. "We've got a good rhythm down now with the fuel car, so that allowed me time to run the Super Classes at the National events."

While there are numerous sportsman drivers who compete in multiple classes, some drivers may find it distracting to do it the way Langdon is, one sportsman and one professional, which are two completely different beasts.

"I was very-very busy," laughs Langdon. "Actually Saturday night, I had a dinner meeting to attend as part of my fuel driver's duties, but I was also running second and third rounds in Super Gas. So I was juggling all of that, running back and forth. Then Sunday morning, Super Gas eliminations continued as I was also trying to get the fuel car warmed up for first round."

"There were some times where it got very hectic, but that's what I enjoy," he added.

Things can get quite fast and furious, even when you are only competing in one sportsman entry let along Langdon's special situation, once you start making it to the later rounds. Langdon notes that while he was doing most of the between round preparation for the car he did have some help when he needed it.

"I was doing the majority of the stuff with the Super Gas car," he said. "The Lamb family was there to help, if I needed anything. For the most part, they kinda let me do my own deal."

Every racer who makes it to a final, no matter what the rank of class, has a lucky round or two along the way. Although Langdon was certainly doing his job in the 1968 Camaro Roadster he was racing in Super Gas, including some of his notable rounds with Steve Williams and Ryan Mangus, he did had a few lucky rounds come his way by virtue of his opponents' redlights, including his final round competitor Val Torres's .002 red in the final, giving Langdon his sixth NHRA National Event victory.

"You can be the best out there, but you have got to have that luck or it's just not going to happen," he said. "After a couple rounds started to go that way I told my buddy ‘this race is mine'. I knew I couldn't have that many lucky breaks and not finish it off." Langdon points out that being as busy as he was during the weekend may have played in his favor.

"I didn't really have a chance to look at the ladder to see who I was running or who may be coming up," he explained. "The guys I ran throughout the day were some of the best Super Gas racers on the west coast. That can be very intimidating if you are looking at all that, I was just so busy that many times I didn't even know who I was running until I got up into the lanes to get paired. I really think that all was to my benefit."

"It was something else," he said of his rounds in Super Gas at the Sonoma National. "The last five of my seven rounds were all decided by three-thousandths of a second or less."

"The car did awesome and I was just in the right place at the right time," smiled Langdon.

Langdon is also looking forward to his new TNT dragster to be completed shortly and to debuting it during the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis over Labor Day weekend. The car will be capable of competing in both Super Comp and Top Dragster and just like the Super Gas Camaro he wheeled to the winner's circle at Sonoma, well equipped with both K&N High-Flow Air Filter and K&N Oil Filter.

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.

Folk Race Cars' Brian Folk Gets IHRA Win at Byron Dragway

Jul 22, 2010

The inside of Folk's office looked in order and ready to race.

Spend your young, formative years, toying around a dragstrip and the chances of developing a bond with the place become pretty strong.

After winning the Super-Rod class on Saturday Brain Folk followed that up with a semi-final finish is his Top Dragster.

"There is something about Byron Dragway that I have always liked , it's very possible that it is because I grew up at the track, with my mother and father, riding my bike with friends when I was five years old," explains Durand, Illinois native Brian Folk.

"Which is really neat to me now, because I race against some of those same friends that I grew up with around the track. So needless to say, having my immediate family, wife Jill, sons Aaron and Evan with me, as well as my brother Nick, father Ron and mother Vicky, as well as several cousins, and mother in-law and father in-law there - It was a very gratifying win."

The win in Byron, Illinois came after several rain delays canceled racing on both Friday and Saturday morning. Racing finally got underway again at 5:30 that afternoon. Brian's patience paid off as he won the Super-Rod in his Camaro Roadster, a few ticks after 9:00 pm.

Brian's remark about the late race was, "No lights - kinda cool." Then on Sunday in the Sportnational, Brian raced his Top Dragster to a semi-final finish. Adds Brian, "It was the best we could muster that day, although every team member, including dad, Nick and family friend Forrest Lipke all went rounds."

For team Folk Race Cars racing is a family affair, always has been, headed by patriarch and racer, Ron "The General" Folk.

"K&N is one of the biggest product sponsors we have, and they are so into the racer, that it makes you feel special, especially when they write these articles about our team on the their webpage," says Folk with a smile. "We use K&N Oil filters on all seven of our racecars. Bob Harris accused us of eating them because we use so many."

"This win definitely helped my confidence going into the next few months," says Brian, "We will be doing a lot of bracket racing. Then we will be going to Martin, Michigan for the Moser Axle Mania Shootout, then on to Indy for the US Nationals, and we will stay there for the Million Dollar Race the following weekend."

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.

