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Milton Tolen's Comp Flat Boat holds the world records for in both top speed and ET
Boat racers are inherently a special breed of drivers. While attempting to push the limits of their vehicles and outperform their opposition, the pilots of the fastest vehicles on water also have to deal with an ever changing track, one that can send the boat careening out of control in a heartbeat. Milton Tolen knew this when he started racing, but still, he never doubted that the water was the place to be.
Milton Tolen will be debuting in the Southern Dragboat Association this summer
"I've just always been on the water," said Tolen. "When I started in 2002, it was in drag boats, and I never turned back."
A two-time world champion, Tolen is looking for his most productive season yet. After knee surgery kept him on the shores for most of the year in 2009, Tolen has regrouped and is focusing his efforts on making 2010 a year to remember.
This season, Tolen will be racing in a new association, the Southern Dragboat Association. The SDBA is part of the world renowned Lucas Oil series and Tolen is looking forward to the tough competition he will face this summer. "I think we can knock down some old records. I'd like to take as many wins as possible, and hopefully we won't tear anything up."
Tolen owns the Comp Flat Boat World Records for both elapsed time and speed. He has racked up two event wins and four runner-up finishes in his career. It's been consistency though that has allowed his team to capture a pair of championships. Tolen credits K&N Filters to keep his boat accelerating as quickly as possible, without hurting the motor.
"We have always used K&N Performance Filters. Their high quality and the ability they bring to use tall filters are both excellent qualities. K&N has never let us down, they just continue to aid us in achieving our goals and, most importantly, they let us keep having fun."
As far as keeping the boat straight, well not much can be said other than Tolen has quickly adapted to the fast paced world of drag boat racing. When asked about any incidents on the water, he quickly replied, "We have fortunately not been very exciting in that area."
Christian Copley said he was asked by Tommy Rizzo to drive his Late Model car at Irwindale
Christian Copley has been steadily improving in the NASCAR Late Model division at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. He has finished in the top 10 in each of the first four races of the season and is third in the Late Model standings at the track.
Christian Copley won the West Coast Pro Truck Series championship in 2009
"I started working my way up," said the 18-year-old from Santa Ynez. "I started sixth place first race. All right, I need to improve a little bit. Got fifth place, need to improve a little bit. Now, last race, we got third. We finally got on the podium for the first time. We've just been working our way up, closer and closer to the top spot. The competition level is very, very high."
He had his first setback on Saturday night, finishing ninth after narrowly missing a collision late in the race that took out two cars. He is 32 points out of first place in the Late Model standings after four races at Irwindale.
He is also one of two rookies in the top three in the Late Model standings and one of three teenagers in the top five in points. The youngsters have been making an impact at the track in the first two months of the season.
The Late Model division at Irwindale has its share of newcomers and veterans, two past track champions and three rookies are in the field of 20 cars that race regularly at Irwindale.
"I think anyone in this series can win a race," Copley said. "Lot of good cars, lot of past champions, lot of multi-winners, like (Mike) Johnson and (R.J.) Johnson, and everyone is good."
Despite his recent ninth-place finish, Copley said he is beginning to feel more comfortable in his car and with the drivers around him and that's the reason why he was been able to improve through the first three races of the season.
"It's definitely not the car," Copley said. "I think it's more that I've got more affiliated with the racers and I learned the car a little bit more and I was able to know when to push it and when not to. The more seat time I get in this car, the better I become. I better not jinx myself."
Copley started his racing career in go-karts. What began as a hobby with his grandfather, Mike Kappmeyer, has turned into a championship career for Copley. Kappmeyer is no stranger to building race cars. He was an off-road racer and competed in his share of Baja 250s and 500s. Kappmeyer also put together open-wheel cars for teams, most notably for Robby Flock in the Toyota Atlantic Series.
Copley moved up from go-karts to the West Coast Pro Truck Series. When he was 14 years old, he won a junior midgets championship and rookie of the year at Ventura Raceway. The next year, he started racing in the West Coast Pro Truck Series while returning to Ventura Raceway to continue in the junior midgets.
"I did a couple races here and there," Copley said. "My first race in a West Coast Pro Truck I finished fourth. I was like, wow, maybe I have a little potential here. As my career progressed, I started getting better and better like anyone else would with more seat time."
He won the West Coast Pro Truck Series championship in 2009. The series has switched its name to the South West Tour Trucks and still races regularly at Irwindale.
During the off-season, Copley said he was asked by Tommy Rizzo to drive his Late Model car at Irwindale. Copley said he jumped at the chance to race a stock car.
"It was like driving a pony stock and going to a Cadillac," Copley said about making the switch from the trucks to a stock car. "It was just so much smoother to drive and so much easier. There's a lot of difference between the two, but I like this one a lot better. This one you have more options to adjust here and adjust there, rather than the old trucks, put a round in here, a round in there, that was about it. It's a lot easier to drive these cars because of the adjustments that you can make."
