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While leading up to the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, Jake Rozelle has played an important role in the series.

Throughout it’s nine-year timespan, the Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car Series has seen some incredible drivers, but very few have made an impact on the series quite like competitor Jake Rozelle.  Rozelle got his name as “the kid” after achieving notoriety as the youngest Optima competitor ever to race in the series.  This title was almost lost when driver Cody Mason, who was a few years younger than Rozelle, started racing for Ken Thwaits under the Showtime Motorsports name.  Both underage drivers were remarkably fast, but there was something about Rozelle’s 1969 Camaro that continued to draw attention at each event he attended.

Rozelle has earned notoriety from both his successful driving and his age, making him one of the youngest competitors to ever compete in the Optima Series.

Rozelle has no fear.  When you watch him on a road course, many question how a 1969 Camaro can respond and handle like Rozelle’s through each turn.  Catch his speeds on the straights and Rozelle will most likely be one of the fastest drivers you’ll see at these Optima events.

Rozelle has already won two Optima events this year in his 1969 JCG built Camaro.

We’ve watched Rozelle grow from a boy to a young man as he just recently graduated the University of California San Diego with a Bachelor’s in Science in Electrical Engineering.  Over the past several years we have witnessed his success while making several appearances on Optima’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car television series.  When someone talks about the Optima Series, Rozelle’s name is one of the few that are mentioned as top contenders.  The Kid is fast and his natural talent behind the wheel is obvious when you watch him on track.

It was no surprise that Rozelle would take the GTV Class win at Pikes Peak International Raceway, making it his third back-to-back win this year.

With two previous GTV wins in the Optima Series for the 2016 season, Rozelle already secured his spot to compete at this year’s Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  Every Optima event that Rozelle has attend during the 2016 has resulted in a win, therefore it was expected that Rozelle would take home the win in the GTV class again at the Pikes Peak International Raceway event.

A dedicated team is behind driver Jake Rozelle including his father, Roy Rozelle and JJ Furillo.

There is not much that can stop K&N sponsored driver Jake Rozelle from taking podium at an Optima Series event.  Rozelle has some of the best team members who will tear apart his car in a moments notice just to gain another second if needed.  Rozelle’s father, Roy Rozelle, and suspension guru, JJ Furillo, are typically on site addressing any problems or modifications needed between runs.  This combination of driver and crew has been successful over the past couple years and continues to make Rozelle more competitive at each event.

Not only did K&N driver Jake Rozelle take the win in the GTV Class, Rozelle placed first in all three race segments along with the overall event win for the weekend.

Though heat conditions and high altitude were not ideal for the California native and his ’69 Camaro, Rozelle ran strong all weekend.  Rozelle continued to stay focused throughout the Colorado obstacles, knowing that placing first in the GTV class would make this his third back-to-back Optima event win.

When it came down to the final overall reveal, competition was close, but Rozelle’s performance throughout the weekend was flawless.  Not only did Rozelle take home first in all three race segments throughout the weekend, he went home with the overall event win, proving that forty-seven year old car (with proper modifications) could outrun late model technology.

An automotive influence during childhood could have contributed to Jake Rozelle’s success over the years, but dedication and raw talent are what keep Rozelle in the drivers seat.  As a young driver who has had a very successful racing career, Rozelle can only continue to grow, possibly taking home the title of the Ultimate Street Car in November.    One thing is for sure; several eyes will be on Jake Rozelle as he makes his way to Vegas, knowing he is one driver to watch out for in the upcoming months.

THAT’S A WRAP – This is the final shot that ran in the calendar.

Was this her first photo shoot? Or had Ashley Michelle Dailey stepped into an impromptu extra role in “Game of Thrones”

A DAILEY DOUBLE – Ashley Michelle Dailey said she loves bringing a modern pin-up look to her modeling. Put her next to a vintage car in a vintage wardrobe and you’ve got the perfect combination of look, style and speed.

Dailey, who goes by Ashley Michelle as her professional name, answered a call from the proverbial friend of a friend, who needed models for a clothing designer’s shoot. There was, however, a little plot/wardrobe twist to what Dailey would be modeling:

Steel-boned corsets. Straight out of your favorite Renaissance fair, Shakespearian play, or hit cable TV series. But now, it’s straight out of Dailey’s repertoire.

