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Danica Patrick and Jon Henry Racing Team-up at Eldora's Prelude to the Dream

May 9, 2012

Jon Henry believes Patrick's high-visibility will help to bring new fans to Dirt Late Model racing.

Eldora Speedway the legendary dirt track located near Rossburg, Ohio will host the "Feed the Children Prelude to the Dream" charity race on Wednesday, June 6. Adding her particular celebrity spotlight to the event will be popular female racer Danica Patrick. Patrick will be racing Jon Henry's 2011 Eldora Speedway Late Model Championship car. Jon Henry Racing and Patrick's team worked diligently to put this deal into place. Patrick was looking for a top-notch ride and Henry was looking for a popular driver. When an agreement was reached, both sides were excited about having Patrick race for charity in one of the country's premier Dirt Late Model events. Patrick is quoted saying that she hasn't raced on dirt since she was 10, and that was once in a go-kart.

"I feel like the biggest challenge will be getting comfortable behind the wheel of a Dirt Late Model," Patrick told K&N. "As someone who has raced my entire life, there are times when even I don't feel as comfortable as I did the week before, or even the race before. Knowing the race is only for charity will most likely ease some of those concerns, but also knowing you're racing a $40,000 Dirt Late Model that doesn't belong to you brings about a few stresses. In addition, I think the above-mentioned car control and throttle control may prove to be big learning curves. I think any racer - no matter what type of car or surface - will tell you that controlling a 2300 pound, 900 horsepower race car on dirt is a challenge no matter how much or how little experience you have."

(Photo- AP) Danica Patrick says she hasn't raced on dirt since she was 10.

Henry, a two-time Sunoco American Late Model Series Champion, last fielded a car in the Prelude to the Dream in 2010. The driver of his car that year was another worldwide motorsports star, Travis Pastrana. Pastrana finished 23rd in his dirt track debut, but stated the opportunity to race a Dirt Late Model was something he'd never forget. We talked with Henry to get his take on having Patrick pilot his championship car.

What does it mean to you and to the Prelude event to have Patrick sign on?

"It's a huge honor for me to have Danica Patrick drive my car at the Feed the Children Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway. She's a worldwide superstar and well-known on so many different levels that the amount of exposure it brings to my team can only benefit us. As for the Prelude itself, I'm sure everyone associated with Eldora Speedway, and to that event, is just as proud to have her signed on as I am. She brings a following of fans that, most likely, will have never been to a dirt track stock car race before. Bringing new fans into our sport is great for the sport itself, as well as a prestigious venue like Eldora Speedway."

Patrick feels that controlling a 2300 pound, 900 horsepower race car on dirt is a challenge no matter how much or how little experience she has.

Tell us a bit about the charity and your involvement with it.

"Although I'm not directly involved with Feed the Children in any way, I know they have signed on a sponsor at Eldora Speedway, not just for this event, but for the entire year. Their mission is to have served over 320,000 families by the end of the year. What I enjoy most about the organization is their desire to not just feed kids in the literal sense, but also on the education side of things. They're big on nourishment for the mind as well, which I think is great for the underprivileged children of the world."

How do you feel Patrick will do in the Late Model world, has she practiced in your car yet, and how did it go?

"As you probably know, Danica has been progressively getting more involved with the stock car type of racing the past few years. Racing Dirt Late Models will undoubtedly give her an experience she has probably never had before. Honestly, I feel as though racing Dirt Late Models can often benefit anyone racing on asphalt as it teaches you an unbelievable amount of both car control and throttle control. Although she has not yet practiced for the June 6th event, we're currently working on getting her a test date in the near future."

This may be a tough question to answer, but is she thinking of trying other dirt racing formats or is this a one-time thing?

"That's a good question and, honestly, I'm not sure. I would imagine, for the time being, this is simply a one-shot deal. However, in the same sense, I doubt she would pass up the opportunity to race for charity again if the opportunity presented itself and the event fit into her busy schedule."

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Lindsey Barker Takes a New Car to the Final Round in the NHRA Race in Georgia

May 9, 2012

With everything that happened over the weekend, from the wheelie bar incident to getting delayed with the crazy weather, it still felt really good to go to the final with the new car.

Planning to duke it out in two NHRA Sportsman classes for 2012, Lindsey Barker [Wood] of Warner-Robins, Georgia has already put her brand new 2012 Miller Dragster into the Top Dragster final during the weather delayed NHRA Division 2 event at South Georgia Motorsports Park and hopes to find the same success in the trusty K&N Super Comp dragster that she will also continue to run this season.

