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Each year, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) conducts a survey of its fan to determine who their favorite drivers are in each of seven different categories: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Mod, Top Alcohol, and Sportsman, along with Favorite Track and Favorite Class.

Erica Enders won the K&N Horsepower Challenge in 2015. But that wasn’t all she won that year. Erica and her Elite Motorsports Camaro took the Pro Stock win in 2015 as well.

When it comes to favorite class, it’s tough to compete with the nitro-burning, flame-belching Top Fuel and Funny Car racers, but Pro Stock came in third. Pro Stock cars, it should be said, are some of the most technologically sophisticated vehicles in drag racing. Built around a tube chassis and skinned with production-appearing bodywork, Pro Stock cars can’t weigh less than 2,350 pounds. Pro Stock engines now use electronic fuel injection powered by a standardized gasoline and are restricted to a maximum displacement of 500 cubic inches. These massive V8s can produce in excess of 1,300 horsepower, which can propel a Pro Stocker to run in the 6.4s at more than 215 mph.

Pro Stock is also one of the only classes that utilize K&N air intake products. While the K&N PS-3001 oil filter is a favorite among teams in many classes, as are K&N fuel filters, Top Fuel, Funny Car and other classes don’t utilize any type of air filter or cold air intake. Every Pro Stock racer, however, is fitted with a K&N 100-8522 carbon fiber intake.

In an effort to make Pro Stock more relevant, the NHRA has ditched the carbs that have been the only induction system legal since 1974, and replaced it with electronic fuel injection for 2016. K&N was key in the development of the new system, using all its technical know-how to develop a slippery intake that draws air from the lower grille opening (no more giant air scoops) and feeds it to the Holley throttle body atop the engine.

So who are the three Pro Stock favorites among the fans? Counting down:

This winner of the 2015 K&N Horsepower Challenge also made the list of the most popular Pro Stock drivers according to the fans. Greg Anderson is no stranger to winning the K&N Horsepower Challenge either, that was his fifth all-time win of the bonus event.

3. Greg Anderson – the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2010 Pro Stock champion finished second in the points standings last year, finishing the season with four wins and five number one qualifying positions. In 2015, he also established both a career-best elapsed time and a career-best speed. In 2014, Anderson missed the first five races due to heart surgery, but came back for three runner-up finishes.

2. Allen Johnson – Pro Stock Champion in 2012, Johnson racked up two wins and three runner-up finishes in 2015, including the final win of the carbureted era of Pro Stock at the Pomona season finale. He also set a personal-best elapsed time and track Pro Stock record of 6.877 seconds and speed of 200.74 mph in Denver. In 2014, he captured four victories and secured two runner-up finishes.

1. Erica Enders – the first woman to win an NHRA Pro Stock race in 2012. Enders won the Pro Stock Championship in 2014 and 2015 with six and nine victories in each season, respectively. Her 2015 results were the most wins for any female driver in a single season in NHRA history. In addition, her wins in 2015 placed Enders second on the all-time wins list of professional female NHRA competitors.

Along with sponsoring several NHRA events and drivers, K&N is the spec’d manufacturer for the intake system for all Pro Stock cars.

K&N also supports Pro Stock drivers and fans each year with a special shoot-out called the K&N Horsepower Challenge. For drivers the event pays out big bucks to the winner, and a sweepstakes for fans to the attend the event where one winner takes home a grand prize (in 2016 it was a Toyota Tacoma loaded with TRD gear). The K&N Horsepower Challenge has ended for 2016, so join K&N on Facebook for information on next year’s sweepstakes in early 2017.

K&N also scored big in the Sportsman ranks, taking first and second among fans with two legends of NHRA drag racing. Not surprisingly, Dan Fletcher, one of the most successful drag racers ever, took the top spot. Keep an eye on Dan as we move into the Fall as he seeks his 100th NHRA win. Second in Sportsman is David Rampy, another long-time veteran of the Sportsman ranks, running in Competition Eliminator, who has over 90 wins to his credit. David had the honor of being named one of the Top 50 NHRA racers at their 50th anniversary celebration.

Finally, the aptly named “The Strip” at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was selected by fans as one of their favs, a track supported by K&N and home to the K&N Horsepower Challenge for the past few years.

As the official filter and air intake of NHRA, everyone at K&N congratulates all the drivers and tracks voted as favorites by the fans.

Todd Gilliland won the pole for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Douglas County Speedway. It was his sixth pole position of the season and his fourth in a row.

Ryan Partridge won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Douglas County Speedway in Oregon after the race leaders collided.

Partridge took the lead on lap 115 when Todd Gilliland and Chris Eggleston, the top two drivers in the race, crashed. Partridge drove around the wreck and led the remaining 36 laps of the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 to win his second race of the season. He also won the K&N Pro Series West race at Tucson Speedway in Arizona in March.

