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Shane Stewart Takes Two out of Three at East Bay Raceway Park

15 Mar 2012

Shane Stewart recently won two out of three checkered flags while competing in the King of the 360 Ronal Laney Memorial at East Bay Raceway in Florida.

After a string of races in Australia, Shane Stewart didn't let any grass grow under his feet upon returning back to the states. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame's 360 Driver of the Year had no intentions of doing anything less than taking over where he had left off at the 2011 season's end. In fact, the driver headed to the East Bay Raceway Park, where he took two out of three King of the 360 Ronal Laney Memorial feature events during the weekend.

"I came into the Ronal Laney Memorial pretty confident coming off the way I had just run at AU," recalled Stewart. "We ended the sprint car series with a couple of good finishes, and I ran very well in the Chris Luck/Joe Gaetre/DDN/GLR Investments/Red Line Oil 3G in the past, so I knew what we were capable of."

After a strong heat on Thursday night, Stewart lined up in the third row of the feature. By the fourth lap, the driver had muscled his way to the third position, behind Lou Kennedy Sr. and Terry McCarl (T-MAC), where he waited for the opportunity to move into the lead. Finally, during the eleventh lap, Stewart took advantage of a mistake made by the two leading drivers, captured the lead, and took the checkered flag.

Returning the next night, the reigning Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Champion, prepared to battle with the same stout field of drivers. Aboard his Media Tile/GLR/Hoosier Tire rig, Stewart once again worked his way to the front of the pack and took his second victory of the weekend.

Shane Stewart recently returned to Australia t race and return to the states after Easter.

Although starting on the last row Shane Stewart worked his way to a third place finish, scoring him the top point earner for the second time during the three-day event, and placing him in the third spot in the feature after the redraw.

When the waving of the green flag deemed the feature underway, T-Mac took an early lead, but Stewart managed to maneuver his way past the driver by the third lap. Holding on to the lead, the driver took his second victory, in turn earning him the pole starting position for the 40-lap finale of the event.

Lining up for the finale, Stewart took an early lead. Although taking precautions to preserve his tires, the driver experienced a flat in the thirty-first lap, causing him to fall back to the fourth position. His team changed the right rear tire and the driver lined up in the rear of the field with six laps to go. Stewart managed to work his way back to the seventh spot before the waving of the checkered flag.

When asked if his recent stint in Australia had an effect on his upcoming races, Stewart explained that he still had races scheduled and at the time of the interview was already back to Down Under. "Australia has gone very well for us so far; I say has gone, because I have a few more races back down here for Luch Monte before I return back to the states after Easter. I won the first two races when I was down here back in December in the Kratzman 77, and this past weekend I won the Krikke Boys Shootout with the Monte Team."

Shane Stewart is looking forward to returning to the states and anticipates a successful 2012 season.

When asked for a description of the Venues he has been visiting in Australia, Stewart continued, "Everything is smaller in AU than it is in the States. You get to see some different types of venues, as well as haulers down here. It's a great environment to race in as the fans are awesome, love racing and are very supportive."

As fans here in the United States gear up for the 2012 season, Shane Stewart and his team are anticipating another successful year. "The key to success will be the same as it is every year," Stewart said. "Take the season one race at a time, and focus on each event where we are racing. Keeping that mindset forces you to make each night its own individual season and not overlook anything."

When asked his plans for this season, Shane Stewart shared, "2012 is going to be different for sure, I am not running with any specific series, so I will be racing all over, trying to win as many races as possible." When asked if there was an event that he was anticipating, the driver continued, "Without a doubt, I am looking forward to the Knoxville Nationals. The last few years we have been right in the thick of things, and stood on the podium the last two years. Last year we had one of the best cars all week, and I can't wait to get back there and see if we can end up on top of the box on Saturday night."

As they have during previous seasons, Shane Stewart and his crew will depend upon K&N products to keep an adequate air flow and a high volume of oil running through his engine while keeping the internal components contaminant free. "For the last few years we have utilized K&N air filters, oil filters and filter cleaner," explained the driver. "In our sport maintenance and preparation are huge, so we only use the best to prep our cars with the best chances of standing in victory lane on a nightly basis."

In closing, Shane Stewart said, "I'm excited to get back to the states and compete in front of all my sponsors and fans in 2012. We have had a lot of good runs and good times in the past few years, and I am looking forward to the same type of success this year."

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.

Select 2005 to 2012 Mercedes Benz Models Get Performance from K&N Air Filter

15 Mar 2012

Replacement Air Filter for select 2005-2012 Mercedes diesel sedans and SUVs.