"It was kinda crazy since the weather that weekend was terrible," said Barker of her second outing with the brand new 632 nitrous assisted dragster. "We tested the car that Thursday before the race and everything had gone really well, except for a little top end incident."

"It was really windy that day and a Top Sportsman guy comes around the corner with his chute out," she explained. "I kept trying to tell him to stop, but he just kept on going. I never put the car in park and for whatever reason this time I did. I thought I was going to be smart, because I saw it coming, and I ran over to the back of the car, thinking I could push it outta the way. It all happened so fast and his chute just grabbed my wheelie bar and pulled my whole car sideways and messed up the bracket."

Just like Barker's cars of the past and her current Super Comp car, her brand new Top Dragster continues to use as many K&N products as possible.

Barker was able to borrow a wheelie bar from another racer and was ready for the division event qualifying the following day. "The weather just kept getting worse," she said. "The car just shook so bad during the qualifying runs, so I didn't even have any numbers to go off of for eliminations, but somehow we ended up going to the Top Dragster final."

Eliminations for Top Dragster wouldn't get underway until quite late on Sunday with what equated to some very cool and dry conditions for southern Georgia -- 61 degrees, 21 percent humidity and an adjusted altitude of 483 feet. Barker made it past Kelly Cooke in round one, before the persistent weather delays and problems with the track weeping caused the event to be delayed until Monday morning. There she would face Mia Tedesco in round two for what would be a nearly heads up race. Barker on a 4.44 to Tedesco's 4.45 and with an ever-so-slight starting line advantage, Barker pushed Tedesco farther under her dial for the double breakout win.

Remaining on her 4.44 dial, Barker squared off against Larry Strickland where she took a huge .040 starting line advantage with her .002 light, parlaying that into another round victory and off to the semi-finals and a very good race with Dylan Stott. The two were nearly neck-and-neck on the tree, but it was the former A-Fuel driver's .011 package that would come out on top and Barker was off to her first Top Dragster final of the season in the brand new car.

The car just shook off the line every pass during eliminations, except the final.

"The car just shook off the line every pass during eliminations, except the final," Barker pointed out. "So you know what happened, I went out there and was just going way too fast. I tried to tighten it up and knock more off but I was on my quickest run of eliminations. With everything that happened over the weekend, from the wheelie bar incident to getting delayed with the crazy weather, it still felt really good to go to the final with the new car," she added.

Barker will be competing with the new K&N Top Dragster at one of the few available NHRA National events where the class is offered and the 32nd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, May 4-6 just outside of Atlanta. While she had hoped to compete at the event in both her Top Dragster and her Super Comp car, the 8.90 dragster won't quite be ready for competition in time to make the race.

"The motor for the Super Comp car should be ready here in the next few weeks," she explained. "We will get it out later this year and run both, but for now we are really just going to concentrate on the new Top Dragster. I am really enjoying running this class and I can't wait for the new paint to be completed. [laughs] During that divisional event, I didn't really have any decals on the car because I still had all the wrap on the aluminum body, so it wouldn't get messed up for the painter. So between the white and silver and the borrowed purple wheelie bar, it was something else to look at."

Just like Barker's cars of the past and her current Super Comp car, her brand new Top Dragster continues to use as many K&N products as possible. "We've had a very long, great relationship with K&N," she said. "Steve Williams, Tony Yorkman, they are all just really great. What I really like about them is that they are just like us. They are all just really good people, they understand what we go through as sportsman racers and what we need the products that we use to accomplish. The new car has all the K&N filters we can use on it, the air filter and oil filters to even the smaller breather tank type filters, it's all K&N. It's all fantastic product and we only try to use the best available on any of our cars."

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

Team Can-Am/Motoworks Conquers the Mexican Desert in the San Felipe 250

May 9, 2012

Josh Frederick and Dillion Zimmerman averaged 41.22 miles per hour and crossed the finish line more than twelve minutes ahead of the second placed team.

Can-Am/Motoworks team riders Josh Frederick and Dillion Zimmerman recently headed to the Mexican Desert with intentions of putting a win under their belts. Riding in the Pro ATV Class 25, at the 2012 SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race, Josh Frederick was no stranger to competing in the series. Zimmerman, on the other hand was on the verge of embarking upon his first SCORE race. The rider would quickly become acquainted with the fact that the fans were plentiful, and the locals were more than eager to cheer his team on.

