Massive tire shake for Allen Johnson meant his race was over almost immediately, while Vincent Nobile made a straight, clean run to advance to the semis
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The 2015 NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge was officially underway following an on-track ceremony presenting the Horsepower Challenge drivers and sweepstakes finalists to the audience
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The K&N NHRA Horsepower Challenge is a special three-round NHRA Pro-Stock drag racing shootout held during the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. Professional NHRA Pro-Stock drivers accumulate points based on final qualifying positions at 24 NHRA national events leading up to the K&N NHRA Horsepower Challenge. Seven drivers who accumulate the most points during the 24-race series qualify for the challenge along with one driver who is selected by a special fan vote on the NHRA website. The professional NHRA Pro-Stock driver who wins the K&N NHRA Horsepower Challenge takes home $50,000.
Qualifying order starting from first for the 2015 NHRA Horsepower Challenge was as follows: Shane Gray, Jason Line, Erica Enders-Stevens, Allen Johnson, Vincent Nobile, Chris McGaha, and Jonathan Gray. Professional NHRA Pro-Stock driver V. Gaines was selected by fan vote to fill the 8th spot in the 2015 NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge. Gaines promised to donate the $50,000 purse to the Wounded Warriors Project if he won. For the last six years K&N air filters has run a sweepstakes in which eight finalists are chosen at random and awarded a Prize Trip Package to include travel expenses and hotel accommodations for two in Las Vegas, Nevada. Finalists are randomly paired with one of the eight K&N NHRA Horsepower Challenge professional NHRA Pro-Stock drivers. A grand prize winner is determined based upon the finalist who is paired with the driver who finishes first in the K&N NHRA Horsepower Challenge.
Chris McGaha's car made a hard right turn on the launch forcing him to let off the gas while Erica Enders-Stevens had a nice run, matching Vincent Nobile's ET but with a better speed
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Jonathan Gray had a better elapsed time; however it was Jason Line’s better reaction time which earned him the win
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The 2015 NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge was officially underway following an on-track ceremony presenting the NHRA Horsepower Challenge drivers and sweepstakes finalists to the audience watching from the stands. The winning driver and new owner of the TRD parts equipped Toyota Tacoma would be decided in a few hours following three rounds of racing. The first round of eliminations saw Shane Gray lined up against V. Gaines, Allen Johnson taking on Vincent Nobile, Jason Line Vs. Jonathan Gray, and last, but not least, Erica Enders-Stevens battling Chris McGaha.
Vincent Nobile and Erica Enders-Stevens both had easy wins as both Allen Johnson and Chris McGaha had to let off the throttle during their runs and coast across the finish line. Jason Line and Jonathan Gray had a very close match. Gray had a better elapsed time (E.T); however it was Line’s better reaction time which earned him the win. Shane Gray narrowly defeated V.Gaines with his run of 6.676 seconds at 207.91 MPH vs. Gaines’ 6.688 at 207.98. Shane Gray was set to go up against Vincent Nobile and Jason Line would take on Erica Enders-Stevens in the semi-finals.
Shane Gray narrowly defeated V.Gaines with his run of 6.676 seconds at 207.91 MPH vs. Gaines’ 6.688 at 207.98
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Erica Enders-Stevens’ 0.017 and 6.652 E.T. was good enough to beat Jason Line’s .033 R.T and 6.648 E.T. in the 2015 NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge semi-finals
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There was a lull of approximately three hours between the NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge first round of eliminations and the semi-finals. Cooler temperatures made for quicker runs down the ¼ mile drag strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Once again a round was decided by reaction times. Erica Enders-Stevens’ 0.017 and 6.652 E.T. was good enough to beat Jason Line’s .033 R.T and 6.648 E.T. Shane Gray was all over the first half of the lane, Nobile was loose after that. But Gray had to throw in the towel and Nobile got a chance at a second NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge win.
The final round of the 2015 NHRA Horsepower Challenge was held less than an hour after the semi-finals. Enders-Stevens barely made it to the starting line on time. The car’s between-rounds maintenance took longer than expected. With live TV covering this special event, there was no "wiggle room" available, however the team came through under pressure. It was a close race with Enders-Stevens leaving first with a 0.040 RT. Enders-Stevens never swayed and crossed the finish line before Shane Gray with the quickest E.T, 6.650 seconds, and second fastest speed of the 2015 NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge. Gray crossed the finish line in 6.694 seconds at 207.62 MPH.
Shane Gray was all over the track forcing him to throw in the towel and Vincent Nobile advanced to the finals with a chance at a second NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge win
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The final round was close with Enders-Stevens leaving first and getting the quickest E.T, 6.650 seconds, and second fastest speed of the 2015 NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge
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Enders-Stevens had a well-rounded weekend, doubling up on victories by winning the SummitRacing.com Nationals on Sunday and the 2015 NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge. She is the first driver to sweep both events in consecutive seasons since Bob Glidden accomplished the feat in 1987 and 1988. She pocketed $50,000 for winning the specialty event and an extra $25,000 for doubling up. Caitlin Clement, Series and Track Support Manager for K&N Engineering, was pleased with the event and outcome as well. “K&N would like to commend all eight drivers for putting on a great show and congratulate Erica Enders-Stevens on her second consecutive win. All in all, the 2015 K&N Horsepower Challenge was a phenomenal event, and we are already working to make next year’s edition even better,” said Clement.
K&N Engineering, Inc. is the world's leader in reusable air filters. K&N High flow reusable air filters, High performance air intake systems and premium oil filters are available at most retailers and directly from K&N. K&N is heavily involved in nearly every form of motorsports such as off-road and powersports, drag racing, stock cars and road racing. For more information about K&N Filters, please visit www.knfilters.com.
Erica Enders-Stevens won the $50,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge for the second consecutive year during the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
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Enders-Stevens had a well-rounded weekend, doubling up on victories by winning the SummitRacing.com Nationals on Sunday and the 2015 NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge
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