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K&N has a long history of working with NHRA, from the K&N Horsepower Challenge to developing the intake system that the Pro Stock class must use, K&N and NHRA are the perfect example of a symbiotic relationship.

Since its birth, K&N has been making air filters that can handle the stresses of race environments. From racing motorcycles in the dry, dusty Baja California environment to going 200+ mph for over three hours, K&N products are built to last. So it is no surprise that NHRA and K&N have such a long history of working together.

Along with being the official filter of NHRA, K&N was also named the title sponsor of the Route 66 Nationals.

K&N has always had a good relationship with NHRA and that was just taken to the next level. At this weekend’s K&N Filters Route 66 Nationals, the announcement was made that K&N Filters is now the official filter and air intake of NHRA. “This is an exciting time for K&N,” said Tony Yorkman, Senior Sports Marketing Manager for K&N Engineering. “NHRA is an American staple and we are proud to be a part of it.”

“K&N has been a terrific partner of NHRA drag racing for many decades and we are proud to name K&N the Official Filter and Air Intake of the NHRA,” said Brad Gerber, NHRA vice president and chief development officer. “Through announcements like these, K&N continues to reinforce its elite level of commitment and dedication to the greater NHRA racing community.”

This isn’t the first time K&N has worked closely with NHRA. Currently, K&N is the title sponsor of the Horsepower Challenge, which is a race within a race that gives Pro Stock drivers the opportunity to race for a chance to win $50,000. More recently, K&N worked with NHRA, chassis builders, and teams to design, develop, and manufacture the spec’d intake system for the Pro Stock class.

“Sponsoring events and racers gives us the opportunity to prove our hard work,” explained Bert Heck, Performance Kits Manager for K&N Engineering. “The fans of NHRA, who are aligned with our demographics, see that the cars on the track are using our filters and they can feel confident in knowing they are choosing the right product for their vehicles.”

No Downton Abbey here. JR powers past the stately Goodwood Manor House and the massive display of this year’s event sponsor

It was a sound that reverberated off of every tree, building, and person, at once familiar and yet foreign. Certainly the mostly English crowd at the Goodwood Festival of Speed had heard plenty of American V-8s, but this one was so impressive the announcer dubbed it the best sounding car at the event.

Vaughn greets many fans, some who already knew him, and others who became fans after watching him drive

The car was a Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5 Concept driven by American drifting ace Vaughn Gittin Jr. The engine that impressed the crowd so much was a Ford Motorsports Aluminator XS 5.0L V8 pumped full of power-granting air by a Vortec supercharger, producing 750 hp. This wasn’t Vaughn’s usual 900 horsepower Formula D machine but a car built to demonstrate his company’s capabilities as well as those of the component parts like Magnaflow, Nitto tires, American Racing, ASD Motorsports, and K&N oil and air filters.

Who’d have thought our own notorious Fan-Haver  would ever garner so much attention at the very traditional Good Festival of Speed.

And it’s not as though the Mustang were being compared to just a couple of street cars. Participating were Le Mans cars, Formula 1 cars, WRC cars, and even a Dakar Rally truck. But how does a drift Mustang end up with a group of such thoroughbreds? The theme for this year’s Festival of Speed was ‘Flat-Out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’.  If that doesn’t describe drifting in general and Vaughn in specific, I don’t know what does.

Details, detail. Even just one psi off can change the handling of a drfit car

And speaking of Vaughn, he grew up in Maryland; thousands of miles from the Japanese sport of drifting that had taken hold in California. Without the competition, practice sessions, and exchange of information the California drivers had, Vaughan had to teach himself. And when the time came to come West for some of the first competitions, he impressed. He won two exhibition events against the Japanese D1 drivers, and then won a full-on D1GP from the Japanese, the first and only American to do so. He currently leads the US standings. Definitely the right guy to send to England to represent.

