Latest News

Red Bull/RMR Drift Racer Rhys Mad Skills Millen Poised to leave His Mark on 2012

27 Jan 2012

In 2012 Mad Skills Millen is looking to improve further on his podium output in the Global RallyCross Series and X Games, along with winning another Red Bull Drifting World Championship.

Drift racer Rhys Millen is an overnight sensation 20 years in the making. On the outside he smacks of Hollywood leading man, while on the inside churns the DNA blueprinted mechanics of a particularly intuitive race car driver. Millen was born in New Zealand in 1972; he is the son of famed rally and off-road racer Rod Millen, nephew to IMSA GTS driver Steve Millen, and elder brother of Ryan, also one of the world's leading drift racing competitors. Over two decades of racing experience has established Millen as one of the most respected performance drivers in the world.

For his 2011 highlights Rhys Millen lists, among others, winning the Formula D in Las Vegas.

Millen's legendary car control skills, which he's acquired through various motorsport outlets, has earned him the nickname "Mad Skills," he has been involved in the sport of Drifting since 2003, but has been driving in competition since 1990 in SCCA Rally. He currently drives a 2010 K&N supported Hyundai genesis Coupe 3.8 V6.

Millen's 2011 race highlights include winning Formula D Las Vegas, second place at Formula D Irwindale, (despite having engine difficulties for two days), and finishing third overall in the Global RallyCross Series. He lists 2008 as his high water mark to date, a year which saw him blow three engines just days prior to round one of the Formula Drift Championship, forcing him to watch from the sidelines. Millen and Team RMR would then podium the next four out of the six remaining events with two firsts, clinching third in the Formula Drift Championship, and the title for the Tires.com Triple Crown Championship.

That year Millen also set a new World Record in the Time Attack Division at the World Renowned Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, it was his 18th run up the peak. The final challenge for the 2008 season was the Red Bull Drifting World Championship, bringing together 32 of the top drivers from around the world to challenge for the title of "The Best in the World." When the engines were stilled, Millen stood tall on top of the podium, as he was crowned King of the World.

Millen's day job sharpens his weekend race skills to an even finer edge, as he spends most days behind the wheel precision stunt driving for countless automotive car commercials totaling some 150 plus days per year. "My schedule is filled with some 200-plus days per year behind the wheel either racing or stunt driving for TV commercials and feature films," said Millen.

Millen made the transition into Hollywood after landing the role of lead stunt driver of General Lee in the film "Dukes of Hazard." His performance landed him subsequent roles as lead stunt driver and stunt team drift coordinator in the "Fast and Furious 3 Tokyo Drift" movie. In addition to these movies Millen has work behind the wheel, can be viewed in the movies such as "Herbie Fully Loaded", "Red Line the movie" displaying his dynamic control talents in cars like the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche GT. most recently Millen has appeared in "Fast and Furious Four , "Indiana Jones Four" and "Fast and Furious Five."

For the 2012 season Millen is looking to continue with the good results he left off with in the 2011 Formula D season, and to push for more podiums in the Global RallyCross Series and X Games. Also on his list of to-dos Millen says "I would love to win Baja 1000. To date I have only placed third in class. Also, the Pikes Peak overall title, and I'd like to expand into CORR racing."

When asked how the K&N connection came about, team spokesperson Eric Cantore explained, "We have always sold and installed K&N products through our wholesale and retail shop at Rhys Millen Racing. We have also used K&N products in our race cars over the years. We meet up with Nester Cabrero at many of the events and wanted to start an official relationship with K&N. He put us into contact with Bob Harris, and as they say, the rest is history."

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 Ford F350 Super Duty Featured at the 2011 SEMA Show

27 Jan 2012

Stephen Kong's 2008 Ford F350 Super Duty at SEMA

If you were able to attend the 2011 SEMA show, you may have run across this incredible 2008 Ford F350 Super Duty owned by Stephen Kong. This F350 features a 16 inch One Up Off-Road lift, front and rear King Racing Shocks 3" monster coilovers, 24x12 American Force Hero rims with 37x13.50x24 Toyo Open Country m/t tires, custom one off colored powder coat amongst other powder coated components, a Fab Fours winch front bumper, Fab Fours rear bumper, Warn 16.5ti winch and cover, as well as many other modifications.

2011 SEMA featured Ford F350 Super Duty

Stephen has been into building show vehicles for 28 years and has been influenced to do so by his family. This is Stephen's third project and was inspired by his last truck because "I wanted a Super Duty I could jump" he said. Outside of modifying vehicles, Stephen works as a bike mechanic. The F350 Super Duty has been featured in Off Road Adventures and will be featured in Truckin' and 8 Lug.

