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The smile on Jared Mees’ face as he stood on the first place podium was proof positive that he was more than pleased with his win at this year’s X Games in Austin, Texas.

Motorcycle racer Jared Mees was on his way to winning the first ever Harley-Davidson Flat-Track race at the 2015 X Games, in Austin, Texas. But in the last lap, near the finish, Jared’s bike suffered mechanical problems and he had to watch as Bryan Smith crossed the finish line and claimed the gold medal.

Yes, the gold is real on the first place medal won by Jared Mees in the 2016 X Games.

Mees was less than 15 seconds from the finish and negotiating turn two of the last lap with a 2.34-second lead over Smith. Mees had led for 18 of the 20 laps. As he pushed the throttle to get the victory burst, his Harley-Davidson died. “It felt like I hit false neutral,” Mees explained later.

He originally thought that the chain of his bike broke. Instead a nut blew off his Flat Track XR750 Harley Davidson forcing the sprocket to disconnect from the hub. Although the chain and the sprocket remained on the bike, they were no longer connected to a power source.

To make matters worse for Mees, a rivalry had developed between him and Smith. Mees has won the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship over Smith two years in a row. The two live about 15 minutes apart in Michigan and there have been issues between the two as they competed for a series championship. To say the least, Mees was angry about the X Game result.

“Having mechanical problems in the last lap was a huge bummer,” he said. “So I focused on the 2016 X Games to redeem the loss.”

The 30-year-old has won four AMA Grand National Championships and has been racing motorcycles since he was 6 years old. That’s when his father, who also raced motorcycles, gave him his first bike – a Yamaha PW50.

Jared Mees waits in anticipation for the start of the Harley Davidson Flat Track Race at this year’s X Games.

He said that he didn’t prepare any differently for the redemption match up. “I just made sure that I didn’t repeat the mistake I made last year,” he said.

Mees explained that he does a lot of physical training to prepare for a race. In addition, he said that he rides a motocross style motorcycle at a motocross track near his home during the week.

“It’s kind of like cross training,” he said. “I don’t ride my Flat Track Harley during the week because the bike is very expensive to maintain.”

The day that would permit him to put last year’s disappointing loss behind him came on June 2 of this year. This time, there were no mechanical issues and Mees won a close race by only 0.369 of a second over Kenny Coolbeth Jr. and Brad Baker.

“It was a fun race. I got off to a decent start, then had to make some passes. Coolbeth was breathing down my neck during the last laps, but I kept it up and was able to get the win,” he said.

Jared Mees’ race team celebrate the victory at the 2016 X Games in Austin, Texas on June 2, 2016.

He admitted that the race was close, but he added that it was not the closest race in which he has competed.

Michael Kirkness, who would ultimately be the fifth place finisher, took the lead at the start and led the field of 12 racers into the first turn when Smith, who was favored to win the race, snagged the toe of his boot on the edge of the track. He fell to the ground taking Sammy Halbert with him.  Jake Johnson grabbed the lead and led for the first four laps before Baker jumped out front going into Turn 4 with Mees right behind him. When Baker ran wide on lap 8, Mees took advantage and grabbed the lead.

It wasn’t long before Coolbeth started to challenge Mees and that’s how it went for the last 10 laps of the 20-lap race.

“This race was something I really wanted to win. We won and got the redemption we were looking for,” Mees concluded.

By the way, as a result of his spill Smith finished 11th.

Although he’s not sure where the X Games will be held next year, Mees plans to compete.

After two races into the Formula Drift season, Matt Coffman and his Coffman Racing team, backed by K&N Filters, are in 25th place in the Pro standings.

Matt Coffman was excited about the first event on the Formula Drift schedule. It was on the Streets of Long Beach, one of his favorite circuits. He maneuvered his K&N Filters backed Nissan through the course during qualifying on the Friday before the race with tremendous confidence. It was raining and Coffman was in his element.

Matt Coffman lost in the first round in the Formula Drift season opener at the Streets of Long Beach, in California. He lost in the first round at the Formula Drift event at Road Atlanta, in Georgia.