K&N has been associated with Copley since his days of running in the West Coast Pro Trucks.
"They support us with product sponsorship, but we also built partners with them in Make-A-Wish Foundation," Copley said. "We help raise money for cancer and help the less fortunate."
After the season opener crash, Gerchman Racing spent the next two weeks completely rebuilding the right side of Chris' racecar
Few things rate higher, or bring a racer more satisfaction, than hearing the hometown fans going berserk after a hard fought win. For Chris Gerchman, the Lake Havasu City, Arizona resident, this first series win of the year at Havasu 95 Speedway was above all sweet redemption. In the season opener, run at the Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway, Gerchman crashed hard early in the race and he left the Blythe, California racetrack nineteenth in the series points. The Gerchman family race team spent the next two weeks completely rebuilding the right side of the racecar.
Getting his first series win of the year at Havasu 95 Speedway, in front of hometown fans, was above all sweet redemption
"I think this was the most rewarding race I've ever had," remarked Gerchman. "Not only is it rewarding enough to win a main event race, but we also won the Trophy Dash race, as well as receiving the clean pass award in the Lucas Oil Modified Series presented by Rock Star energy drinks. So, as you can imagine, it was an amazing night for me and the whole team, and couldn't have been done in a better place - my home town. When I got out of that racecar the crowd just went wild! I really hope it made all my hometown fans proud and I thank them for all their support."
Gerchman also took home the check for winning the Trophy Dash, as well as receiving the Clean Pass Award, in round two of their 2010 open wheel racing season
A pre-race inversion placed Gerchman on the pole position and he immediately took advantage of the opportunity, by lap 17 he had a full straightaway lead on the entire field and it appeared that he was going to run away with the Canidae All Natural Pet Foods 75 race. However, six yellow flags throughout the event prevented that from being the case.
The final caution flag of the race came out on lap 64 and it set up a dramatic 11 lap shootout between Gerchman and series points leader Jim Mardis. After some wildly entertaining side-by-side racing that had spectators in the packed grandstand on their feet, Gerchman was finally able to get ahead of his rival to secure his first win of the year, and his fourth career series victory.
"I do think there's still a chance to get back on top of the points, but it won't be from only all of my doings, the other teams need to have at least one bad race too," says Gerchman.
"Even though I'm back in the points, it's kind of nice that way, I mean, I don't have to put so much pressure myself on the track that way. And I'm able to take more chances now. I've been telling myself this a lot after the first race crash - I have no points to lose, only points to gain. As far as the team goes, I most definitely think this win got us back on track. Now we are hungry for more wins, for us and all our sponsors like K&N."
"My relationship with K&N is great, I couldn't ask for a better, more supportive sponsor.
The products I use I would recommend to anyone as the best product on the market. I have complete trust in anything with the K&N name on it. I'm currently using their racing air filters, crank case breathers, oil filters and other miscellaneous products."
Team Gerchman Racing is in currently in the process of bringing another car to the team before the end of the year. They are looking for a Super Late Model that they plan on running on a few selective racetracks. These tracks, says Gerchman, put on big races at the end of the year, offering big purses and no points, so they tend to bring big name teams along with high visibility television coverage.
"These races are some of the most competitive on either the west or east coast for that matter," says Gerchman. And nail-biting competition is apparently what he feeds on most.
Gittin and Forsberg take 2nd and 3rd in Formula Drift Round 2 at Road Atlanta
Formula Drift Round 2 was held at Road Atlanta this year for the seventh straight season in a row. Every year the crowd in Atlanta is wild and full of die-hard drifting fans; this year proved no different. K&N Drifters Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chris Forsberg were able to battle their way through the tough competition under the hot Atlanta sun, in order to finish the event atop the coveted podium in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. finished 5th place for the 2009 racing season but has had a great start for 2010
Chris Forsberg is not only the 2009 Formula Drift Champion, but he also won in Atlanta in both the 2007 and 2009 seasons. After two rounds of the 2010 season, he currently sits in 5th place overall in the fight for the Formula Drift Championship.
Vaughn Gittin Jr., who finished the 2009 season in 5th place, had a great start to his 2010 season when he won Round One in Long Beach. After two consecutive podiums, Vaughn currently sits in 1st place overall in the points chase for the Formula Drift Championship.
Vaughn Gittin is 1st place overall in the Formula Drift Championshipin points chase
Chris qualified for the top 32 in 8th place, and battled his way through Cyrus Martinez in order to face two-time Formula Drift Champion, Samuel Hubinette, in the top sixteen. Chris was able to out-drive Sam in the top 16, as well as Ken Gushi in the top 8, and was faced with Dai Yoshihara in the semi-finals. Dai was on his game all day and managed to rip away Chris's chances at a top-two finish at Round Two. Chris went on to battle Mike Essa in the consolation round and took the win, finalizing his podium finish in 3rd place.
