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K&N Filters' SportBike Racer Huntley Nash Bounces Back

30 Aug 2012

Huntley Nash clinches 2 top 10 finishes on his K&N sponsored Yamaha

Dubbed the "Comeback Kid," Huntley Nash has continued on the warpath to show the world that this young motorcycle racer can't be stopped. Mending from last season's ankle injury which limited his competitiveness last season, the multiple AMA Pro SuperSport winner kicked off 2012 with an unmatched determination to lead the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Nationals.

Pro Daytona SportBike rider Huntley Nash has made a strong comeback from last years injury

So far, Nash has been on-point, particularly at June's Road America Daytona SportBike (DSB) race in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Rebounding from a pair of dog-eat-dog battles at Infineon Raceway and in Utah, Nash came to Wisconsin swinging, clinching two Top 10 finishes over the weekend. The 20-year old started the race after qualifying eighth and quickly moved up to fifth.

Charging into third place by the first turn, Nash was forced wide in turn five and lost a few positions. Despite the setback, Nash - currently in his second season in DSB-fought for seventh place but ultimately took tenth on Saturday. The former Road America SuperSport race winner glowed in the neck-and-neck competition, beaming, "It's the best SportBike race so far, over two and a half seconds faster than I've ever been here before and really close to the front."

The Marietta, Georgia native continued, "I think I can do even better tomorrow. I got a good start and got by a few people on the brakes. I got on the outsideâ€¦instead of the inside, got pushed out wide and onto the rumble strip and nearly crashed. I made up some ground and was passing a lot of those guys on the outside in the Carousel. I'd rather have finished seventh rather than tenth but I'll take it."

For Nash, racing runs deep. "My dad and brother got a couple street bikes when I was younger, and I would go out and watch them ride at track days. I did some schools and a couple track days when I was old enough to ride. I then tried out for the Red Bull Rookies Cup, went through their selection process, and ended up making it. It was a really good opportunity." From there on, it was in the blood.

Commenting on his K&N-equipped motorcycle, Nash commented, "Since the last laps in Utah, I had a breakthrough and I'm starting to really figure out the trick to ride this bike and this suspension. I know the bike can run up front, I just have to ride it," continuing that his bike's performance was tied directly to the use of K&N's products. "It was a good weekend though, because we made a lot of good progress on the bike."

Sunday's Final showed Nash's talents, running as high as third making it the closest he's finished to the front since joining the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike class last year. Nash was seventh in an exciting race that, at one stage, featured nine riders fighting for the victory. "It was a lot of fun," Nash smiled. "I learned a lot running with the lead pack for pretty much the whole race for the first time. I've never actually been in the lead pack for that long. If we had another day, I think I could have raced with those dudes a bit more."

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.

Justin Lamb Wins 25th Anniversary Sonoma Nationals NHRA Super Stock Wally

30 Aug 2012

This latest Wally is Lamb's fourth so far at the Northern California track, and overall Lamb Motorsports car have appeared in seven national event final rounds in Sonoma, and have earned six victories since 2007

"It's hard to explain, I think for some reason I just have a lot of luck up there, and I also have been fortunate to make the correct decisions when it comes to dialing in the cars and setting them up," said Justin Lamb regarding his latest win at Sonoma Valley Raceway. Lamb was one of six Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series racers that took home a 25th Anniversary NHRA Sonoma Nationals Wally recently.

Lamb clocked in at 154.37 mph in 8.586 seconds to take the Super Stock win over Dave Raybourn.

Located In the heart of Northern California's high-tech region, the facility annually plays host to some of the series' most dramatic moments, and the K&N backed racer has seen more than his share. The 2012 NHRA Sonoma Nationals added yet another chapter in Lamb's tale of success at the facility, as the 25-year-old drove his Sunstate Companies backed Chevrolet Cobalt to the Super Stock title with a final round triumph over Dave Raybourn. Lamb bested Raybourn by a mere .0026 seconds, or about seven inches at the finish line. Lamb clocked in at 154.37 mph in 8.586 seconds, to Raybourn's 8.589 at 154.14 mph. The win marked Lamb's 9th NHRA national event victory, and his fourth in Sonoma.

