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Courtney has modeled for the K&N calendar twice, including this one featuring a pair of Mustangs

Courtney Day has been a model and spokeswoman for some top brands in the automotive industry including Modified Magazine, Falken, Super Street magazine, and of course K&N. You may remember Courtney from the K&N calendar. This year, however, K&N invited Courtney to Las Vegas for the 2017 SEMA show and a camera followed her around to see what kind of trouble she could get into.

We talked to Courtney a little about her modeling career, her past experience with SEMA, and what we can expect from her in 2018.

K&N: Hey Courtney, so tell us a little about some of the companies you have modelled for in the past.

Courtney: I have worked with a lot of companies over the years including K&N, Falken Tires, Vaughn Gittin Jr Motorsports, Mustang RTR, BOSCH, EA Games/Need for Speed, and Driving Line Magazine

K&N: What is your experience with K&N?

Courtney was also featured along with Olivia Korte and a pair of good looking C10s

K&N: How many years have you attended the SEMA show?

CD: Umm... this is my 16th year at SEMA (shhhh). It's crazy to think how much the show has grown over the years, from being confined within the walls of the Las Vegas Convention Center to now overflowing into the parking lots and all open spaces of the convention center and adjoining properties. The bar is raised each year and the builds and experiences continue to blow my mind.

K&N: What was it like hosting your own “show” for K&N this year?

CD: It was a ton of fun! Working directly with the K&N team is always a good time. Interviewing car owners and motorsport personalities alike, and hearing how integral K&N products are to making their cars perform better, in all driving scenarios (daily driving, off road, drifting, on track) just reinforced my love for the brand. Plus, riding along with Vaughn Gittin Jr in his Mustang RTR and Ultimate Fun-Haver F-150 was pretty ridiculous!

K&N: What advice do you have for someone attending the show for the first time?

CD: Plan ahead - have a list of companies you want to visit, cars you want to see, and know what halls they are in. That way you maximize your time and don't feel like you're backtracking. It's a huge show and takes days to see the whole thing. And of course, wear comfortable shoes, your feet will thank you.

Keep up with Courtney Day and all that she has going on by on Instagram @miss_courtney_day

CD: Chris Forsberg's Datsun 510 wagon dubbed WagonFors. I love the fact that he combined modern build engineering, tons of custom work, with a unique vintage chassis. It's also sweet that his wife Michelle collaborated on the build and will be using it to get groceries!

K&N: What do you have planned for 2018 and beyond?

CD: I'm looking forward to next year being on the road with Falken Tire again. You can find me at Formula Drift and other events across the country. Follow me on Instagram @miss_courtney_day to see what I'm up to and where I'll head next. And who knows what car builds and projects my future holds, my 240SX has been feeling neglected in the garage...stay tuned.

With over 60 years of continuous production, you would imagine a fair number of Corvettes from various eras would end up on display at the 2017 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Here are some of our favorite Vettes, ranging from one that would be eligible for Social Security soon to another that wouldn't be old enough to drive.

Another Roadster Shop creation powered by a 640 HP Chevrolet Performance LT4 Small Block

Not always noticable at first, but the Split Ray is over 6" wider than what came from the factory

This gorgeous blue over black Roadster Shop mid year was on many attendees' best of show lists

Here are a few more Corvettes that caught our eyes in our meanderings around the grounds of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

How about a tasty '62 Roadster with an upgraded LS powerplant

Big power under the hood and no paint chips on the nose. What more could you ask for?

Bill McAnally Racing driver Derek Kraus won the K&N Pro Series West 2017 Rookie of the Year.

He won the K&N Pro Series West season finale at Kern County Raceway Park in California. It was the first win of his K&N Pro Series West career and it helped him lock up the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.

Kraus took the lead from Dillon Bassett on lap 106 of the West Coast Hall of Fame Championship 150 presented by NAPA Auto Parts and led to the checkered flag.

With Eric Holmes, a former NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion, as his spotter, Kraus was able to maneuver his way to the front of the field. Holmes told Kraus repeatedly to save his tires throughout the race. I paid off during the last 50 laps of the race.

“I think my car had better long-run speed and that’s what really helped us to win the race at the end of the night,” Kraus said.

Kraus posted three runner-up finishes in his rookie season before breaking through in the season finale. The car in the Kern County race was the one his team used in the first four races of the season. It posted some good finishes but didn’t notch its first win until the final race.

"It had a bunch of great finishes in the first four races,” Kraus said. “It didn’t finish out of the top four. It was fun.”

Kraus had nine top-five finishes in his rookie campaign, a number matched by fellow K&N Pro Series West rookie Will Rodgers. Kraus won the rookie of the year award by seven points over Rodgers.

“It means a lot. It was a really tight battle between me and Will the whole season,” Kraus said. “They kept us on our toes the whole time. There was no time for breaks or relaxing. He was within five points the whole year, I’m pretty sure. That’s what made it fun the whole year.”