Chris Forsberg - 2009 Formula Drift Champion
"Road Atlanta is definitely my favorite Formula Drift course," says Chris. "But with all the dirt dropping that happens on this specific track, I really rely on my K&N Filters to keep all that dirt out of my engine. Ending up on the podium with my Drift Alliance bro Vaughn just made the day that much better. I am really happy to be back in the top five and we plan to keep the car very similar to its current state for Round Three at Wall, New Jersey."
Vaughn qualified for the top 32 in 7th place, and proved to be victorious over Michihiro Takatori, allowing him to move on to win his battle with Joon Maeng in the top sixteen. He found himself paired with 2009's 2nd place overall finisher, Ryan Tuerck, in the top eight. After a pair of excellent runs from both drivers, Vaughn's huge gap when leading was enough for the judges to award him the win.
Chris Forsberg currently sits 5th place in the fight for the Formula Drift Championship
He moved on to battle Essa in the final four and managed to take him out on his way to facing Yoshihara for the 1st place spot. Just as Yoshihara had been on his game when battling Chris earlier, he drove like a manic against Vaughn and was able win the bout, as well as Round Two in Atlanta. Vaughn would finish in 2nd place overall and join Chris on the podium.
"What an unbelievable event in Atlanta," says Vaughn. "To finish second overall after a win at Long Beach, I am simply beside myself. Thanks to K&N filters for giving me the confidence to keep going even when the nasty red clay is flying through the air. We are focused and are looking forward to Round Three. Let's do this!"
The Formula Drift excitement continues June 4-5 at Round Three: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway in New Jersey. Keep an eye on Vaughn and Chris, as they both are likely prospects for the Formula Drift Championship.
Rookie driver Kevin Eacret was all smiles after taking in the UL-11 into victory lane for the ULHRA season opener
Hydroplanes are enormously high-powered watercrafts used specifically for racing. Although they use the water for propulsion and steering much like other boats, hydroplanes "plane" on top of the water, where there's reduced resistance, reaching speeds in well in excess of 130 mph during races. Heavy gusting crosswinds are therefore a big negative, not only for hydroplane racers, but also for the crane operators who can't lift the heavy boats in and out of the water in high winds.
The UL-11 races next in Chamberlain-Oacoma, South Dakota, June 19 and 20
That is precisely why the 2010 Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association (ULHRA) season opener at Firebird International Raceway, in Chandler, Arizona ended without running a final heat? The ULHRA is hosting seven races this year making them the fastest growing hydroplane racing organization in North America.
Three boats qualified for the F1 Final on the three boat wide Firebird course, but due to the aforementioned winds, the running of the final was wisely canceled. Consequently, based on points, rookie driver Kevin Eacret in the UL-11, Miss Executif Racing entry of the Power Punch Performance Lubricants-ROXY Radio 94.5-K&N Filters, Unlimited Light Hydroplane, was declared winner. This is the third consecutive win for the team, but the first with their original hull. Things tend to go bad very quickly when you're racing inches above the water at triple digit speeds, and last year their hull was nearly destroyed after shearing off a propeller blade.
Eacret also pulled off an evasive maneuver and avoided a collision, but broke one of his tails in the process, which resulted in the cowling flying off going into turn two
"After a nearly disastrous incident that left our hydroplane sinking in the Flathead River in Polson, the team has rebuilt the hull this winter, and we came to Firebird Raceway and won the first event of the season, we couldn't be more thrilled," remarked team owner Darren Bartels. When Bartels isn't near water he's up in the air, as a pilot for a major airline. Clearly the man has a need for speed.
"This wasn't exactly how we would have liked to get our first win in our hull," continued Bartels. "Fact of the matter though, we did qualify for the F1 final, which would have had us running against Muncey and Smets. Both those boats were looking great for the weekend and it could have been a fun final."
Ms. Perkins, the third boat making it to the final, had in fact no chance to win the race at that point because she was running in the F2.
"The way this boat is flying now is due in part to the added weight from the repairs we did to the transom over the winter, coupled with the redesigned strut and shaft system, and the propeller being further aft, and some increased horsepower, I think we might now have a contender here. Man the 11 was going fast; our data shows us reaching 146 mph at one point in a heat."
Bartels' boat is powered by a GM 468 cubic inch, blown, alcohol injected engine that puts out nearly 1000 horsepower.
As for the team's plan for the season Bartels says, "We just came off a strong appearance, winning in Phoenix, and of course, we want to continue winning. We spent a lot of hours this past off season rebuilding the boat and without the support from companies like K&N this wouldn't be possible. We believe in K&N filters and are thrilled with them choosing us to represent them." The team currently uses K&N oil filters and several breather filters.
The UL-11 races next in Chamberlain-Oacoma, South Dakota, June 19 and 20.