"There are just some venues that agree with particular racers," continued the Henderson, Nevada resident. "We've always had success here, so it's like a shot of confidence when I come through the gate. The only tangible explanation I can give is that this is a really tricky track in terms of predicting weather and track changes as they affect these cars. The weather and the wind are constantly changing, and it can create huge swings in ET. We've got a lot of data here, and that allows me to really trust my setup each round. That's one area where I feel like we've got an edge, particularly here in Sonoma."

Throughout his young career Lamb is continued to illustrate the point that he can bring the best out of machinery regardless of what he's driving, versatility has been the name of the game for the talent driver since the very start. He earned his first NHRA National event in Sonoma back in 2007 when he hoisted the Super Comp Wally. Two years later he nearly doubled at the track, again winning Super Comp, plus taking the runner-up honors in Super Stock. In 2010, Lamb failed to make the final round of the event, but Top Fuel pilot, and former Super Comp World Champion, Shawn Langdon drove the Lamb family Camaro to victory in Super Gas. A day later, Lamb took the reins of the same machine and drove it to victory at the weather-delayed Arizona Nationals, which were originally to be held in Phoenix, but completed at Sonoma. In all, Lamb Motorsports machines have appeared in seven national event final rounds in Sonoma, and have earned six victories since 2007.

Winning the 25th Anniversary Wally highlights an already impressive 2012 NHRA season for the entire Lamb Motorsports team.

For his most recent triumph in Sonoma, Lamb worked his familiar Cobalt through a formidable field of Super Stock competitors on Saturday. After catching a break in Sunday's quarterfinal round when fellow West Coast standout Gregg Luneack suffered mechanical problems, waiting in the semi-final round was the winningest racer in NHRA Super Stock history, K&N's own Dan Fletcher. Fletcher and his familiar K&N Camaro came into the round riding a hot streak, having won the first leg of NHRA's annual Western Swing the week prior in Denver. But, Sonoma on this particular Sunday belonged to Lamb, as he outdueled Fletcher posting a near perfect .001 reaction time and running 8.584 on his 8.56 target.

"The round against Dan was huge," said Lamb. "Dan is one of the best racers in the business and anytime you race him you have to be on your ‘A' game. On a normal day I would have felt much more confident than I did that day because I had been driving poorly in the previous rounds. I had to really do my homework and put in a little more effort to try to beat him. The final was a great race too, but the semi's was big for several reasons. First, it's the semifinals. No one remembers who loses in the semis. Plus, there's a huge swing in prize money from the semi-finalists to the finalists. On top of that, I was racing Dan Fletcher, who has won nearly 80 NHRA national events. I was happy with my lights all weekend, and made some minor adjustments to try to be high .00 or low .01 against Dan. I didn't really intend to be .001, but it certainly worked out."

With this latest victory Lamb further highlights what has already been an impressive 2012 NHRA season. Lamb earned a double victory on the divisional trail with Competition Eliminator and Super Gas titles at the NHRA Division 7 event in Fallon, Nevada. Two weeks later, the team ventured east to Chicagoland Speedway, where he earned the right to represent the Pacific Division in the prestigious JEGS All-Stars Competition. At that event, Lamb drove the same Sunstate Companies backed Cobalt that he wheeled to the Super Stock victory in Sonoma, to a runner-up finish in Competition Eliminator. The points he accumulated in the event helped the Division 7 team earn the JEGS All-Stars team championship.

"So far I am happy with the 2012 season, I have been fortunate enough to win a few races and I am also currently leading the 2012 division 7 points standings in Comp Eliminator," adds Lamb. "I think it would be awesome to win the championship for two years in a row."

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.