“Watching the 16 (Gilliland) and 50 (Eggleston) during the race, I kind of immediately went into conserve mode, just try to settle into a good position, not drive too hard, keep the rear tires on it,” Partridge said. “But I could still see the 16 and the 50 were better through the center than us. They were just cutting through the center better and able to get to the gas better than us. We had tons of drive off, but just couldn’t cut the center.”

The Sunrise Ford Racing ream celebrates winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Douglas County Speedway in Oregon. It was their second win of the season.

Gilliland won the pole and led the first 114 laps of the race. Partridge started on the front row with Gilliland, but Eggleston took over the second place position early in the race. Gilliland and Eggleston raced close over the first 100 laps of the race. But they made contact on lap 114, giving Partridge the opportunity to take over the lead.

“When they wrecked, none of that matters anymore,” Partridge said. “Now we’re out front and all we got to do is keep the cars behind us. Just kept the focus out front, digging, hitting our marks, it was a white-knuckle ride for the last 20 laps but we made it.”

Partridge admitted after the race that luck played more into his winning the race than skill.

Todd Gilliland leads the field in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Douglas County Speedway in Oregon. Gilliland won the pole and led the first 114 laps of the race.

“I’d rather have luck than talent any day of the week,” Partridge said. “We had a strong car from unloading on Friday night testing. I think we lost our balance throughout race day. I think the track rubbered up. Those factors, I think, snugged up the race car, snugged up the track condition. Our balance kind of fell to the tight side.”

Todd Gilliland (16) collides with Chris Eggleston in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Douglas County Speedway, in Oregon.

Gilliland won his sixth pole in 10 K&N Pro Series West races this season. He was also going for his fourth in a row. He ended up in sixth place.

“I thought we had a really strong car in qualifying. It was good for pole,” Partridge said. “Todd showed me again that it wasn’t. His car was turning just a little bit better than ours. I was really hungry for it too.”

Gracin Raz benefited from Gilliland and Eggleston crashing. He passed both cars and chased Partridge across the finish line in second place. It was his seventh top-five finish in 10 K&N Pro Series races this year.

After winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Douglas County Speedway, Ryan Partridge is five points behind leader Todd Gilliland in the K&N Pro Series West standings.

“It was definitely a hard-fought night,” Raz said, adding his crew deserved most of the credit for his second-place effort. “In the heat, they beared down in the heat, gave me the best car they could. They really struggled in Friday’s practice, but we tried to give it the best we could today. Don’t know if we had the winning car. Things were definitely going to have to play our way.”

Riley Herbst crossed the finish in third place. It was the second race in a row he finished in third and on the podium.

Ryan Partridge (9) takes the lead in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Douglas County Speedway in Oregon. He led the final 36 laps of the race.

“Back to back weeks at third place, it’s really good for our NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry,” Herbst said. “It’s really tough once you start on the outside. Never got a break, always started on the outside. Had to fight all the way down to the bottom and try to move forward.”

Herbst said he felt like he had a winning car. His track position on restarts cost him a chance to make a pass for the lead, he said.

“I feel like this one honestly slipped away from us,” Herbst said. “I felt like we were a little bit better than the 9 (Partridge) and the 27 (Raz). We just needed a caution to get by them.”

Partridge cut in to Gilliland’s lead in the K&N Pro Series West standings. He trails Gilliland by five points with four races remaining.

“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” Partridge said. “I think it’s just in time. We can close that point gap and get back down to contending for a championship.”

The next K&N Pro Series West race is at the Utah Motorsports Campus on September 10.

Fall can be a gloomy time for motorcyclists. Not only does autumn usher in the end of the riding season in many parts of the country; it also spells the end of a number of motorcycle racing series. There is a bright side to this time of year my friends…EnduroCross! If the series opener on August 27 in Duluth, Georgia is any indication, the racing is going to be epic.

Taddy Blazusiak scores the holeshot in front of the K&N banner

As a major sponsor of the series, the iconic red and orange K&N banners draped around Infinite Energy Arena served as a vibrant backdrop to the racing action. After a one year hiatus from the series, Taddy Blazusiak made his return to the EnduroCross starting grid in style. Out of the gate, Blazusiak captured the $500 Nexen Tire Holeshot Award on his Red Bull KTM. If there were any doubts that Blazusiak would again be a contender in the series, that holeshot put those thoughts to rest.

Lead changes are frequent in the sport of EnduroCross and Blazusiak relinquished the lead to a very fast Colton Haaker on the second lap. Then, with a mistake in the treacherous rock section, Blazusiak gave up two more spots, dropping to fourth. However, he showed why he is a five-time EnduroCross series champion with a late charge and pass to finish on the podium.

