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Jonathan Allard started 15 races in New Zealand and won 11, in the other four he ran second twice, finished fourth once, and had just one DNF.
The first time Chico, California native, Jonathan Michael Allard ventured to the other side of the planet to race was 2004. On that trip he raced in Australia, it's easy to remember because that was also his first full year racing the World of Outlaws. The exact year he started racing in New Zealand isn't as simple to pin down.
"I've made the trip to New Zealand for a few years now," said Allard. "I love the atmosphere the tracks provide. With 10,000 plus people on hand any given night, it's an amazing place to race. We are also very fortunate to have the races on prime time TV every week throughout the year. The competition was tough all through the season because there are many local competitors that know how to win. We also had Sammy Swindel and Donny Shatz from the U.S. competing in many of the events."
With the competition getting tougher each year it makes Allard's accomplishments even that more impressive, in 15 race starts, Allard saw the checkered-flag first a total of 11 times. In the four races he didn't win, he ran second twice, finished fourth once, and had just a single DNF.
"I can't say enough about my guys," said Allard. "This car was bad fast since the day we hit the track back in December. I can't thank the good people at the Porter Group, Hydraulink, Albany Toyota, Valvoline and K&N enough for making this trip possible. The Porter Group/Hydraulink team that I race for is different than the team I race for here in the U.S.," continued Allard.
The Allard Motorsports team is based around Allard running and maintaining the team car. "It's a major undertaking, but it has been great challenge for me to take that on, I have learned a lot building and maintaining the cars," said Allard. "I put to use all the knowledge I've learned over the years to win in New Zealand, now it's time to apply what I've learned to our U.S. based team. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of such an achievement in New Zealand."
Allard's 2012 season in the U.S. started the day after arriving back from New Zealand.
"It's great to jump in to racing straight away! We are very excited for the season ahead. Our goal for this year is to win races. If you win races the championships will follow. We Also want to promote our team and our products we use on the car. It's very important to our team to let the fans and competitors know what products we utilize to win races. We will accomplish this with our new promotion team headed up by PJ Peterson. We will now be better able to reach out to the public and other forums in and outside the racing venues."
"I look to have a successful 2012 season to come," adds Allard. "I'd like to take the opportunity to thank our friends at K&N for providing such great products for our team. We are on the cutting edge with the long term reliability that it takes to win races and championships! K&N has always been very involved with our team and provides us with situation of feeling like family! I feel grateful to be a part of that family."
The 2010 American Modified Series Rookie of the Year said his first ever win on one of the most prestigious tracks in the United States was huge for him and his family.
Few things in racing, or in life, inspire anymore emotion than that moment of perception when you realize you're living a childhood dream. For Campbellsville, Kentucky's Elliott Despain his field of dreams is a quarter-mile dirt oval track located inside Jackson County Fairgrounds called Brownstown Speedway. Despain ventured to the Brownstown, Indiana speedway and came away with his first ever victory at the hallowed grounds.
The season opening win at Brownstown Speedway was Elliott Despain's first ever at the legendary dirt oval.
"It was very big!" exclaimed Despain. "I went from a kid playing with cars in the stands to getting a win in my car on the track. All of our hard work during the winter has really paid off so far. I have been going to Brownstown since I was a kid and it is one of the most prestigious tracks in the United States."
Despain, driving in the No. 75 car owned by his parents, Billy and Lisa, began his evening by winning his heat and subsequently started on the front row of the Modified Feature event. "I would like to thank all of my sponsors, my mom and dad, my fiancé, and all of my crew guys: Dale, Mike, Terry, and Uncle Danny. My whole family has been coming here for a long-time and it feels great to finally get a win here at Brownstown. The track was excellent and we look forward to coming back."
The Despain Motorsports crew said they didn't do anything different to their car during the off season, except put a new body on and check over every inch of the year to insure it's ready to go for 2012.
The Despain Motorsports crew and their No. 75 Lucas Oil Products sponsored race car, featuring K&N products, have been coming to Brownstown for over five years and this 2012 season opening victory carries them along with plenty of positive momentum.
"I have no idea exactly how many times we've raced at Brownstown throughout the five years," said Despain. "This time we got a really good draw and I got to start on the pole of our heat race. We won the heat and were again on the pole of the feature. A great car combined with a little bit of luck, everything worked out for us."
Did you do anything different to your car during the off season?
"No, not really. We just continued our every year winter routine. We put a new body on the car and did a check over the entire car just to make sure everything was right."
The 2010 American Modified Series Rookie of the Year and the Despain Motorsports team head back to Brownstown Speedway this weekend to see if they can keep things on a winning track.
Brazil's Nelson Piquet Jr. wins Widow Wax 125 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee
Nelson Piquet Jr. is the first driver from Brazil to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race. He won Saturday's Widow Wax 125 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, leading a race-high 62 laps and holding off Ryan Blaney on a green-white-checkered flag finish.