“I’ve developed this obsession with corsets and lingerie over the years,” she said. “I’ve done a lot of work with that over the years, as well as tattoos. The man I’m seeing is a piercer and manager of a tattoo shop and I’ve done a lot of promotional work for his shop.”

Well, that explains why the soon-to-turn 23-year-old was in the middle of a move from Winchester, near Temecula, to Waco, Texas – where her boyfriend’s parlor is – then to join her retired parents in Nashville. It explains the face of her rescue pit-bull, Kain, the tattoo of which adorns her left shoulder (“So when I’m traveling, he’s always with me…”). And it explains why Dailey is so versatile in front of the camera.

For her K&N shoot, where she posed with fellow Miss May Shawnna Sharmayne, Dailey went back in time – this time, to the pin-up days of the 1940s. No, Dailey didn’t appear on the nose cone of a B-17 Flying Fortress – although if you jumped in the wayback machine, she looked like she could have – but next to a hot-rod in a bustier at the Motte Car Museum in Menifee, California. It seamlessly meshed with Dailey’s comfort level in front of the camera, where her timeless look and passion for period outfits that bring that look out were on full, vivid display.

PUTTING THE ‘HOT’ IN ‘HOT-ROD’ – Ashley Michelle Dailey has been the subject of not only two tattoos, but an oil portrait painted by a friend of hers that appeared in an art show. She now owns the painting.

“I remember it was a really hot day and they had a lot of really cool cars,” she said. “They just said they would have a lot of different cars and to dress like a pin-up with a modern twist. I was absolutely comfortable with that.

“It took a while because there was a lot involved here. We shot a couple different cars, I changed outfits twice and we changed the cars a few times to get different angles and different views. There was a lot involved, but it was really fun. There was a lot of energy and never a moment where there wasn’t something going on. Everyone who was there had a job and they knew what they were doing. It was awesome.”

Speaking of awesome, that pretty much describes the amount of miles Dailey has traveled in her nearly 23 years. This move east is her seventh in the last two years, a mind-boggling number even for a product of two military parents who bounced back and forth between Northern and Southern California throughout much of Dailey’s youth.

After graduating a year early from high school in 2010, Dailey migrated to cosmetology school, where she learned soon after getting her license that doing other people’s hair wasn’t nearly as fun as doing her own for a shoot.

“I felt like it was the creative equivalent of sitting behind a desk and I didn’t want to sit behind a desk,” she said. “I didn’t want to be in a salon. I liked sales and marketing and the modeling, so I figured I’d go back to school and major in marketing.”

Meanwhile, Dailey was finding herself behind a camera more than behind a desk. Her Instagram page has prompted everything from more modeling gigs to an oil portrait of her painted by an artist friend who featured the painting in an art show before giving it to Dailey.

If that wasn’t enough Dailey, well, Kain the Pitbull isn’t the only family member who is a tattoo subject.

“I’ve had two tattoo artists use me as a subject for their clients,” she said. “It’s amazing every time to see what they do with their finished products.

“I love modeling. I love working with new people. When I’m actually shooting, I get into this zone and nothing else exists. I’m doing what I love. When I model and through my passion for this, I can inspire other people’s artwork and that’s amazing.”

Todd Gilliland won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Stateline Speedway in Idaho. He crossed the finish line .004 seconds ahead of Noah Gragson.

NASACAR K&N Pro Series West rookie Todd Gilliland broke a four-race drought by winning the Toyota NAPA 150 at Stateline Speedway in Idaho. Gilliland won the first two K&N Pro Series West races, but hasn't taken the checkered flag since April 2 at Kern County Raceway Park in California.

Todd Gilliland and his Bill McAnally Racing team won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Stateline Speedway in Idaho. Gilliland won his third race of the season.

Gilliland beat Noah Gragson by .004 seconds on a green-white-checkered flag finish. The race was extended to 166 laps and two green-white-checkered attempts before Gilliland inched past Gragson, both part of the NASCAR Next class of drivers, at the finish line.

"I thought I had him at the line, but I'm sure he thought he had me at the line, too," Gilliland said. "It's just really stressful moments there sitting there watching the flagman standing between the two cars, not sure which one to give the flag to. The second he turned to my car and gave me the flag, it was a great sense of relief, just a great ending to a great day."

Todd Gilliland won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Stateline Speedway in Idaho. He has won four NASCAR K&N Pro Series races in his career, three in the West Series and one in the East Series.