JR blankets the VIPs in the high-bucks suites in Nitto tire smoke

Vaughn then started a company to build street-legal high performance Mustangs and components based on his experience and knowledge. That company, RTR (Ready to Rock), is responsible for constructing the car that impressed the British crowd so much at Goodwood.

Vaughn kicks his RTR Mustang sideways on what he described as “Lord March’s driveway”.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a 1.61 mile, 9 turn hill climb, which Vaughn described in a Facebook posted as the “track aka Lord March's driveway here at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is very narrow and has very little room for error! Extra danger means extra fun!”

Featuring a mix of significant historic and modern racing cars and motorcycles held on the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England June 23 – 26. First run in 1993, the event would attract a few thousand spectators; it currently draws crowds of around 100,000 on each of three days.

Every car makes two runs on each of the three days. Vaughn made sure to give the crowd their money’s worth on each pass, power-sliding up the drive and bouncing the motor off the rev limiter. On his final run on the last day, he really gave the crowd a thrill when he dropped his left rear wheel off the road and into a ditch and dislodged his rear bumper.  He starting dragging the loose bumper down the course until a quick twitch to the wheel loosened the bumper, which slid off the road, and has become one of the highlights of the Goodwood Festival 2016.

Myan taking the checkered flag in his Pro 2.

Up Close and personal with Myan Spaccarelli.

Almost everyone has heard of or played with a Tonka Truck while growing up. Could you imagine getting to play with a 900 horsepower Tonka Truck as an adult? Myan Spaccarelli is one of the lucky ones that gets this opportunity. He is the driver of the #12 Tonka Truck Pro 2 in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. Myan said “I always joke that I have the best fans! Of course most of them are under 12. The truth is Tonka has been around since 1947. Next year will be 70 years so we have people come to the track of all ages telling me there Tonka stories. It’s a lot of fun to be a small part of a brand that has so much legacy.”

With kids being a major part of his life and with having two girls and a boy of his own, he and his wife have lead a Jr. High Church group for the last 15 years. They also have held Christmas parties at the LA County Hospital for Women and Children who are in there over the holidays. He said, “I feel incredibly blessed but it came with a lot of work and sacrifice. I love spreading Tonka’s message about being Tonka Tough and being able to share that with kids these days is a big deal.” He also enjoys sharing the story about how it is to drive in a Pro 2, telling them, “The first time you race a pro-2 you get out and you ask yourself, ‘What the heck just happened’. The whole thing seems like a blur between buckets full of dirt being thrown at you, trucks banging into you, hitting the biggest jumps around and holding your breath the whole time. Once you get a bit used to, if that is even possible, it is a lot of fun.” Myan also describes short course off road racing as a mixture of NASCAR, Supercross, and a boxing match.

Flying through the air with style.

Sliding through the chicane in Las Vegas.

Myan missed the last four rounds of racing after starting the season strong and finishing sixth in the first two rounds. For the next two rounds he fell back a little with a pair of ninth place finishes, but still four straight top ten finishes. Myan and the team had big plans for the truck that were in the making for a while, so while there is never really a good time to take time off, there is always a good time to come back. Of course there is no better time to come back then to come back at the track you have been testing the new set ups at. Myan said “It is hard taking time off but we made some good changes to the Toyota engine in our truck and I am excited to see how that works out on race day. We just tested some new Mickey Thompson Tires on the truck at Glen Helen and we put down our fastest laps ever.” Even though Myan was not in his Pro 2 racing, he made sure not to change his practicing routine. Myan tries to drive several laps in his shifter kart weekly to stay racing fit, along with testing and practice in his Pro 2. The more seat time you get, the better you are going to be on race day.

Throwing some dirt with the Tonka Truck.

Passing out Tonka Trucks to all the fans.