Peter Biondo Wins His 45th NHRA National Event at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

30 Aug 2012

Emily and Biondo share the Bristol Dragway Winners Circle

A reality of professional racing is the press release, when creating them some teams choose to document nuances ranging from weather and track conditions, to exact details regarding throttle response during the race. While others opt for a more direct and environmentally conscious approach, whereby saving energy and ink, and they simply e-mail;

"I won Super Stock and my girlfriend won SG at Bristol with my championship corvette. What a weekend! Thanks to K&N for all the support!"

Biondo's 42nd Annual Englishtown Toyota SuperNationals cover shot

You sort of want to add to that with – good night, don't forget to tip your waitress, and turn off the lights when you leave. But, when you're a NHRA National event winner in five categories, knocking on the door of a historic sixth category, and when you have as many notches on your holster as Peter Biondo – that's pretty much all you need.

Biondo entered 2012 following one of his best seasons ever. He earned the NHRA Super Gas World Championship in 2011, his sixth title and his first in the 9.90 category, in addition he finished second in the national Super Stock standings. He opened the 2012 season with a pair of Super Stock semi-final finishes at the season-opening NHRA Winternationals and NHRA Arizona Nationals. He then won the $10,000 Big Buck Bracket Race at Atco Raceway in New Jersey. That purse helped the Maspeth, New York racer and business partner, Kyle Siepel, in pulling off without a hitch, their K&N Spring Fling 20's, a drag race they promote in Bristol, Tennessee.

During his latest venture to the renowned track, Biondo raced to his 45th NHRA National event win at the 12th Annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, which now accompany his six NHRA Lucas Oil National Championships, and his 13 divisional championships to date.

The K&N sponsored racer's final Super Stock round in Bristol leaving the starting line

For all of us that will never have a race winning weekend with our significant other, what's that feel like, and who gets to swagger the most?
"It's one of those times in your life where you think – is this really happening?" The fact that Emily was the pair in front of me and we turned the win-lights on back-to-back made it even more dramatic. I would say she gets to swagger the most because her batting average in NHRA SG is a perfect 1.000! That was her first and only NHRA Super Gas race."

Give us a brief update on some of your favorite 2012 highlights up to this point?
"2012 has been a whirlwind of good things happening. Probably the best spring I have had to date. It started out with our K&N Spring Fling 20's race in Bristol. It's a bracket race we have every year in May and we broke all kinds of records for car counts as we had 458 cars in one eliminator. Following that I won two NHRA National events back-to-back in E-Town, and of course our Bristol wins." (Biondo who has won in nearly every Sportsman class added Super Street to his resume, winning the 42nd Annual Englishtown Toyota SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey.)

Have you raced since your win at Bristol, and how did it go?
"I have done some bracket racing and won a big dollar bracket race back at Atco which paid $10,000, and goes along with the two $5000 bracket events I won earlier in the season."

How would you rate this season overall so far, and what's up next?
"To date, it has been a great year, and it ranks up there in my top three for sure. Although I am not chasing the points, we made some special memories this year. As I type this I am high in the sky (gotta love in flight Wifi) heading to the biggest event of the year; the US Nationals in Indy. I have had some good success there and am gonna do my best to get in the winner's circle on Monday."

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.

Simple Performance Upgrades for Toyota Tacoma Pickups

28 Aug 2012

Toyota Tacoma Performance

Toyota's path into truck prominence has been direct and straightforward. They entered the U.S. light truck market in 1964 with their introduction of the Toyota Stout, which was marketed until 1969, when it was succeeded by the smaller Hilux. Between 1964 and 1999, Toyota steadily built its reputation for truck quality on a solid line of little pickups. Beginning in 1976, these resilient vehicles were simply called compact pickups. The badge Tacoma wasn't attached until 1995, and back then its mission was to continue in the tread marks of their legendary line of popular light trucks. It was their sixth generation of Toyota trucks.

2005-2015 Toyota Tacoma 4.0L Replacement Air Filter

The early Tacoma was offered in both 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive models with two body styles: regular cab and Xtracab. Then in 2005 the Tacoma was redesigned and reclassified to a mid-size. The second-generation Tacoma immediately shot to the head of the class, becoming Motor Trend Magazine's Truck of the Year for 2005. For 2012, the Tacoma got another moderate refresh, with new looks and even more high-tech features, like Toyota's Entune voice-command infotainment system.