Gilliland started the race in seventh and didn't take the lead until the final lap of the race, lap 166. He probably didn't lead the race for more than a second, but the fraction of a second at the finish line was all he needed to win.

"It was great racing with Noah," Gilliland said. "Coming from the back there was kind of tough. Everyone on my team kept me calm. Get every car one by one. If they give it to you, take it."

The 16-year-old Gilliland won his third K&N Pro Series race of the season and the fourth K&N Pro Series race of his career.

"To be in a position to be on the outside there the last restart, we just tried to hang tough on the outside," Gilliland. "We knew it was probably going to come down to something like that where you're racing to the line pretty much."

Todd Gilliland led one lap in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Stateline Speedway in Idaho. The Toyota NAPA 150 was extended to 166 laps and two green-white-checkered flag finishes.

Gragson led for 26 laps on the tiny quarter-mile track. He took the lead from Ryan Partridge on lap 140, 10 laps from the scheduled end of the race. He was in the lead for both green-white-checkered flag restarts.

"I was the leader there coming to the green-white-checkered," Gragson said. "I felt like I was a little better on the bottom. I knew the top side, they could roll pretty good off the corner and get good drive by. I felt like my car was working better on the bottom. That was a crazy race there at the end. Unbelievable night. So close to being in Victory Lane. Can't complain with second. Great points day."

Noah Gragson was the runner-up in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Stateline Speedway in Idaho. He led 26 laps in the race.

Chris Eggleston won the pole and led the most laps in the race, 73. Eggleston and Gracin Raz battled for the lead from laps 74 to 90. Eggleston crossed the finish line in third place.

"It's extremely hard to swallow," Eggleston said. "You don't get cars that drive that good that often. Felt like we did a halfway decent job of getting back up way through the field without running into anybody. Keep our heads high, keep digging and we go to Iowa."

Raz was fourth, followed by Julia Landauer in fifth.

Partridge was able to maintain his lead in the K&N Pro Series West standings with 291 points. He was 10th in the race at Stateline Speedway. Eggleston, the reigning K&N Pro Series West champion, is second in the standings, 13 points behind Partridge.

The next K&N Pro Series race is at Iowa Speedway on July 29. The drivers and teams from the K&N Pro Series West and East will be at Iowa Speedway for the Casey's General Store 150.

The air filter in the K&N 63-9039 air intake system is washable and reusable. It will be the last air filter you will ever need.

Two engine options are available with the 2016 Toyota Tacoma – a 2.7-liter I-4 generates 159-horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque and a new 3.5-liter V-6 engine that delivers 278-horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. The I-4 is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and the V-6 is incorporated with a six-speed manual. When properly equipped with the V-6 tow package, the pickup can tow up to 6,800 pounds.

In about 90 minutes, your Tacoma can be breathing better air and making more power.

Along with the conventional airbags, the truck also includes knee airbags for the driver and front passenger. Available as an option is a blind spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert.

Cloth upholstery, four-way driver’s seat, a Toyota Entune infortainment system featuring a 6.1-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, a rearview camera, Siri Eyes Free, a USB port, and six-speaker sound system are standard.

Navigation is available on high level trims along with a smartphone app for the Entune, a 7-inch touchscreen, and a JBL premium audio system. The blue-collar vehicle sports a chrome-trimmed exterior and leather-lined interior and creature comforts including push-button start and plenty of smartphone integration.

The cabin is functional with a good number of places to store small stuff and includes Qi inductive charging for electronics devices you may normally bring with you. The control panel on the dashboard is center-stacked with easy-to-use knobs for climate control and for the infotainment system.

The vehicle has been manufactured in the United States since 1995. First considered to be a compact pickup, the truck was classified as a mid-size in its second generation. Motor Trend Magazine rewarded it as the 2005 Truck of the Year. The first generation model (1995-2004) was four-wheel drive and also came as a 2-wheel drive crew cab that was released in 2000 and is still available.

Three different engines were used to power the first generation models including:

• A 2.4-Liter 4-cylinder rated at 142-horsepower and 160 lb-ft (217 N-m) of torque
• 2.7-Liter 4-cylinder that generated 150-horsepower and 177 lb-ft (240 N-m) of torque
• 3.4-liter V6 that delivery 190-horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque

The truck was popular among young buyers during its first couple years. The Japanese-automaker unveiled a bigger and more powerful Tacoma in 2004, which marked the beginning of the second generation, which ran to 2015. It came in 18 different configurations including three cabs, four different transmissions, two engines and two bed lengths. The different cab styles included regular, access, and double.