The top two spots on the rostrum were claimed by the two elite performers from 2015. Not satisfied to rest on last season’s accomplishments, defending series champion Cody Webb finished in the second position. The man who battled Webb throughout the 2015 championship series, Colton Haaker, won the season opener in a fast and consistent main event ride. The friendly but fierce rivalry between these two has been reignited for 2016.

Blazusiak’s return to the EnduroCross grid is big news for the series

Webb, Blazusiak, and Haaker will likely battle elbow-to-elbow and wheel-to-wheel in every round of the EnduroCross series, which will resume on September 3, in Brandon, South Dakota’s Badlands Motor Speedway. The trio brings very different styles and backgrounds to the series which only adds to the drama and excitement. However, the talent pool in EnduroCross is much deeper than just the top three riders. There are a dozen contenders in the field that can win on any given weekend.

For those unfamiliar with the sport, EnduroCross is an exciting mix of enduro, motocross, and trials racing. The course is a challenging combination of boulders, logs, water, and dirt. Staged in arenas, the racing atmosphere is intimate, fan-friendly, and worthy of a look for any motorcycle race enthusiast.

Remember, whether your motorcycle has knobbies, road tires, or racing slicks, K&N likely has a filter for it. Check out K&N’s online catalog search feature for your high-performance motorcycle filtration needs.

Remaining rounds of the 2016 EnduroCross season:

September 3, 2016 – Brandon, South Dakota – Badlands Motor Speedway
September 10, 2016 – Salt Lake City, Utah – Vivint Smart Home Arena
September 24, 2016 – Scottsdale, Arizona – WestWorld – Intl Off-Road & UTV Expo
October 1, 2016 – Denver, Colorado – National Western Events Center
October 22, 2016 – Everett, Washington – XFINITY Arena
November 5, 2016 – Nampa, Idaho – Ford Idaho Center
November 18-19, 2016 – Ontario, California – Citizens Business Bank Arena

Elias has reason to smile with a legitimate chance at a Superbike title

There may be no other company with a name more inseparably linked to championship motorcycle racing than Yoshimura. Since 1954, when Hideo "Pops" Yoshimura started the company in Japan, the family business has been tuning and squeezing every bit of power out of motorcycle engines. Yoshimura produces arguably the most legendary and recognizable high-performance exhaust systems in the world.

Since the inception of the AMA Superbike class in 1979, Yoshimura has been a major player on the circuit. In fact, Yoshimura is the most decorated team in the history of the series with 13 championships. It is no surprise that Yoshimura Suzuki riders and bikes are again poised near the top of the standings in the 2016 MotoAmerica AMA Superbike season.

With one stop left in the 2016 championship season, the Yoshi team has two riders in serious championship contention. Toni Elias is sitting in third position in America’s premier road racing class. Elias is only a scant 6 points out of second place and 25 points out of first. Elias is a seasoned racer having won a championship at the MotoGP Moto 2 level. Just behind Elias is teammate Roger Hayden who is also within striking distance of a season top three finish. Hayden is in his third year with the Yoshi team. Throughout the 2016 season, Elias and Hayden have been ultra competitive with repeated podium finishes. The combination of immensely talented riders and the rock-solid backing of the progressive Yoshimura racing empire is a clear recipe for Superbike success.

Elias dragging a knee and showing off his K&N decal

Not surprisingly, K&N Engineering is a long-time sponsor of the Yoshimura Superbike team. For a company like Yoshimura, that is known for high performance exhaust systems, to be partnered with the undisputed leader in intake filtration technology is a no-brainer. The race-hot exhaust exiting those Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 headers, pipes, and mufflers enters as clean, cool air through K&N filters. A free-flowing exhaust requires a free-flowing intake. Yes, K&N and Yoshimura is a match made in racing heaven.

K&N performance is not just available to Toni Elias and Roger Hayden. We mere mortals can bolt on high-performance K&N filter technology to our bikes as well. Any late-model Suzuki GSX-R1000 can benefit from the proven filtration and increased air-flow of a SU-1009 air filter. A closed-course GSX-R can breathe through the race-specific SU-1009R. To keep that hot oil clean, try the screw-on KN-138 oil filter or the chrome-plated KN-138C. Remember that K&N oil filters not only feature excellent internal filtration technology, but also the convenient 17mm end nut for easy installation and removal. Take a look at K&N’s easy-to-navigate online catalog to find parts for your particular motorcycle application.

Hayden heating up the pavement on his GSX-R1000

As far as Yoshimura Suzuki’s bid for the MotoAmerica AMA Superbike crown, the final round at New Jersey Motorsports Park on September 9-11 will tell the tale. Roger Hayden and Toni Elias will push their GSX-Rs to the limit on the 2.25-mile track which features 12 corners and a half-mile straightaway. The racers should be familiar with the layout since this is the second visit to NJMP on the Superbike schedule. In addition to the Superbike races, the weekend will feature Superstock and Supersport racing.