Toyota Tacoma 2.7L Engine Bay

The 2012 base engine is a 2.7 liter, 4-cylinder engine producing 159 horsepower, which offers some rather notable mpg stats with 19 city and 24 highway. The Tacoma has always been considered one of the more nimble trucks for daily chores and commuting, or as worthy off-road contender for weekend warriors, and test drivers claim that in its X-Runner trim, the Tacoma is by far the sportiest mid-size pickup truck on the market. If you're looking to add a bit more performance to your Tacoma truck, K&N has a solution for the entire lineup of Toyota Tacoma's.

Toyota Tacoma Air Intake Installed

K&N can bump up your truck's performance with several amazingly easy options. The easiest of these is by simply upgrading the existing factory air filter with one of K&N's Toyota Tacoma performance air filters. K&N is the inventor of the high flow performance cotton air filter. These filters are made from a special woven cotton material that improves air flow while also providing excellent filtration. The special cotton fabric is completely washable and reusable, and can go up to 50,000 miles before cleaning is needed depending on driving conditions. This air filter should outlast the life of your Toyota truck - K&N just about gives you their word on it with their 1,000,000 mile limited warranty. Plus, installing the K&N air filter is exactly the same as replacing the factory installed filter, with absolutely no modifications required.

Toyota Tacoma Performance Air Intake System

For serious power and torque performance benefits, look no further than K&N's Toyota Tacoma performance air intakes. K&N offers a complete line of air intakes and cold air intakes for most Toyota Tacoma trucks. K&N produces these air intakes custom made for each pickup model to gain power you can feel. Some have a black heat resistent non-metallic tube and some have great looking aluminum tubes with a chrome like finish. K&N's exceptional intake designs are engineered to lower the air restriction that the factory installed air box produces, which will deliver a guaranteed power improvement for your Toyota Tacoma, while also providing outstanding air filtration.

Toyota Tacoma Pro Series Oil Filter

All K&N air intakes come with a washable and reusable cotton gauze filter element. These filters can be used for up to 100,000 miles before cleaning is needed depending on driving conditions. K&N air intakes are also easy to install and usually only take about 90 minutes from start to finish. Estimated horsepower increases are based on dyno testing. See the K&N website or Toyota Tacoma performance air intake product pages for estimated horsepower gains.

Wrench-Off Oil Filter for Toyota Tacoma

K&N also offers Performance Gold Wrench-Off oil filters, Pro Series oil filters and washable, reusable oil filters by Pure Power. Toyota Tacoma oil filters from K&N provide exceptional levels of protection against harmful contaminants and nasty debris that can damage engines, while at the same time, they provide high oil flow rates. K&N Wrench-Off oil filters for the Tacoma are made with a one inch nut welded to the top of the canister for easy removal. Toyota Tacoma Pro Series oil filters from K&N offer great protection and performance at a low cost. K&N's reusable oil filter by Pure Power provides a housing, bypass valve and call plate that are all CNC machined from Billet 6061 T6 aluminum, so under normal operating conditions, they are also built to outlast the life of your truck.

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.

Michael Lewis Finishes 6th in Formula 3 Euro Series at Nürburgring in Germany

24 Aug 2012

Moving up through the field during the 20-minute sprint Race 2, Lewis quickly marched from his 15th starting position to an impressive 9th in just 15 laps.

Racing and being a racer, has offered Michael Lewis parameters to a life few of us could associate with. Since before he can even remember not racing, it has defined who he is. He has an innate endowment for translating what he feels through a steering wheel and pedals and computing a dozen critical decisions at light-speed. That gift became obvious to anyone that saw him win the Pomona Valley 1/4 Midget Association Senior Honda and Light 160 Honda Championships when he was barely a teenager.

