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Shutter Space at Randy Higbee Gallery Allows Toyo Tires to Combine Car Show and Photo Gallery

Toyota Tundra at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

This big beast of a Toyota Tundra stood out as it was one of only a handful trucks at the event, let alone lifted trucks.

There are multitudes of popular hobbies that people spend their spare time doing. And while most people choose just one hobby to enjoy, there are plenty of hobbies that go well together. Hunting and fishing, off-roading and camping, and stamp and coin collecting to name just a few. Another pair of hobbies that seem to complement each other are photography and cars. It makes perfect sense, you build cars and attend car shows and meets, might as well meld that with photography.

Well known tire brand, Toyo Tires, realized this and decided to combine the two passions of many people into a one-of-a-kind event. The show, dubbed Shutter Space, was a car meet and automotive photo gallery combined into one event. Held at the Randy Higbee Gallery, in Costa Mesa, California, the event was sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street magazine. Over 250 cars and trucks made it out. There was everything in attendance from supercars to lifted trucks.

Factory Five Cobra at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

A gorgeous example of a Factory Five Cobra, featuring a K&N air filter over the velocity stacks.

Smart car at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Another unique vehicle, this Smart car drew quite a bit of attention throughout the day.

Toyo Tires BMW with nice rims at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Inside the gallery, Toyo had placed a couple very nice rides for people to drool over.

For the photo gallery portion, Toyo Tires held a contest for people to submit automotive themed photographs for a chance to be selected to have their photo displayed at the show. Fourteen finalists were chosen. When the dust had settled, the winning photograph was chosen. The photo was taken by Viet Nguyen, @photographybyv, of a fully custom 1974 Datsun Sunny pickup named Hakotora.

Vanderhall Motor Work 3 wheels car at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

This three-wheeled beauty comes from Vanderhall Motor Works. It features a carbon fiber body, aluminum frame, and 200 hp 1.4L engine.

GT-R with Advan GT wheels wrapped in Toyo Tires at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

There were plenty of GT-Rs to go around. This one sat on a clean set of gold Advan GT wheels wrapped in Toyo Tires.

2006 Lancer Evo IX with a Voltex body kit at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Believe it or not, this 2006 Lancer Evo IX with a Voltex body kit wasn't the most outrageous body kit at the show.

You may recognize the truck, owned by Dominic Le of Chasing Js, as it has been featured on a number of websites and magazines, has won plenty of awards, and was also featured on a recent episode of Jay Leno's Garage. Now, a photo of Dominic's pickup has won its own award.

BMW M4 at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Tire companies have got to be loving the new tire stickers that companies are selling. Like the ones on this BMW M4.

BMW and Mini at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Just about every generation of BMW was there. Hey, who snuck that Mini in there?

BMW at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

You can't go wrong with a BMW that looks like this.

As the winner of the contest, Viet's photograph will be featured in an issue of Super Street magazine. He also won exclusive Toyo Tires and Crooks & Castles merchandise. Not bad for snapping a pic and submitting it online.

Mini Cooper at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Not bad for a Mini Cooper. This thing was actually pretty nice.

Treeline Outdoors tent at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

In case you want to go camping, but you don't want to pack a tent. This Treeline Outdoors tent is the perfect solution.

Mustangs in attendance at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

There were a few Mustangs in attendance. This one was the subject of one of the photos on display in the gallery.

The event seemed to be a huge hit with the crowds, many people saying they loved the idea of it and they look forward to more of these types of events in the future. Be sure to check back for future show announcements and to see if Toyo Tires will be holding another Shutter Space event in the future.

458 features a Misha body kit at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

No car meet would be complete without a few supercars. This 458 features a Misha body kit and gorgeous flat red paint.

Deep dish rear wheels at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

This is probably the angle that most people see as this thing blazes by them in a red blaze. Also, those deep dish rears look spectacular.

Battleship gray Audi at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Nice dumped Audi featuring battleship gray colors.

Liberty Walk Challenger with fender flared, deep-dish wheels at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

A fender flared, deep-dish, flat red Liberty Walk Challenger laying on the Southern California asphalt fits in well with supercars and imports of all generations.

