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For anybody that says Murray doesn’t drive his truck, they would be incorrect. Murray uses the truck for shows and for hauling his gear around town.

Following World War II, companies who had switched their production to help the military effort were left with overstock and factories set up to build big, heavy duty machines and vehicles. Chrysler was one of these companies, but rather than let a good thing go to waste, they used it to their advantage. During the war, Dodge built a series of military trucks that could go almost anywhere and take a beating. After the war, Dodge used these trucks as inspiration for a new line of trucks called the Power Wagon.

The custom hood on this 2014 Ram is unlike anything you will find at the dealership. Custom made by Pfaff Designs, it features a functional inlet and washboard-style heat extractors.

Billed as a self-propelled power plant, the Power Wagons were stripped down 4x4 trucks meant for hard work. They featured an all-weather cab, 8-foot bed, and 230ci inline-six engine backed by a 4-speed manual trans. One of the unique features, was a power take off, or PTO, feature that provided power to the front or rear for connecting auxiliary equipment. This feature is more commonly available on tractors now. Originally a 1-ton truck, Dodge later offered ½- and ¾- ton versions. These trucks were sold through 1993 before being discontinued. In 2005, Dodge announced that they would be releasing an updated version of the Power Wagon. This time around it was more about off-road capability.

Much like how Dodge used their war vehicles as inspiration for the Power Wagon, Murray Pfaff, owner of Pfaff Designs, in Royal Oak, Michigan, used the Power Wagon as inspiration for his own creation, the Draggin’ Wagon. “It was built to serve as a show piece and then be directly enlisted as a shop truck,” explained Murray. “I used the 2014 Ram Express as the basis because it is a consumer version of their work truck and being a stripped-down truck, I was able to build it up just as I liked.”

From the side, the Draggin’ Wagon has the perfect stance.

Just like the hood, the rear bumper has been completely reworked, but thanks to the attention to detail, it looks completely factory.

Fortunately, it didn’t stay stripped down for long. The first thing Murray changed was the stance. But rather than Ram’s latest, off-road version of the Power Wagon, Murray went the other direction. A Belltech 2/4-inch lowering kit was installed to bring the Ram closer to the pavement. However, since this was meant to be used as a shop truck, it would need to be able to carry cargo in the bed. To prevent the bed from bottoming out with heavy loads, a set of Air Lift 1000 air springs and QuickSHOT compressor and tank were installed. Rolling stock consists of 20x10 and 22x11 Forgeline GA3C wheels wrapped in Toyo Proxes STII tires in sizes 295/45R20 and 305/45R22. Anticipating the power he would inject into the 5.7L Hemi, Murray added white lettering to the tires. Up front the lettering reads, “For Turning” and out back it proclaims “For Burning”.

The K&N 63-1561 kit had to be customized to work with the Maggie on top of the Hemi.

The 5.7L Hemi is stout from the factory, but for Murray’s needs, and to really turn the rear tires into melted slabs of rubber, he was going to need help. Enter the Magnusson 2300 supercharger, pumping out 7 lbs of boost. With all that air pumping into the engine, the factory intake system needed an upgrade. For this, Murray went to the air filter know-it-alls at K&N. After using K&N’s search by vehicle tool, Murray ordered the 63-1561 intake system. Even knowing he would have to modify the system to fit with the supercharger, Murray was certain that the filter and housing would fit in the stock location perfectly. He was also certain that the deep-breathing, supercharged 5.7L would be provided plenty of fresh, cool air. Finishing up the powertrain modifications, Murray added a Magnaflow exhaust and JMS PedalMAX throttle response improver.

One of the many subtle styling modifications that Murray incorporated into the build are the tire lettering that says “For Turning” on the front tires and “For Burning” on the rear tires.