The emblematic three-pointed star, the Mercedes-Benz trademark, has symbolized a lineage of truly iconic vehicles for over 100 years, tracing back to the very first automobile patented in 1886 by Carl Benz. For this reason, like it or not, every vehicle carries an element of that DNA. There can, after all, only be one originator.

The Mercedes-Benz ancestry paved the way not only for performance and uncompromising luxury, but they also continue to lead the field for safety technology. Many ground-breaking visions were first made a reality by Mercedes-Benz, which deeply influenced the development of the automobile to this day. Some of these pioneering innovations include the anti-lock braking system (ABS, 1978), the airbag (1980) and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP, 1995). While today, many cutting-edge assistance systems continue to make the car models from Mercedes Benz the safest automobiles in the world.

Restriction Chart for 33-2973 Air Filter

At the upper reaches of the car buying spectrum, Mercedes-Benz owners are some of the most fiercely brand loyal. Those same intensely devoted owners may find it difficult to fathom that their impression of vehicular excellence can become even more effectively perfect by making one uncomplicated change. Select Mercedes-Benz models from the 2005 E420 to 2012 GL450 can now take one step closer to car nirvana with a K&N 33-2973 high-performance air filter replacement. These vehicles are equipped with dual inlets, therefore K&N part 33-2973 includes two air filters.

By replacing the factory installed air filter with a K&N 33-2973 high-performance reusable replacement, owners will be rewarded with performance and power, while providing their Mercedes with legendary K&N air filtration.

This reusable, one-time purchase air filter is a direct replacement for the stock OEM air filter, so no modifications of any sort will be necessary. K&N 33-2973 replacement air filters are designed to add power and performance to your Mercedes. They allow air to flow with less restriction than typical paper air filters while providing outstanding air filtration. These performance air filters come with K&N's Million Mile Limited Warranty so the cycles of buying air filters and throwing them away are over. In addition K&N reusable air filters can travel for up to 50,000 untroubled miles before they require cleaning depending on driving conditions.

K&N 33-2973 fits the following:

2012 Mercedes Benz GL450 4.0L
2011 Mercedes Benz S450 4.0L diesel
2011 Mercedes Benz ML450 4.0L diesel
2011 Mercedes Benz GL450 4.0L diesel
2010 Mercedes Benz S450 4.0L diesel
2010 Mercedes Benz ML450 4.0L diesel
2010 Mercedes Benz GL450 4.0L diesel
2009 Mercedes Benz S450 4.0L diesel
2009 Mercedes Benz S420 4.0L diesel
2009 Mercedes Benz ML450 4.0L diesel
2009 Mercedes Benz ML420 4.0L diesel
2009 Mercedes Benz GL450 4.0L diesel
2009 Mercedes Benz GL420 4.0L diesel
2009 Mercedes Benz E420 4.0L diesel
2008 Mercedes Benz S420 4.0L diesel
2008 Mercedes Benz ML420 4.0L diesel
2008 Mercedes Benz GL420 4.0L diesel
2008 Mercedes Benz E420 4.0L diesel
2007 Mercedes Benz S420 4.0L diesel
2007 Mercedes Benz ML420 4.0L diesel
2007 Mercedes Benz GL420 4.0L diesel
2007 Mercedes Benz E420 4.0L diesel
2006 Mercedes Benz S420 4.0L diesel
2006 Mercedes Benz ML420 4.0L diesel
2006 Mercedes Benz GL420 4.0L diesel
2006 Mercedes Benz E420 4.0L diesel
2005 Mercedes Benz E420 4.0L diesel

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 Brings David Vizard's How to Build Horsepower Seminar to Southern California

15 Mar 2012

David Vizard's seminar will be held at UTI's Rancho Cucamonga, CA facility.

Engines are very complex, intricate pieces of machinery that contain hundreds of individual parts. In order for an engine to make good power and performance, you need to select the right combination of parts that will work well together. In fact, it can take an engine builder many years (and usually thousands of dollars) to gain knowledge and experience to identify which combinations work, and which ones do not.

David Vizard has more than 50 years of experience in engine design and development, with one goal in mind - finding the right combinations of parts that deliver peak power and performance.