Purple convertible M3 at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Purple wouldn't be our first choice for this convertible M3, but it actually looks pretty good.

8-series BMW at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Something insanely cool this way comes. But wait, where are the pop-up headlights on this 8-series BMW?

Red with gold wheels on a S2K at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Red with gold wheels seems to be an increasingly popular choice among enthusiasts. We can't really complain. This S2K looks killer.

Dumped, wide body wagon at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Dumped, wide body wagons are so incredibly beautiful.

green BMW 2002 at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Ahh a green BMW 2002. Such a refreshing color compared to the sea of red cars with gold wheels.

2010 Lamborghini Gallardo in red and gold at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

The red and gold theme again. This time on a Lamborghini Gallardo A very popular choice for 2016.

Hillbank Motor Ford Focus ST at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

Hillbank Motorsports brought out a great looking Ford Focus ST. .

Super Street photo contest winner Viet Nguyen at Shutter Space Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California sponsored by Crooks & Castles and Super Street

This is the photo that won the photo contest. Viet Nguyen (@photographybyv) did a great job with it and will be able to see it in an upcoming issue of Super Street magazine.

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Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus Has K&N Pulling Out All the Stops

K&N booth in vendor row at the Goodguys 19th Annual PPG Nationals, in Columbus, Ohio

The K&N booth in vendor row will be the happening place to be at the Goodguys 19th Annual PPG Nationals, in Columbus, Ohio.

If you don't already have tickets and you live in Ohio or any of the surrounding states, there's no excuse not to come join us at the Goodguys 19th Annual PPG Nationals July 8 - 10 at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio. Not only will there be all the cool kind of stuff you expect to see at a Goodguys National event (more in a moment) but K&N is bringing out two rigs full of fun.

Sponsor Shootout Autocross at the Goodguys 19th Annual PPG Nationals, in Columbus, Ohio

Some of the events that will be going on at the Goodguys 19th Annual PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, include a Sponsor Shootout Autocross (pictured), twilight autocross, swap meet, vintage drags, car show, contests, giveaways, and much more.

In vendor row, K&N will have a booth set-up for all sorts of games in which you can participate for some great K&N prizes. Contests include raffles, "spin the wheel" for prizes, a scavenger hunt (more prizes), and even contests for kids (yep, even more prizes). And even if you don't compete, we have free giveaways just for stopping by and doing a quick survey. And while you're at the display truck, you can check out some our newest and most popular products, all at special show discount prices.

Surrounding the truck will be a number of show cars that will feature product from K&N, AIRAID, and Spectre Performance, so you take home with you a little inspiration on how to best direct incoming airflow to the engine of your daily driver, project car, or street ride. There will even be some live installation demos running that you can watch to get a sense of how to configure your intake system and how simple K&N makes the process.

K&N flyer given out at Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio

This flyer will be given out at the gates of the Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, and if returned to the K&N booth, you will receive a free gift.

The second K&N trailer will be in the autocross course area in support of K&N, AIRAID, and Spectre-sponsored autocross teams. There you'll have a chance to meet drivers and grab an autograph or two and maybe the coolest part yet: a chance to sit down with one of K&N's intake designers and have them custom-design a system specific to your car, taking into account modifications you've made, and even modifications you might be planning. Where else do you get to do that?

And of course, there's a lot more going on at the Goodguys Nationals. There will be over 6,500 rods, customs, classics, muscle cars and trucks through 1972 that you could spend the entire three days walking around and checking out. There's also a mega swap meet and a Cars 4 Sale Corral (bring your checkbook), and on Friday night, vintage drags at nearby National Trail Raceway. On Saturday there's a Twilight Autocross after-hours event, from 5:30 pm until 9:00 pm, proudly sponsored by K&N. Sunday will feature another K&N-sponsored event, the K&N Filters All American Sunday. Since Goodguys is limited to pre-1973 vehicles, on Sunday they allow any late model American made and/or powered vehicles of all years. So bring out those late model muscle cars, trucks, or anything else you own that is American made.