“I feel like I’m the only professional out there when it rains,” Coffman said. But the online comments he read after qualifying were not flattering. They were extremely critical. Drivers were crashing and spinning out. Coffman was one of the few drivers who did not have any problems. He said the people making online comments were talking nonsense about Formula Drift. “I have been trying to tell people don’t drag me down with them,” he said, “I’m not like them.”

It has been a bit of a slow start for the Coffman Racing team. Coffman is 25th in the Formula Drift Pro standings after two events. Vaughn Gittin Jr. leads the pro standings with 155 points. After two races into the Formula Drift season, Coffman entered a rally race in Washington. It gave him a little diversion from the Formula Drift scene. Plus, it gave Coffman a chance to compete in the form of racing he really loves.

Coffman lost in the first round battle to Forrest Wang at the event on the Long Beach Grand Prix Street Course in California in April. Wang advanced to the quarterfinals and lost to Kenshiro Gushi. In addition to the rain and slippery track, Coffman said his emotions took over in his first-round battle against Wang.

“The first round was good for us because it rained substantially,” Coffman said. “All the other drivers were wrecking and they were changing tire pressures, they were jumping around on the suspension changes, all sorts of stuff. They were still crashing and still laying down terrible runs. We were going out there and absolutely killing every run consistently.”

When it came time to race, Coffman was already running on high gear. He couldn’t wait to get on the track. Because his emotions were running so high, he made some mistakes. Looking back, Coffman said he wished he dialed it down a bit before his first run.

“Something in my mind will tell me to go 1,000 percent more,” Coffman said. “It cost me to mess up on that round, unfortunately. That round, I can’t blame the car, I can’t blame anything except for myself on that one. That was me just pushing 10 times harder than I needed to.”

Coffman admits Wang took advantage of his mistakes. Wang didn’t overdrive the course and kept his car and his emotions under control.

In addition to racing in Formula Drift, Matt Coffman entered a rally race in Washington. He is headed to Orlando, Fla., next week for another Formula Drift event.

“Forrest was actually doing pretty decent,” Coffman said. “When I went against Forrest, he did a lot better than I thought he was going to. I didn’t take the line that I should have. It was my mistake.”

“Forrest was actually doing pretty decent,” Coffman said. “When I went against Forrest, he did a lot better than I thought he was going to. I didn’t take the line that I should have. It was my mistake.”

“He really did run away faster than I thought he was going to,” Coffman said about his first-round race against Stoneback. “If you talk to anybody, it was a very evenly matched run. He just had more distance on me than I had on him. But as far as mess ups, there weren’t mess ups on either side. It was a very even battle.”

The next Formula Drift event is in Orlando, Fla., at Orlando Speedworld from June 3-4. Coffman said he is looking forward to competing on a wide-open, fast track, like Orlando, as opposed to the tight, choking tracks at Road Atlanta and Long Beach.

“It is the only track where I legitimately have to modulate throttle toward the end of my second run otherwise I will run out of tire,” Coffman said. “I like really high-speed tracks.”

In addition to starting the Formula Drift season, Coffman and his team entered a rally race in Washington. He recently competed in the Olympus Regional Rally, a three-day event in the Pacific Northwest. Driving with Michael Kulawiak, the team finished in 18th place overall in their 2008 Subaru Impreza STI in the first of two North West Regional Rally races at the event. The team ran into trouble on the course on the second day and did not finish. Coffman and Kulawiak were entered in the Super Production class and was the runner-up in the division.

 “Whenever we kind of get a little bored of drifting, we are all like maybe we should probably go back to a rally race,” Coffman said. “Rally racing is almost like a confident knowledge that we win every single time.”

While Coffman said he doesn’t know when he will enter another rally race, he prefers it over Formula Drift for a number of reasons. If anything, it helps improve his devotion to auto racing and motorsports.

“In rally racing, I can just get out of the car and I can turn around and I am just in this gorgeous valley or forest,” Coffman said. “It really has become a spiritual thing for me, rally racing. It is something very special to me.”

The K&N Filters his team uses in his Formula Drift cars really make a difference on the track. Coffman said before he started using K&N air filters, his team had a hard time creating decent air flow through the cars.

“Our engines would be nothing if they couldn’t breathe,” Coffman said. “There was nothing we could find that wouldn’t suffocate the motor or take away from something at one point. They were the only company that offered us a box that made it perform perfectly.”