The next step in the process is where Murray was able to let his creative juices flow. He started with custom bumper inserts below the headlights. Acting as functional brake ducts, the “eye black” inserts look completely factory. A custom intake duct and washboard-style heat extractor in the hood keep the Hemi’s vitals in check. Out back, the rear bumper was completely reworked. The center step section was flipped upside down, the exhaust cut outs were moved inboard 8 inches, and the whole bumper was narrowed 3 inches and tucked into the bed for a factory roll pan look. With the body modifications complete, it was sprayed with a triple threat of paint from PPG – Ram Granite Metallic Grey, Mercedes Polarweisse White, and Angry Banana Pearl Yellow. Finally, Murray could finally add the lighting that he wanted to the truck. Lightwerkz Offroad, in Wixom, Michigan, built custom head and taillights for this build with sequential turn signals. Above the windshield is a Heise 54-inch curved light bar, which is accompanied by a 42-inch version in the bumper. Inside the fog light openings in the bumper sit a pair of Hella Rallye 4000-x LEDs, for just that much more blinding light. If all those lights weren’t enough to ward off any drivers that might want to cut off the Draggin’ Wagon, a set of Kleinn Demon 730 train horns were installed. Fellow drivers beware!

The last piece of the custom truck puzzle was the interior. Ram trucks are some of the best equipped when it comes to interior features. But being a stripped down Express version, meant it lacked leather. Murray took care of that with a black, custom stitched Alea Leather kit. The truck also left something to be desired with the sound system. MTX was the answer for that and the system consists of an XThunder 800W 5 channel amp, MTX 6x9-inch door speakers, and an MTX Thunderform sub enclosure with dual 200W subwoofers.

Finally, Murray had a vehicle he could use to showcase his designs and haul all his gear to and from shows and his shop. He has already taken it to numerous shows and has more planned. “It has been to the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in Chicago, Illinois, where it came home with the Best Modified Dodge of the show, was shown in the “D Lot” at the Detroit Autorama garnering a first place in class, and will go on Hot Rod Magazine’s Power Tour this spring,” beamed Murray. “I want to thank all of the sponsors and people who helped me with this build.” Murray’s sponsors included: That’s Minor Customs, Forgeline Wheels, Pilot Transport, Magnuson Superchargers, PPG Automotive Refinish, RM Motorsports, Classic Design Concepts, Synergeering, Alea Leather, Revolver X2, MTX Audio, Line-X, Szott M-59 Dodge Ram SRT, Belltech, Magnaflow, Metra/Heise, Norton, Mother’s Polishes, Toyo Tires, XPEL, Air Lift, EBC Brakes, Kleinn Automotive Air Horns, Lightwerx Offroad, SEM, K&N Filters, AMP Research, Motor City Auto Spa, Swing Case, Hella Lighting, Hellwig, F1 RClab,  AMSOIL, Motofab, JMS Chip, TredWear, Discount Tire, Tale Gator, Frank Maiorano, Scott Conly, John “Airplay” Mijal, Tony G, Mike Brimm, Steve Germond, Joe Holyfield, Troy Whyte, Mark Blaha, Ernie Miyamoto, Steve Langdon, Jeff Schneider, Nick Stewart, and Tom Stark.

Custom “eye black” brake ducts were fabricated into the front bumper.

Thanks to Alea Leather, Murray can enjoy the feel and smell of the leather seats in his Ram.

Thanks to the multitude of lights, the Draggin’ Wagon will never be afraid of the dark.

The RE-0961 universal filter offers good looks and superior protection from harmful contaminants.

Whether you’re out riding trails or jumping dunes on your dirt bike, or you’re running a small-bore race car on a paved oval or road course, the K&N RE-0961 universal filter can be your engine’s best friend.

The malleable filter flange can be stretched up to 1/16th of an inch for non-standard fitments

Racers in particular, are always seeking that last ounce of horsepower and some will compete without any filter at all, thinking that they’re squeezing the last bit of power out of their engine.  In fact if they slide into a gravel trap or drive through a dusty pit area, their engine is ingesting dust and dirt that can score the cylinder liners and can lead to reduced compression which, in turn, can lead to a reduction in power – just the opposite of their intention.

The RE-0961 offers exceptional flow characteristics given its compact 4.5” by 3.75” size, providing a full  102.2 CFM flow-bench tested at 1.5inH2O of restriction. While the RE-0961 can be used in sets on multiple carburetor set-ups, even a single filter can have a significant impact on power production.

For example, the RE-0961 is the centerpiece of the K&N 63-1131 AirCharger air intake for select 2008 – 2015 Harley-Davidson® Touring, Softail, Twin-Cam and Sportster motorcycle models. The air intake kit increases power by eliminating the restrictive stock OE air cleaner and replacing it with the RE-0961 K&N high-flow air filter and mandrel bent aluminum intake tube. Tested on an otherwise stock 2015 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, the 63-1131 kit with its RE-0961 filter and aluminum intake tube raised the engine’s output from 68.2 horsepower to 75 hp, an estimated increase of 6.8 hp or about 10%.

