Latest News

Mike Edwards Seeks to Build on Latest NHRA Pro Stock Victory at Thunder Valley

Jun 28, 2010

Pro Stock Champion Mike Edwards wins NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol

Reigning NHRA Pro Stock Champion, Mike Edwards, continued his phenomenal season by making it four wins in a row, when he put his Penhall/Interstate Batteries/K&N Pontiac GXP in the winner's circle during the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at historic Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tennessee.

Mike Edwards' Penhall/Interstate Batteries/K&N Pontiac GXP

At the end of qualifying on Friday, Edwards and his team were in their familiar number one spot, but that changed come Saturday.

"We ran OK Friday night and when we came back on Saturday, we had changed a few things up and it didn't really do what we thought it would," Edwards explained. "Allen (Johnson) slipped around us."

"I know it didn't pay off for us on Saturday, when it came to qualifying but I feel that down the road what we learned that day will pay off for us down the road," he continued.

The track temperatures were soaring during the Bristol event, even reaching into the 140 degree range.

"The track was probably the hottest we have seen in the last three or four races, so we had to make some serious adjustments for it on Sunday" he added.

Having been the first driver to sew up a spot in the NHRA Pro Stock 2010 Countdown to One, even Edwards knows that some races, where the odds seem stacked against you, you are able to pull off the win because you have a championship caliber team.

Edwards and his Penhall/Interstate Batteries/K&N Pontiac GXP were not exactly at the top of their game during eliminations on Sunday as the car seemed to not want to stay perfectly planted, moving around on him and making several of his earlier rounds squeakers at the stripe.

After he made his way through the field, he found himself matched up against Rickie Jones who went for a light in the final and gave the instant win to Edwards when he turned the red-light on.

Now that Edwards has made it into the Countdown, it will allow his team to go into test mode a little more often during qualifying, when they know the time is right.

"When we can do well during qualifying on Friday and we fell like we are in a good spot, as far as bring in the top three or four, we'll look at doing a little something during those last two sessions," he said. "It just really depends on the conditions, if they are going to get better or worse. That would allow us to do something a little different."

What Edwards truly looks forward to being different is the outcome of the upcoming 2010 K&N Horsepower Challenge, where he has been runner-up twice but never champion.

Already Edwards is going into the event this weekend as the number one seed, a spot he has never held in all his years of making the prestigious race.

"I don't think it matters a whole lot of where you start in a shootout like this," explained Edwards. "All these cars and teams are very-very good. There are no weak links at all in the eight cars running. If a team got in this thing, they are more than capable of winning it."

The K&N Horsepower Challenge will take place during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio and Edwards will face off in round one against number eight and the fan selected for the shootout, "The Professor" Warren Johnson and his K&N Pontiac GXP.

"I was really happy to hear who was selected and that the fans voted Warren in and rightfully so," Edwards said. "I mean he's Mr. Pro Stock."

The K&N Horsepower Challenge being conducted at the same time as the National event in Norwalk, a race-within-a-race weekend, would seem to put added pressure on all teams and drivers involved.

"It does add a little more pressure. Normally you try to race the track on Friday and get qualified good then Saturday you try to improve on what you need to do to get ready for Sunday," said Edwards of the big weekend. "Now it kind of changes what you do and how you go about it, because you're not even thinking about Sunday yet when you are just trying to think about who you are going to race on Saturday morning. It certainly changes things up for how we go into the weekend."

"We want to come out and run really-really good right off the bat and get qualified on Friday for the National on Sunday," he continued. "And Saturday is race day for the K&N Challenge, even though a couple of those first rounds count as qualifying, too."

All the NHRA professional teams have been on the road for quite a few back-to-back weekends, possibly making teams a little weary and maybe even a little light on extra parts.

"We pretty much carry everything with us from race to race but the only thing bad about this weekend is our stuff," he paused. "You know we've been on the road and this will be our fourth race in a row. These things, you know we run them right on the edge and you hope your stuff is still in good shape."

The K&N Horsepower Challenge offers the largest single race day payout in all of NHRA Pro Stock, awarding a cool $50,000 to the overall winner and then, of course, there is also the chance of doubling up on Sunday.

When asked how big that would be for Edwards and his team, the analogy of "feathers in your cap" came up.

