Latest News

UMP Dirtcar Racing's Jon Henry Leads the American Late Model Series' Points

19 août 2011

Jon Henry Takes First Place at Attica Raceway

Jon Henry is an up-and-coming third-generation racer; driving his family owned UMP Dirtcar Modified vehicle, he has already tasted success and it eager for more. The team is based out of Ada, Ohio and travels all around the Ohio Valley states competing in 60 plus races a year.

"Racing has been in my family before I was even born. My dad and Grandpa grew up racing Modified Midgets together. My dad also raced three wheelers, and UMP modifieds while my grandpa raced stock cars, sprint cars, and the old Modifieds back in the day," says Jon.

Jon Henry Racing has been able to knock off 12 wins, 24 Top-Five finishes and 26 Top-Ten finishes in 30 races.

Henry started racing go-carts when he was 12, then, at age 14, he jumped into a Modified Midget and competed at Waynefield Raceway in Waynesfield, OH. That time in the driver's seat was short lived. By the time Jon turned 15, his dad started racing UMP Modifieds at tracks around Ohio, mainly Limaland and Eldora. Sill not old enough to jump in the seat, Jon already had the itch to drive so he did the next best thing and became a "wrench" for the team.

Finally, in 2002 at age 16, Jon got his opportunity for his debut in the seat. He recalls, "We went to Montpelier, IN. I had no practice what so ever so I had to just jump in and go race. I remember hot laps were awful. I got through the heat race in one piece and had to start on the front row of the B-main. The front row is definitely not a good place for a rookie. I went into turn one and spun out in front of the entire field. I had some damage but I was able to continue but unable to transfer to the A-main." After that harrowing start, he returned to the track a couple more times that year and continued to improve. In 2003, after only his fourth time in a UMP modified, Jon was able to win his first race at Waynesfield Raceway on an exciting last-lap pass coming out of turn four! Then finally, in 2004, Jon Henry was able to put his first full season in modified racing under his belt. "It took a lot of ups and downs to find success," admits Henry. "In 2007, I won my first track championship at Waynesfield. I followed that season up with 17 wins and a championship at Limaland in 2008 and also got in opportunity to race a UMP Late Model for Halcomb Racing out of Bluffton, OH."

In 2009 Halcomb racing and Jon Henry raced full time and were able to win 10 races and the American Late Model Series Championship and Rookie of the Year, which made history for the first champion to be a rookie! Henry Racing was back, after Halcomb and Jon split ways in 2009 and Jon purchased his own late model. "We struggled a lot in 2010, as I still split time from the late model and the modified. Our late model program was in the new stages and we really had a lot of learning ahead of us. After an up and down season I was still able to grab my fourth straight championship in a modified at the one and only Eldora Speedway. That championship got away from me in 2008 as I finished 2nd but two years later I finally got it" Henry speaks of his proud moment.

Jon Henry Racing Ltd. was established in the beginning of 2011 when the family realized they needed to start treating their racing endeavors more like a business instead of a hobby. Since then JHR has been able to knock off 12 wins, 24 Top-Five finishes and 26 Top-Ten finishes in 30 races. Jon is also on track to win his fifth straight championship as the team is currently leading the American Late Model Series, a championship he also won in 2009. Jon also adds "I have also started a program called "Share the Experience" which shares the ups and downs of racing in order to bring those experiences to fans, affiliates and young drivers for development. I have three cameras on my car ever night I race and I put a lot of hours editing these videos so all my fans can continue to follow our success even if they couldn't be at the track. Check it out at jonhenryracing.com"

Jon's success has not come easy. It's taken a lot of hard work and great people & products behind him. K&N Filters has been involved with JHR since 2008. "I introduced myself to the K&N team in 2008 at the PRI show in Orlando Florida. Since then we have built a great relationship and have continue to produce winning results together. The most important part of making our engines last longer is by keeping dirt out, and that's what K&N is able to do for us." Jon gets much needed support from his Father and Mentor, Jim Henry, adding, "my dad puts his heart and soul into our program and is the main reason I'm on the track." Jon also relies on childhood friend John McClain, "he's been good friend since we were kids and has always been around for a helping hand."

