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NASCAR driver Ted Christopher from Connecticut died in a plane crash on September 16th

Tweets and messages from Jimmie Johnson to Kyle Petty have been sent to offer condolences to Christopher and his family.

“We are all saddened to learn of the tragic plane crash this afternoon that claimed the lives of NASCAR driver Ted Christopher and the aircraft’s pilot,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said in a prepared statement on Saturday.

“As a championship driver on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and New England short tracks, Christopher was a throwback to NASCAR’s roots. He was a tough racer’s racer, and his hard driving style and candid personality endeared him to short track fans throughout the country. He will be missed throughout the racing community, in the garage, and, especially, in the hearts of his many fans. NASCAR has his family and friends in its thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Christopher is one of two NASCAR drivers to win a Whelen All-American series National Title and a Touring Series Championship. He won the NASCAR Whelen All-American short-track championship in 2001 and won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2008. No driver has won more races than Christopher at two storied tracks in New England, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, regular stops on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

Christopher was one of two people on board a plane that crashed in Guilford, Connecticut, on Saturday afternoon. Both died in the crash. The other person on board, the pilot, was not identified.

“So very sad to hear of Ted Christopher's passing...Greatness passes into Legend #RIP,” Petty posted on Twitter on Sunday.

“Ted Christopher was such a great guy and wheel man. Thinking of his family and friends. #TC13,” Johnson posted on Twitter on Sunday.

Ted Christopher won 12 NASCAR K&N Pro Series races in his long and storied career

He won 10 World Series of Asphalt Racing races at New Smyrna Speedway, in Florida, another regular stop on the K&N Pro Series East. He won tour-type Modified titles from 1998-2001, 2003, 2005, and 2009-2011. He also won the SK Modified Division title in 1991 and five Richie Evans Memorial races at New Smyrna Speedway, a track record.

He was scheduled to drive the No. 82 Horton Avenue Materials Chevrolet at New York’s Riverhead Raceway on Saturday. The No. 82 race team drove a ceremonial pace lap before a moment of silence before the races.

Christopher made six starts in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, 21 starts in the Xfinity Series, and two in the Camping World Truck Series. He won 12 races in 94 career K&N Pro Series starts and 42 races in 49 years of racing in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. He won six races in 19 starts in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour and made two starts in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race.

US National Champion Drew Skillman beat Greg Anderson in the finals at Indianapolis

Skillman credits his family with his recent success. “That’s why we came here to begin with,” Skillman said after winning the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend. “We are a family race team. We race because we all race. That’s what makes us work. This is what we have fun doing. This is not our careers. This is our hobby. This is like going to the lake with the family. This is like going to Disneyworld with the family. This is what we do.”

Three generations of Skillman’s are on his team. His dad and grandfather work on the dragster every race. It has been a productive combination. The Pro Stock division is the most competitive of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Six different drivers won the first six events of the season. For Skillman to take four of the past six events seemed unlikely. “We’re holding on tight to it, too,” Skillman said. “My team has been killing it. Consistency is super hard in this sport. We have a car that for some reason keeps repeating. We had a great car in qualifying.” But the engine was not responding well during the qualifying runs.

Drew Skillman wins US Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana

With no engine data, Skillman kept taking the car out to race and winning. In the final round, he raced Greg Anderson and beat him for the first time in his career. It made winning his first U.S. Nationals championship even sweeter. “Never beat Greg before,” Skillman said. “Finally got that off my back and won Indy.”

Skillman said he does not have a long list of things on his to-do list. Winning a U.S. Nationals title was one of the few things on that list. “There is a very small list of things I would really like to do in life and that was one of them,” Skillman said. “I want for nothing. This is something I really wanted to do. That’s finally done and we’re not done chasing yet.”

Skillman enters the Countdown to the Championship, the six-race playoffs to determine the champion in the NHRA Pro Stock division, in fourth place. Bo Butner leads the Pro Stock standings. Tanner Gray is second, followed by Anderson in third.

Skillman was asked after winning at Indianapolis what his mindset is heading into the Countdown. "Championship. That’s it,” Skillman said. “We’re going to keep moving forward in the same direction we’ve been going. Our program has been super consistent. We might not always have the fastest car, it’s very, very consistent and always a good car.”

The Winners Circle at the US Nationals in Indy featuring Torrence, Todd, Skillman, and Krawiec

Confidence and luck have played huge roles in Skillman’s recent run. He knows he has a good car and crew, but there are other factors playing in his favor lately. “Confidence in everything makes you always better,” Skillman said. “You’re always a little better when you’re confident.

My confidence is high. My driving has gotten a little better. Lucky round after lucky round. We made it.”

Michael Swift celebrates third place finish at 2016 Snowshoe GNCC in West Virginia

“We have a personal trainer who sets up a routine that some of our UTV/ATV racers follow,” explained Swift. “We have certain days of the week when they practice driving, but during the week we also focus on hydration and food intake. Our drivers also walk the entire course a day before an event. A UTV/ATV course ranges from 10-miles to 12-miles long and a UTV course ranges from 4-miles to 6-miles long. People don’t understand how much goes into cross country racing.” With nine drivers and 25 to 30 staff, it takes a lot to keep the team in prime condition to race.