K&N offers the 63-1131 Aircharger kit for select 2008-2015 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The RE-0961 filter is included with that intake kit.

K&N universal air filters are manufactured from multiple layers of oiled cotton, a well-regarded filter media due to the irregular surface of the cotton thread and its ability to grab passing dust and dirt. The RE-0961 not only allows for increased airflow but also provides excellent filtration properties to ensure long engine life. In fact, filter efficiency is 98.54%. This is verified by K&N’s sophisticated in-house ISO 5011 air filter filtration efficiency testing, which adheres to International Standard Organization protocols, ensuring that K&N air filters provide high airflow without sacrificing engine protection. All universal air filters are constructed with durable, molded rubber flanges that absorb engine vibration and allow for secure attachment. Further, the filter can be stretched up to 1/16" (1.5mm) to fit in-between sizes.

The only maintenance required for a K&N universal filter is a quick and easy service. When needed just grab a K&N 99-5000 air filter cleaning kit to refresh and re-oil your air filter -- bringing it back to brand-new condition and ready for more miles of riding, driving, or racing. The filter also comes from K&N with a one year limited warranty.

To find additional K&N upgrades for cars, trucks, scooters, motorcycles, motorhomes, or almost anything with an engine, use the K&N search by vehicle tool. Find an authorized K&N dealer nearby using the K&N dealer search.

Tyler Clem races in the 2016 Dirtcar Nationals, at Voulisa Speedway Park, in Deleon Springs, Florida.

You could say that 13-year-old Tyler Clem, of St. Petersburg, Florida, comes by his racing skills naturally. He’s grown up at race tracks watching his dad, Bubba Clem, race dirt cars, sprint cars, and late models. “It was really cool. That’s why I got into racing,” he said.

The damage to Tyler Clem’s car is a testimonial to the fact that racing sprint cars is for the big boys.

Racing since he was 4 years old, Tyler competes in five divisions –- Late Model, Limited Late Model, 410 and 360 Winged Sprint Car, and Midget Sprint Cars.

He has been racing dirt cars for four years and racing in general for eight. His first experience in the sport was racing a quarter midget sprint car that his father bought him.

“It was a miniature sprint car with no wings. I ran on asphalt and won two races my first year,” he said.

The most powerful class he has raced is dirt late models. “They’re like a stock car with engines that produce 600-horsepower. They’re real fun cars to race,” he said.

Here’s a great example of how aggressive 13-year-old Tyler Clem is. He races against pros who are two to three times older than he is.

He turned pro when he started racing dirt cars about four years ago.

The first few years of competing were spent getting comfortable at local tracks in Florida.  He still races Florida tracks including Bubba Raceway Park, in Ocala, Florida, and also competes in events in Alabama and Georgia.

Tyler Clem making the wide turn in his #14 Late Model racecar.

He says that his greatest victory to date was his first dirt track win at Bubba Raceway Park when he was 11 years old.  “The competition was mostly in their 30s and 40s,” he said.

He has also raced at the Talladega short track, in Eastaboga, Alabama, during NASCAR weekend in May of last year. That race was billed as a Race for the Ages. The oldest driver in the contest was 82-year-old legend Red Farmer and the youngest was Tyler, who was 12. A total of 58 drivers participated. He challenged for the lead for most of the race, but ultimately finished fourth.

So far in 2016 he has participated in three NeSmith Winter events, three Sunshine State Modified Tour contests, two 410 Winged Sprints, six Dirtcar events, one Limited Late Model, two World of Outlaws, and five unsanctioned events.  His best finishes were fourth in NeSmith, fourth in SSMT, fifth in Dirtcar, and eighth in WoO. He’s come on strong in the Unsanctioned division that started in March with a first place finish on April 30, a second place on May 21, a third place on May 14 and a fifth place finish on April 9. The season ends in November.

Tyler races for Clem Racing, Inc, which his father started. The team also includes his father and Travis Nicholls, who maintains his engines.