"It would be a bunch of feathers," he chuckled. "It would be like, I don't know, how many are in one of those chief's feather hats, but it would be all of those that's for sure."

"I've never won the K&N shootout," Edwards said a little more seriously. "I've been runner-up in the Pro Stock shootouts a couple of times, but it would be pretty special just to win it with it being a K&N deal and all the support that K&N gives me."

"I just really hope the fans come out and support our program because we are going to have some fantastic racing on Saturday during the K&N Challenge, with some great race cars and some of the greatest drivers out there."

First round of the 2010 K&N Horsepower Challenge it slated to begin driver interdictions at 11:30a and action takes to the track at noon this Saturday, June 26 at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

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 Sponsored Kathy Fisher Featured on Inside Drag Racing From NHRA Thunder Nationals

Jun 25, 2010

Fisher says her experience on the special episode of Inside Drag Racing was priceless.

Nine times out of ten, life happens while we're busy making other plans. Case in point, Kathy Fisher, the K&N sponsored drag racer from Lima, Ohio. Kathy's team runs two cars, her Super Comp and her husband Kevin's Top Dragster. The typical plan is to attend events where they both can compete, but this particular event at Bristol Dragway didn't offer a Top Dragster class.

K&N's second generation Carbon Fiber Dragster Scoop not only looks awesome, they produced over two more mph in Fisher's very first event.

"One of the reasons we wanted to go was just to see the track," said Fisher. "Bristol has always been on our list of places we must race and we were not disappointed in the least with the breathtaking views and the outstanding facility. It didn't take much convincing to get Kevin to go and just take my car either." Bristol Dragway is nestled between two bucolic mountains adjacent to Bristol Motor Speedway.

When Ted Jones, of Bristol, Tennessee based Masters Entertainment became aware of Fisher's trip to the NHRA National event, he asked her to be a part of a special sportsman episode of "Inside Drag Racing" which airs nationally on Fox Sports.

The car ran a little better than was planned for, and Fisher took a little too much stripe, running an 8.88 on the 8.90 index.

"I was just floored," commented Fisher. "Being included as a racer in a show the caliber of Inside Drag Racing is huge! An absolutely phenomenal opportunity and truly it was a whole lot of fun too."

And by fun Fisher takes into account the steamy, hot sauna, kind of amusement as well. "It was very hot, track temperatures were almost 140 degrees during some of my passes. We haven't run in conditions quite that extreme yet this year, so we were very pleased to get lots of good hot weather and track information. We pay for our education one pass at a time, not only for tuning purposes but also as a driver."

With the team looking at qualifying, or time trial runs, Fisher's car was right there. They made a very good pass in the final session on Friday and they felt strong going into the first round Saturday morning. Saturday morning though the track temperature was down and the air wasn't as thick as in the final pass the day before.

"The car ran a little better than was planned for, and I just took a little too much stripe and broke out, running an 8.88 on the 8.90 index. That was even after knocking off well over two-hundredths of a second. I should have made it a little tighter at the stripe," reflected Fisher.

Fisher says the concept of indexing could truly be a whole book in itself. But in the most basic terms, cars can all run ET's much quicker than their class index, therefore they all use various forms of throttle stops. Most are programmed based on weather and track conditions well before cars are staged, and many times right down to the thousandth of a second. The idea is to get to the finish line first and not go quicker than your class's index. In Fisher's case it was 8.90 in a quarter mile.

Regarding the overall experience Fisher remarked, "We know that having the opportunity to participate in an entire episode of Inside Drag Racing is a nice shot in the arm for all the folks who work with our team and help us get to each event. We know our time on the track is just a small drop in the bucket, and we work diligently for all our sponsors where it counts the most, and that's in our ‘off-track' marketing. The Inside Drag Racing show is part of what we hope will show our current partners and future ones, how serious we are, even as a sportsman team."

"I am really looking forward to seeing all the different camera angles. There were two cameras in, or on my car, plus two camera guys filming each pass. I would have to say I'm most looking forward to seeing what the in-car camera picked up, could be interesting to study," chuckled Fisher.

Fisher and her two team cars have an intense race schedule over the next several weeks. They are in the middle of a seven week swing, with a total of eight races, from NHRA National events to the IHRA Double Divisional.