Kraus said he gained a ton of experience in his rookie season in the K&N Pro Series West. One of the biggest benefits was traveling to different race tracks, especially Sonoma Raceway in California, the only road course on the schedule.

“The hardest was getting adjusted to the new tracks,” Kraus said. “Every track we went to was brand new for me. That’s what I like about it too. The hardest part was getting adjusted to every new track that we went to. It was really fun learning all these different tracks, Kern County, they got a really nice place out there in Bakersfield. Tucson, Arizona, I really liked their track how you can spread out a bunch. Iowa I really enjoyed and Sonoma as well.

Kraus finished second at Sonoma, behind NASCAR Monster Cup Energy Series driver and champion Kevin Harvick.

“We were really good at Sonoma,” Kraus said. “That was my first time ever on a road course. That was probably the most fun I’ve had. It was a fun year for sure.”

Kraus said when he tested with Bill McAnally Racing before the season started, he knew he would have good cars. The testing gave Kraus a ton of confidence heading into his rookie season.

“We knew that it was going to be a really good piece that we were in,” Kraus said. “I knew we had to take advantage of it. Every race we went to we were really good. That helps a lot. They are a really good team. Everyone works together really well and a lot of teamwork.”

Derek Kraus' win at Kern County secured his spot as the 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year

“With Todd and Chris being my teammates, that’s really good,” Kraus said. “They can help me with anything on the track and off the track. It was a really great year having them beside me the whole year.”

Having K&N as a sponsor and supporter of the series gave Kraus opportunities he wouldn’t have otherwise.

“They put on two great series, the East and the West,” Kraus said. “It helps younger drivers like me perform and show what we can do at the shorter tracks. It’s where we grew up racing. It gives us younger drivers an opportunity and that’s what I really like about it. We can showcase our talent.”

Toni Elias won 10 races on his way to the 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike title

Toni Elias

In just his second season in MotoAmerica Superbike, Toni Elias dominated the series like few others have. Elias racked up a staggering 10 wins on his way to the 2017 Superbike title. He now has 16 Superbike wins overall, which places him in a tie with racing legend Wayne Rainey for eighth overall in career wins in MotoAmerica/AMA Superbike history.

“This year was a dream season for me,” said Elias. “I again want to thank...everyone on the Yoshimura team who helped make it possible.”

Roger Hayden secured the most Superpoles of all riders over the 2017 MotoAmerica season

Roger Hayden

Showing amazing resilience and the heart of a champion, Roger Hayden fought through family tragedy to earn three wins over the course of the 2017 season. Those wins, combined with double-digit podium finishes secured second place in the series for Hayden.

Hayden, who now has seven career MotoAmerica/AMA Superbike victories, also claimed a series-leading seven Superpoles in 2017. In the last leg of the MotoAmerica season at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, Hayden added both a win and another Superpole.

“I really like racing at Barber and my crew gave me a great motorcycle,” Hayden said. “It felt good to come out and win a race like that, leading every lap. It was a great way to close out the year and makes me really look forward to next season.”

The new GSX-R1000 gets more horsepower from K&N filtration

To call the debut season of the all-new Suzuki GSX-R1000 a success would be a profound understatement. The 2017 Gixxer was clearly the class of the field from start to finish in the MotoAmerica Superbike season.

The fact that they were given such a fast bike on which to shine is not lost on either Elias or Hayden. “I want to thank Suzuki for giving us such a great weapon in the GSX-R1000,” said Elias.

If, like Elias and Hayden, you ride the newest version of the GSX-R1000, K&N has some great products for your Suzuki. K&N has developed the SU-1017 direct replacement air filter for street use and the race-specific K&N SU-1017R for the closed-course.

Elias (right) and Hayden made a habit of sharing the podium in 2017

Elias 2017 Season Rank: 1

Hayden 2017 Season Rank: 2

Elias Season Wins: 10

Hayden Season Wins: 3

Elias Total Laps Led: 115

Hayden Total Laps Led: 125

Hayden Season Superpoles: 7

With over five decades of Mustang production, you’d imagine that the booths inside the Las Vegas Convention Center during the 2017 SEMA show, as well as the display areas around it, would be chock full of Ford’s groundbreaking pony car. And you’d be right. Every generation of Mustang was on display in one form or another. Some more than others, as you might expect.

Here are a few of our favorites:

2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302

Hard to believe this hard-charging 2013 Mustang track day car is also a daily driver

1970 Boss 351 Convertible

Your eyes are not decieving you. A clever construction of what could have been.

1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Reproduction

R3 has invested five years of research and development into reproduction Mustang bodies

1979 Ford Mustang Pace Car

For Fox Body fans, an excellent build for use by the Goodguys Shows event staff

Here are some shots of a few more Mustangs that caught our attention as we walked the SEMA Show.

Shelby American announced its 1000 HP model, available new or as a retrofit, starting Q1 2018

Know for its early model suspension upgrades, MMI has added S550 suspension products to its line

Stage 3 Performance introduced its new V2 wide body kit for S550 Mustangs