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Andrew Lowe Brought Custom Ram 2500 4x4 Truck to SEMA 2012

27 Feb 2013

Andrew Lowe takes 2012 Ram 2500 to SEMA

Andrew Lowe obviously has a passion for transforming stock vehicles into beautiful pieces of work capable of performing beyond common standards. In fact, Lowe's passion is even more specific as he specializes in Dodge and BMW vehicles. According to the Houston, Texas native, he tries to build a custom truck every few years.

SEMA Featured 2012 Ram 2500 Truck

Lowe recently rolled into Las Vegas, Nevada, eager to show his most recent endeavor at SEMA 2012. With countless hours of planning and manpower behind him, it was due time to display his 2012 Ram 2500.

"This was my second trip to SEMA as a builder, and third overall," he recalled. "Each build takes about a year. As soon as SEMA is over, I take a few weeks off, then get to planning on my next truck. It takes dedication of great sponsors, like K&N, to build a truck like this in the timespan."

Andrew Lowe had one of the most eye-catching 4x4s at SEMA 2012

Starting out with a 6.7 Cummins High-Output under the hood, Lowe opted to make a few modifications with intentions of acquiring optimal performance. He installed an Edge Juice Computer Controlled module to ensure perfect timing and accurate injector firing. In turn, the benefits would be three fold - "maximum performance, improved drivability, and better fuel economy."

Extreme Customs applied a custom paint job with Du Pont custom colors to Lowe's SEMA Ram 2500

Aware that the best filtering system on the market was an essential element of keeping his engine contaminant free, Andrew Lowe automatically turned to K&N products. Referring to their capabilities, he said, "The first time I used K&N was in 2003, on a custom intake we built for my air-bagged 2003 Ram 1500 Hemi. K&N offers great benefits, from their lifetime warranty to the intake kits. If they don't make an intake kit for the application, then their custom cones will always work with some fabrication skills. Easy to clean and reliable; what more do you want in an air filter."

Proper air flow is essential from the time it enters the engine until it leaves the tailpipe. That in mind, Lowe installed a revised turbo and went with a Magnaflow custom twin-tip exhaust. Focusing on improving the integrity of the engines' internal components, he went with ARP studs.

38x13.5x24 Nitto Tires on SEMA featured Ram 2500 Truck

With work under the hood behind him, it was time to focus on other mechanical modifications that would improve the 4X4s durability, looks, and overall performance. Putting a Stage 4, eight-inch left under the rig, he then addressed the braking system, opting to install slotted rotors.

Aware that practically any build can be improved with making modifications "where the rubber meets the road", the builder chose 24X12, three-piece RBP Revolver wheels. His next decision was as important as it was obvious - he had to choose the proper tires. Lowe opted to wrap 38X13.5X24 Nitto Tires around the wheels. The combination provided a showy appearance that could withstand the rigors handed out by a four-wheel-drive.

Ram 2500 sports 24x12 three-piece RBP Revolver wheels at SEMA

When the mechanical modifications were done, he consolidated his thoughts in a direction that would lead to what he anticipated would be one of the most eye-catching 4X4s at SEMA 2012. Lowe went to Extreme Customs, in Houston, Texas, where they applied a custom paint job with Du Pont custom colors.

With the scent of completion in the air, the Builder focused on the truck's interior. Eager to provide onlookers with the total package, he chose Laramie Longhorn factory leather enhanced with color matched pieces and additional trim wrapped in matching leather, and the results were exactly what he had hoped for.

When asked if he found more pleasure in the build of his Gothic, Western Style Ram 2500, or most enjoyed driving the finished product, Lowe explained, "Both are equally fun; hearing the engine fire for the first time after working on it, or driving it away from the lights. They're both great feelings!".

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.