Team History

Team UXC Racing was created as a factory team in 2006.

“In the beginning, we raced for a BRP factory team called Warnert Racing out of Minnesota,” explained Swift. “We raced for them for eight years until it was disbanded and we went out as our own team for BRP in 2012. At that time we had only two drivers. In 2014, we signed with Polaris and we started racing Polaris RZR UTVs and Polaris Ace and Scrambler ATVs and we’ve been racing for Polaris ever since.”

Kevin Trantham competes in the 2017 Unadilla GNCC in New York

Later, as the team’s popularity continued to grow, they received correspondence from drivers from all over the country who wanted to race in a GNCC event on one of the team’s machines. So they started taking on some drivers. Once they raced in a few events they wanted to stay around and continue with UXC because of their reputation and to be part of the family.

As a result, Team UXC Racing now has nine drivers, but only three of them – Swift, Trantham, and Jesse Straham - drive directly for Polaris. Team UXC Racing sponsors the other drivers, who fund themselves with a little help from the team.

Between 2012 and 2017 the team has won 11 National Championships, one Best In The Desert Championship, one SCORE Championship, and an Ironman and first place finish in the 2013 Baja 1000.

Team UXC Racing chalked up some major achievements in the 2016 season that included a second place finish for Trantham in the Snowshoe GNCC, a win for Trantham in the Cannonball GNCC, and a first place finish for Swift and second place finish for Trantham at the Wild Boar GNCC.

Nic Snyckers competes for Team UXC Racing at the 2017 Unadilla GNCC in New York

“I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t work, train or ride. The doctors didn’t release me from treatment and my cast wasn’t removed until one week before the start of the first round of races for the 2017 season,” said Swift.

2017 Season

Team UXC Racing has competed in 10 races so far this year and has four more events left.

“Halloween weekend is the final round of the year,” said Swift.

To no one’s surprise, they experienced a slow start this year.

“I started out finishing sixth and seventh for the first couple of rounds until I was able to work my way back to the lower end of the podium as of just before summer break,” said Swift. “We recently got back from Iowa with a win and I have finished on the podium and won one race so far this year. I am just now getting back to feeling 100 percent again.”

The Iowa event resulted in a third place for Trantham, a second place finish and second place result in the Ironman for Becky Widdicombe, who was racing a Polaris Ace 900 XC, and wins in the Pro 4x4 ATV 10 hour race for Swift and Trantham. Josh Day and Jeff Wright partnered to finish third in the 30+ class.

Two Days To Prepare For Next Race

Swift pointed out that it takes the team two days to prepare for a race.

Michael Swift and Kevin Trantham finish 1-2 in 2016 Wild Boar GNCC in Palataka, Florida

1. We pressure wash with the machine off

2. We pull the plastic and wash again

3. We put the machine on a jack, pull the wheels and tires and wash again

“We then bring the machines back into the shop and pull the wheels and tires back off, then do a four-point inspection that includes checking the frame for cracks, checking the brakes, checking the oil levels, and checking the hose connections. We replace the belts and other parts that need it and we check the tires and tire balls. We then put the machines back together and road test them for 30 minutes to an hour. The vehicles are then re-washed and then loaded onto trailers for transportation to the next race.”

The team includes two part-time employees Cameron Griffin and Brian McCarty, who wash the ATVs and do minor mechanicals. Swift does most of the mechanical maintenance and repairs.

The Offseason

You may think that once the offseason arrives, the team members take a vacation. Nothing can be further from the truth. In fact, according to Swift, the offseason is actually busier than the racing season.

“We are negotiating and re-signing sponsorship contracts, we get new machines in from Polaris, and we spend the winter building new race vehicles,” said Swift. “We build three to four ATVs (Ace and Scrambler vehicles) and four RZRs from scratch. We also go south to Florida to ride, train, and test parts.”

Team UXC Racing also does research and development projects for most of their sponsors. For example, they helped design an exhaust system for Big Gun, assisted with some changes to the Polaris Scrambler ATV, helped build a completely new suspension for the Scrambler and Ace ATVs and for the RZR UTV, and helped build a complete suspension system for the Ace ATV.

Sponsors

Polaris is the team’s major sponsor. K&N has been sponsoring them for four years.

“We worked with K&N filters in the past when we were part of Warnert Racing,” said Swift. “However, the sponsorship lapsed and we got involved with K&N again four years ago. We use their air filters on all our machines, oil filters on the Ace and RZR and pre-filters on all three machines. We also use K&N air filter lube that goes around the air filter air box to ensure a good seal and stops dust from getting into the box. The pre-filters shed off the dust, mud, and water to protect the air filters.

Team UXC Racing takes the checkered flag at the 2016 Cannonball GNCC in Sparta, Georgia

The K&N air filters are washable and reusable. So Team UXC Racing also uses the K&N filter cleaner after every race.

“We clean the filters and rotate them out so we always have an inventory of clean filters ready to go,” continued Swift. “We wash them and let them air dry.”