Myan uses K&N Filters on everything from his shifter kart, cars, and race truck. He said “Dirt, dirt, dirt is not good for race engines. We have not had one incident where dirt made it through out K&N filters. That is very amazing when you figure the truck in front of you has 900 horsepower attached to a tire that is just shoveling dirt your way. Plus we run a yellow K&N filter wrap over our K&N High Flow air cleaner so it makes our Tonka Truck look awesome. I have been running K&N forever. I really wouldn’t even know who else to use. In racing, when something works well, you do not change it.” Even with taking all the time off to make the changes to the truck, one thing that will stay the same are the filters. So check out Myan for his return in Glen Helen, and you will be able to find him in his bright yellow Tonka Truck on the track or walking around with a huge crowd of kids following him.

While leading up to the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, Jake Rozelle has played an important role in the series.

Throughout it’s nine-year timespan, the Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car Series has seen some incredible drivers, but very few have made an impact on the series quite like competitor Jake Rozelle.  Rozelle got his name as “the kid” after achieving notoriety as the youngest Optima competitor ever to race in the series.  This title was almost lost when driver Cody Mason, who was a few years younger than Rozelle, started racing for Ken Thwaits under the Showtime Motorsports name.  Both underage drivers were remarkably fast, but there was something about Rozelle’s 1969 Camaro that continued to draw attention at each event he attended.

Rozelle has earned notoriety from both his successful driving and his age, making him one of the youngest competitors to ever compete in the Optima Series.

Rozelle has no fear.  When you watch him on a road course, many question how a 1969 Camaro can respond and handle like Rozelle’s through each turn.  Catch his speeds on the straights and Rozelle will most likely be one of the fastest drivers you’ll see at these Optima events.

Rozelle has already won two Optima events this year in his 1969 JCG built Camaro.

We’ve watched Rozelle grow from a boy to a young man as he just recently graduated the University of California San Diego with a Bachelor’s in Science in Electrical Engineering.  Over the past several years we have witnessed his success while making several appearances on Optima’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car television series.  When someone talks about the Optima Series, Rozelle’s name is one of the few that are mentioned as top contenders.  The Kid is fast and his natural talent behind the wheel is obvious when you watch him on track.

It was no surprise that Rozelle would take the GTV Class win at Pikes Peak International Raceway, making it his third back-to-back win this year.

With two previous GTV wins in the Optima Series for the 2016 season, Rozelle already secured his spot to compete at this year’s Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  Every Optima event that Rozelle has attend during the 2016 has resulted in a win, therefore it was expected that Rozelle would take home the win in the GTV class again at the Pikes Peak International Raceway event.

A dedicated team is behind driver Jake Rozelle including his father, Roy Rozelle and JJ Furillo.

There is not much that can stop K&N sponsored driver Jake Rozelle from taking podium at an Optima Series event.  Rozelle has some of the best team members who will tear apart his car in a moments notice just to gain another second if needed.  Rozelle’s father, Roy Rozelle, and suspension guru, JJ Furillo, are typically on site addressing any problems or modifications needed between runs.  This combination of driver and crew has been successful over the past couple years and continues to make Rozelle more competitive at each event.

Not only did K&N driver Jake Rozelle take the win in the GTV Class, Rozelle placed first in all three race segments along with the overall event win for the weekend.

Though heat conditions and high altitude were not ideal for the California native and his ’69 Camaro, Rozelle ran strong all weekend.  Rozelle continued to stay focused throughout the Colorado obstacles, knowing that placing first in the GTV class would make this his third back-to-back Optima event win.

When it came down to the final overall reveal, competition was close, but Rozelle’s performance throughout the weekend was flawless.  Not only did Rozelle take home first in all three race segments throughout the weekend, he went home with the overall event win, proving that forty-seven year old car (with proper modifications) could outrun late model technology.

An automotive influence during childhood could have contributed to Jake Rozelle’s success over the years, but dedication and raw talent are what keep Rozelle in the drivers seat.  As a young driver who has had a very successful racing career, Rozelle can only continue to grow, possibly taking home the title of the Ultimate Street Car in November.    One thing is for sure; several eyes will be on Jake Rozelle as he makes his way to Vegas, knowing he is one driver to watch out for in the upcoming months.

THAT’S A WRAP – This is the final shot that ran in the calendar.