According to Team Can-Am/Motoworks owner, Johnny Leach, "Both Josh and Dillon went into the race confident, but not over confident. They both knew they could physically finish the race. We had not done a race in Mexico as a team. We had our reservations. However, both riders understood what is was going to take to finish, and they both took good care of the quad. The key to this particular race was preparation," he continued. "The strategy of the pit stops and longevity of the quads was the key to our success. We had zero anxiety about Dillon racing that race. He grew up racing desert races. He is the only other choice for me other than Josh."

Although one of the last teams to be let off the start, Zimmerman and Frederick had no intentions of experiencing anything other than success. In fact, Josh Frederick had already taken over the lead prior to handing the quad over to his teammate at the ninety five mile marker.

Eager to tackle one of the most rigorous sections of the course on the Can-AM DS450, Zimmerman maneuvered his way through a plethora of rocky areas, washes and other technical challenges. Prior to reaching the one-hundred-seventy mile marker, where Frederick was to take the quad back over, Zimmerman hit a large rock. Although the seat sustained damage and came off of the ATV, the rider never let up. That said, the final fifty miles leading to the check point was rough, to say the least.

Still leading the pack, Frederick manned the quad for the final stretch of the race. Experiencing a great run, the rider's good fortune suddenly went south when he crashed with eighty miles to go. Although the quad was damaged, he was too close to victory to call it quits. Using a rock as a make-shift hammer, he bent the sprocket back in place, dusted himself off and continued on. Managing to hold on to the lead he crossed the finish line twelve minutes ahead of the next team driver. When the dust had settled the Can-Am/Motoworks Team had averaged 41.22 miles per hour, and tackled the entire course in just over six hours. In turn they had earned the victory and top spot on the podium.

Johnny Leach, Josh Frederick and Dillon Zimmerman are all acutely aware that maintenance will play a huge role in their success through the remainder of the season. That in mind, they will depend upon K&N products to combat the dusty environment that is inevitable in their sport.

"We use almost every product that K&N sells," explained Leach, "air filters, oil filters, cleaners and airbox lids. Anything that has to do with filtration, we use. We have been with K&N since day one. We started the team in 2008, and have been with K&N ever since. We are proud to have K&N as a sponsor."

When asked his take on K&N products, the owner said, "It's simple. Without K&N you will not finish the season. Pure and simple. The results speak for themselves," he explained. "You cannot go out and race something like the San Felipe 250 and win without K&N. The conditions down there are nasty. We finished the entire race without changing one filter. We wouldn't try these races without K&N."

Referring to the remainder of the 2012 season, Johnny Leach said, "The list of events we are participating in is staggering. We are racing WORCS, AMA Nationals, GNCC, The European Championship, French Championship and the Italian Championship. In addition, we are racing the San Felipe 250, Baja 500, and the Baja 1000. We won the three-hour Le Touquet in France," he continued. "We are racing the twelve-hour Pont de Vaux, in France in August. We are racing the twelve-hour race of Le Toque, in Canada in May, and the Silver State 300 in the weeks to come. We have a full plate. Thank God we have K&N."

In closing, he said, "The best message I can relay is to have fun! If it becomes a business and we don't remember why we have our kids involved, we have missed the point. The ATV family is incredible. We go to the races for a reason. Keep sight of that reason, and the wins will come. If they don't, then oh well; at least you’re having fun."

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

Michelle Furr Defends Her Concord Super Comp Crown with Second NHRA Victory

May 9, 2012

We are so happy to have been able to go out there and do it again for all the people who are such a big part of what we do as a team and as a family.

You can't really argue that racers of all types are a little on the superstitious side. From the way they do things, like the order they get dressed in their safety gear to even which side of the car a driver must always enter their dragster. While most of these things really have more to do with the importance of repetition and consistency, some simple occurrences can easily sway the mood of a team or driver, especially those that bring back great memories or feelings of good luck, and for K&N's Michelle Furr, she had a good feeling about repeating her trip to the winner's circle from the moment they set up shop for the 3rd Annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

Furr, who hails from Galax, Virginia, was already quite excited to return zMax Dragway where she made quite a splash in the history books last fall, when she went to two NHRA National Event finals and picked up the win in Super Comp. As she and her family rolled into the facility, just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, they immediately picked up a feeling of déjà vu when the NHRA officials parked them in the same exact spot as they had been last fall. "It was just so cool," she said. "You know we actually kept talking about that with everybody and it was kind of like a good karma thing or something. Or at least we were hoping it was going to turn out that way."