David Vizard has more than 50 years of experience in engine design and development, with one goal in mind - finding the right combinations of parts that deliver peak power and performance. And now, David and K&N are excited to offer both seasoned and amateur engine builders the opportunity to learn new, unique skills to take their engines to the next performance level. On April 20-22, 2012 David will present his acclaimed lecture series "How to Build Horsepower" at Universal Technical Institute in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

This weekend-long, 16 hour lecture focuses on finding additional power output from an engine in areas that may have gone overlooked, or were misunderstood by the engine builder. David has the unique gift of explaining very complex, technical concepts by breaking them down into smaller chunks of knowledge that will make you wonder why you never thought of that before! Follow along in David's 144 page book as he explains the technical side of camshaft specs, the valve event, compression ratios, and more.

The David Vizard "How to Build Horsepower" seminar will be held at Universal Technical Institute, 9494 Haven Ave., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730. The weekend will begin Friday evening at K&N, with a social event planned for conference attendees. K&N is located at 1455 Citrus St., Riverside, CA 92507. Please join us for a weekend full of knowledge transfer, technical insights, and plenty of bench racing. To register for this seminar, or to receive more information, please visit davidvizardseminars.com or look at the How to build Horsepower Ad.

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.

2012 LODRS Stock Eliminator Victory at Firebird Int'l Raceway Goes to Scott Burton

14 Mar 2012

Scott Burton's Stock Eliminator at Firebird represented a perfect execution in his dial soft strategy.

A couple of weeks ago when we spoke with Burton Racing it was regarding Brad Burton claiming the Stock Wally at the 2012 Winternationals in Pomona, California. This time we talked with Brad's dad, Scott. The father-son team has been competing at NHRA National and Divisional events together since 2005, and so far this season they are spreading the wealth squarely.

"The Arizona Division 7 win was a big win for our team," acknowledged Scott. "Brad and I are off to a great start to the 2012 season. We are hopeful that our early success will carry through the rest of the year."

In Stock Eliminator at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Pacific Division event at Firebird International Raceway, a 0.004 difference in reaction times is all that stood between Scott and Michael Brand II. However, Scott ran 0.001 to his dial, giving him a three-foot squeaker of a win. Scott earned the 2012 LODRS 7-2 Stock Eliminator title with a 10.371 ET at 122.11 mph, piloting his 1971 Formula Firebird.

It appears as though you were dialed in just a bit better. Give us few insights about the race from your perspective and about your dialing wisdom.

"Regarding dial-ins, my son Brad and I do a lot of weekend bracket racing, we race almost every weekend. To be good at this sport you need a lot of repetition, or as we call it - seat time. The more you do anything the better you are going to get at it. Good knowledge of your car and paying close attention to the ever changing weather conditions allows you to get very close on dial-in predictions."

"In the final round and throughout most of the race, I would dial the car .02 slower than I thought it would run knowing that if I ran it out, I would break-out. This technique is known as being soft, holding or sand bagging on your dial-in. The key to being successful in a dialing soft strategy is knowing that you must slow down on the other end of the track, to kill, or scrub a little ET off."

Scott has been competing in Stock Eliminator since 1998, his 1971 Pontiac Formula Firebird continues to get-it-done thanks in part to solid car preparation and using K&N products.

"Having a faster car makes it easier to use a dial soft strategy. If you stand at the finish line at any drag race you will see many racers racing this way. Most drivers will catch their opponent, get inches ahead of them, and then use the throttle or drag the brakes to maintain a tight margin at the finish line. There are many pro's and con's to a dialing soft strategy, and I like to change it up and dial very honest at times, so my opponents don't know exactly how I will race each round. In the final round race against Michael Brand, I caught him early enough in the race to blip the throttle three or four times knowing that I had killed some ET at the other end, and I hoped it was enough to keep from breaking out. At the end of the day, a little luck is important in going 7 rounds and winning a race."

Did you do anything in particular to your car or program during the off season to account for your terrific start to 2012?

"Car preparation is extremely important in being successful in any type of racing. This year my car got a new Pontiac 400 short-block, and new front shocks. Generally, with a NHRA Stock eliminator car you start the season with a fresh overhauled engine, transmission and rear-end. You can run a whole season with nothing more than general maintenance. Oil and K&N filter changes every 50 runs. I like to do as much of my maintenance as I can at home in my garage, and I do very little at the track. Brad and I will go down the ¼-mile around 300 times a year, if we are going rounds and winning races."

What's the rest of the season schedule look like for the Burton Racing team?

"As for the rest of the year, Brad and I plan on running a full NHRA schedule, as well bracket racing at our local home tracks. My next race will be the Division 7 Lucas Oil Points race in Las Vegas. Brad, my wife Diane, and daughter Alyssa will join me the following weekend in Las Vegas for the SummitRacing.com Nationals in Las Vegas (March 30 - April 1). I can't predict how well we will do in the coming months, but I do know we will have a lot of fun with family and friends."