Drag Race Team Ballard Family Racing's Emma and Arley Ballard Set Goals for 2013 Season

27 Feb 2013

Arley Ballard races a junior dragster at Byron Raceway, but will be moving up in class competing with teenagers regulary

Emma Ballard might be following in her father's drag racing tracks with a visit to Indianapolis for the Summit Racing Series Finals at the end of the summer. The 17-year-old Emma is part of the Ballard Family Racing drag racing team with her 12-year-old sister, Arley. Emma will be racing primarily at the Byron Raceway in Illinois in both the high school and street eliminator classes.

Ballard Family Racing drag racing team Emma and Arley Ballard

But her ultimate goal is to race in the Summit Racing Series Finals at Indianapolis.

"Anybody can win. I feel like I can do it if I set my mind to it," said Emma Ballard. "I'm going to be happy to be there. If I win, I win. If I don't, I know I tried my hardest. It's so overwhelming to think that I could be at Indy."

Mike Ballard, who manages his daughter's team, raced at Indianapolis when he was younger. His racing days are over, but he would like to see his oldest daughter lay some rubber on the Indy strip.

"When I was racing, we all traveled as a family most of the time," Mike Ballard said. "She has memories of some of the different tracks that we used to go to." She won a race in the high school division at Tri-State Raceway in Iowa in 2012. Her dad said he wants to take both his daughters to different race tracks and have them gain some valuable experience this year.

"You gotta keep a balance," Mike Ballard said. "We can't do it all the time. We're going to do more than what we did last year."

Emma Ballard won a race in the high school division at Tri-State Raceway in Iowa in 2012

Emma finished third in points in the high school division at Byron Raceway. Her dad would like to see her repeat, if not improve on last year's results.

"I'd like to see her finish in the top three in high school and in the top 10 in street eliminator," Mike Ballard said. "Ultimately, qualify to go to Indianapolis." Emma said she is looking forward to racing in two divisions.

"This past year in the high school, there was only five or six people," Emma said. "There was more chance of me winning. In street eliminator, there is 30-something cars there. It's tougher to win, even getting to the semifinals. They're a lot of fun. I like them both, but high school is a lot easier to win in."

Arley Ballard is making a move up in class. She races a junior dragster at Byron Raceway, but will be competing with teenagers on a regular basis for the first time in her career.

She won two races and had three runner-up finishes at Byron Raceway last year.

"Last year was her first full season. She did very well," Mike Ballard said. "She picked up on it real quick. Arley picks the stuff up real quick."

She won her first race on the same day her sister won in Iowa. But she has a hard time recalling exactly how the race unfolded.

"I'm not sure," Arley said. "I don't remember exactly what happened."

Arley has a lofty goal for her drag racing season too. She wants to race in Bristol, Tenn., in a junior dragster nationals event at the end of the summer.

"It would be really amazing if I could make it that far," Arley said. "It would just be really exciting. It's cool to be a part of that and to think I might have a chance to be in the nationals."

Her dad said he would like to see Arley be a top-five driver at Byron and race well enough to make it to Bristol.

"I really think she's capable of being in the top five," Mike Ballard said. "The junior dragsters have a conference final down in Bristol, Tennessee. We'd like to be able to take her to that. That's a big one."

The team uses K&N products in their dragsters and has no complaints. Mike Ballard said he even trusts them in his lawn mower.

"K&N has helped our team in a lot of ways," Mike Ballard said. "Not only are they of the highest quality, they help our tow vehicle get better fuel economy going to and from the races, they lower our operating cost since we don't have to keep replacing the filters while giving all our engines the best possible protection. We even have one on our lawn mower and I love not having to buy a new filter every spring."

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.

Super Late Model Racer Chris Ferguson Reflects on 2012 Race Season

26 Feb 2013

The televised Fastrak World Championships was a 2012 highlight moment for Ferguson.

Racing isn't simply about the black and white of winning or losing. It exists in the vast gray area between those polar opposites. The ability to spot the details in the brilliance between those extremes, and then connect the dots, gives you a far clear overall perspective.

Chris Ferguson had his ups and downs in 2012 but the highlights hint at a potentially stellar 2013.