While Furr returned to the NHRA event with both of the same cars she went to the finals with during the 4th annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Nationals, for the first time she would be competing with her 1968 K&N/Ohio Crankshaft Camaro in the quicker 9.90 Super Gas index class, instead of the 10.90 Super Street, which is only offered at select NHRA National events. After some off-season prep, both as a driver and for the car's set up itself, Furr made a good showing in Super Gas during the event. "We had been concerned of how the car would react to the tree, going from a .500 pro tree to the .400 in Super Gas," she explained. "Well, we got it figured out that the car could launch and we will get it dialed in, it just wasn't meant to be for this event as I went .003 red in round one."

Not one to let the misfortune in one car or class get to her, Furr was full steam ahead in her 2002 K&N/Ohio Crankshaft Undercover dragster, not missing a beat from her last Super Comp appearance at the track. "We thought we were going to get three time runs, but we only ended up getting two," she said. "I was feeling pretty good about round one, because during the last time trial I really tried to go out there and put it on a ninety [8.90]. I ran an 8.897, so we knew we were dialed."

Like many other events, schedules are made but always subject to change with all of the variables that an event like this is subject to and this event was no different with first rounds of Super Comp being pushed to the end of the day on Saturday. With many hours after the classes last time on the track, sometimes that can make it hard to dial a car and its throttle stop timer. Prior to pulling out onto the track for that first round Rick, Furr's husband and crew chief, said a little something to her that would end up carrying on throughout the entire event- "Don't let them forget, this is your house."

With random pairing for first round, Furr would find herself facing Mandy Teets-Seal and with luck on her side, needn't worry about how her car was dialed when Teets-Seal broke before staging which allowed Furr to test not only her time on the tree, but to take a free lap down the quarter-mile. Furr was dialed. With an opening round one .007 reaction time and a 8.891, Furr showed she was more than ready for whatever the competitors in the rounds to come had to throw at her, after all this was 'her house.'

Next would be Ken Griffiths in round two and even though he went red, Furr laid down .011 package with her .006 light and what would be the beginning of quite a string of dead-on runs, an 8.905. With the jumble to the schedule, NHRA stated that they would get through the first three rounds of Super Comp that evening, and even Furr admitted that she had her doubts that many would be completed. "They called us to the lanes and I still was thinking they would end up sending us back or something, because we ended up having to wait for them to clean up and oil down, but they got it in."

Furr's motto all weekend was plain, simple, and strong- this is my house!

Then came the match up with Troy Williams, Jr., and the two were no strangers to one another from all their years of competition in IHRA. The third round lights were completely out of character for both drivers, but it would be Furr with the lesser of two evils and when the pair of 8.908 E.T.'s came up on the boards it would be Furr's holeshot that would turn on her win light. "I celebrated every single round," she said. "Knowing after third round that I would once again be racing on Sunday was huge."

Furr would wait from that third round Saturday evening shortly after 9PM to mid-afternoon the following day for her fourth round pairing with Jason Lynch. "I've known Jason for years, but I don't think I've ever raced him," she said. "I saw that he hadn't been hitting the tree in the first three rounds and I know that's not like him, so I don't know what was going on over there. For some reason, I just felt like he would against me and I had to be ready for it."

With another tight light and a dead-on 8.900 time, Furr pushed Lynch under the index by letting him have just .005 of the stripe. "It's not because we didn't really know a lot of the other drivers, but when I won that really good round against Jason, we just had a feeling that it was going to again be our day," she pointed out.

Now deep into the rounds, the statement that Rick had made to Michelle prior to her first round had now turned into a question with him asking, "Whose house are they in?" and right before she would pull onto the track, she would look up and answer beaming a smile through her helmet, "My house!"

In the semi-finals, Furr would use her top end skills and trust the number they had the car set up for to earn her way into the championship round. With a .022 light to Shawn Fricke's .010, Furr wheeled her K&N dragster to another dead-on the index pass and her 8.901 to Fricke's 8.887 meant she was going to the final, where she would have the opportunity to defend her NHRA Super Comp title at the track.