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.

Ryan Herem Takes the NHRA Super Street Championship at Firebird International

14 Mar 2012

With the second generation driver at the wheel, the 1969 Chevy Camaro that is a part of the Herem family's racing stable found its way to the final round of Super Street during the 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway after Ryan Herem battled his way through the rounds by showing some fantastic driving skills.

Herem is no stranger to NHRA National event finals after successfully duking it out in 2011 at the most prestigious event each season on the NHRA schedule, the U.S. Nationals, where he slipped behind the wheel of Craig Anderson's K&N Corvette to take the Super Gas victory. Herem currently competes in Super Gas in a Corvette of his own, as well as the 10.90 Super Street class in the 1969 Camaro equipped with a 555ci BBC that is more than capable of sliding into the 9.90 category itself.

I used to run the Camaro in Super Gas before I started running the roadster.

"I used to run the Camaro in Super Gas before I started running the roadster," said the K&N racer from Quartz Hills, California. "At Phoenix, the Camaro has about 146 MPH on the stop and there are only maybe five or six guys during that event that had a little mile-per-hour on me. So most of the time, I was doing the chasing and I'm really happy where the car is at right now."

During Herem's most recent NHRA National event, he was very pleased during qualifying or time trials for his Super Street car. "I had changed a bunch of stuff around on the car, so when I went out for the very first pass, everything was a really lucky guess," he explained. "So having a 10.915 and .015 on the tree, I was really happy with starting off there and having that close of a run to start with. When I came back for the second pass, I had a better light and was .915 again. Everything just seemed to be working really good actually all weekend, the only hiccup I had with that car was in the final, where it really threw a curveball at me."

Both time runs for Super Street were held during Friday's festivities and first round wouldn't come until Saturday morning, where Ryan was able to get by and begin to prepare for round two much later in the evening. Now on a ladder for round two, Herem would be paired with Chad Barclay in his 1970 Ford Maverick, who had the starting line advantage and just never seemed to look over his shoulder and took a huge chunk of the stripe for a 10.846 on the 10.90 index to send Herem safely on to round three with his 10.915.

Next came Kyle Lawrence who managed to hold .013 from hit of the tree, but was unable to run the number on an extremely consistent Herem and his 1969 Camaro. Herem just three thousandths of a second difference from his day before reaction time and a nice 10.908 during round three sent him to a very pivotal quarter-final round and a chance to earn a bye into the championship round.

The car had been incredible all weekend, very dial-able.

"That was a big round," he admitted. "Especially moneywise when you think about it, going from a possible four hundred to four thousand real quick, just if you can earn the bye to the final. Winning that round and knowing that I was already going to the final was definitely easier on the nerves."

It was quickly over and decided in the semifinals as to who would get the all-important bye when Steve Parsons turned it the wrong color on the tree by .008 and that fast, Herem was going to another NHRA National Event final round, this time a little closer to home.

After a normal semi-final bye, with a good light paired with a time that Herem was shooting for, how the car acted in the final round still leaves Herem baffled to this day. "Man, the car just really picked up quite a bit," he explained. "I don't know why, I'm actually still trying to figure it all out. The car had been incredible all weekend, very dial-able. Because of that, I just totally put my trust in it and it really picked up. It was just a major brain malfunction at both ends of the track. Having that bad of a round in the final round and it's not my first, in all honesty I didn't deserve to win driving like that."

Herem missed this tree to the eventual winner, Ray Drew and while trying to hold him off came out on the wrong side of a double breakout time slip, but with a good handful of both NHRA National and Divisional wins already to the young driver's credit, it's shouldn't be long before we see him acquire his next.

While Herem takes good care of the engines in both his winning race cars, he's also very particular about the motorhome that gets him to the events. "Both cars have K&N air and oil filters and I know K&N has their new fuel filter available and I've been reading and hearing a lot about it. That will be the very next item to get installed on both cars," he pointed out. "Anything that I can protect with a K&N filter is a major plus as each of their products that I have used, have always been second to none. I also just installed a new K&N Heavy Duty air filter on my motorhome and it really made a difference in fuel mileage. It all adds up and the trip to Phoenix was the first trip with it installed. Over past trips to the same track, just as a comparison, the new K&N Heavy Duty air filter seemed to give my motorhome a drastic pick up in fuel mileage. I am so very happy with being able to pick up such great advantage like that by making such a small, simple change."

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.