Surprisingly enough, Stephen uses this modified F350 Super Duty as his daily driver. When asked what makes this truck stand out versus a stock F350 Super Duty, Stephen believes it is the increased level of power as well as better fuel mileage. He has attended the SEMA show four years now, and hopes to move from an outdoor display to a manufacturer display inside the Las Vegas Convention Center next year. In order to prepare for a show, Stephen usually has the vehicle professionally detailed. In the future, he hopes to build a new Duramax as well as continuing to build upon this F350 Super Duty.

Any experienced vehicle builder knows that the use of K&N products is a must for every great build. Stephen has been using K&N products since he was a child. He had K&N products on go-carts and dirt bikes when he was around 5 or 6 years old. Today, Stephen is still loyal to the K&N product family with an FIPK intake kit in the F350 Super Duty. He believes that he always has a positive experience with K&N and enjoys easy to follow, straight forward instructions when installing the products on his vehicles.

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.

Kyle LeDuc Experiences Success At Las Vegas Motor Speedway

27 Jan 2012

Upon pulling into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to race in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series, Kyle LeDuc and his fellow competitors likely all had heavy hearts. Just three weeks prior, fellow driver and off-road champion, Rick Huseman, his brother Jeff, and their friend Danny Hicks had lost their lives in a plane crash. Of course when the green flag waved Kyle and the other drivers would focus on the race at hand, but prior to the event, time was allotted to the respect of their lost friends, as Chaplain Steve Hanson offered a prayer, and Kevin Huseman led the Pro4 Unlimited field around the parade lap in the #36 truck to pay the final respect for his lost brothers.

Kyle LeDuc recently won his third consecutive Pro4 Unlimited Victory during a race at Las Vegas MotorSpeedway.

"Vegas was a special and sad event," shared Kyle LeDuc. "The very recent loss of my buddies, Rick and Jeff Huseman, was fresh on my mind and in my heart. I wanted to represent for Rick and win it the way he would've- charging and giving nothing away and scooping up a win. We delivered."

Qualifying first, Kyle LeDuc started on the outside of row two and behind his brother Todd, who was on the front row after the inversion. Their father, Curt, was also in the field of drivers as he began the race in the third row.

During the first half of the race, Kyle and Todd held the third and fourth spots, and eventually both gained a position when fellow driver, Josh Merrell rolled his truck. Both drivers remained in the second and third places until the final lap of the race when Kyle made his move and drove under the leading driver, Carl Renezeder, and took the checkered flag for his third consecutive Pro4 Unlimited victory.

When asked the key to his success, the driver said, "We won both rounds in Surprise, Arizona, and then Saturday in Las Vegas, followed by a second, and then won the final race of the year. My success has been a culmination of many skills on my end, as well as great preparation of the truck. I like to save my truck for after the halfway flag, and then unleash the beast that is the #99 rocket ship. My truck is very easy to drive, very versatile and can pass at will with great concerning speeds and acceleration," he continued. "I'm very confident in both myself and my truck, so it's very hard for the competition to keep up."

Immediately after stepping down from the podium, Kyle jumped into his #99 Pro Lite Unlimited truck and qualified second, for what some considered as the "wildest race of the day." During the race, fans watched as Kyle bicycled the truck several times and even ended up on his lid once, obviously putting him in the trailing position of the nineteen truck field.

With the 2011 season behind him, Kyle LeDuc is already anticipating a successful and exciting round of races during 2012.

The driver continued swinging through the remainder of the race though, and passed two trucks on the final corner, earning himself a sixth place finish and the fastest lap along the way. Although Kyle LeDuc got off to a fast start in the Pro Lite Unlimited class on the following day, a faulty fuel pump ended his chances of a victory early on.

After taking the checkered flag in the Pro4 Unlimited race the day prior, Kyle LeDuc lined up behind his father, who was on the pole, and Todd, who was on the outside of row two. As the race progressed, both Kyle and Todd LeDuc managed to work their way to the front of the pack, but during the last lap, Carl Renezeder took the lead in turn two, a position of which he held onto, leaving second place for Kyle and third for his brother Todd.

When asked if his team played a role in his success, LeDuc said, "Team is what makes it racing. I build the trucks, and my guys keep it at a level that can sometimes seem overkill. But when you sweep a weekend and fight for a championship, it needs to be done that way; perfect every time."

When asked to share his thoughts on K&N products he continued, "On my Pro4 truck, I currently run their air filter with the power top, as well as a wrap. We also run the oil filters," he continued. "K&N has given my team and me the confidence that their products deliver at extreme levels, and we never second guess the products coming out of the K&N factory."

Referring to the upcoming season, LeDuc said, "In the 2012 season, there will be some records broken that may be hard to imagine. But with our team and our desire to be the best, we will succeed and make our stamp in the world of off-road racing, and keep the LeDuc name in everybody's mind."

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.