Be sure to mark your calendars, as they say, and come out to Columbus, Ohio, on July 8-10 for the Goodguys 19th Annual PPG Nationals and make sure you stop by both K&N trailers so you don't miss out on any of the fun we've packed inside.

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Cody Gerhardt 22 Year Old is Fourth Generation Gerhardt to Race Sprints

Cody accepts trophy for a win at a King of the Wing feature race in Stockton.

Cody accepts trophy for a win at a King of the Wing feature race in Stockton.

Cody Gerhardt of Madera, California, grew up in a family that raced and built sprint cars. His dad Kevin and his uncle Kent, and their father and grandfather have all participated in sprint car racing. In Fact, a major race in the USAC Pavement Sprint Car Racing Series is the Gerhardt Classic, a 100-lap race on a 3/8-mile track that’s named after Cody’s great grandfather. And yes, Cody has competed in the race and in his rookie season qualified seventh in a field of 15 cars and finished eighth.

Western Speed Racing Team #40 and #60 cars finish second and third at Madera Speedway in 2016.

Western Speed Racing Team #40 and #60 cars finish second and third at Madera Speedway in 2016.

He won the Northern, Southern, and Western United States Midget Championships in 2010.

The fourth generation Gerhardt to race got started when his father bought him a quarter midget.

The fourth generation Gerhardt to race got started when his father bought him a quarter midget

He progressed through the USAC Ford Focus Midget Racing Series and the Mini-Sprint Series and then on to racing winged pavement sprint cars.

While he was moving through the classes from midget to sprint wing cars, Gerhardt’s dad and uncle started Western Speed Racing in 2002. Cody joined the team in 2009.

The team, which also includes racer Dylan Nobile, competes in California in the Western King of the Wing Series and in Indiana, Idaho, Washington, Utah, and Arizona in the National King of the Wing Series. Drivers that have raced for the team include Jason Leffler, Tony Stewart, Bobby Santos, and Dave Steele.

Cody and the team had to overcome some setbacks. For example, in 2015 Cody’s dad and uncle built a brand new car that featured a Diablo Chassis. Although they finished second in points in the Western Series and the vehicle was very competitive, they still experienced steering box issues throughout the campaign and had to keep changing it out.

“If we didn’t have that problem I’m sure we would have won the championship, but we had a couple of DNFs,” said Cody.

According to Cody, the car wasn’t ready to race at the beginning of this season because the engine wasn’t complete.

“So in the first event of the year I had to drive Ken Hamilton’s famous Pink Lady and I finished second,” he said. “We missed the next race due to an accident with our car that happened in practice.”

However, they won the BCRA Midget Car Feature on May 7th and the Winged Sprints on June 11th. Both events took place at the Madera Speedway.

In the June 11th race, Cody qualified the Western Speed Racing’s #40 Winged Sprint car 2nd with a 12.851 time and placed 2nd in the second heat race. Dylan Nobile qualified the team’s #60 car 4th with a 12.888 time and finished 3rd in the second heat.

Cody started 5th in the 3rd row and Nobile started 3rd in the second row.

Both drivers were held up for 11 laps of the 30-lap race. Cody was in 5th and Dylan made a pass on the outside to capture 3rd place. Dylan finished 2nd after fighting to make a pass for the lead and Cody took 3rd.

Western Speed Racing will compete on July 9th in the 13th Annual Gerhardt Classic at Madera Speedway.

According to Cody, the team will be racing in eight to nine more races including the Gerhardt Classic. He added that some events are in California and some take place in other states such as Washington and Idaho.

K&N Engineering is a major sponsor of the Western Speed Racing Team and a valued partner.

“K&N has been sponsoring the team for eight years and sponsoring me through my career before I joined the team,” he said. “I’ve had a great relationship with K&N. They are great people to work with. Every time we needed something, they were on it right away.

Other sponsors of the Western Speed Racing Team include Lucas Oil, K1Racer Gear, University Market, Fresno Van Rental, Anderson Landscaping, XRP, Steele Performance, Johnny’s Muffler Services, Brannon Corporation, Yak Graphics, Dennis’s Body Shop, Truck Covers USA, Nobile Truck Accessory and Performance Trailers, Inc., and Paul Eskesen Motorsports.