A 4.0-liter 1GR-FE V6 engine replaced the original 3.4-liter. The new engine featured a tow rating of 6,500 lbs. and a payload capacity of 1,650 lbs., generated 236-horsepower and 266 lb-ft (361 N-m) of torque. A new 2.7-liter 2TR-FE 4-cylinder engine that delivered 159-horsepower and 266 lb-ft (361 N-m) of torque was available as an alternative.

The third generation of the Tacoma was introduced in September 2015. The K&N 63-9039 air intake system is specifically designed for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma. It is guaranteed to boost the horsepower and improve the throttle response and engine sound of the pickup.

Many automotive magazine staff writers who drove the 2016 Tacoma mentioned that it was somewhat sluggish. The K&N 63-9039 is specifically designed to dramatically decrease the air intake restriction that was caused by the factory intake and will smooth and straighten the airflow, which was also an issue. The air is directed through an aerodynamically engineered intake tube into the engine’s throttle body kit. As a result, the engine breathes in more air than the factory system assembly allowed. More air adds up to more power and acceleration throughout the engine’s RPM range.

The intake tube integrates with the factory mass air sensor, air temperature sensor and crank case vent hose. The air intake system includes a chrome topped K&N high flow air filter as well as a heat shield. The whole apparatus is designed to fit into the factory air box.

Included in the intake system is a K&N air filter that is specially designed to block contaminates from reaching the engine. The filter unique construction features four to six layers of cotton gauze media that is sandwiched between two aluminum wire screens. The cotton media is specially treated with a special grade of filter oil that causes the cotton microscopic strands to become extremely tacky so that it can catch and hold the contaminants for up to 100,000 miles.

K&N offers an air filter cleaner that is formulated to cleanse the used filter in seven steps in about 90 minutes. The filter can then be replaced into the intake system and reused for another 100,000 miles. Since the air filter washable and reusable in will be the last air filter you will ever need.

The K&N 63-9039 air intake system is used in the following vehicles:

2016 Toyota Tacoma 3.5L V6

You can view all the air intakes that K&N makes for the Toyota Tacoma at the Air Intake Systems for the Toyota Tacoma page and all the air filters that K&N makes for the Toyota Tacoma at the Air Filters for the Toyota Tacoma page. You can view all the K&N performance products for any vehicle by using the Search by Vehicle tool and you can find a local K&N retailer by plugging your location into the K&N Dealer Search as well.

Chris Ferguson's #22 late models racing car takes on a curve in a recent race.

"We've experienced some bad luck in three races so far this year," explained Ferguson, 26 and resident of Mt. Holly, North Carolina. "In one race we popped a tire with 10 laps to go; in another we were leading and crashed into the lap car; and in the third we had another flat tire."

Still, he has chalked up four wins racing late models so far in 2016 including the 37th running of the USA 100 at the Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Virginia. In addition, even though he doesn't concentrate on regional series, he still ranks third in points in the Ultimate Super Late Models Series and fifth in points in the Carolina Clash Series.

He has grown up in racing. His dad and his Uncles raced late models. "I grew up at race tracks watching my dad and uncles race," he said. "My dad bought me a go-kart when I was 13 and he took me to the local track to drive it. It wasn't long before I was racing. My dad quit racing at just about the time I got started so that he could focus on me and guide me through the sport."

Ferguson also works for Butler Built Sports Equipment, manufacturer of racing seats for more than 30 years.

Chris Ferguson Motorsports' car 22 speeds passed excited spectators.

As an amateur racing go-karts, Ferguson won more than 100 feature races. Some of the main victories included the Daytona Dirt World Championship; the National World Karting Association (WKA) Championship twice; the WKA Grand Nationals, Jr. Kahuna, Goldspeed 100 and more. He graduated to Crate Late Models in 2006.

His dad formed the racing team in 2010 that includes Bryan Conard, Corey Tanner, Cory Henson, David Chapman, and Steven Outz.

He turned pro in 2011 and started racing late models at more national events.

