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K&N's Mike Edwards Grabs Final Pro Stock Pole of 2011 at NHRA Finals in Pomona

30 Nov 2011

Mike Edwards grabs his third number one qualifier in a row

Mike Edwards wrapped up the regular season by adding his third number one qualifier in a row during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona, California. With the accomplishment, he and his Penhall/K&N Pontiac tightened the points between the top three drivers to only ninety-five, in the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge.

Mike Edwards during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona

During the very first qualifying session and the only scheduled Pro Stock run on Thursday, Edwards, who had both qualified number one and won the previous event at Las Vegas, continued to show that he and his team were on to something when he thundered down the historic southern California track to the tune of a 6.520. The run also reset the track Pro Stock E.T. record and set the bar fairly high for the rest of the field. Greg Anderson landed in the provisional number two spot but with his very respectful 6.537, he would need to find a ton if he hoped to pass Edwards.

Edwards was quite pleased with his first hit at the track and even though he left the other teams well in his rearview mirror, he pointed out he thought he had more as track conditions were in his opinion the best he had seen in years. "I think I can go quicker," he said. "The whole class will go faster."

When Friday rolled along, weather conditions were similar to Thursday's session, although the adjusted altitude was over three-hundred feet to the worse and the numbers on the boards showed it. This time around it would be Greg Anderson who would post the quickest pass of the pack, [6.543] but still miles off from Edwards fifty-two. Edwards, now making a pass in the opposite lane from last session, fell off his pace a full four-hundredths of a second by only covering the quarter mile in 6.560.

Other than a few moves for several teams, the order of the field changed very little and Edwards noted that he wasn't surprised, because "conditions changed a lot. Conditions got considerably worse."

For Saturday's final two scheduled sessions, Mother Nature draped the facility with very cool and very moist air and while the first part of that equation is great for the naturally aspirated power plants that make up Pro Stock, the ladder is not so friendly and the teams did all they could to combat the much higher water grains.

Session number one of the day also had track temps nearly twenty degrees cooler than the day before. So teams weren't only making engine adjustments, they needed to be concerned with how they would get that power successfully, and safety, down to the track. Most teams did not improve and many were lucky to hang with anywhere near their numbers from previous sessions. Edwards slowed once more and this time it would be Rodger Brogdon with the quickest of the session with his 6.552.

After a rain delay or two, and yet another threatening to drop rain from the sky at any moment, the final Pro Stock qualifying session of the 2011 season was able to be completed in just the nick of time. With a track temp now below seventy degrees and even more water grains, due to the impending weather coming into the area, this session of Pro Stock was certainly not the prettiest of the weekend, as all the factors being thrown at the teams made it fairly tough.

Most teams were well off their pace from earlier in the event and nowhere near Edwards' opening session 6.520, which would remain the quickest of the weekend's qualifying and keep Edwards on the pole for Sunday. It would be his third number one in a row.

"We're hoping to finish up strong," Edwards said shortly following the final session. "We haven't run good at the last few races and we stumbled this weekend. We never really hit on anything today."

While Edwards may not have been able to win the event, his recent successes catapulted him to the number two spot in the 2011 NHRA Pro Stock Championship year-end standings, the second highest finish of his career. In regards to the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge, Edwards' great run of number ones as of late, has helped him shorten the distance between his number three spot and current leader, Jason Line down to ninety-five points.

The K&N Horsepower Challenge chase is well into the second half of the 2012 qualifying season with eleven events remaining for teams to grab one of the elite seven spots by earning as many qualifying points at each event as they can. Again for 2012, the eighth and final position will be awarded to the team who earns the highest amount of fan votes.

The eight teams will square off for the biggest single payday in all of NHRA Pro Stock and the $50,000 championship check from K&N Engineering during the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio in July 2012.

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 Congratulates 2011 NHRA Super Gas National Champion Peter Biondo

30 Nov 2011

Peter Biondo First NHRA Super Gas Championship Win

In a season that dreams are made of, K&N's Peter Biondo secured his sixth NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series National Championship during the very first round Super Gas during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. The championship in Super Gas was a first for the veteran racer who only began competing in the class in late 2010, after he tested the waters and won a NHRA National Event in only his second outing.