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.

2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Suzuki SX4 Models with 2.0L Engines Get Cost-Saving Reusable Air Filter

17 août 2011

Replacement Air Filter for 2010, 2011, 2012 to 2013 Suzuki SX4 2.0L

Replacement Air Filter for 2010, 2011, 2012 to 2013 Suzuki SX4 with 2.0L Engine

Sport compact vehicles have become a popular means of transportation for almost every commuter around the world. Any vehicle that gets less than 30 miles per gallon can get costly to operate. One way to increase fuel efficiency is to go smaller and lighter on every aspect of the vehicle.

Restriction Chart for 33-2463 Air Filter

Suzuki has found a way to create a vehicle that does not sacrifice space and performs well in its very competitive category. 2010, 2011, 2012 to 2013 Suzuki SX4 models are powered by a 2.0L 150 horsepower engine and backed by a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT automatic transmission, both of which are designed to maximize fuel economy.

K&N recognized this respectable vehicle as a candidate for a high flow air filter and manufactured part number 33-2463 specifically for the 2010, 2011, 2012 to 2013 SX4 with 2.0 liter engine. This air filter meets K&N's high quality standards and includes a million mile limited warranty to prove it.

Installation of the K&N 33-2463 air filter in a Suzuki SX4 is simple as the filter simply drops in the air box just like the OEM filter. Consumers purchase oil filters, tires, and wind shield wipers over and over but there's no need for this with an air filter. Invest in a K&N high flow air filter and enjoy the fact you will never buy another replacement air filter for that vehicle again.

K&N air filters offer excellent protection from dirt and debris for up to 50,000 miles before servicing is required depending on driving conditions. That's more than three times what some vehicle manufactures recommend when replacing the OEM replacement air filter. K&N air filters are also designed to increase horsepower and throttle response. Running K&N's 33-2463 in your 2010 or 2011 Suzuki SX4 can help it run better and it helps reduce the number of dirty paper air filters in our landfills.

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.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series Racer Dylan Kwasniewski Makes it Two in a Row at Montana Raceway Park

16 août 2011

Dylan Kwasniewski wins second K&N Pro Series West race in a row at Montana Raceway Park

Dylan Kwasniewski made history by becoming the youngest driver to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series race last week in Colorado. He made it look easy winning his second K&N Pro Series West race in a row at Montana Raceway Park on Saturday night.

The 16-year-old driver from Las Vegas became the youngest driver to win a K&N Pro Series race at Colorado National Speedway. He followed his historic win with another one at Montana Raceway Park in a field that included two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip. Kwasniewski led a race-high 99 laps and won the eighth race of the season for Gene Price Motorsports.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series Racer Dylan Kwasniewski

"It was a fantastic race. I knew we had the car to beat right off the bat," Kwasniewski said. "Once we passed Greg we got a comfortable lead. We came out with another win which was awesome."

Kwasniewski's Gene Price Motorsports teammate Greg Pursley has won six K&N Pro Series West races this year, giving the team eight wins in 11 races.

Pursley set fast time and started on the pole. He led the first 51 laps of the Toyota/TTC 150 at Montana Raceway Park. Kwasniewski started the race in third and passed Pursley for the lead on lap 52.

"He made a little bit of a mistake and we were able to get our nose in there and make a clean pass," Kwasniewski said. "Once we were ahead of everyone, we knew we were going to pull out a little bit and get a comfortable lead. And that's what we did."

Once out front, Kwasniewski pulled away from the rest of the field and stayed out front over a caution free run to the checkered flag. There were only two cautions in the race, the last coming when Daryl Harr spun out on lap 41.

Dylan Kwasniewski began the race in third and passed Greg Pursley for the lead on lap 52.