The K&N logo is prominent with logos of other Tyler Clem sponsors on his #14 car.

An eighth grader in middle school, Tyler races on the weekend and works on his car during the week.  His week begins with a return from a race on Sunday, washing the car on Monday, and checking out the car during the week. That includes making certain that the nuts and bolts are tight, that there are no fuel leaks, and that the car is running right. By Thursday he is cleaning up and loading the trailer. He heads off to his next race on Friday or Saturday.

K&N Engineering has been sponsoring Tyler since he was 5 years old. “They’ve been awesome,” he said.

Tyler Clem’s midget sprint appears to be moving sideways as it takes on the dirt track.

Racing for only eight years, he has a total of 41 sponsors including Vahlco Wheels, Hedman Hedders, Rocket Chassis, Sunoco, Keyser Manufacturing, Whelen, Ferrea Racing Components, Elder Ford of Tampa, Leaf Race Wear, Zero Error Racing, Winters Performance Products, Bell, Impact, Dan Olson Racing Products, Racing Optics, Redline, dB Plugs, Toyo Tires, Durst Motorsports, NGK Spark Plugs, and Braille Batteries.

His total career to date includes 12 wins in dirt, 6 track championships in Florida in the Midget Division, and two wins in Late Models.

He expects to continue racing midget cars in 2017. His goal is to race NASCAR within four to five years or continuing to compete in dirt races “for the rest of my life,” he concluded.

Last year’s fan prize was a special edition 2016 Toyota Tacoma.

Drag racing traces its roots to the backroads and dry lake beds around America. The human spirit is driven towards competition. Get two guys together with cars and before long you will have a race of some sort. Back in 1947, drag racing pioneer Wally Parks organized the Southern California Timing Association and so began the modern era of drag racing. SCTA events were held at the Bonneville Salt Flats as well as the Santa Ana Drags, America’s first drag strip.

Greg Anderson took home $50,000 as the 2016 K&N Horsepower Challenger winner, defeating his KB Racing teammate Jason Line.

By 1951, the sport had grown big enough that regulations needed to be put into place and Wally Parks was at the forefront of it. At the time, Wally was the Editor of Hot Rod magazine and had the backing to create the National Hot Rod Association. The NHRA would go on to be a leader in the motorsports industry and set a number of precedents that would shape the way the industry was regulated. Today, NHRA has over 70,000 members and more than 40,000 licensed competitors and has led drag racing to be one of the most popular motorsport events in the world. Being on top of the motorsports world draws a lot of companies looking to sponsor drivers, series, and events. One of those sponsors is K&N Engineering.

K&N is another well-known name in the automobile and motorsport worlds. Only a few years younger than NHRA, K&N has made a name for being the World’s Best Air Filter. Making filters for just about everything from chainsaws and lawnmowers to car, trucks, boats, and helicopters. K&N has been a sponsor in NHRA for over 30 years.

The fan assigned to Greg for the 2016 K&N Horsepower Challenge and the winner of the prize Tacoma was Eva Mack, of New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Along with sponsoring drivers, K&N is the title sponsor of the K&N Horsepower Challenge. Essentially a race within a race, the K&N Horsepower Challenge allows the top seven Pro Stock drivers in points and a driver voted by the fans to compete for a chance to win $50,000. Along with the driver portion, 8 lucky fans are chosen at random to be a part of HPC. These fans are flown to Las Vegas, where the event is held, and each one is paired with one of the competing drivers. The fan who is paired with the winner of the K&N Horsepower Challenge wins a custom truck. This event is extremely popular among the drivers and the fans who enter for a chance to be chosen.

The NHRA and K&N have come to an agreement for K&N to extend their sponsorship of the K&N Horsepower Challenge through 2018. “We are very excited to continue our relationship with K&N and bring NHRA fans more of the K&N Horsepower Challenge,” said Graham Light, NHRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations. “The K&N Horsepower Challenge is one of the most exciting all-star bonus events of the year and a fan favorite. The best Pro Stock racers in the world compete for a $50,000 purse and the fans have the opportunity to get directly involved with the racing by picking the eighth finalist with a fan vote.”

Greg Anderson, in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, beat out Jason Line after Line had to shut down due to fluid leaking from his car.