Cabral Wins Northeastern Midget Association Trophy Race at Thompson Speedway

Jul 22, 2010

Tim Bertrand Motorsports' drivers know how to win. Taking his spot in victory circle this time around was Randy Cabral. Cabral withstood a late race challenge from second place Russ Stoehr on his way to notching the win at the Northeastern Midget Association's 25-lap Marvin Rifchin Trophy race by a mere foot.

Randy Cabral was able to sustain a serious late race charge, narrowly squeezing out the win by a shoe's length.

Cabral lost his brakes soon after taking the lead and he couldn't enter the turns like he wanted to. He also battled with over-heating woes all race. He decided at that point that if anybody was going to get around him, it would have to be on the outside. Pedal to the metal the rest of the way.

"We started to slow up a bit with five laps to go," explained Cabral. "The brakes were fading and the motor was over heating due to the 100 degree outside temperatures. He (Stoehr) saw us start to slow up and he mounted a serious charge."

"I looked down at my water temperature gauge - and when I did that - I saw him out of the corner of my eye. I didn't know he had closed in so quickly. I drove the car nearly full-throttle through the final corner and beat him by a nose. I'm happy we held on."

It was the second win of the season, and the eighth career triumph at Thompson Speedway for Cabral. It was a big night for Bertrand Motorsports as well. Visiting driver and team member Cole Carter brought home a third place for the team. Carter races with Bertrand Motorsports when he's not competing in the IndyCar Series.

"100 degree outside temperatures and our 3002 oil filter looked like brand new upon inspection," remarked team owner Tim Bertrand. "What more needs to be said."

"We have a very busy schedule with five races in the next three weeks. We have won three out of the last four. Hopefully we can keep it up!"

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.

Bruno Massel Jr. Racing in the 2010 NHRA Competition Eliminator Class

Jul 22, 2010

Bruno Jr. qualified 1st at the NHRA Lucas Oil Series race in Stanton, Michigan

The 2010 NHRA competition eliminator class is extremely competitive and takes years of experience to become a world champion. The Bruno Massel Race team definitely has what it takes to pull out another championship this season. It has been a slow race season for Bruno Massel Racing but, the team feels their ship is on the right track after numerous issues with $5 parts and the crash at Chicago. Bruno Jr. qualified 1st at the NHRA Lucas Oil Series race in Stanton, Michigan clicking off a 7.218 second pass.

2010 NHRA Competition Eliminator class with the WyoTech Turbocharged Chevy Cobalt

Bruno Massel Jr. and his father currently participate in the 2010 NHRA Competition Eliminator class with their WyoTech Turbocharged Chevy Cobalt. Last year Bruno Jr. drove the car to a NHRA Competition Eliminator championship running with K&N oil filter HP-5001. Between his busy scheduling of Speed channel's Truck U TV filming, modeling, freelance work, and racing Bruno Jr. found some time to answer some brief questions.

K&N: What are your future career goals?
Bruno Jr.: To be an NHRA Pro Stock driver.

K&N: How is the 2010 season going compared to last year?
Bruno Jr.: It's been a tough year so far. We are back-up-and running after Chicago.

K&N: What is your favorite track?
Joliet is my home town and favorite. Another favorite is Brainerd.

K&N: How important is it to have family present at the race track?
I live Chicago. Any time family can be with me it makes it a lot easier.

K&N: What advice do you have for young racers seeking to enter a career in racing?
You gotta do something you really love doing. You will find a way.

K&N: What do you think of K&N products? Describe them in one word.
Cutting edge. They have the latest and greatest on the market.

K&N: Who is your toughest competitor?
I have ultimate respect for Dan Fletcher and David Rampy and I always wanna bring it up a notch. They carry themselves as true class acts.

K&N: How do you stay race ready throughout the season?
I work out a lot to stay healthy. I am in the gym at 6:30 am. Sometimes on a good day, I'll go for a run in 90 degree weather and jump into the simulator and practice reaction times.

K&N: What was your most memorable victory?
Comp eliminator race at Dallas last year locked championship for us. We had to beat some of the best racers. We blew up the motor and overcame all of the obstacles at Dallas to win the championship.

K&N: What is the status of your acting career?
I have a two years contract with Truck U. I'm trying to start my own show. It is a motorsports based show. It's 30 minutes long. It involves behind the scenes actor's interests in sports.

K&N: Who would you say has been the most inspirational in your life?
My father because he is one of the most intelligent people I know. He's self taught and hard working. I look up to him every day.

Bruno Jr. will continue to tackle the competition in Competition Eliminator class throughout the 2010 season looking for another championship. After being the spokesperson for 9 years, this is his last year with WyoTech behind the car. This year looks promising for the Bruno Massel Racing's last 8 races of the season.

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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