"I was definitely trying to push the limit at the beginning," Kwasniewski said. "I like having a comfortable lead, knowing that everyone else is far behind. Once we got out there and I knew that we had a straightaway lead, I kind of backed off a little bit." Cameron Hayley, in his K&N Pro Series West debut, was second. The 15-year-old from Calgary, Alberta, is the youngest driver to compete in a K&N Pro Series West race.

"We just came out here with an open mind," said Hayley, who was driving one of four cars in the race for Bill McAnally Racing. "Rob (Dixon), my crew chief, had it dialed in ever since practice. We went out there and qualified seventh. We rolled around there for a bit at the beginning, just to save my tires. I experimented with different grooves to see what was going to be best at the end. We had something for Dylan, but we were just a little too far back."

Eric Holmes was third and posted his sixth top-five finish of the season.

"It was a tough race," Holmes said. "We had a decent car at the very, very beginning of the race and then Dylan got by us. Figured I'd just ride and save something for the end. Hoping for a late-race caution. We didn't get it."

Pursley extended his lead in the K&N Pro Series West standings with a fourth-place finish. He has a 284-point lead over Moses Smith. Waltrip, driving for Bill McAnally Racing, was seventh.

The Toyota/TTC 150 from Montana Raceway Park will be broadcast on Speed on Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. ET.

The next K&N Pro Series West race is at Spokane County Raceway in Washington on Sept. 3.

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.

Todd Bertrand Earns 1st Career NEMA Win at the Angelillo Memorial Teammate Cabral Steals 2nd Place

16 août 2011

Waterford's winningest driver, Bertrand Motorsports' Randy Cabral stole second place with a stunning "hail Mary" move with only five laps to go.

This past Saturday 20-year old Todd Bertrand, driving the family owned, K&N sponsored No. 39 car, captured his first ever career NEMA victory at the Northeastern Midget Association's 25-lap Angelillo Memorial, contested at Waterford Speedowl's Wings and Wheels. The win made Todd the sixth different driver to get the checkered in a NEMA event in 2011.

Todd's older brother and Bertrand Motorsports team owner, Tim Bertrand, told K&N Race News, "It was awesome. This was one of the most emotional wins for me as a car owner in a long time - for Todd to win as a rookie, and for our family.

The win at the Angelillo Memorial Race was Todd Bertrand's first career NEMA victory and it came in his rookie year.

There were lots of tears all around! He never expected to win this early in his NEMA career."

"The win means so much because of the race, the Angelillos were so important to NEMA, and because Waterford is my favorite track," commented Todd after the race." The Angelillo Memorial Race was held in honor of Gene and Marilyn Angelillo. As car owners the Angelillos won a staggering 107 Northeastern Midget Association races over their three decade reign, leading to a total of 14 car owner championships, with only three drivers.

The team suspected something special might be brewing that night after Todd won his heat race. "We knew that we had a strong car at that point," added Tim.

Although the race clearly belonged to Todd, it was teammate Randy Cabral's extraordinary driving performance that nearly stole the show. Cabral was bunched in a group of drivers battling behind Todd, and with only five laps remaining, he pulled-off an astonishing, fan wooing, four-wide pass heading into turn three. Cabral holds the distinction of being Waterford's winningest driver to date.

Stewart Racing Engines had the Honda power-plants in perfect winning tune by race time.

"Randy drove an awesome race, we struggled in qualifying and had to start in the back of the pack," Tim added. "He passed many cars on the outside in the early stages of the race and pulled a 'hail Mary' move with five laps to go to take second in lapped traffic."

"My dad, my brother Pat, the entire crew, and Todd all worked really hard to get here," Tim remarked. "We had a problem with the Honda engine earlier this year and Jim Stewart from Stewart Racing Engines did an awesome job getting us fixed up and back on track."

Next up for Bertrand Motorsports is the Boston Louis Memorial race. "It's a very big event in memory of Boston Louis Seymour," said Tim, "He was a long time car owner and father of Bobby Seymour, a long time midget racing vet."

