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Showdown Set at National Open for Sprint Cars

Sprint car racer Donny Schatz is experiencing the best season in his 10-year World of Outlaws career. The Fargo, North Dakota driver and his ParkerStore team are not content with simply finishing up the 2006 season.

On September 29th and 30th, the National Open, sponsored by Cleveland Brothers and sanctioned by the World of Outlaws will get underway at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

World of Outlaws Points Leader uses K&N Carbon Fiber Airbox
World of Outlaws Points Leader uses K&N Carbon Fiber Airbox
Schatz has won three out of the last six National Opens including two in succession. If he wins this year, he could become only the third driver in the race’s 43-year-history to have three consecutive National Opens.

“I feel like I’ve got the best crew out there. My guys work hard to give me a race car this good,” said Schatz. “Our K&N Engineering Carbon Fiber Airbox helps us achieve maximum horsepower at every race.”

“This is one of those races that hold a lot of tradition and prestige,” said Schatz. “We kind of won the thing out of nowhere in 2000 and since then, I’ve really loved racing at the Grove. We haven’t won there yet this season, and that was one of our goals for the season.”

ParkerStore Sprint Car
ParkerStore Sprint Car
The race is shaping up to be a big showdown between World of Outlaws points leader Schatz and National Sprint Tour points leader Danny Lasoski.

“The competition is really tough out there and I think I learned how to be good there from being so bad for so long,” said Schatz. “This is the time of year when everyone is thinking about next year and trying new things. We’re doing the same, but we also know this race pays $50,000-to-win.”

In five 2006 starts at the half-mile dirt oval, Schatz has not finished outside the top five. He said the key to the weekend is getting off on the right foot on the first night. The Friday night 25-lap feature will pay $5000 to win.

“We have to get locked in Friday night,” said Schatz, who has a total of nine career wins at Williams Grove Speedway. “The last two years we’ve finished in the top four on the first night and that really helps set you up for the Open. You have to qualify well enough to be close to the front and then make it through your heat race. With the quality of cars getting through the heats can be pretty tough. Like any big race, you have to have some luck go your way, take advantage of the breaks when they are there and put yourself in a position to win with 10 laps to go.”

Schatz and the ParkerStore Team will only have six races remaining in the 2006 WoO season after Williams Grove.

Follow Donny Schatz's progress throughout the racing season at the K&N news site. 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.

Mustang GT Sees More Than 6 Extra HP with K&N Typhoon Cold Air Intake

When Mustang drivers corner hard they get a good grip and can really feel what the car is doing. Performance is what the Mustang GT is all about. It also sounds good, whether cruising or at full throttle. The GT engine has revised camshafts, intake manifold runners and larger valves.
Typhoon Air Intake Kit for Ford Mustang GT 4.6L
Typhoon Air Intake Kit for Ford Mustang GT 4.6L
K&N Engineering has released a new 69-Series Typhoon Air Intake (69-3524TP) in polished aluminum for the 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 Ford Mustang GT 4.6L V8. K&N dynamometer tests show a 6.81 horsepower gain @ 4600 RPM for this intake.

"Kit 69-3524TP is specially designed to work with the Ford Mustang GT 4.6L," said K&N Project Technician Nestor Cabrera. "The Kit uses the factory MAF (Mass Air Flow), an airflow optimized filter adapter and a high flow K&N Air Filter (RF-1036) with heat shield. The high flow K&N Air Filter helps provide smooth non-turbulent air flow into the intake tube. It incorporates an airflow optimized mounting flange. The heat shield isolates the filter from the engine compartment keeping the air around it cooler."

The vehicle design played a major roll in the development and design of this intake kit. "Special care was taken to ensure that the Air Intake System (69-3524TP) followed the vehicles lines and that it did not obstruct or rub against other parts in the engine compartment," said Cabrera. "There is symmetry between the intake kit and the engine compartment."

With all K&N 69-Series Typhoon Air Intakes there is a through development procedure which requires the use of multiple vehicles to ensure a consistent horsepower and torque gain on every car, said Cabrera. "There is a lot of testing that K&N Air Intakes go through before they are finalized for production," he said. "We were able to locate the cars we needed for testing through our car database on our website."

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.

The Final Weekend of CORR Competition Will Be a Tough Battle

Carl Renezeder is in one of the closest points battles in CORR history. In the Lucas Oil Pro-2 division Renezeder is the leader, but only by one point.

It was a challenging weekend in Chula Vista in his Lucas Oil Nissan Pro-2 and Lucas Oil/SoBe No Fear Pro-4. Renezeder had two second place finishes in the four-wheel drive class but Johnny Greaves extended his points lead by eight more markers.

Carl Renezeder's Pro-4
Carl Renezeder's Pro-4
“What a crazy weekend,” said Carl. “On Saturday in the Pro-2 we broke a five dollar fitting on an oil line. On Sunday, I was looking forward to battling for a win when part of Huseman’s front bumper came through the driver’s side door and switched off the ignition. What are the odds of that happening?”

In Saturday’s Pro-4 race, Curt LeDuc’s front bumper partially tore off Renezeder’s rear bumper, forcing him to pit and remove it during the mandatory yellow. He exited the pits after the field took the green on the restart and worked his way to 2nd place in five short laps.

At Sunday’s Pro-2 race, Renezeder spun out on the first lap in 4th place. He worked his way back into the top three, but more problems meant a 9th place finish. In spite of the problems Renezeder is still the racer to beat in Pro-2, and there is a minuscule margin for error.”