"That's when I started winning races outside my home area. When I was an amateur I raced mostly in the Carolinas. Since I turned pro I race anywhere on the east coast from Pennsylvania down to Florida, in the Midwest including Indiana, Ohio and Illinois and in Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Louisiana," he said.

During his pro career he has won more than 50 special events races including two World of Outlaw championships, the top level of the sport. Other big races included The July 4th Special in Brunswick, Georgia; the Hall of Fame 100 at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, South Carolina; three-time winner of the Skylar Trull Memorial Race at the Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, North Carolina; World of Outlaw Blue Ridge Bash at Friendship Motor Speedway in Elkin, North Carolina; Ultimate at Golden Isle Speedway in Waynesville, Georgia; Ultimate Super Late Model Championship at the Virginia Motor Speedway; and more.

He also holds the current track record at the Carolina Speedway; Toccoa Speedway in Toccoa, Georgia; Dublin Motor Speedway in Dublin, North Carolina; and the County Line Raceway in Elm City, North Carolina.

According to Ferguson, there are 20 to 25 feature races left in this season in Illinois, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The weekend of July 9-10, Ferguson and his team will make a three race swing through North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

"We will be racing in the Lucas Oil Late Model Series," he said. "There are three different races in three different states with the winner getting $10,000 for each race."

He chooses the races in which he will compete based on the size of the purse.

Chris Ferguson celebrates victory at the 2016 Ultimate Late Model Series Championship at the Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Virginia.

"There are a lot of national races that have large purses," said Ferguson. "One pays $48,000 to the winner and is scheduled for September. There's another that pays $100,000 to the winner in Ohio in October and on and on. I'm drawn to races like that. A national race can pay $50,000 to $100,000 to the winner."

In the coming months he will compete in:

• The Prairie Dirt Classic in Fairbury, Illinois for a purse of $26,000 in July.
• The North-South 100 at the Lawrence Speedway in Lawrence, Kentucky in August for a purse of $50,000
• The World 100 at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio in September.
• The Dirt Track World Championships at Fort Smith Raceway Park in Fort Smith, Arkansas for a purse of $100,000 in October.
• The USA 100 at the Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Virginia for a purse of $20,000.
• The World Finals in Charlotte, North Carolina for a purse of $100,000 in November.

Chris Ferguson holds the checker flag as he enjoys his victory at the 2016 Ultimate Super Model Series Championship at the Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Virginia.

"The World Finals is the season finale for the World Outlaw Late Models, World Outlaw Sprint Cars and big block modifieds ," explained Ferguson. "It's a big event that takes the weekend during which two races will be run. It concludes the season and it's a local race for me."

K&N Engineering has been sponsoring Ferguson since 2010.

"The relationship has been phenomenal. I've been very fortunate to work with Bob Harris initially and then during the last four years with Ryan Feldman. They have great products. Before they sponsored me I was running with K&N products for at least 10 years from my go-kart days through the Late Models. It was a product we already believed in. It's been great because of the following they have. Being supported by a brand that has been supporting racing for as long as it has is great for my team. I have been using K&N air filters and oil filters and their pre-filter since I have been racing go-karts. I've been using K&N products down to the air filter cleaners, the degreaser, and the air filter oil. Clements Racing Engines is also a sponsor and my engine builder. They've been in business for 35 years and is one of the top engine builders for dirt super late models. Before they knew I was using K&N products, they recommended them to me," he said.

Other companies sponsoring Ferguson include:

Langley Collision Center
Champion Spark Plugs
Carver & Sons Roofing
Victory Circle Auto Sales
Penske Racing Shocks
Keith's Handyman Services
Hoosier Racing Tire
Harkey Racing
Hickman Fabricating
Fluidyne High Performance Radiators
Frankland Racing
Bell Helmets
Draco Racing
Brinn
Weld Racing
Outerwears Performance Products
Wear3Wide.com
GW Performance
Maxima
Big A's Custom Graphics
Quality Fasteners
FK Rod Ends
Indocil Art
PFC Brakes
Butler Built
Keyser
Fragolia Performance Systems
Hi-Bridge Automotive
VP Racing
Hooker Harness
CV Products
Stock Car Steel & Aluminum, Inc.
SRI
Clements Racing Engines
Kelcar
ASi Racewear
Wheels Love
Sparco
Schoenfeld Headers
Dirt Trackin'
RPM Truck & Trailers
MSR Mafia