"2012 was a tough season for us," remarked Ferguson. "There is no doubt that we should have won a lot more races, but the results don't show it. I think this year was one of the toughest of my racing career, but we managed to make some noise with some big wins."

"My biggest highlight of the year had to come from winning at The Dirt Track in Charlotte in May. We qualified on the pole with over 40 cars in attendance. After the pill redraw, we had to start fourth. After chasing down the leader for 26 laps, we passed him with 4 laps to go and then held on for the win. It was awesome being in victory lane there with over 15,000 people in the crowd."

Clearly that qualifies in the "best of times" column, but Ferguson illustrates how a DNF can represent one of those sparks of brightness that exists only in the aforementioned gray area. The Chris Ferguson Motorsports team returned to the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for their NDRA-sanctioned event, and they were looking to defend their win from earlier that year.

Cherokee Speedway was another highlight in Ferguson's year.

Ferguson set fast time among the 43 cars on hand and appeared to be on his way to another big win when he suffered a broken shock after leading the first 17 laps. He was able to hold on and still get a 4th place finish, but he was nevertheless disappointed.

"We had the race at Charlotte won. I was just trying to stay out of trouble and trying to take care of the car. The track was just so rough. And that's not an excuse. We all had to race on the same track but we broke a shock and it slowed us way down," commented Ferguson after that race.

After peering into the rearview mirror of 2012 he adds, "We were on track to win the October race at Charlotte after setting on the pole and leading 17 laps, before the right front shock broke. Those were two of the coolest highlights of the year, running that good in front of that many people, and also in front of my hometown crowd."

The K&N sponsored driver is looking to convert the lessons of 2012 into a successful season this year.

Another highlight for the Ferguson Motorsports crew came when he won opening night of the Fastrak World Championships. That particular event will be televised on Fox Sports Network in February 2013.

"With over 80 cars entered, we qualified 8th, won our heat race, and started fourth in the main event. After chasing the leaders early, we look the lead on lap 8 and never looked back. Winning in front of the camera was a first for me, and I'm very blessed to be able to compete at that level."

Then just a couple of months back in November, Ferguson climbed back aboard his CFM Vic Hill powered No. 22 Warrior Race Car and head for Madison, North Carolina and the confines of the 311 Speedway for the Carolina Clash $4000 to win "Clash Bash." That event signaled the season finale for the Super Late Model Series. Ferguson had already found victory lane at 311 earlier in the season, in the crate machine, and he expected to apply some of what he learned in the Crate car to the Super Late Model for this event.

"Unfortunately we didn't get the finish we wanted in the Carolina Clash Bash Finale," said Ferguson. "We started 10th in the feature and finished in 10th. The track was very tough to race on so it made the passing minimal. However we brought the car home in one piece and finished the race."

"I will start my 2013 season driving for two different teams, then back with my own team in March. I will be racing the East Bay Winternationals with the McCarter Towing/David Smith team January 31st, February 1st and 2nd. I will then be racing for the Mike Mercer owned crate team that I drove for in 2012, at Screven Raceway Winter Freeze February 7, 8, and 9th."

In March we will debut with Chris Ferguson Motorsports with a brand new Warrior Chassis and Clements Racing Engine at Gordon Park Speedway March 2nd. Then we will head to Cherokee Speedway for the $10,000 to win March Maddness."

When asked if he had made his peace with the 2012 season Ferguson said, "Fortunately I have, and that's because in racing luck can go either way. I've learned to not get upset with bad luck, and to celebrate with good luck. All you can do is go out there and do your best every time."

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.

Team Faith Rider Kelly Smith Fourth in AMA Amsoil Arenacross Series Points Race

26 Feb 2013

Missing his original flight into Tulsa, Team Faith's Kelly Smith arrived at the BOK Center with only minutes to spare.