For you gear-heads and race fans, here are the specs on the Yoshimura Suzuki race bikes:

Bike - 2016 Suzuki GSX-R1000
Engine - Yoshimura-tuned 998.6cc, 4-stroke, 4 cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve
Transmission - 6-Speed
Exhaust - Yoshimura Special Tapered Alpha Titanium 4-1 Full System

Hayden and Elias share the podium and some champagne at Road Atlanta

The UNKNOWN team leaving their mark on the pavement

UNKNOWN Industries? With millions of YouTube views and hundreds of closed-course stunt demonstrations, one has to question the accuracy of the company’s moniker. While the name is certainly an understatement, there is nothing understated about a performance by the Harley-Davidson® freestyle stunt team. UNKNOWN has become world-renowned for its riders’ highly technical and highly entertaining ripping and thrashing of their behemoth Harleys.

Co-owner and Team Manager John Oakes is quick to sing the praises of the riders that fuel the UNKNOWN brand. Oakes calls them, “A new breed of Harley riders who push the limits of their motorcycles and themselves.” Certainly, a motorcycle performance and stunt company is only as good as its riders and UNKNOWN has some of the best. Before they had ever met, co-founders Nick Leonetti and Buddy Suttle knew of each other through their respective racing and dirt riding reputations. When they finally came face-to-face, creative sparks flew (literally) and the rest is history. The duo’s reputation has grown in like proportion to the creativity of their stunts. Suttle has been featured on the cover of Baggers Magazine and Leonetti has graced the cover of Hot Bike Magazine. It’s hard to stay “unknown” with that kind of high-profile recognition.

Nick Leonetti showing the clean underside of his Harley

Rounding out the talented lineup are three stunting phenomes who all cut their teeth in motocross and/or BMX. Kade Gates, who became a fan of UNKNOWN watching YouTube videos, now rides his Harley FXR alongside the founders. Jeff Palkiewicz traces burned rubber designs on the asphalt on his Dyna FXDXT aptly named “Kentucky Disco Biscuit.” Then there is Logan Lackey who is the talented son of famed motocross champion, Brad Lackey. Logan says, “I knew I wanted to be part of the UNKNOWN family from the first time we rode together.” All of the young guns of the UNKNOWN team share an all-consuming passion for taking their Harleys to the teetering edge of what is possible on bikes weighing in at nearly double that of modern sportbikes.

The company’s notoriety started with amazing live performances and those shows are still UNKNOWN’s foundation. The riders amaze fans at events ranging from NASCAR, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Supercross, UFC, H-D® dealerships, X-Games, military bases, massive music festivals, the Hot Bike Tour, and various other events across the US. Anywhere adrenaline junkies gather there’s a good chance UNKNOWN Industries will be there as well. Audiences witness wheelies, burnouts, and metal-grinding stunts that are combined into an over-the-top, visceral rumble-fest.

Buddy Suttle modifying his rear fender the hard way

That live performance success has been parlayed by the team into Internet and media superstardom. The first 13 episodes of their Harley Wheelies YouTube series have garnered over 5 million views. The newly released YouTube miniseries titled The UNKNOWN Ride will certainly follow suit. The media frenzy doesn’t stop there. UNKNOWN riders have been featured in TV shows, music videos, TV commercials, and magazines. If that’s not enough, you can find UNKNOWN's second feature length movie, Into the UNKNOWN, on both DVD and iTunes.

Kade Gates heating rubber at an UNKNOWN show

Keeping UNKNOWN’s stable of Harleys protected and running strong is where K&N comes in. K&N’s sponsorship of the company goes beyond financial support. Oakes says, “All of the team riders run K&N air filters.” Interestingly, 3 of the 5 riders pilot early 90s FXRs. Those of you out there with the same bike have a multitude of K&N intake and filtration options. The filter that fits the stock 1992 FXR, as well as most other 90s Harleys, is the HD-1390. For a custom intake assembly, you can opt for something like the round RK-3911 or the teardrop RK-3912, both of which feature chrome covers. Of course all K&N intake options are designed for increased horsepower and highly effective filtration. There are high-quality K&N oil filter options for the bikes as well, such as the chrome KN-170C and the very cool, billet aluminum SS-171. If you ride just about any Harley, K&N has great filtration options for you.

In the end, I guess the only real “unknown” is what UNKNOWN Industries will dive into next in their quest for total world domination in the moto-entertainment industry. One thing is certain, take a look at one of their videos or attend a performance and you will never look at a Harley the same way again.