Mason Law (#20) is a rising talent in the competitive and important Superstock 1000 class

The goal of the K&N-sponsored race team has always been to “promote young riders through to title glory.” That mission has been realized in spades. Recently, K&N had a chat with Gladwin about the current state of GR Motosport.

A Directional Shift

Winning is the ultimate goal in racing. Winning in the most visible and desirable classes has to be a major focus of modern team ownership. After all, race teams are funded by companies that want to boost sales based on success on the racetrack. With that in mind, Gladwin made some directional shifts for the current race season.

Liam Delves is a raw talent in the Motostar/Moto3 class

In addition to the Superstock 1000 class, GR Motosport also competes in British Superbike and the Motostar/Moto3 racing classes. Here is an inside look at how the season is unfolding in all of the GR Motosport classes.

Superstock 1000

Tommy Bridewell (left) was welcomed to the GR Motosport Team by Brent Gladwin (right)

Law has proven to be up to the challenge of the new classification. His steep success curve has pleased Gladwin and has drawn the attention of the European racing community.

“Shocking the establishment, Mason won his 3rd race at Oulton,” said Gladwin. “(He) has gone on to take 3 more podiums and lap records, so things are really looking good for the future here.”

Law currently sits in the 5th spot overall in the Superstock 1000 class.

Superbike

While Superstock has emerged as the most corporately significant class for marketing, the Superbike class has always held a special cachet in racing. Superbike in Britain, as is the case in America, attracts some of the sport’s biggest stars. Both bike and rider selections were major considerations for GR Motosport going into the season.

Treacherous track conditions cost Tommy Bridewell a podium in Silverstone

Early in the season, Bridewell did prove to be consistent. However, Gladwin was looking for more finishes near the front of the pack.

“While Tommy has, until this last weekend, scored points for the team in every race, he has not finished regularly where the team considered possible - top-ten,” Gladwin said. “At Cadwell, he turned this around showing our true potential battling for 4th and taking two great top-tens. He repeated this at Silverstone although succumbing to the hideous weather crashing out of a certain podium.”

Motostar/Moto3

The Motostar/Moto3 series is low on engine displacement but high on racing entertainment. This year’s hopes for GR Motosport are placed on the shoulders of 16-year-old Liam Delves, a talented but inexperienced racer.

GR Motosport trusts K&N filters like the KA-1016 for the Kawasaki ZX10R

Sponsorship

“As you can see from our partners list, we love to be associated with companies who are market leaders in their field,” said Gladwin. “We know that K&N is the best in their field, giving us the best filter protection and performance in both air and oil flow. K&N also sits well alongside WD-40 who has long been a market leader.”

K&N is proud to be a part of a progressive and visionary race team like GR Motosport. If you ride the latest version of the Kawasaki ZX10R like the GR Motosport Superbike Team, K&N’s KA-1016 is the air filter for you.

Fonzie may not be real, but his Triumph and leather jacket certainly are in the Happy Days display

As its name would indicate, the San Diego Automotive Museum houses some amazing cars and trucks. However, motorcycle enthusiasts will be glad to hear that there is an equally fascinating motorcycle section in the facility.

The museum serves as a home for dozens of vintage and historically significant motorcycles, and it displays the moto-gems in a creative and visitor-friendly way. Simply put, the museum’s curators have a great eye for the aesthetic.

The Thematic Displays

A Steve McQueen Honda Elsinore and Husqvarna 400 are creatively displayed

Steve McQueen was known as the ‘King of Cool’ in large part because of the actor’s love of racing and speed. He was a star of the quintessential motorcycle movie 'On Any Sunday' which is played on a video loop in the display dedicated to his motorcycles.

McQueen’s motorcycle collection was legendary and two fantastic examples are on display in the museum. A vintage McQueen-owned Honda Elsinore motocross bike is shown in all of its industry-changing glory. Even more amazing is the 1970 Husqvarna 400 that was owned by McQueen. There is even evidence that the bike is the one the actor is seen riding in a racing clip in the 1971 film.

The Evel Knievel Stratocycle and all if its strangeness are on display in San Diego

The Classic Motorcycles

The backbone of the San Diego Automotive Museum’s motorcycle collection rests in the dozens of rare, vintage motorcycles that grace its floor. Some of the examples wear the patina of time, while others are meticulously restored.

Marquees from America, Europe, and Asia grace the historically-significant display. While photos do not do the scintillating bikes justice, scroll down to peruse a small sampling of what you can see at the museum.

Of course, anywhere great motorcycles are found, K&N is likely there as well, so look for the vintage racer that breathes through K&N filters.

This 1971 BSA A70 750cc flat track race bike wears K&N pod filters

The 1950 Vincent Series C Rapide is part of the iconic British line of speedsters

This British 1958 Ariel has the beautiful 'square four' engine configuration

The mellow yellow 1947 Indian Chief puts those famous fenders on full display

Classic Italian style is embodied in this 1928 Moto Guzzi Falcon

The 1938 Harley-Davidson has the legendary Knucklehead V-twin

The museum holds rare moto-treasures in every corner

Fantastic bikes in creative displays are to be found in the SD Automotive Museum