In an all-female Super Comp final, Furr faced Lauren Freer. It was over as quickly as it started with Freer turning it .003 red and the 3rd Annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals Super Comp Champion was K&N's Michelle Furr.

"I actually did a fist-pump when the car was on the stop," she laughed when explaining her reaction to seeing her win light. "I thought, do I want to just lift and roll down or, you know I always think when watching a race that that kind of thing is always disappointing, so I decided to go down there and see if I could hit another ninety."

"Well, I missed it a little with the 8.896," she smiled. "I actually just made all of the right calls over the weekend and you know there were times that Rick and I didn't even agree on a few of them. I was making changes and my stop was not staying the same. It was just like this feeling of calm and confidence and it was just like back in September."

With the latest NHRA Super Comp National event win, Furr jokes that she had her silver, the 60th Anniversary Wally and now she has gold. "We are so happy to have been able to go out there and do it again for all the people who are such a big part of what we do as a team and as a family," Furr stated. ""I have been blessed to be partnered with the best in the business, the companies like K&N that produce the products that will get the job done, give us peace of mind in performance and make my job on the track look easy. The new K&N scoop that we just added to the dragster not only helped us pick up a little mile-per-hour, but it sure looked good in the winner's circle."

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School's Stable of Cars Breathes Easier with K&N Filters

May 9, 2012

For many years, Frank Hawley has chosen the full line of K&N air and oil filters to handle that task for the school cars.

Much like the tens of thousands of national, regional and local sportsman racers all across the U.S., Canada and beyond, Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School continually demands a lot out of their equipment from one pass down the track to the next. To help ensure consistency and peak performance, Frank Hawley and his staff are no different than the countless number of national, divisional and bracket champions, many of which got their start at the school. They are all quite selective when choosing the products they depend on to get the job done.

A major part of reliability, whether it's street or strip, comes from a good maintenance program and that includes taking into account what needs to be done to properly protect an engine. For many years, Frank Hawley has chosen the full line of K&N air and oil filters to handle that task for the school cars.

The school dragsters were fitted with the 2nd Generation K&N scoop 100-8512 that comes with its own tray and K&N filter.

"We strive for each class to provide the same experience from one driver to the next, so it's imperative that our Chevy Performance 572 engines stay in good form and part of achieving that is using K&N oil and air filters," said Hawley. "The wrench-off filters are easier for the guys to take off and they don't collapse. We all know that the only two things we want going through those carburetors is our Dragon Racing Fuel and clean air. One little rock or piece of debris can not only do a lot of damage, but it's not a setback that we want during any of our classes. The high-flowing K&N rechargeable air filters take care of ever having that sort of problem to deal with."

Recently, Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School added some products from one of K&N's newer lines to their Super Class cars- the composite scoops. The school dragsters were fitted with the 2nd Generation K&N scoop 100-8512 that comes with its own tray and K&N filter and while Hawley has been very pleased with the new K&N dragster scoops, it just may be the unexpected added benefit of the new K&N scoop on the school's Super Gas car 100-8506 that, from an instructor's stand point, has delighted him the most.

Once we put the new K&N scoop on one of the Firebirds, I was pleasantly surprised how much the driver's field of vision was broadened.

"Once we put the new K&N scoop on one of the Firebirds, I was pleasantly surprised how much the driver's field of vision was broadened and that's a very important point to note when a driver needs as much clear visibility as possible for going through their starting line procedure and being able to line up straight when staging," explained Hawley. "The shape and design of all the new K&N scoops we installed on the cars get a lot of air in and they also seem to have a much better directional flow than other ones we have used."

"We continue to enjoy our ongoing relationship with Frank and his school," said Bob Harris, Series and Track Support Manager/Sports Marketing for K&N Engineering. "We were very excited to get these scoops put to use on the school cars. We know they are seen in many locations all over the country, by numerous racers of all levels. K&N looks forward to the continued feedback in regards to all of our products that are put through the paces at the school. It's all a part of our goal to continue to produce and manufacturer the highest quality products available anywhere."

"K&N replacement air filters and air intakes also supply us with better fuel mileage, power and performance for the school's fleet of tow vehicles," Hawley pointed out. "Who wouldn't want more power and especially better mileage with today's fuel prices? These bolt-on products from K&N can quickly start paying for themselves."

Again for 2012, K&N has joined the many other manufacturers that offer special discounts and more for new graduates of Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School.

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

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