Martino Motorsports Reflects on 2011 and Gearing Up for the 2012 Drag Racing Season

24 Jan 2012

From "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Two Lane Blacktop" to "American Graffiti" and "Heart Like a Wheel" - hot rod memories have sustained and entertained us since the first two motorized carriages stared down the same dirt road. Like two gunfighters compressing an entire lifetime of experience into a handful of seconds - drag racers focus their sights one quarter-mile at a time - living in a paradoxical world of controlled calm and explosive aggression.

Tom Martino and his son Ryan say their K&N second-generation composite dragster scoop with K&N air filter added an additional three mph to their dragster in the 1/4 mile in 2011.

Tom Martino and his son Ryan understand all too well about the compelling nature of drag racing and they thrive on it. The father-son duo says that racing brings their family closer together. "When we're together we're unstoppable," says Ryan.

Martino Motorsports is a family owned and operated NHRA drag racing team out of Youngstown, Ohio. Tom, a well respected and recognized fixture within the drag racing community for decades, began his drag racing career back in 1970, sneaking his daily driver out to Youngstown Ohio Drag City with his two brothers when he was barely 16.

When Tom was introduced to a white 1969 Dodge Dart GTS, by a close friend in the late 1970s, his dream of becoming a drag racer transformed into reality. Tom, his brothers and the Dart went on to set numerous NHRA, AHRA, and IHRA world records in Stock and Super Stock, as well as winning multiple events. In the winter of 1990, Tom unexpectedly sold the Dart, when he was doing a display for the Coors Brewing Company and Mancini Racing in Cleveland, Ohio. Within a few months, Tom had his first of three dragsters and the rest, as he likes to say, "Is history."

Ryan has been around drag racing all of his life, and began his drag racing career in 2002, when he earned his Super Comp license. Ryan has had the fortune of gaining some valuable seat time in their Top Dragster over the past few years and competing in the Sport Compact ranks with a hometown built Chevrolet Cavalier. In the summer of 2011 Ryan upgraded his NHRA competition license to Advance E.T., during the NHRA Lucas Oil Series Division 3 event at National Trails Raceway, and he looks forward to competing at select events in 2012.

The Martinos' partnership with K&N dates back to December of 2008 when the duo first met Bob Harris at the PRI Show in Orlando, Florida. The long time fans of the K&N product lines were invited to join Team K&N for the 2009 race season. Martino Motorsports utilize the K&N second-generation composite dragster scoop with K&N air filter, which they say added an additional three mph to their dragster in the 1/4 mile in 2011.

Tom adds, "Why trust your precious hard-earned investments with anything else? Whether it's our 200-plus mph K&N Top Dragster, our daily drivers, tow vehicles, or even our generators and golf cart, we rely on K&N filters to get us through the most extreme conditions. K&N filters have out of the box performance with proven results you can trust."

Although Martino Motorsports has won countless races, finished in the top five of class points multiple times, set various world records, had the honor of representing some of the finest companies in the industry, and have received a collection of over fourteen Best Appearing Crew and Car awards in our careers, there's something else that gives them even greater fulfillment.

"Something far more rewarding to our program over the years has been using our platform to help increase seat-belt safety awareness, using our race car and real life experiences in a first-class video production with the American Red Cross," Tom told K&N. Their effective seat-belt production received national merits and nation-wide airplay.

"Also our multiple efforts with regional doctors and cancer survivors promoting prostate cancer awareness, speaking to grade school and high school students about the importance of staying in school and the values of an education, and multiple advertising campaigns to help prevent driving while under the influence of alcohol."

"2011 was quite the learning experience for our team," says Tom. "It was the first season with our new 640 cubic- inch engine combination. After chasing a few gremlins early in the season, and countless hours on the dyno with Dale Cubic of CFM Carbs and Dean Gellner of Gellner Engineering, we finally had the chance to see what a monster we created when our 1280+ horsepower single carb combination came to life at Summit Motorsports Park (Norwalk, Ohio) late May and recorded multiple low 6.80 passes on a mild one-stage Ny-Trex Nitrous Oxide Systems tune-up."

Recording career best E.T.'s and qualifying in the top half of their class most of the season, was very rewarding after all the countless hours the team put into straightening out their dragster early in the year. "Although we had numerous round wins and multiple quarter final appearances, we ended the season without a "Wally" to add to our mantle," adds Tom. "It's going to be a long winter, but 2012 will be our year. We look to compete in about 20 plus events in 2012. Our main focus will be to make a strong run for the NHRA Division 3 Lucas Oil Series title."

The Martinos and their K&N Top Dragster look to kick the 2012 season off at the NHRA Division 3 Lucas Oil Series event at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana April 27-29.

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.

