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Oklahoma based NHRA Pro Stock driver Mike Edwards, had set the bar quite high for the entire field of competitors over the last season by obtaining numerous poles and event championships.
Mike Edwards and his Penhall/Interstate Batteries/K&N Pontiac GXP
After quite a streak of number one qualifiers, Edwards and his Penhall/Interstate Batteries/K&N Pontiac GXP had a little snag in their program at the NHRA event in Norwalk, Ohio when he and his team could only muster a number twelve spot.
With a week off for the first time in over a month, Edwards prepared for the beginning of the "Western Swing" and to get his team back to their familiar territory of qualifying number one.
The first event of the "Swing" would find Edwards making a 2,100 mile trip from his home in Coweta to Seattle for the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway, in which unlike many other professional drivers, one may note that he drives the rig himself.
When the teams first took to the track for the Friday sessions, Edwards seemed to be finding his footing once again. As the Friday sessions wrapped up, he was just lagging the number one qualifier by less than two-hundredths of a second, holding down the number three spot with two more sessions on the horizon.
It was during Saturday's fist session that Edwards emerged as the pole sitter and it just took the team going back to their data of last season's Seattle event.
"Yesterday we were trying a lot of things. We stepped out of the box a little bit and tried a few things and didn't really like what we saw. So we basically went back this morning to kind of how we ran the thing here last year," he explained.
Barely edging out Johnny Gray, the only other team to make a pass into the 6.5-second range, Edwards' 6.598 effort catapulted him to number one, which earned his team the maximum number of points available during each event for the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge and the $3,000 K&N qualifying bonus money.
"We made a nice run. We barely inched out Johnny Gray. He made an awesome run, too," Edwards added.
With Edwards' current stronghold on the NHRA Championship points, he had made reference in weeks prior that when the opportunity presented itself, his team would do some testing during qualifying at events.
"The conditions were favorable to what we were wanting to do for awhile. We thought the weather was going to be better this morning, so we thought yesterday's qualifying wouldn't hold up, which it didn't. Most everybody ran a little bit quicker today. But we thought it was a good time to do it. I'm not much on doing that, but it was just the right opportunity, and I really thought it was going to work out," Edwards said following Saturday's sessions.
The Seattle event is only the second of a long list ahead for drivers pursuing one of eight available spots in the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge. The number one success for Edwards at Seattle moved him up to the number five spot and only forty points behind Allen Johnson, who currently sits at number one.
There could be lots of place swapping in the Challenge before the dust settles from the "Western Swing" with back-to-back NHRA National Event stops at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California and Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado.
In a field of the best drag racers, Biondo came out on top at JEGS US Open Bracket Championship.
On his race resume Peter Biondo already lists 36 total NHRA National Event Wins in the categories of Super Comp, Stock and Super Stock. He also keeps what he refers to as a normal schedule of bracket races each year. Last season Biondo won the overall points championship at the Five-Day Bracket Race in Bradenton, Florida, topping a race week filled with the best bracket racers in the country. He took home the $10,000 check and the points lead with that win.
It appears being up against the cream of the crop racers brings out the best in the Clarksburg, New Jersey driver, he recently added to his substantial resume by winning the 6th Annual JEGS US Open Bracket Championship at Indianapolis' O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Biondo rolled through the 260 car hyper-talented field with his K&N powered dragster, taking home the $20,000 first place prize.
"I felt my chances were as good as anybody's going into the weekend. The previous weeks my driving was very sharp and I have been getting close to the winners circle. I could feel it. The talent at the race was basically the best of the best in bracket racing. Coming out on top was pretty special," remarked Biondo. "Thanks to K&N for keeping my air clean and my motor clear of rocks and debris."
"The K&N filter does the job both on and off the track. While, driving through the pits at Indy, I could see the sand and particles blowing around. K&N air filters gives me peace of mind that my engine is being kept clean. I really wonder why someone wouldn't run one."
This has been a great season so far for Biondo and his K&N backed racing team. "I'm hoping I can keep the ball rolling through the summer months," adds Biondo.
Malmgren Racing still managed to set the low ET, earn a top-speed track record, and win the race in Alastaro, Finland.
One of Europe's winningest drag racers ever is K&N sponsored Michael Malmgren from Sweden, and he is once again dialling up the heat. Malmgren and his team travelled to Alastaro, Finland recently for round two of FIA racing and set the low ET, earned a top-speed track record, and won the race.
They began the weekend though facing big problems - a broken fuel pump was latter discovered to be the culprit. Malmgren says he was lucky to catch it right away; the engine didn't pull right, so he clicked it into second gear, thereby avoiding any engine damage. He had to shut down again in the second round as well.