Last year when Lewis won the Rookie of the Year honors racing in the 2011 ACI Sport Formula 3 Italia Championship, and finished second in the point chase, just barely missing the overall title, his move into the Formula 3 Euro Series seemed instantly destined to be jam-packed with even more career significant highlight moments. And to be absolutely clear, he is still on an accelerated learning curve in 2012, but for Lewis, anything less than a podium trip just isn't acceptable, so he pushes himself even harder. His mixed results at Germany's famous Nürburgring last weekend, which marks the beginning of the second half of the 2012 Formula 3 Euro Series, left Lewis and the PREMA Powerteam looking for answers.

Lewis adjusts his helmet just prior to climbing in to his PREMA Powerteam Dallara F312 race car powered by Mercedes for Sunday's Round 15 of the Formula 3 Euro Series.

However, from a humble outsider's point of view, one pragmatic factor might be that in his car, the one place Lewis has always been able to find peace from outside influences, and enact evenhanded control over his world, has suddenly become too loud. The mounting pressures and responsibilities to win for everyone else that Lewis feels, are beginning to creep into his helmet, and all the pushing and mental preparation is only tightening the knot. So, now it seems decisions that normally come instinctively and at the speed of thought, he's second guessing, and in a world measured in hundredths of a second - that changes everything.

"I have studied very hard for the last two weeks preparing for my first visit to Nürburgring by watching video and studying my team's engineering reports from past races here," remarked Lewis prior to qualifying. "I feel that I have a good grasp of what I need to do to be among the fast drivers here."

Friday's qualifying for the Euro Series' visit to Nürburgring featured grid positions for Saturday's Round 13 that were determined by only hundredths of a second, which placed the K&N sponsored American in 10th place on the starting grind.

Lewis started Sunday's Round 15 in 10th and quickly moved up the field. At one point, he dropped several positions, but charged through the field to finish.

Saturday morning 17 Formula 3 Euro Series cars were placed on the grid for the 29-lap, or 40-minute race. Lewis got a strong start and chose the inside line for the important turn one battle for position. He was able to overtake one car and then gained another position on the next corner. However, Michael went wide on the track and lost the positions he gained. As the first few laps unfolded it was clear that Lewis had the speed to move forward, but passing at Nürburgring is tough. Lewis followed closely on the rear wing of driver Tom Blomqvist as Blomqvist kept on the rear wing of William Buller, and they continued on for a number of laps. Later in the race, Lewis spun and went off the track but was able to keep the car running to rejoin the race. He came back to finish 15th.

"I put myself in a tough position for this Nürburgring race as a result of Friday's qualifying effort, which was not want I wanted to happen," said Lewis after the race. "I knew going into the race that I would have to pass to move forward and the two cars ahead of me were running about the same pace I was running, so I started pushing to get by Blomqvist and unfortunately flew off the track."

Michael Lewis sits ready to launch into the Formula 3 Euro Series race

The second race of the weekend, Round 14, was a 20-minute, 15-lap sprint race. The starting grid for this race was determined by the finishing order from Saturday's first race, which placed Lewis in 15th on the grid. By lap-7, Lewis had worked his way into 10th, and on lap 14 he made a classic pass at turn-1 to claim 9th position, where he finished the race just behind his PREMA Powerteam teammate Daniel Juncadella.

The third and final race of the Formula 3 Euro Series' race weekend took place on Sunday. Lewis once again started 10th. After a lot of shuffling for position during the middle laps, for the last 8 laps of the race, a torrid battle ensued by the top four drivers while they challenged for positions 3 through 6. When the checkered flag waved, Lewis crossed the start/finish line in a solid 6th place.

"After my spin on the first lap I had to make up ground quickly," explained Lewis. "Because I had such a good car from the PREMA Powerteam, I passed cars and made up time. I got back up to the front and challenged the three drivers that were all vying for third place. On the last lap I made an attempt to pass Tom Blomqvist in Turn 1 but could not make it stick. It was a fun race and I earned some championship points, too."

Lewis' next race will be this coming weekend when the Formula 3 Euro Series visits Circuit Park Zandvoort in The Netherlands.

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.