"We are excited to be competing with both team cars this weekend, my Super Comp and Kevin's Top Dragster, for the very first time together at a NHRA National event, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Next week it's off to an IHRA Double Divisional three event in Clay City, Kentucky, and on from there."

The Fisher's have utilized K&N oil filters and high-flow race specific air filters for years. This season they have been very pleased with their newest addition to both cars, K&N's second generation Carbon Fiber Dragster Scoops.

"In my very first event of the season, I picked up over two mph in my Super Comp Dragster. It was that easy. And not only do they look awesome, but they are so much lighter than our old scoops and trays," says Fisher.

The special episode of Inside Drag Racing, filmed with Fisher and her Dragon Racing Fuels/K&N/Ohio Crankshaft/Amalie Oil Super Comp Dragster at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, will air on Fox Sports Sunday July 11th and repeat Monday July 12th.

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 Supported Team Aon Continues Winning Racing LPG Powered Ford Focus ST

Jun 24, 2010

Team Aon entered the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship running a pair of Ford Focus ST's powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Propane or LPG is a clean-burning fossil fuel that can be used to power internal combustion engines. LPG fueled vehicles produce fewer toxic and smog-forming air pollutants. LPG is usually less expensive than gasoline too, and the question of whether it can be competitive in a racing environment has been answered by Team Aon.

LPG fueled vehicles not only produce fewer toxic and smog-forming air pollutants, they are furiously competitive on a racetrack, as Team Aon continues to prove each race weekend.

The decision to run the alternative fuel follows an extensive evaluation program in conjunction with the team's engine development partner, Mountune Racing and the leading LPG supplier in the United Kingdom, Calor. Chris Taylor, Autogas Development Manager at Calor says he is excited by this unique opportunity, which uses brand new LPG technology.

"The launch of the first competitive LPG car specially developed to suit a motorsport environment is testament to the hard work that has gone into improving performance for autogas vehicles," commented Taylor.

"We've been delighted at its performance in testing so far. In a climate where motorsports is under intense scrutiny for its contribution to carbon emissions, it's never been a better time to show how LPG, as a greener alternative fuel can help to power the sport with a reduced environmental footprint. And the best thing is that similar technology can be applied to the majority of petrol vehicles - on and off the track."

For 2010 Team Aon will retain drivers Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole. Both drivers performed well in the team's first year with the Ford Focus series last season.

Team Aon secured its fourth pole in as many race weekends for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship last weekend at the Croft circuit in North Yorkshire, with Tom Chilton completing the fastest lap around the 2.1 mile track in 1:24.629. Chilton led the way in first Free Practice, with a best time of 1:25.685, which he improved upon for qualifying, despite going off early on in the 30-minute session. Having returned to the pits, the team turned the car around quickly enough for Chilton to get back on track and set pole position.

"Maximum points for trying hard today I think. I locked up but got out of it just in time. This is the closest qualifying of the year so far and I'm on pole; some of it is down to luck definitely, but I'm still chuffed to be back at the top," said Chilton.

With both Chilton and Onslow-Cole having secured victories this season, the team now sits in third place in the Teams Championship with 119 points; just 34 points from the lead. The 2.25 mile Croft track is known for its demanding mix of tight corners and long straights, which should suit the LPG powered Ford Focus well.

"Croft is a great track and the atmosphere there tends to be very special with strong crowds coming to support the series," said Team Principal Mike Earle. "Neither of our drivers have scored a victory at this circuit before and that is certainly something we're looking to change. Both of them are looking forward to the weekend and to continue this season's success rate." K&N supplies Team Aon with their Apollo Air Induction System, which consists of an outside shell with an air filter housed inside.

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 Supported Major Payne Wins Battle of the Bluegrass Tractor Pulling Series

Jun 24, 2010

Payne brought home the bacon for his family, earing the first place check in the Pro Stock 4WD class.

Back in the day, when horses still pulled farming machines, farmers bragged about the strength of their horses, challenging other farmers to beat the fully loaded hay carts or wagons their horse could pull. And so, truck and tractor pulling competitions, also known as power pulling, was born. In these competitions juiced up tractors and trucks pull a heavy sled (sledge) along a track. The sled creates progressively greater resistance as it pulled. A typical "full pull" is generally only around 300 feet, but the shattering power of engines and the churning of tires searching for traction makes this a very popular affair in many rural areas.