"I hit fourth gear and things still didn't feel right, and I didn't want to take a chance on burning pistons or something," commented Malmgren. "Our car behaved very strange in low gear, same problem we had first race, only worse now. Despite the problem Malmgren still managed to be the fastest car out there. In the first round off eliminations he set new track record and Low ET with 6.76 at 204.7 mph, and they remained out of reach all the way to the finals.
"We went through the whole car," explained Malmgren regarding the engine gremlin, "I called my supervisor Marcus Bowen at Cunningham Motorsport and he told me it must be in the fuel system. So we changed the complete fuel system. Turns out we had a bug in our fuel regulator, we changed it and the problem was gone, it was very easy too. I thought at first it was in our set-up of the car, but my supervisor Marcus told me different, so I believed his advice and changed the fuel supply system."
With this victory Malmgren Racing now owns the points lead outright. "Yes the entire team feels very strong and positive at this time and that is a very important factor - you can't buy that with money," says Malmgren.
Next stop on the FIA European drag racing Championship tour for Malmgren Racing is Mantorp Park, Sweden.
"We will do our very best to repeat the story from Alastaro - that's for sure. Once again many thanks to K&N for all the support, we couldn't do this without you."
NASCAR Pro Series West driver Greg Pursley was essentially born with an accelerator pedal under his right foot. He has been around racing his whole life, doing everything from working on racecars and motorcycles to being in the driver's seat, tearing up the track.
Greg Pursley says it take a great amount of commitment to do it right.
He started racing motorcycles, and then switched to automotive racing in his twenties. Greg made his debut in the K&N sponsored NASCAR Pro Series West in 1999, and has been steadily improving since. His current team started together about two years ago when Greg began talking with long-time friend and Gene Price, owner of Gene Price Motorsports in Parker Arizona, who owns the team. While there have been some crew changes along the way, the team's mentality has been unified - championship.
K&N recently had the opportunity to sit down with Greg Pursley and gain some insight into who Greg is, what his passions are, and how his team feels about their performance in the 2010 season.
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series has been a very exciting season to date.
What got you started in racing?
I've been around racing my entire life. My dad was involved in drag racing, so we were always at the track. I would help him work on the cars. I started riding motocross, then made the transition to street bikes and eventually ended up racing cars.
Is racing a family event? Do your children race?
My kids, Tyler and Taylor, ride dirtbikes. All of our family is involved at our shop in Parker, Arizona. The kids are always around, my wife, Heidi, does marketing for the shop, and I'm always there working on the cars, testing them, etc.
What made you switch from motorcycle racing to automotive racing?
I had a big wreck on a street bike during a race when I was twenty-four. I went down doing about 170 mph at Willow Springs and ended up in a wheelchair for about a month. My dad said that was it, and put me in a racecar because it was safer.
What are your career goals? How does the Pro Series fit into the grand scheme of things?
Well at 46, I don't think I'm going to be progressing into other NASCAR series. Our team definitely wants a championship here. After that, we'd like to set up this team for younger drivers to help bring them up in NASCAR and provide a solid team for them to race. I also want to keep developing our parts business out of our shop for cars and boats too.
What life challenges have you faced being a professional racer?
Definitely the time commitment to do it right. You get out what you put in, and it's a big commitment to do things right.
What have been your best and worst moments in racing?
The best moment was definitely winning the National Championship in the Super Late Model in Irwindale in 2004. I think the worst has just been the bad luck you experience sometimes. Luck is about 50% of racing. Sometimes the wrong stuff just happens at the wrong time.
Is there any meaning behind your number 26?
We won the national championship racing number 13. When we made the transition to the Pro Series West we wanted number 13, but another team had it. We tried to get 13 but we couldn't, so we decided to double it. Maybe 26 would be twice as lucky as 13?
How do you prepare for a race? Any superstitions or routines? How do you stay in "race shape"?
I don't buy into any of those superstitions. I just make sure to hydrate my body for days before a race. We have a gym in our shop and I make sure to exercise to keep in shape and eat healthy. Our family is always doing something active at the river too.
How has the 2010 race season compared to last year? How do you feel about your team's performance this year?
Luck just doesn't seem to be on our side this season. We've been in the top 5 a few times only to have something go wrong, whether that be a crash or the car breaking down on us. It's just "one of those years." We were 3rd in points last year and were hoping to match and do better than that this year, but no such luck.
What challenges have your team faced this year? What have you learned?
We have a new crew chief this year, Jerry Pitts, and we've really been working on communication. He's been doing a great job learning the ropes, and we're always working on making sure he and everyone knows what I need in the car.
What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
Hopefully we will turn around our luck at Irwindale, my home track. We're actually going to be running chassis number 13 that weekend, so maybe that will give us some luck.