2006 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Champion Jason Crump,photo by Mike Patrick
Carl Renezeder's Pro-2
The Laguna Beach, California racer has used K&N Engineering products for 8 years. “Carl will only use a K&N Filters,” said Jennifer Bissett of Team Renezeder. “K&N stops the dirt and debris from getting into our engines. We’ve never had a problem on these trucks with K&N Filters.”

The 2006 season concludes October 21st and 22nd with the final two rounds of racing at Chula Vista International Raceway, near San Diego, California.

Follow Carl Renezeder's progress throughout the racing season at the K&N news site. 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.

SuperKart USA Racer Harry Alden Wins Eastern Division

Harry Alden captured the 2006 SKUSA G.L. Pro Tour FG1 Points Championship at Newcastle, Indiana.

Harry Alden won 2006 SKUSA at New Castle, Indiana
Harry Alden won 2006 SKUSA at New Castle, Indiana

K&N Airbox on Alden Enterprise Racing Kart
K&N Airbox on Alden Enterprise Racing Kart

The win came down to the last race and Alden won by 20 points. On the first day of the two day event, Alden finished 3rd, and on Sunday he finished 11th. “In SuperKart USA the rules allow you to throw out your two worst finishes and count the top eight,” said Dan Alden, of Alden Racing. “My brother, Harry was in the top three almost every race this season and came in first for three races. We were able to throw out Sunday’s points.”

This is Alden’s 3rd championship in the Eastern Division. “We hit speeds of 120-125 mph, and have a 6 speed sequential gear box,” said Alden. “We shift them like an Indy car.”

Alden Enterprise Racing
Alden Enterprise Racing

K&N Products are on Alden Enterprise Racing Karts
K&N Products are on Alden Enterprise Racing Karts


The Alden Brothers use K&N Engineering Products. “We test all kinds of filters on our dyno, and K&N makes the best filter,” said Alden. “We gained 1 horsepower and that is huge. We’ve used K&N for ten years.”

Dan and Harry Alden race four karts with 125cc shifters. They use K&N products RK-1000, RU-5005, RX-3810-1 (this filter may have a marking of 04989) , and RU-1360. “We race for cash prizes and season awards,’ said Alden. “We choose to use K&N.”

Follow Dan and Harry Alden's  progress throughout the racing season at the K&N news site. 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.

O'Reilly Fall Nationals at Dallas, Texas are Tough for Phil Burkart

Race day at the O’Reilly Fall Nationals at Dallas, Texas was tough for Phil Burkart and his Checker Schuck’s Kragen Team. Burkart wanted to experience a calm and steady qualifying effort, and power past his opponents on race day.

Instead, he and the CSK Team spent two days dealing with qualifying drama and then had to live through a first round battle that took place behind a smoke screen.

Burkart uses K&N's Premium Performance Gold Oil Filter
Burkart uses K&N's Premium Performance Gold Oil Filter

Funny Car Racer Phil Burkart
Funny Car Racer Phil Burkart
On Friday, Burkart imitated everyone else in the Funny Car class by failing to make a full lap during the first qualifying effort. His opening shot, 5.014, was good enough for the No. 6 spot.

Burkart and his crew use K&N Engineering’s Premium Performance Gold Oil Filters. “The thick canister walls on the K&N Filters have extra strength and durability,” he said. “It reduces the risk of damage from debris on the race track.”

Phil Burkart's CSK Crew
Phil Burkart's CSK Crew
Burkart smoked his tires during a Friday night session which featured a number of stout runs. He went into Saturday in the No.15 spot.

Saturday’s first run came after a brief but heavy downpour and Burkart made his first full pull of the event, clocking in with a steady 5.014. The CSK Team had a solid baseline for tuning but Burkart’s teammate, Del Worsham, was still behind him on the sheet.

“It’s not a good feeling to be the second pair in the final session, knowing your teammate and boss needs to bump you out,” said Burkart. “When it’s someone else behind you, it’s hard not to hope they don’t make it, but when it’s Del doing the bumping, you have to hope he does it. Then, we’d just have to come right back and bump our way back in. It was a pretty simple concept, and we did it.”

Worsham’s 4.93 was enough to bump Burkart out, but seconds later the Havoline Chevy posted a strong 4.891 and Burkart was back in. In the end, both teammates were part of the race on Sunday.

Burkat landed in the No. 13 spot and had to face a much quicker car in round one. That car was piloted by Tony Pedregon, who qualified 4th with a 4.812.

At the start, Burkart’s machine lurched forward and then almost immediately went up in tire smoke. His crew’s view was obscured behind the line with the “white wall” which hides the race car, and usually means a loss.

“We saw tire smoke, figured we were dead ducks and began to walk away,” said CSK Co-Crew Chief Marc Denner. “I heard pedaling going on, but I figured it was Phil giving chase even though Tony was pulling away. I looked over and saw both cars in tire spoke. Tony was way out on us, but it looked like he was dead in the water. Phil was closing in fast, but ran out of room.”

“It went up in smoke as I hit the throttle,” said Burkart. “When I hit again, I saw Tony’s tire smoke, and even though we were way behind, I know how much these cars can make up if the tires hook back up again. I think I pedaled the car six times, but it would never hook up and all I could do was blaze it down there.”

Follow Phil Burkart's progress throughout the racing season at the K&N news site. 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.