Was this her first photo shoot? Or had Ashley Michelle Dailey stepped into an impromptu extra role in “Game of Thrones”

A DAILEY DOUBLE – Ashley Michelle Dailey said she loves bringing a modern pin-up look to her modeling. Put her next to a vintage car in a vintage wardrobe and you’ve got the perfect combination of look, style and speed.

Dailey, who goes by Ashley Michelle as her professional name, answered a call from the proverbial friend of a friend, who needed models for a clothing designer’s shoot. There was, however, a little plot/wardrobe twist to what Dailey would be modeling:

Steel-boned corsets. Straight out of your favorite Renaissance fair, Shakespearian play, or hit cable TV series. But now, it’s straight out of Dailey’s repertoire.

“I’ve developed this obsession with corsets and lingerie over the years,” she said. “I’ve done a lot of work with that over the years, as well as tattoos. The man I’m seeing is a piercer and manager of a tattoo shop and I’ve done a lot of promotional work for his shop.”

Well, that explains why the soon-to-turn 23-year-old was in the middle of a move from Winchester, near Temecula, to Waco, Texas – where her boyfriend’s parlor is – then to join her retired parents in Nashville. It explains the face of her rescue pit-bull, Kain, the tattoo of which adorns her left shoulder (“So when I’m traveling, he’s always with me…”). And it explains why Dailey is so versatile in front of the camera.

For her K&N shoot, where she posed with fellow Miss May Shawnna Sharmayne, Dailey went back in time – this time, to the pin-up days of the 1940s. No, Dailey didn’t appear on the nose cone of a B-17 Flying Fortress – although if you jumped in the wayback machine, she looked like she could have – but next to a hot-rod in a bustier at the Motte Car Museum in Menifee, California. It seamlessly meshed with Dailey’s comfort level in front of the camera, where her timeless look and passion for period outfits that bring that look out were on full, vivid display.

PUTTING THE ‘HOT’ IN ‘HOT-ROD’ – Ashley Michelle Dailey has been the subject of not only two tattoos, but an oil portrait painted by a friend of hers that appeared in an art show. She now owns the painting.

“I remember it was a really hot day and they had a lot of really cool cars,” she said. “They just said they would have a lot of different cars and to dress like a pin-up with a modern twist. I was absolutely comfortable with that.

“It took a while because there was a lot involved here. We shot a couple different cars, I changed outfits twice and we changed the cars a few times to get different angles and different views. There was a lot involved, but it was really fun. There was a lot of energy and never a moment where there wasn’t something going on. Everyone who was there had a job and they knew what they were doing. It was awesome.”

Speaking of awesome, that pretty much describes the amount of miles Dailey has traveled in her nearly 23 years. This move east is her seventh in the last two years, a mind-boggling number even for a product of two military parents who bounced back and forth between Northern and Southern California throughout much of Dailey’s youth.

After graduating a year early from high school in 2010, Dailey migrated to cosmetology school, where she learned soon after getting her license that doing other people’s hair wasn’t nearly as fun as doing her own for a shoot.

“I felt like it was the creative equivalent of sitting behind a desk and I didn’t want to sit behind a desk,” she said. “I didn’t want to be in a salon. I liked sales and marketing and the modeling, so I figured I’d go back to school and major in marketing.”

Meanwhile, Dailey was finding herself behind a camera more than behind a desk. Her Instagram page has prompted everything from more modeling gigs to an oil portrait of her painted by an artist friend who featured the painting in an art show before giving it to Dailey.

If that wasn’t enough Dailey, well, Kain the Pitbull isn’t the only family member who is a tattoo subject.

“I’ve had two tattoo artists use me as a subject for their clients,” she said. “It’s amazing every time to see what they do with their finished products.

“I love modeling. I love working with new people. When I’m actually shooting, I get into this zone and nothing else exists. I’m doing what I love. When I model and through my passion for this, I can inspire other people’s artwork and that’s amazing.”