But Coffman said he notices a big difference using K&N filters in his rally cars. The K&N air filters have to be efficient in all types of environments, from high-altitude forests to swamps and valley riverbeds.

“With our rally car, we have to keep three-quarters of a ton of dirt out of the air box,” Coffman said. “The only thing standing between that and the motor is the K&N filter really.”

Kyle Benjamin won the pole for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Dominion Raceway, in Virginia.

Spencer Davis won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Dominion Raceway, in Virginia, by the narrowest of margins. Track officials needed to review a photo finish to determine the winner. Davis crossed the finish line 0.005 seconds ahead of Justin Haley.

Spencer Davis won the first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race of his career at Dominion Raceway.

For Davis, one of the drivers selected to the NASCAR Next program, it was the first win of his career. It came in his 10th career K&N Pro Series East start. He was the runner-up in the first two races of the 2016 K&N Pro Series East season.

“That long dramatic pause was about to push me over the edge,” Davis said. “When I heard my name over the intercom, everyone started screaming over the radio. And it was the best burnout I’ve ever done.”

Davis led the last 13 laps of the ComServe Wireless 150. He took the lead on a restart following a multicar crash on lap 138. Kyle Benjamin, the pole winner, was collected in the four-car crash and was knocked out of contention. Benjamin, who entered the race as the leader in the K&N Pro Series East standings and another driver selected for the NASCAR Next program, led the first 137 laps of the race. After the crash, he fell to last place and finished in 23rd place.

Davis and Haley battled for the lead over the last 12 laps of the race. Davis didn’t forfeit the lead, but the two drivers were neck-and-neck on the final lap around the .4-mile track. The two cars crossed the finish line simultaneously, but Davis edged Haley by a fraction of a second.

Spencer Davis, one of the drivers selected to the NASCAR Next program, led the last 13 laps and won the K&N Pro Series East race at Dominion Raceway, in Virginia.

“He shoved me off into the corner, just like I would do it if I were in that position,” Davis said. “Everyone is going for the win. That was old-style short track racing right there, beating and banging coming to the checkered. I don’t think you could have scripted something better.”

The end of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Dominion Raceway in Virginia was a photo finish between Spencer Davis and Justin Haley. Davis, in the No. 41 car, won the race by 0.005 seconds over Haley.

Noah Gragson was third, his first top-five finish in six K&N Pro Series East races. Kaz Grala was fourth, followed by Austin Theriault in fifth.

Haley moved into first place in the K&N Pro Series East standings. He has a 19-point lead over Benjamin after six races. Haley has five top-five finishes and one win in six races. Benjamin finished outside the top 10 for the first time this season.

Davis moved into third place in the K&N Pro Series East standings after winning his first race of the season. The 17-year-old rookie is 23 points behind Haley for the lead in the K&N Pro Series East standings.

The next K&N Pro Series East race is the Stafford 150 at Stafford Motor Speedway, in Connecticut, on June 17.

K&N 63-1131P air intake for the 2008-2011 Harley Davidson Twin Cam 96 V-Twin and 2009-2015 Harley Davidson Twin Cam 103 V-Twin

One of the most endearing features of a Harley Davidson^® motorcycle is that throbbing V-Twin engine. They've been making them since 1909, and the 2008-2011 Harley Davidson Twin Cam 96 V-Twin and 2009-2015 Harley Davidson Twin Cam 103 V-Twin, are two of the most advanced "potato guns" to date. You get dual camshafts, electronic fuel injection, and a host of other innovative features, all wrapped in a sturdy big-bore package. The low-down torque of the Harley^® the 96ci V-Twin and Harley 103ci V-Twin prove that there really is no replacement for displacement. But you can squeeze more horsepower and torque from your air-cooled monster, with the K&N 63-1131 AirCharger performance intake system.

Every Harley Davidson motorcycle turns its drive-wheel by combining gas and air inside its twin-cylinders. This power cocktail is then ignited by the spark plugs, and the resulting explosion sends the piston downward, turning the crankshaft, and eventually the back wheel. But in order for the gasoline to burn in that explosion, oxygen has to be present. That catalyst comes in through the paper air filter, located behind the cool looking chrome cover on the side of your big Harley engine. The problem is, the aesthetics of the bike limit the amount of air that can flow into the throttle body, which ultimately dictates how much power your Harley Twin-Cam engine can make. The K&N 63-1131 AirCharger performance air intake kit addresses this issue, by creating a more direct airflow path to the cylinders. And, it looks a whole lot cooler than the factory lid.