Team Faith shares many similarities with their competitors in the AMA Amsoil Arenacross Series. Each and every rider spends countless hours not only fine tuning their skill levels, but also getting physically prepared for the rigors of the sport. Each team enters every venue with high hopes of walking away with the victory and improving their position in the points race.

Team Faith Rider, Kelly Smith, recently jumped into the fourth spot in the points race in the AMA Amsoil Arenacross series

Team Faith also has another goal that they find equally as important as positions on the podium. As a non-profit multi-faceted ministry, they strive to "impact people who are enthusiastic about moto and action sports."

Of course, there are always uncertainties in the world of racing, but upon recently rolling into the BOK Center at Tulsa, Oklahoma, the drama was more intense than usual for Team Faith. Rider, Jeff Gibson would not be attending the event, and rightfully so. He and his wife, Shannel, had been blessed with a beautiful baby girl just s few days prior. Sitting fourth in the points race and 15 points ahead of the fifth-pace rider, Gibson could afford to spend this valuable time with his wife and first child.

"We knew before the season started that Jeff's wife, Shannel, was pregnant, and the timing was such that he was probably going to miss a round of racing," recalled Team Faith member, Brian O'Rourke. "We are thankful that it happened to be a round that consisted of only one night of racing, rather than two. For our team, family comes before racing. We supported his decision to stay home one-hundred-percent. And as it turned out, he only lost one positioning point, and that was to his teammate, Kelly Smith."

As Gibson was not scheduled to attend the race, Kelly Smith was the only rider scheduled to represent their team. As luck would have it though, the lone team rider's flight out of Detroit was delayed. It was starting to look like a race that had likely been anticipated for months was on the road to disaster.

"Kelly missing his first flight into Tulsa from Grand Rapids was starting out to be one of those weekends," shared O'Rourke. "I saw our friend, Justin Buckalew, walking around in the pits, and I seriously asked if he'd be willing to ride either Kelly's or Jeff's bike if neither showed up! But the airline got Kelly rebooked for the next day (raceday) with an arrival time that still made it possible for him to make at least one of the two practices. As it turned out, the flight was early, and he made it just in time to do both practices, which was good, because Bucky said he was on the tenth step of his twelve-step program to quit racing. And we were making it really hard for him to say no."

With a rider on the premises, Team Faith was geared up and ready to roll. After finishing 12th in practice, Kelly took his first holeshot of the night when the gates dropped, indicating the beginning of the second heat. After leading the pack for about one-half the race, the rider fell into second place, where he would cross the finish line.

Kelly took the holeeshot again in the first main feature, and held the lead for the first lap. But the current AMA Amsoil Arenacross points leader, Tyler Bowers, managed to work his way to the front where he would remain until earning the checkered flag. Managing to stay in front of the remainder of the field, Smith earned Team Faith a second place finish.

After the inversion, the rider was scheduled to start the second main of the night with a seventh gate pick. In spite of another great start, Kelly Smith "got pushed wide into another rider", and fell back into the eighth position. The rider remained eighth throughout a majority of the race, but lost another spot to fellow rider, Zach Ames in the final lap. When the dust had settled, Kelly finished the night sixth overall, not a bad conclusion to a night that started off chaotic at best.

When asked about the team's confidence level, O'Rourke answered, "After Tulsa, Kelly jumped into fourth and Gibby fell only one spot to fifth. So we are gaining confidence with every round of racing. Both guys are dialing in now, and the whole team is working well together. We expect it only to get better."

Referring to their game plan throughout the remainder of the season, O'Rourke continued, "Once the points are reset for the Chase to the Championship, the keys to success are going to be getting great starts and beating Tyler Bowers. The guy is a phenomenal Arenacross racer and at the moment is proving very hard to beat."

O'Rourke and the rest of the crew are also aware that maintenance will play a significant role in their overall success. "Maintaining our race vehicles is extremely important," he ensured. "It can make the difference in winning and losing."