What is your favorite track?
Irwindale is definitely my favorite because it's my home track. Phoenix is a close second since it's so close to our shop in Parker, AZ.
What are your thoughts about K&N being a series sponsor for the next 7 years?
I think it's great. K&N came around at just the right time and really saved the series. It will be a great partnership for recognition if NASCAR and K&N.
How have K&N filters improved the performance of your racecar? Do you use K&N products on your family's vehicles?
We have a K&N air and oil filter on our racecar and they're great. They really help the engine breathe well and keep the oil clean and flowing well. I have a K&N 57 series performance intake kit on my Ford F250 diesel, K&N filters on all our motorcycles, and my son's Ford Ranger. They're great products.
What is a normal day like for you off the track?
I'm usually at the shop from 7:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. We're getting our parts shop up and running, and we're always working on the racecar, dialing in the setup for the next race.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love relaxing with my family at the river. We take the boat out and the kids love the watersports. I don't water ski much anymore but I used to a lot when I was younger.
What advice do you have for young racers seeking to enter NASCAR or just racing in general?
If you really want it, you have to commit heart and soul. Start early with someone who's been racing for a while as a mentor-apprentice relationship. That will really help. Overall though, the important thing to remember is that you get out what you put in - simple as that. You get out what you put in.
With one top 5 finish, 3 top 10 finishes, and a pole position at his home track at Irwindale in the 2010 season, lady luck hasn't completely abandoned Greg Pursley and the Gene Price Motorsports team. Greg and his team are currently sitting in 10th place by points, less than 200 points separating 10th and 1st, and with only half of the season behind them there are plenty of races left for the Gene Price Motorsports team to climb the ranks to the championship they so tenaciously want. The NASCAR Pro Series West sponsored by K&N has been a very exciting season to date and the second half is looking to be just as entertaining as the first. NASCAR fans everywhere won't want to miss the exciting finish to the 2010 season!
The plan for Hodges Motorsports is to shake out all the wrinkles and peak in time for the big races towards the end of the season.
This is by no means a scientific study, but there appears to be a common denominator between successful young racers and straight-A students. It most likely has to do with focus and discipline and good stuff like that. Case-in-point, 15 year old Josh Hodges from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hodges is certain he was born a race fan, but he wasn’t born a straight-A student - that he earns through hard work. Hodges plans on continuing his education after high school and combining that with a career in racing.
Josh Hodges earned his first 360 Sprint Car win of the year on a tough and tricky Aztec Speedway in Aztec, New Mexico.
Hodges started competing early, racing Quarter Midgets with the Roadrunner Quarter Midget Association in Albuquerque. Finding early success there he quickly graduated into 600 Micro sprints, and in 2008 he stepped up to Sprint Cars, running mostly with the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS). This year Hodges has already raced 22 times, with 11 top-ten finishes, seven top-five, and he now has his first win, coming on a very slick and aggressive Aztec Speedway.
"The win at Aztec Speedway was definitely pretty cool, especially since I finished second the night before - it made it even sweeter to improve on that the next night," remarked Hodges.
"It has also been a confidence boost for me. It means a lot to get a win with those caliber of guys in the ASCS Southwest region. So far our season has been good, we have been hitting the top-five quite a bit in the regional events, and we are improving every night we race. The few races with the ASCS National Tour have been tough but we are gaining on those too.
Based on his relatively short, yet flourishing race career to this point, there is every reason to believe that Hodges will only continue to thrive. He then ran the ASCS Southwest Series in 2009 and was awarded third in Southwest points along with Southwest Rookie of the Year. He also became the youngest ASCS main event winner at 14 years, 4 months and 23 days of age, and won the National Winged 360 Rookie of the Year, voted on by the North American 360 Sprint Car Poll voting panel of media members, promoters, sanctioning officials and manufacturers.
The kid has made skills and he credits much of his passion for the sport to his dad Jack, along with the support of his entire family-crew - Linda his mom, and brother Jeremy.
"We have been lucky enough to have several great sponsors who help us like K&N, as well as Napa Auto Parts, Benic Enterprises, Wilwood Brakes, FK Rod Ends, and many others, explains Hodges.
"K&N has been great with their help and support. Their products are excellent, from the way they hold up, to the way they perform. Racing on dirt really puts them to the test, and we have had no problems whatsoever. We use their air filters, vent filters, filter wraps, filter oils and cleaners, sealing grease, and oil filters."
Hodges Motorsports intends on continuing to race hard every weekend and they plan on running as many ASCS National events as possible. Hodges comments "Near the end of the year is when all the big races are happening, and we hope to keep improving, so we can be competitive when they come around."