Piquet won the pole and led the first 35 laps of the race. Chase Elliott took the lead from Piquet on lap 36, but Elliott and Blaney collided on lap 76. The damage to Elliott's car forced him to pit. Blaney stayed on the track and raced with the leaders the rest of the way.
Nelson Piquet Jr. winning the first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race of the season
Blaney and Corey LaJoie battle for the lead until lap 101. LaJoie cut a tire and had to pit. Piquet moved back into the lead and held it for the final 27 laps.
"Stayed in control most of the race," said Piquet, a driver for X Team Racing. "In the middle we had a little issue, started getting a little loose. I was also probably not at my best on restarts and on giving space. It's still something that I'm learning, how much space I should give to the guy on the inside, on the outside. That's something that's going to come with time."
Piquet is a regular in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and is planning on racing in two Nationwide Series races this year. He has confirmed rides for the races at Road America and Watkins Glen. He said he has plans to race more in the Nationwide Series.
As for the K&N Pro Series East, Piquet said he is looking to return, perhaps for the race at Richmond International Raceway in April, but has no definite plans yet.
In the race at Bristol, Piquet said he needed to correct some early mistakes to win it in the closing laps. "I managed to get my act together at the end of the race, get my positions back, hold it and bring it in to victory lane," Piquet said.
Piquet is the son of Nelson Piquet, a three-time Formula One champion from Brazil. Piquet Jr. said he talked to his dad after the race at Bristol. "My dad called me, spoke to him a little bit," Piquet Jr. said. "He didn't see the race because it wasn't live in Brazil. I think he was pretty happy."
Blaney led one lap in the race, after knocking Elliott out of the race on lap 76. Blaney, the son of former NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Dave Blaney, apologized to Elliott after the race and said his team made key adjustments to his car midway through the race.
"First half of the race we were a little bit too loose for my liking and we couldn't really make up any ground on the leaders," Blaney said.
After the first round of pit stops, Blaney said his crew gave him a near-perfect car. "We were the best car on the track after six, seven laps," Blaney said. "It just took a little bit to get going. That's where Nelson beat us. He could get going really, really quick."
Ryan Gifford finished third. "It was fun today," Gifford said after the race on Saturday. "We had a real good car. I don't know if we had one to get up there and race with those guys. We were a little too free the whole time. That's good. That's an improvement from last year. I think we can come together and win a race here before the year is over. I'm really excited, realty pumped up and ready for Greenville."
Travis Pastrana, an X Games and rally car champion, made his first NASCAR start of 2012. He finished 12th. Elliott recovered from his mid-race collision and finished 10th. LaJoie dropped back in the field and finished a lap down in 22nd.
The next NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race is Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina on March 31.
Jarred Browne's K&N supported bike was ready to go and once the nagging injuries heal, so will be Browne. Photo by Vurbmoto.
As the winner of the "2011 Team Manager Award," Christina Denny has established she has a polished knack for resourcefulness. In her position as team manager for Rock River Powersports located in Jefferson, Wisconsin, those skills have served the team well. As a newly formed team, 2011 reset the bar for the young professional motocross team on several levels. Along with Denny becoming the first woman ever to be honored with the manger of the year award, team rider, Alexah Pearson won the rookie of the year.
2011 Team Manager Award winner, Christina Denny and part of her team walk the track at St. Louis Supercross. Photo by Vurbmoto.
In 2012 Denny has added yet another talent to her resume, as fulfiller of dreams, specifically, Clint Quesinberry's dream. "As a participant and huge fan of the sport I feel that there are many things that go unseen to the public world of motocross racing," remarked Quesinberry. "I always wonder about all the behind the scenes action of what the riders and teams go through throughout the week, and on race day, to make it all happen. I feel that there's a lot we are missing as fans and I wanted to see more of what I was missing."
According to Denny, Vurbmoto offered Quesinberry the opportunity to choose a team to follow around for a day at the St. Louis Supercross event and Quesinberry choose Denny. "After obtaining the internship with Vurbmoto to work in the media industry for the day at St. Louis SX, I thought it would be awesome to see if I could see the team side of things as well. I thought it would make for a great story for Vurbmoto and also a great experience for me as well," Quesinberry told K&N News.
Seth Caldwell's bike stands along with his Rock River Powersports teammates. Photo by Vurbmoto.
"I have always wanted to work for a team, but do not have the skills to be a mechanic. I wasn't sure what other jobs teams have, but I thought this would be a great opportunity to find out. I got in touch with Christina and pitched the idea of following her team for the day to see everything that they do. She thought the idea was great and was more than willing to let me follow the team around and she included me in pretty much everything throughout the day. The insight I gained was great! I would be in heaven to just wash the bikes for a team like hers. I can't stress enough about how welcoming Christina and the entire team were. I have nothing but the upmost respect for them. I hope that I have a chance to work with the team again in the future, with Vurbmoto or any other way."
Rock River Powersports team mission statement is essentially to support riders from their PW50 years through their 450 Supercross years. Rock River's program does not focus on a single rider, although winning a title would be a dream for the team, they are more interested in helping young talent step into the professional ranks and make a career out of racing. Few things shine a more positive light on not only Rock River and Vurbmoto, but the entire Supercross series, than fulfilling an enthusiastic fans dreams and sharing the exuberance.