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New for the Honda Pioneer 500: Its Own K&N Replacement Engine Air Filter

HONDA SXS500M2 PIONEER Air Filter

The K&N HA-5015 is purpose-built for the Honda Pioneer 500 with replacement hoses, vents and special seating bead.

There are more than a dozen UTV (utility task vehicle) manufacturers mixing it up in the all-terrain working, recreational riding, and racing arenas, all of them looking to build the next big thing. They have gone big (up to six-seaters) and they have gone small (two-seaters just 50 inches wide) and there are more than 70 vehicles to choose from.

K&N HONDA SXS500M2 PIONEER Air Filter

The K&N HA-5015 is designed to fit into the factory air box using the OEM clamp.

Just introduced in late 2014 for 2015 is Honda's new Pioneer 500, the smallest side-by-side in the Pioneer line, but perhaps truly the next big thing. It is the company's first in the growing 50-inch category and a showcase for Honda engineering and innovation.

The Pioneer 500's width gives it access to restricted ATV riding trails, allows it to be loaded into a full-size pickup and is still comfortable for two adults to ride on a bench seat with individual backrests. The doors utilize automotive-style latches with vibration isolators and a unique attached window net system. It can carry an additional 450 lb. on the oversized rear rack and tow up to 1,000 lb. All good.

Even better: the power plant and drivetrain. The 475-cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled gasoline engine is closed-loop fuel-injected and mounted longitudinally, with power routed directly to the wheels. The five-speed electric paddle-shifter transmission is a first for the industry and has steel gears, not belts or chains, giving the driver more control and the vehicle more longevity. An independent rear suspension system combines with an open front differential and a locked rear axle, providing better handling and traction, and one of the smoothest rides available. Widely complimented as fun to drive, responsive, agile, and well-built, the Pioneer 500 has a lot to offer. It promises to gain popularity and be put to good use well into the future.

For normal-duty activities, like trail riding and moving materials around the ranch or worksite, blazing speed is not a necessity, but a few more horsepower and enhanced acceleration will help get everything from here to there more efficiently. The way to boost efficiency and protect the engine is with a purpose-built replacement engine air filter, and K&N has designed and engineered the HA-5015 air filter specifically for the 2015-2016 Honda Pioneer 500.

As is standard among K&N's replacement air filters, the HA-5015 will fit directly into the factory air box with an application-specific sealing bead to ensure a precise fit. No fuel management adjustments are needed. Owners can do the installation themselves using the instructions provided, or have their mechanic help out. The OEM clamps and holder are used with K&N's replacement vents and hoses.

The filter itself was developed for off-road, motocross, ATV, and UTV activities: anticipating lots of dirt involved here. K&N's founders were off-road motorcycle racers who needed a better air filter to finish and win, and they came up with the oiled cotton technology that is still the basis for their filter products. The multiple layers of pleated cotton gauze present a larger surface area than the factory filter to capture more particles and better protect the engine. Each filter is tested and perfected. The HA-5015 showed overall particle reduction numbers of 98.17 percent. That's catching a lot of dust and keeping it out of the engine.

K&N HONDA SXS500M2 PIONEER Air Filter

Each K&N replacement air filter is designed with high-flow pleated cotton gauze to increase horsepower and enhance throttle response by getting more (and cleaner) air into the intake.

To keep the filter at that level of performance, it needs to be inspected and cleaned regularly (and certainly more often than on-road vehicles). Owners can set their own schedules, depending on riding conditions and make it a part of their regular service routine. The process is straightforward and quick. After removing the filter, use K&N's Power Kleen to loosen particles, rinse in running water, let it dry completely, then re-oil with K&N air filter oil and re-install.

By investing in the K&N HA-5015, UTVers will keep disposable air filters out of landfills and their Pioneer 500s will get a well-protected intake system to keep them on the trail or on the job with extra power and efficiency for years to come.

To shop for the K&N HA-5015, visit the K&N's online application search to find the correct filter for your UTV, then refer to the K&N dealer search to locate a K&N dealer near you to make your purchase.

