The store will not work correctly when cookies are disabled.
We use cookies to make your experience better.To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. Learn more.
Kathy Fisher plans to race as many NHRA/IHRA Division 3 events as she can in the 2009 season.
Kathy Fisher at the IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals, photo by BME Photography
She took a little unplanned diversion to the IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals. “My trip to Grand Bend would not have been possible without Ontario resident, Pete Hunt,” said Fisher. “I met Pete through my work at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School. Pete knows that I really like racing in Canada and was disappointed that we had to skip the event for the first time last season.”
Frank Hawley of Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School and Drag Racer Kathy Fisher
Hunt noticed that the event was also missing from Fisher’s schedule in 2009. “Pete send us a card and a $1500 check so we could make the Nationals,” said Fisher “I am so grateful, that was awesome.”
In Fisher’s first round, she had a near perfect light. She made it through the rounds to take on Ron Folk in the final. “I left a little too much on the line in the final,” she said. “I ran an 8.905 but my light just wasn’t where it needed to be. Ron didn’t take me lightly, with his .002 light and deserved the round win.”
Fisher hopes to pass on Hunt’s monetary generosity by sending whatever funds they have left from the event to God Speed Ministry.
“We could not do what we do without products from K&N,” said Fisher. “Our success depends on products that hold up to some pretty harsh conditions for on and off track. Everything we have that has an engine on it, or in it, is protected by and runs better because of a K&N product. From our truck that gets us to the events that uses both a K&N air intake system and K&N oil filter, to our generator that keeps the juice going for us to maintain between rounds, they all utilize K&N. What amazes me the most is how much the high-flow K&N air filter in our scoop tray protects our engine. Just this weekend we found a couple of small stones in mine. I can’t say I would have made it to a final round if those stones went through the engine.”
Fisher said she loves to race in Canada. “The fans cannot be beat,” she said. “The amount of spectators that stopped by our pit to chat was amazing. It really kept me busy and I loved it. I just get the biggest kick out of the kids, especially the little girls. They remind me of what I was like when I was younger.”
Jason Crump is after is third World Speedway Grand Prix Championship. The Australian is preparing for round six of the 11 round World Championship series at Latvijas Spidveja Centrs Stadium in Daugavpils, Latvia.
Double World Speedway Grand Prix Champion Jason Crump is half-way to his Third World Championship
Crump is sitting at the top of the table with a 31 point lead over his nearest rival and knows what he needs to do if he is to win his third world crown. “Jason needs to maintain the consistency he has shown in the first half of the season,” said Roy Stone, Crump’s Media Relations Manager. “He won at Latvia last year and is very familiar with the track. Jason is also the hot favorite to take out this year’s event.”
Australian Jason Crump has a 31- point lead over his nearest rival Russian Emil Sayfutdinov in the World Speedway Grand Prix Championship chase
“We are only at the halfway mark and there is a lot of hard work to do,” said Crump. “The strategy is simple, but putting it into practice is the hard part.” Crump plans to remain consistent and have his machinery working right and
hopes to stay injury free.
“The pressure is on, but K&N products give me one less thing to worry about,” he said. “Mechanically I can count on K&N products. K&N makes the best motorcycle air filter on the market and keeps the dirt out of my engines. I can also depend on extra filtration during extreme track conditions.”
After five rounds the points total is as follows:
Australian Jason Crump 98 points
Russian Emil Sayfutdinv 67 points
Poland's Tomasz Gollob 53 points
Denmark's Nicki Pedersen 52 points
Sweden's Andreas Jonsson 51 points
Round 6 of the World Speedway Grand Prix resumes August 1.
Many people are defined by what they do instead of who they are. Ricky James knows who he is. James is a racer, an X-Games 14 Silver Medal Winner, an Iron Man triathlon competitor, a paraplegic and an inspiration to many who will never be able to walk again.
Ricky James Dominated the Super Lite Class at Lake Elsinore, California in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
Ricky James said his motocross background helped him compete and win in short course dirt off road racing
The 20-year-old was paralyzed from the sternum down at an amateur motocross race in Texas. At the time, he was on top of his game and only a few months away from turning pro. He and another rider mixed it up and James fell to the ground. The teen felt his bike crash on him as it crushed his spine.
Ricky James hopes his winning streak will carry through to the X Games where he will compete in this year's Adaptive Moto X event
The rest of the pack at LOORRS saw the back of Ricky James' truck at Lake Elsinore, California LOORRS race
Within one year of his spinal cord injury, he was competing at the Lake Elsinore Grand Prix in California. He raced on a quad that was equipped with a special shifter, made it to the top of the pack and his racing career began again. Since then he has continued to compete in various racing venues and win. “A lot of people believed in me,” said James. “Sometimes I felt like giving up but I knew I had to hang in there.”
He came in first place in the Super Lite Class at Lake Elsinore, California in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. (LOORRS). “Having a motocross background helps me compete in a truck,” said James. “Short
course off road racing is motocross in a truck because of the sheer intensity of the racing. In motocross you
also have to understand line traction jumps and changes. To be on the podium in first place was sweet.”
James only had about six hours of practice in his new truck. He steers with his right hand, but his left hand works the clutch, throttle, shifter and brakes. His truck has a manual transmission and a Master Shift built electronic shifting system that converts with the push of a button. “I took a conservative strategy
at Lake Elsinore,” he said. “I set up in the corners, got my braking done, got the back of the truck loose and carried a controlled slide all the way through the lines.”