“K&N Horsepower Challenge is a monumental event for the NHRA Pro Stock class and we’re excited to see K&N’s involvement continue into 2018,” noted Caitlin Clement, Track and Series Support Manager for K&N Engineering. “The HPC is a very unique event that blends driver competition with fan excitement that is unmatched amongst all of our promotions. We’re looking forward to giving the fans a chance to win big again next spring!”

K&N is no stranger to working with NHRA. After the 2015 season, NHRA announced the new rules for the upcoming 2016 season and one of the big changes was the switch to electronic fuel injection for the Pro Stock class. K&N worked closely with NHRA, the OEMs, race teams, and chassis builders to build an intake system that would allow the switch to be made from carburetion to fuel injection.

This year’s K&N Horsepower Challenge will be held during the NHRA spring race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Check back for more information on this and other K&N sponsored NHRA drivers and events.

The smile on Jared Mees’ face as he stood on the first place podium was proof positive that he was more than pleased with his win at this year’s X Games in Austin, Texas.

Motorcycle racer Jared Mees was on his way to winning the first ever Harley-Davidson Flat-Track race at the 2015 X Games, in Austin, Texas. But in the last lap, near the finish, Jared’s bike suffered mechanical problems and he had to watch as Bryan Smith crossed the finish line and claimed the gold medal.

Yes, the gold is real on the first place medal won by Jared Mees in the 2016 X Games.

Mees was less than 15 seconds from the finish and negotiating turn two of the last lap with a 2.34-second lead over Smith. Mees had led for 18 of the 20 laps. As he pushed the throttle to get the victory burst, his Harley-Davidson died. “It felt like I hit false neutral,” Mees explained later.

He originally thought that the chain of his bike broke. Instead a nut blew off his Flat Track XR750 Harley Davidson forcing the sprocket to disconnect from the hub. Although the chain and the sprocket remained on the bike, they were no longer connected to a power source.

To make matters worse for Mees, a rivalry had developed between him and Smith. Mees has won the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship over Smith two years in a row. The two live about 15 minutes apart in Michigan and there have been issues between the two as they competed for a series championship. To say the least, Mees was angry about the X Game result.

“Having mechanical problems in the last lap was a huge bummer,” he said. “So I focused on the 2016 X Games to redeem the loss.”

The 30-year-old has won four AMA Grand National Championships and has been racing motorcycles since he was 6 years old. That’s when his father, who also raced motorcycles, gave him his first bike – a Yamaha PW50.

Jared Mees waits in anticipation for the start of the Harley Davidson Flat Track Race at this year’s X Games.

He said that he didn’t prepare any differently for the redemption match up. “I just made sure that I didn’t repeat the mistake I made last year,” he said.

Mees explained that he does a lot of physical training to prepare for a race. In addition, he said that he rides a motocross style motorcycle at a motocross track near his home during the week.

“It’s kind of like cross training,” he said. “I don’t ride my Flat Track Harley during the week because the bike is very expensive to maintain.”

The day that would permit him to put last year’s disappointing loss behind him came on June 2 of this year. This time, there were no mechanical issues and Mees won a close race by only 0.369 of a second over Kenny Coolbeth Jr. and Brad Baker.

“It was a fun race. I got off to a decent start, then had to make some passes. Coolbeth was breathing down my neck during the last laps, but I kept it up and was able to get the win,” he said.

Jared Mees’ race team celebrate the victory at the 2016 X Games in Austin, Texas on June 2, 2016.

He admitted that the race was close, but he added that it was not the closest race in which he has competed.

Michael Kirkness, who would ultimately be the fifth place finisher, took the lead at the start and led the field of 12 racers into the first turn when Smith, who was favored to win the race, snagged the toe of his boot on the edge of the track. He fell to the ground taking Sammy Halbert with him.  Jake Johnson grabbed the lead and led for the first four laps before Baker jumped out front going into Turn 4 with Mees right behind him. When Baker ran wide on lap 8, Mees took advantage and grabbed the lead.

It wasn’t long before Coolbeth started to challenge Mees and that’s how it went for the last 10 laps of the 20-lap race.

“This race was something I really wanted to win. We won and got the redemption we were looking for,” Mees concluded.

By the way, as a result of his spill Smith finished 11th.

Although he’s not sure where the X Games will be held next year, Mees plans to compete.