K&N 63-1131P performance air intake installed on a 2015 Harley Davidson Twin Cam 103 V-Twin

But of course, talk is meaningless without the proof to back it up. So to verify the performance of every cold air intake, K&N conducts before & after dyno tests on the vehicles each system was designed for. Since the K&N 63-1131 performance air intake system will work on both the Harley Davidson Twin Cam 96 V-Twin and Harley Davidson Twin Cam 103 V-Twin, they tested a 2015 Harley Davidson Electra Glide 103 ci, and found that it made 68.20-hp and 87.77 lb-ft at the rear wheel with the Harley Davidson factory air intake and 75.00-hp/94.81 lb-ft with a K&N Harley Davidson air intake. That's an estimated increase of 6.80-hp and 7.04 lb-ft, which you'll certainly notice when you twist the throttle.

The K&N 63-1131P air intake system boosts power on the 2008-2011 Harley Davidson Twin Cam 96 V-Twin and 2009-2015 Harley Davidson Twin Cam 103 V-Twin

Features & benefits of the K&N 63-1131 air intake system:

• Designed for the Harley Davidson Twin Cam 96 & Twin Cam 103
• Guaranteed to increase horsepower & torque
• Provides faster throttle response
• Increased airflow allows engine to deliver more power at lower RPMs
• Improves engine sound
• Large-bore aluminum intake tube reduces airflow restrictions
• Billet aluminum mounting plate secures system to the engine
• Washable K&N performance air filter can last up to 100,000 miles between cleanings (depending on driving conditions)
• Entire system can be installed in around 90 minutes
• Covered by the K&N 10-Year/Million Mile Limited Warranty

The 63-1131 performance air intake kit fits the following Harley Davidson models:
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRXS ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRX ROAD GLIDE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLRT FREEWHEELER 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHXS STREET GLIDE SPECIAL 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTKL ULTRA LIMITED LOW 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTK ULTRA LIMITED 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUTG TRI GLIDE ULTRA 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUL ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC LOW 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2015 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHR ROAD KING 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2014 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2014 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTK ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA LIMITED 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2014 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUTG TRI GLIDE ULTRA 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2014 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2014 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHR ROAD KING 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2013 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRX ROAD GLIDE CUSTOM 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2013 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRU ROAD GLIDE ULTRA 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2013 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2013 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTK ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA LIMITED 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2013 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUTG TRI GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2013 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU ULTRA CLASSIC ELECTRA GLIDE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2013 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC ELECTRA GLIDE CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2013 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHRC ROAD KING CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2013 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHR ROAD KING 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRX ROAD GLIDE CUSTOM 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRU ROAD GLIDE ULTRA 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTK ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA LIMITED 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUTG TRI GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC ELECTRA GLIDE CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHR ROAD KING 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRX ROAD GLIDE CUSTOM 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRU ROAD GLIDE ULTRA 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHXXX STREET GLIDE TRIKE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTP ELECTRA GLIDE POLICE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTK ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA LIMITED 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUTG TRI GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU ULTRA CLASSIC ELECTRA GLIDE 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC ELECTRA GLIDE CLASSIC 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHRC ROAD KING CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHR ROAD KING 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHP ROAD KING POLICE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRX ROAD GLIDE CUSTOM 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHXXX STREET GLIDE TRIKE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTP ELECTRA GLIDE POLICE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTK ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA LIMITED 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUTG TRI GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU ULTRA CLASSIC ELECTRA GLIDE 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC ELECTRA GLIDE CLASSIC 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHRC ROAD KING CLASSIC 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHR ROAD KING 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHP ROAD KING POLICE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTR ROAD GLIDE 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUTG TRI GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU ULTRA CLASSIC ELECTRA GLIDE 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC ELECTRA GLIDE CLASSIC 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHT ELECTRA GLIDE STANDARD 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHRC ROAD KING CLASSIC 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHR ROAD KING 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHP ROAD KING POLICE 103 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTR ROAD GLIDE 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU ULTRA CLASSIC ELECTRA GLIDE 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC ELECTRA GLIDE CLASSIC 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHT ELECTRA GLIDE STANDARD 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHRC ROAD KING CLASSIC 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings
2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHR ROAD KING 96 CI - w/Lower Fairings

If you're looking for more than an air intake, K&N makes a lot of other motorcycle performance parts to fit your Harley Davidson. To have a look, use the search by vehicle tool, or to find a K&N dealer near you use the dealer search tool.