“Our goal was to make him comfortable and safe in our truck,” said Casey Coughlin, co-owner of SoCal Super Trucks. “Ricky is a talented kid and a born winner who has racing in his blood. We made a Pro Lite Truck to feed his passion for short course dirt track racing. We have the support from the finest companies in the sport,
including K&N Filters, ICON Vehicle Dynamics, Bronson Motorsports, Speed
Technologies, Alpinestars, MasterShift and Racing Plus. K&N is always on top of our list. K&N gives us excellent power and filtration and protects our engines.”
On Saturday James worked his way to the front and won in the LOORRS Series. On Sunday he came back and picked them off one by one and won. “He ended up
leading the pack,” said Coughlin. “When you think about everything he does, Ricky has accomplished more than most able-bodied individuals do in a lifetime.”
This week he will go to the X Games for this year’s Adaptive Moto X event where amputees and spinal-cord victims compete.“He’s our main guy,” said Coughlin. “He’s a force to be reckoned with on the track. He’s also a great guy off the track
and is an inspiration to all of us.”
“I'm stoked. LOORRS was my first opportunity in my career to drive a Super lite truck and show how well I can race
in it,” James said. “My life now is about winning.”
His next Lucas Off Road Racing Series will be in Surprise, Arizona.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. slid into Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the
Kohler International Challenge with Brian Redman presented by Ford. This
signature event is known for drawing in over 1000 entries for racing, touring,
and the Road & Track Concours d'Elegance. Vaughn kept the crowd on their feet
with his notorious drifting smoke show that displayed the remarkable performance
of his 2010 Falken Tire Ford Mustang and K&N Filters.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. with legendary driver Brian Redman, host of the Kohler International Challenge
Over the weekend, Vaughn was on hand to give over 150 race enthusiasts the ride
of their lives on the track. “Driving a car of this caliper for ride after ride
really takes a toll on its hardware,” says Vaughn. “Luckily, my confidence level
stayed up knowing that K&N protects both the air coming into and the oil flowing
through my motor. K&N is definitely a huge part of why my Mustang is so
reliable.”
Brian Redman, legendary driver and host of the event, strapped into the
passenger seat for his chance to experience drifting. “It was a true honor
taking Brian for a ride,” says Vaughn. “I’ve already received a phone call
saying that he wants me to teach him how to drift. It’s great to know that I’ve
made a legend like him fall in love with the incredible sport of drifting.”
The Monster Jam Summer Heat Series in Hagerstown, Maryland was filled with Monster Truck action. Trey Meyers in the Iron Warrior, Michael Vaters in Black Stallion, Randy Brown in Grave Digger, Chad Fortune in Superman, Chris Baker in El Toro and Scott Hartsock in Gun Slinger went out in full force at Hagerstown Speedway.
Iron Warrior powered through the slick track at Hagerston Speedway after stormy weather hit the Maryland area
Black Stallion monster truck weighs about 10,000 pounds but still jumps high in front of a packed stadium
It rained all day on the clay oval track and stopped just in time for the gates to open. “The fans just poured into the stands,” said Vaters. “They didn’t care about the wet conditions. They wanted to see monster truck competition.”
Fans waited in long lines to get autographs from their favorite monster truck drivers
Kamikaze jet powered 4-wheeler ignites the crowd at monster truck show in Hagerstown, Maryland
The rain made the track greasy and added a challenging element to monster truck racing. “The lane on the grand stand side was slick,” said Vaters. “Any driver who was unfortunate enough to get in that lane had problems. The pit side race lane was better because it was gravel and had something for the monster trucks to bite into.”
Racing wins determined the lanes drivers were given. Vaters alternated between good and bad lanes. In round one, Vaters defeated Superman by driving the K&N Ford Powered Black Stallion. In the semi-finals, Grave Digger defeated Vaters. Just before the freestyle the rain started again. “It made the competition more interesting as the 10,000 pound monster trucks ice skated on the greasy clay surface,” said Vaters. “There was a lot of speed and even more sliding.” Despite the hurdles, Vaters managed to take 3rd in freestyle.
The next day the weather cooperated and racing was fast and competitive as the drivers faced off against each other. “The trucks were getting major air,” said Vaters. “I defeated Superman then El Toro Loco in the K&N Ford Powered Black Stallion, but Grave Digger ultimately took the win.”
The monster trucks ran hard all weekend and the abuse came back to the pits. Grave Digger broke an axel during an exhibition and Iron Warrior lost a transmission. The K&N Ford Powered Black Stallion plowed through the competing monster trucks and worked its way into the racing finals only to be defeated by Superman.
Vaters also brought his Kamikaze jet powered 4-wheeler and roared around the track with a flame show. "The crowd loved the noise and I could see their faces as I drove by," he said.
Black Stallion and Iron Warrior depend on K&N air filters and oil filters. “There is no wear pattern on our engines with K&N,” said Vaters. “K&N catches all the dirt under our extreme Monster
truck conditions. The K&N oil filter is easy to take off and works well even though it gets banged up every time we take it on the course
Vaters Monster Motorsports will next put on a thrill show for the Washington County Maryland Agriculture Expo and Fair.