Team mechanic, Steven Doss, taking a bike through inspection. Photo by Vurbmoto.
Does she now entertain the notion of fulfilling more dreams? "Yes, I would certainly do this again," said Denny. "Giving someone from the outside an opportunity to experience a day at the races is an excellent opportunity to grow this sport. The more that people get to see the ins-and-outs of racing, the better, and what it can do for our team is limitless. All it does is help promote our team, riders and sponsors in a different light. Giving any chance to market and promote those who help our team is what I look for, along with giving Clint the chance to live out a dream as well."
Now in the middle of their 2012 Supercross season Denny reflects about her team, "Despite the injuries that both Jarred Browne and Ben LaMay have gone through, I couldn't be happier. We are having a tough time getting through to the mains every week, but not for lack of trying. It is super stacked and everything has to line up perfect to make it through to one of those 20 spots on the gate."
"Currently we are moving forward and getting bikes ready for MX," adds Denny. "We are going to continue the SX Series all the way through Vegas. We are excited to have the addition of WMX rider, Amanda Maheu."
Former K&N Horsepower Challenge Champion Allen Johnson
After being a very familiar face to the Pro Stock pole position for numerous races, former K&N Horsepower Challenge Champion, Allen Johnson returned to the top spot in grand style after waiting twelve long events to do so with a career best E.T. of 6.486, the nineteenth career No. 1 and his first at the prestigious 2012 GatorNationals in Gainesville, Florida.
Allen Johnson at the 2012 GatorNationals in Gainesville, Florida
As Pro Stock qualifying progressed, for the 43rd annual Tire Kingdom NHRA GatorNationals at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, it could have been any number of drivers heading into Sunday's eliminations sitting on top of the ladder. The sought after top spot and $3,000 bonus from K&N changed hands several times starting with Erica Enders and her 6.555 out of the gate during session number one on Friday only to be bumped by the 6.545 at 211.46 MPH, that current L&N Horsepower Challenge leader, Jason Line laid down later in the day.
Not to be counted out was eventual number one qualifier, Allen Johnson from Greeneville, Tennessee. Johnson also made a move during the second session on Friday, matching Line's 6.545 only to land at number two due to being just a little behind in the mile-per-hour department, which is used as a tiebreaker for identical qualifying E.T.'s.
With a much cooler track temperature than the afternoon pass the previous day, teams were ready to see some quicker numbers for Saturday's first session and Johnson was calling for some 6.48's to come up on the board before the cars ever went down the track. And not only was he correct in his prediction, he nailed one himself with his 2012 Mopar Dodge Avenger.
All professional, as well as some sportsman classes, are assigned lanes for qualifying sessions, alternating from one side to the other. Johnson was quite happy to be going into the right lane for Saturday's first session. "The right lane was better and we happened to have it for the best session on Saturday morning," explained Johnson. "That 6.486 was my personal best."
When the afternoon and final session was in the books, Johnson was able to hold on to his number one and remain as one of only two teams that were able to muster E.T.'s dipping down into the 6.40-range, which included Jason Line's 6.490.
With all of the varying weather conditions that teams are thrown from one session to the next, let alone tracks such as Gainesville where teams noted that they needed to make extra adjustments depending on which lane they were going to run, Johnson points out the numerous changes that they can make on their Pro Stock entries. "It's unbelievable, just within the clutch, the gear ratio and the transmission," he said. "Right there, well there's ten to fifteen different decisions to make and then you have your tire size and four-link positions, leave RPM, your carb jetting and so on. You can kind of overcome a bad lane by using less clutch and changing your leave RPM. The left lane at Gainesville was a little "balder" which you would lose more of your initial traction, so you had to be really careful or you would blow the tires off."
Johnson is hoping to add another K&N Horsepower Challenge Championship later this summer to the one he won in 2009. With his latest number one qualifier, which not only earned him the $3,000 Low Qualifier check from K&N Engineering, but it also added the maximum one hundred seventy-five points to his total for the 2012 shootout, he remains solidly in the standings for a shot to race for the biggest single payday in all of NHRA Pro Stock and a shot at the $50,000 championship check that will go to the winner of the K&N Horsepower Challenge in July.
"You know we just appreciate K&N and all that they do for us," said Johnson, who still proudly wears and shows off his 2009 K&N Champion Ring. "From the qualifying bonuses they pay and the whole very special program in itself for the Pro Stock class. K&N and the people behind it are just awesome and we just can't thank them enough."
From the lower lands and moister air of Florida the teams will regroup and make many of those changes Johnson spoke of to their hot rods, for the next event on the 2012 NHRA schedule, when they head to drier air at "The Strip" at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the 13th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals March 30-April 1. The Las Vegas event will start the home stretch of just eight events left to gain points for the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge set to be held during the NHRA national event at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, July 5-8.