The K&N HA-5015 replaces the following part numbers:
Honda 17254HN1000

The K&N HA-5015 replacement air filter can be fitted to the following Honda UTVs:
2016 HONDA SXS500M2 PIONEER 475 - All
2015 HONDA SXS500M2 PIONEER 475 - All

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Chris Eggleston Second Win at NASCAR K&N Pro Series West at Colorado National Speedway

Bill McAnally racing Todd Gilliland and Chris Eggleston  at Napa/Toyota 150 Colorado National Speedway

Bill McAnally Racing teammates Todd Gilliland and Chris Eggleston battled for the majority of the Napa/Toyota 150, at Colorado National Speedway.

Chris Eggleston won his second NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race in a row and Gracin Raz finished on the podium for the second straight West Series race at Colorado National Speedway. Both drivers are moving in the right direction after getting off to slow starts.

Chris Eggleston second win at Napa/Toyota 150 Colorado National Speedway

Chris Eggleston, #50, took home his second win in a row at the Napa/Toyota 150, at Colorado National Speedway.

Eggleston won the NAPA/Toyota 150 at Colorado National Speedway leading 102 laps. The start of the race was delayed two hours because of rain. Once the race started, Eggleston and his Bill McAnally Racing teammate Todd Gilliland, who won the pole for the race, battled for the lead.

"We had a really well-balanced race car and I knew that all day in practice," Eggleston said after the race. "Just so skeptical of when the rain came and what it was going to do. We didn't fire off as good as we wanted to on that initial start, but it seemed like we were really good on the long runs."

Eggleston won the previous K&N Pro Series West race at Orange Show Speedway in California. Raz is slowly improving as well. He was third in the K&N Pro Series race at Colorado National Speedway and second in the race at Orange Show Speedway. Raz said he was happy to see the rain. It not only helped cool down the track, but it gave his car some time to cool down and perform better in the race.

Chris Eggleston second win at Napa/Toyota 150 Colorado National Speedway

Eggleston adds his second race winner sticker to his #50 car this season.

Chris Eggleston winner Napa/Toyota 150 Colorado National Speedway

Todd Gilliland wan the pole for the Napa/Toyota 150, at Colorado National Speedway, making it the third pole he has won this season.

"It was really good. I was kind of hoping for the rain before the race," Raz said. "Our car was pretty hot during the day. We were struggling a little bit in the heat. I'm glad it cooled down the track a little bit. I think we got our car hooked up at the end. We just needed a little more drive off. I think we could have had something for the 50 (Eggleston) and the 16 (Todd Gilliland) there at the end. Almost got the 16."

While Eggleston and Gilliland battled for the lead, there were 11 lead changes in the race, Raz maneuvered his way around the track trying to hold of Ryan Partridge, who won the K&N Pro Series West race at Colorado National Speedway in 2015, and Blain Perkins.

"There was definitely some door-to-door racing tonight," Raz said. "Our restarts were definitely critical, not losing spots. Definitely pretty hard to pass. This car has been treating me pretty well. Looking forward to working with this car more and more, see if we can end up putting it in Victory Lane again."

Chris Eggleston edged out fellow teammate Todd Gilliland and Gracin Raz Napa/Toyota 150, at Colorado National Speedway

After a rain delay, Chris Eggleston edged out fellow teammate Todd Gilliland and Gracin Raz for the win.

Raz won the first race of his K&N Pro Series West career at All American Speedway in California last year. After the race at Colorado National Speedway, Raz is seventh in the K&N Pro Series West standings after five races. He has three top-10 finishes.

Todd Gilliland was second in the race at Colorado National Speedway and maintained his lead in the K&N Pro Series standings. He led the first 23 laps of the race and was out front for 45 laps. Gilliland is four points ahead of Eggleston in the K&N Pro Series West standings.

"We had a shot at it there at the end. It was a great battle between Gracin Raz, myself, and Chris Eggleston," Gilliland said. "It's cool for him to get the win in front of his hometown here. It is cool, but I wish we could have gotten him at the same time. You can't win them all. We'll go get them at Sonoma."

The next K&N Pro Series West race is Chevy's Fresh Mex 200 at Sonoma Raceway in California on June 25.

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