K&N's Craig Anderson Grateful For Opportunities in 2011 and Optimistic for Exciting 2012

24 Jan 2012

Waxahachie, Texas resident, Craig Anderson spent the 2011 season again chasing points in two, of what many consider, NHRA's toughest sportsman classes, Super Gas and Super Comp. While Anderson continued to drive the 1963 Corvette Roadster that he won the Super Gas Division 4 championship in the season before, the car he wheeled in Super Comp throughout the year, including a final round appearance at the World Finals in Pomona, was thanks to some good friends with some outstanding equipment.

Craig Anderson's New 2012 Chevy Cobalt Ready to Turn Heads on and off the Track!

"I had sold my Super Comp dragster and I ran the Hughes Motorsports dragster all year long," he explained. "They knew I had sold my car and was waiting on a new Top Sportsman car that I had ordered and I was very flattered that they offered for me to drive one of theirs. He said look, we have this car sitting here, so come get it. So, I started out the year with it at the first Pomona national and then brought it home with me. They told me to just treat it like it was my own and if I blew a motor, they would build another and so on."

"That was just a great opportunity and meant a lot to me for someone to do something that that for me," he continued of racing the Hughes dragster.

Surprisingly, one of the biggest highlights for Anderson during the 2011 season came as a car owner and not a driver. "After finishing first in the division the year before in my Gas car, I started to think maybe I was really turning the corner of having an outstanding season," he said. "I was having it all happen this year and just couldn't get anything together. I would be dead-on the dial and have a bad reaction [time] or I'd be good on reaction and the car wouldn't run the number. So come time for Indy [US Nationals], so I put a kid in my car , Ryan Herem for Indy, just on a whim and he went on to win Super Gas. He mowed through a field of tough customers to make that happen, including the sponsor of the car I was driving in Super Comp. That was the big highlight of the year for me, my car winning Indy."

Anderson did have a fairly strong year in the Super Comp car he was driving finishing tenth in the NHRA Div 4 standings after some good turnouts in Arizona and Louisiana. "I didn't get to compete in my last division claim of the year or it's very possible that I could have finished higher," he said of his 2011 Super Comp Finish. "For the final points race, which was Vegas, we decided to get Jim's son, Joey Hughes in the car. He needed to get some experience and it was his last chance to get a grade point to be ready for next season."

Before he completely relinquished the driving duties of the Hughes Super Comp dragster for the season, he was able to compete with it one final time and did so during the NHRA World Finals at Pomona, where he took it all the way to the final before bowing out to Val Torres in a tough round.

"I've always been able to go rounds at Pomona," he said. "A few years back I was able to runner-up in Super Gas and now I finished last year with a runner-up in Super Comp. One of these days I'll get that win."

As much as Anderson was excited about his last race of the season in Super Comp, he was even more so for finally being able to pick up his new Top Sportsman in December. "I've got it in the shop and it turned out really-really nice," he admitted. "I'm not for sure as to when I'm going to debut it, but I'm also going to run it in Super Comp. It's a 2012 Jerry Bickel Cobalt and it has a 706ci Sunset Racecraft motor from Tracy Dennis which makes over 1400 HP without nitrous. I'm going to have a single stage of nitrous on it, just for grins. So if I can't make it in somewhere [in Top Sportsman], maybe I can push it a little bit."

"I plan on running the new car at every event I go to, whether it's in Super Comp or Top Sportsman," he continued. "We are kind of leaning to start with it at Pomona [February national event], but we are still not for sure about that. I'm trying to find a place to test with decent weather that doesn't take two days to get there."

Like every ride Anderson competes in, each are loaded with nothing but the best available parts and many of those coming from K&N Engineering. "This new car is really super nice and not only does the new K&N scoop look great on it, but the engine has all the protection it needs with K&N air and oil filters," he noted.

"K&N is always working hard in all of the development of new products and even tweaking others," Anderson said. "I have worked with Steve Williams [K&N VP Vice President of Research and Development] a lot and he not only is a very smart racer, but he has also shared a lot of tips and what-not to me to help make my cars a lot more consistent. I just cannot say enough about Steve or K&N."

During Anderson's last trip to the southern California area, he had a chance to visit K&N's headquarters in person. "All I can say is wow," he exclaimed. "It is a sight to see all that they do there and how they do it. They just don't throw things together. They design it and they even have the machines that build the other machines that manufacturer the K&N products. Talk about quality control, it was absolutely amazing to see it all."

When Anderson is not racing or working, he is hard at it behind the scenes of the very successful annual Circus Motorsports Greg Morris Memorial Golf Tournament, just last year raising almost $80,000. "All of that money goes to NHRA drag racers that may become sick or injured and K&N is a big part of what we have been able to accomplish with our event over the years," he said. "Steve Williams and K&N have been extremely helpful for anything we needed to make this event a success."

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.

Previous Page 1 ... 488 489 490 491 492 ... 1064 Next Page