Jonathan Payne's 2005 Ford Ranger with a 485 cubic inch big block won The Battle of the Bluegrass Pulling Series event with a 291.56 foot pull

There are various classes that compete, from factory tractors, to custom built vehicles with multiple engines. Jonathan Payne from Georgetown, Indiana, and his Major Payne Pulling team compete in the Pro Stock 4WD truck class. Payne and his 2005 Ford Ranger with a 485 cubic inch big block, has been creating major pain for his challengers. In the last five events the team has competed in, they have one third place, two seconds, and two wins. Their last victory came at The Battle of the Bluegrass Pulling Series (BOB) in Louisville, Kentucky.

"I probably go to 25-30 events per season and the truck and driver both need to be consistent to be competitive. Being consistent is what worries my competitors. I have been going to Lanesville, Heritage Weekend in Indiana for 30 years watching Truck and Tractors pull. I like to hear the engines push their limits, make new friends, and when everything comes together down the track, I make a full pull and feel a great sense of accomplishment," remarked Payne after his win.

The proper gear selection for each pull is determined by which sled is at the pull, the amount of weights in the sled, and the length and condition of the track.

"I will probably hook to as many as eight to ten different sleds and they all pull somewhat differently, and they all have their own way of trying to stop the trucks," explained Payne. "The trucks have solid suspension so we can only change tire pressure to match track conditions."

Any additional impetus to win events comes from his sponsors says Payne. "K&N provides me with the latest technology in their high flow filters. My engine requires a lot of air and K&N high flow filter and extreme top flow, provide even more than I need."

For the rest of the season Payne says his focus is to stay competitive. "I pull with four different sanctioned organizations, Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League, Indiana Truck Pullers Association, Kentuckiana Truck Pullers Association, and the Battle of the Bluegrass. My first priority is to make all Lucas Oil Pulls for the points race."

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.

Brian Brown Constructs Very Special Victory in Honor of Late Competitor Jesse Hockett

Jun 24, 2010

With his win at Knoxville Raceway Brian now has seven victories for the year.

"This is probably my most special win ever, we felt very honored to run his number and put it in victory lane," commented Brian Brown. Running the number 77 in honor of his late competitor, Jesse Hockett, the Grain Valley, Missouri driver battled for a win at Knoxville Raceway much to the delight of the massive crowd. Brian and Jesse came about their rivalry organically - they met at the same tracks and races after all - but there was always a mutual respect for each other’s skills.

Brown normally runs the number 21 on his sprint car. Currently he's focused on running with The World of Outlaws.

"We weren't the best of friends, but we weren't enemies either," says Brian. "There were times we were friends, and times when things weren't good between us. The last year or so, we had gotten along really well though. We called each other, or talked about setting the car up for certain tracks whenever we could."

Brian, five years older, witnessed Jesse transform from a weekend racer, to a gritty and polished professional.

Brain Brown proudly sported the number 77 for late competitor Jesse Hockett - commenting that this win will forever stand alone for him.

"It's extremely unfortunate to lose him at such a young age," he says. "He resembles what sprint car racing is all about. He was a small town kid who made it big, but never forgot where he came from. I was honored that the family gave me the blessing to carry his number last weekend. I was just worried I wasn't going to do it justice. We definitely wanted to run well with Jesse's number on the car. He was a great driver and we wanted to make sure and try our hardest to win it for him and his family."

Immediately after the checkered flag Brian says memories of Jesse and his family, and all the recollections they had amassed racing together, continued to race through his mind. "He really did symbolize what sprint car racing is all about," reiterates Brian. "This win will forever be viewed differently from any other."

This win gives the 31 year old driver a total of seven checkered flags so far for 2010. Currently Brian is readjusting his focus to run with the World of Outlaws coming to town.

"Realistically, you need to be qualifying well for when the Outlaws come. If you aren't on, they will eat you alive."

Brian says his relationship with K&N continues to be awesome. "I have been with them since my racing career started and I plan to continue using their products until the day I stop racing. I use the Carbon fiber air box, the wrench off oil filters and the filter oil and cleaner."

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.

Previous Page 1 ... 694 695 696 697 698 ... 1081 Next Page