That in mind Team Faith strives to keep their engines contaminant free. "We are thankful for sponsors like K&N, who makes great products that stand up to the rigors of the high intensity racing that we participate in. We've been using K&N filters since we started racing in 1994," explained O'Rourke.

"K&N makes the highest quality products, hands down. In fact, I think we drive our K&N rep., Johnny Jump, crazy with how often we change our oil filters. Truth is, we probably do not need to change them as much as we do. But to my knowledge, we have never had a mechanical failure due to a K&N product.."

With a good idea of what it will take to end the season in the winners circle, Team Faith is focused and eager for each and every race lurking down the road. But the crew is also eager to reach each and every spectator and fan.

"Fans can expect us to be competitive for the remainder of the season," explained O'Rourke. Both Kelly Smith and Jeff Gibson are seasoned veterans of Arenacross, and they know what they need to do to win. And they both want to win! The team crew is solid, and we have our routine down. So I don't see any reason why we can't go out and perform to the level we are capable of and come out on top on any given weekend. We are all working hard, and we should be right there in the mix week in and week out."

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.

Modified 2007 Dodge Magnum R/T 5.7L HEMI V8 Powered SEMA Feature in DUB Booth

25 Feb 2013

Dodge Magnum at SEMA amazing custom exterior paint

Dodge Magnum R/T at SEMA amazing custom exterior paint

As a great man once said, "a picture is worth a thousand words." In the case of Rudy and Sonia Lopez's 2007 Dodge Magnum, the picture is a large one with many subtle and obvious details. Introduced in 2004 as a 2005 model year, the Magnum name has adorned many different platforms with the most recent being a rear-wheel drive station wagon donning multiple personalities.

Rudy and Sonia Lopez's 2007 Dodge Magnum at SEMA

Available with the standard V6 or the legendary Hemi V8 motors, consumers have the ability to pick and choose whether to walk on the safe side or drive like a bat out of hell.

For Rudy and Sonia, they chose the 2007 Dodge Magnum R/T equipped with a powerful 5.7 liter Hemi V8. Being "average" car enthusiasts, Rudy and Sonia arrived at the 2012 SEMA show to high accolades with an above average ride, or should we say a low ride. Completed with no donations or sponsorships, save for their hard earned money, these two car enthusiasts had only attended SEMA once previously in 2011 as spectators. Having dabbled slightly in air suspension and bodywork, Rudy is more of a "detail guy making whatever it may be sparkle and shine" and who wanted to build a car with "no theme or special interest ... other than wanting the "wtf" reaction out of people when they see it."

SEMA 2012 DUB booth featured custom 2007 Dodge Magnum R/T

SEMA 2012 DUB booth featured custom Dodge Magnum R/T

The intricate "ghosted and hologrammed" details of the paint job leave onlookers astonished by what they see and what they possibly didn't see. Plenty of people though see the amount of work and detail that has gone into this Magnum and have given Rudy and Sonia something else to show off:

Modified Dodge Magnum with K&N air intake system at SEMA

Modified Dodge Magnum R/T with K&N air intake system at SEMA

numerous car show awards, features in Streetseen Magazine, J-Lug Magazine, the 2013 Route 66 Casino Calendar, Piloteando TV, and other social media sites. When asked why they chose K&N, Rudy replied "we have the K&N cold air intake on the vehicle, reason being number one just the quality of the product, and overall performance, appearance, durability and the warranty of the product."

These two newly inducted SEMA veterans are planning on modifying Sonia's 2007 Chevy Avalanche with air bags, 28 inch wheels, a full Coach interior and new paint. Here is a list of the modifications done to the Magnum:

SEMA featured 2007 Dodge Magnum R/T with 5.7L HEMI V8

Air ride suspension
Full leather interior
Suede accents
Painted interior panels
Exterior paint

We asked Rudy what their goals are for the future and he replied "for this upcoming year is more exposure, more magazines, more awards and just keep doing what we love to do fixing up are cars as a hobby, showing at car shows and bringing smiles to people's faces." Sounds like a great plan to us.

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.