K&N carbon fiber intake tube 100-8522 is the mandated intake system for the NHRA Pro Stock class. It consists of two carbon fiber intake tubes, a billet throttle body adapter, two couplers, and hardware.

The only constant in life is change. This saying is becoming more and more true as we progress further into the 21st century. While we aren't riding true hover boards or commuting in flying cars, we have still seen huge changes in all aspects of our daily lives. This is especially true in regards to the technology we use on a daily basis.

These changes can even be seen in some of the most iconic American sports. The additions of the shot clock in basketball, instant replays in baseball, and electronic fuel injection (EFI) in motorsports have all caused a ruckus of one sort or another in their respective fields. When NASCAR made the switch to EFI it signaled a major change for auto racing. While most changes are widely accepted, there has been a bit of resistance to the switch to EFI, even though it has been present in motorsports since at least the 1950s. This may be because people were accustomed to carburetors or maybe because it was relatively easy to make big power with carbs, but whatever the reason, the pushback hasn't seemed to stop the transition.

Most recently, NHRA announced that they changed the regulations for the Pro Stock class and made the switch from carburetion to EFI. In order to do so, there were a lot of associated changes that needed to be made. When NASCAR mandated EFI in 2012, it was made simpler because they were already using the standardized, Car of Tomorrow, chassis.

With NHRA's switch, they made changes not only to the engine but to the exterior body of the cars and the intake tract. "When the NHRA switched the Pro Stock class from carburetors to fuel injection, they came to K&N to design and manufacture an intake system," explained Steve Williams, Chief Engineering Officer at K&N Engineering. "There aren't a lot of times where the sanctioning body, OEMs, chassis builders, and spec parts suppliers have worked so closely together on a project like we did on this one."

There are hundreds of combinations of body, engine, and intake manifold that the race teams can build. K&N had to keep this in mind and create a system that would be able to be adapted to any of the combinations.

One of the initial problems was the system had to work with every combination of body, motor, and intake manifold that the teams could possibly build. This made an interesting predicament because NHRA only mandated that the throttle body remain within the engine compartment at all times. But it did not limit where in the engine compartment it had to be. As a solution, K&N's new intake system is a two-piece design with a pair of couplers that help the teams adapt it to the location of their throttle body.

"Another problem with the switch is that NHRA removed hood scoops as a method for air intake," added Williams. "This meant that the inlet had to move to the front bumper." The regulation for this inlet is a maximum size of 80 square inches. "This is where we ran into the next issue. The air close to the track is much hotter than the air three or four feet up." This is an issue that teams will have to combat, with help from the EFI manufacturer, Holley. Thanks to the almost unlimited tunable nature of EFI, these kinds of things are able to be accounted for. Carburetion would often cause some pistons to be either too rich or too lean but with EFI, teams can adjust for each piston on each shift during each segment of the run. They can also account for things like air temperature changes throughout the day.

"Even with all the issues presented to us and the short time frame, we were able to work with NHRA, Holley, the race teams, and chassis builders to create an intake system that made the switch to EFI a lot easier," revealed Bert Heck, Performance Kits Manager for K&N Engineering. "After NHRA made the announcement, we had about two months to design, test, and manufacture a kit for all the teams. That is not a lot of time, but with days to spare, K&N 100-8522 carbon fiber intake tube was ready to be shipped to all the Pro Stock teams in time for the first race of the season in Pomona."

Major changes are going to happen and with everyone working together toward the common good, big things can happen. The EFI switch in Pro Stock couldn't have happened without the cooperation and assistance from everyone involved. It just goes to show that even though these teams go out and battle each other week after week, in the end they are willing to come together and help one another out.