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.

K&N's Redemption Racing Shakes off the Muck at the Canadian MX Nationals

16 août 2011

Finding your line required the ability to decipher hieroglyphics.

It would necessitate some seriously sinister scheming to devise anymore challenging race conditions then the fourth round of the Canadian motocross series held in Morden, Manitoba. Thunderstorms rolled in Saturday night, causing torrential downpours and high winds, creating a deep, sticky, bike-gobbling, mud-a-thon of a track for Sunday's race. There was in fact so much muck, that one of Redemption Racing's casualties was a pressure washer, clearly over-worked by far too much equipment cleaning.

Thunderstorms and torrential downpours played havoc with the track in Morden, Manitoba.

Redemption Racing, the K&N sponsored Canadian motocross team, has only been in existence for a year. K&N Race News spoke with team owner, Josh Snider, to get his take on how things are progressing.

"I started Redemption Racing last year in 2010. I had been managing Team Faith from the U.S, in Canada, four years previously to making the decision to become a separate Canadian race team. This year I have a first year pro rider in the MX2 class, Eric Jeffery, and in the western ladies class I had Lauren Jung, from southern California, and I compete in the MX1 class with, Kelly Smith, joining us in MX1 for the final round of the series. Southern Ontario is where I grew up and where I call home, but I also spend a large amount of time in Alberta, where I work for the winters in the oil patch, so Lethbridge, Alberta is my second home."

The Manitoba mud two-step - spin, thrust and kick.

How many races are in your series, how far into the season are you, and how are things going overall?
"There are nine rounds in the Canadian series that go from West to East and we have completed in eight of them. I'm happy overall with how things have been going. Eric has moved himself up in the points 8 positions in the last two rounds. I'm having some good motos, but need to be more consistent. The MX1 class has a much deeper field this year which has made for closer racing. The ministry has been going excellent as well. There are always better ways to do things and better results to obtain as a team, but with every round the team has been working together and making improvements. We are all striving for the same goal and that's what makes a successful team."

After getting hosed off team owner Josh Snider and teammate Eric Jeffery are once more recognizable.

Just how brutal where the conditions at the Canadian MX Nationals and what are your feelings on how you finished considering the conditions?
"The conditions can be very brutal. We have had two mud races so far this year. The mud at Morden, Manitoba was heavy, deep and stuck like glue to the bike making it weigh a ton. Kamloops and Gopher Dunes are by far the roughest track on the series, there is no place to catch your breath, it's like riding a whoop section for the entire track. Some tracks have sprinkler systems that do a poor job and cause over watered muddy sections, yet other sections are so dry and dusty that vision is limited. I usually do well on the rougher tracks, especially in the second moto when it's the roughest. I find that I'm willing to fight longer through the conditions than some other riders. As long as I'm putting in my best effort I feel like I've done a good job regardless of the conditions."

Holding your line at the Canadian MX Nationals was a easy as walking along top of it.

You mention working on "holeshots" how's that going, and what sort of things do you do to practice starts?
"We have come close, but no holeshots yet. We have a bet going that if Eric or I get a holeshot, my dad, who has had a beard for 35-plus years will finally shave it off. So you know we're trying our hardest. We practice our starts with the same setup that we will use at the track for that particular weekend. We also practice them on the same soil type, or on a cement pad if it's a cement start, as well with a starting gate when possible, to practice our reaction time."

What's up next for Redemption Racing?
"The final round of the series in Walton, Ontario is on August, 21st. This is my home track, as I grew up thirty minutes away. It's always an exciting event because I have so many friends and family that come out to enjoy the day and support the team which makes for a good atmosphere. After the National series is over I head back to work in Alberta and eventually get prepared for Montreal Supercross in October, and then a few Arenacross series races in Chilliwack, British Columbia during the winter."

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.

Previous Page 1 ... 557 558 559 560 561 ... 1079 Next Page