Peter Biondo at the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals

Better known to the racing community as a very successful Stock and Super Stock competitor, Biondo made the commitment to a full season behind the wheel of good friend Anthony Bertozzi's 1963 Corvette Roadster in Super Gas after starting his 2011 season in Florida right where he had left off, producing outstanding results. After putting together three victories, between his Super Stock and Super Gas entries, during just his first two events of the year, Biondo now had a different outlook on the season ahead. Whatever plans he may have had about chasing a possible championship or not, were certainly put into a completely different perspective after grabbing an early and large point lead. It was now a go.

Biondo went on to have a very impressive season in both Super Gas and Super Stock, winning two nationals and divisionals in his Super Stock car and four divisionals and one national coming into the final event of the season, the NHRA Finals in Pomona, California.

Prior to the season ending event, Biondo competed in the NHRA National event in Las Vegas with the hopes of hanging on to the possibility of claiming not one, but two national titles. "Vegas certainly had its ups and downs," said the newly minted Super Gas Champ. "I watched fellow Super Stock competitor, Jackie Alley go round after round and go right around me [in points]. Then about an hour after that, I ran Jackie in the final and beat her. So within about an hour, I had a national [Super Stock] trophy yanked from me and yanked back a National event trophy."

Biondo has raced out west in previous seasons, but it is not the norm for him. With the shot at two national titles, it was his single most important reason for making the trek and to try and keep the hopes alive.

While he had been watching Alley come on strong during the late part of the season in Super Stock, he also was keeping tabs on fellow Super Gas racer, Mike Sawyer. "I think between both Vegas races he probably went about nine or ten rounds. That, of course, pit him in contention and he was on a roll. So it was a matter of Mike Sawyer not going a bunch of rounds and getting to the final round again [at Pomona]."

With already five championships to his name, Biondo confesses that there were many ups and downs during the final few races of the season, with not only his shot at double championships, but also the hopes that his brother and fellow K&N racer, Sal Biondo was going to secure the title in Comp Eliminator. "I have to admit that I couldn't sleep some nights," he said. "You just try to deal with the stuff that's in your hands and as hard as it is, you try to worry as little as you can about the stuff that's not in your hands. You just take each day, each decision and try make them the best you can and I mean that for everything you do both on and off the race track."

But try as you may, it's still not as easy as one may think to take rounds into your own hands and pair up with a particular competitor, but Peter Biondo managed to get it done. "I didn't blatantly sit in his pit area of anything, but I saw him go by," he explained of his first round Super Gas match up with Sawyer. "I knew he takes right lane, so I went into the left [in the staging lanes], since I wanted to keep fate in my own hands. I actually missed him by one car, but ironically enough [laughs], his father got pulled for the bye run and because of that, it paired us up."

"Had I not been able to pair up with him, it wasn't the end of the world," he continued. "I was OK with it and we were going to let things play out and then all of a sudden they called out from the tower car number so-in-so has the bye run, [laughs] so I guess that part of it was just meant to be."

In what would become a championship deciding round for Biondo, he quickly went to work with his magic at both ends of the track and quashing any hope for Sawyer by coming out on the better side of a double breakout and therefore clinching the 2011 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Gas title in grand style.

For those that may not be aware, there are special driver's win lights at the far end of each race track near or on the top of the wall. During this particular moment and this round, Biondo notes the win light in his lane caught his eye a little more than usual. "I'm not even kidding, it really seemed like it was super-super bright," he admitted. "That came on, and maybe they are a little brighter at Pomona, I don't know. It was like five o'clock and the sun was going down, so maybe that helped."

"When I had to sit at home and watch him [Sawyer] just run through the field and win light after win light, it was a pretty hopeless feeling to have," he pointed out. "You know, just sitting at a work desk and watching him on the internet in Vegas [division race] go rounds. So to turn on that win light and have it be the deciding factor was very-very special."

With the 2011 Championship now in his back pocket, Biondo didn't let it get in the way of the next six rounds that lay ahead of him. Even though the last few rounds of the event had to be held over until the following morning, he went on to put more like gigantic explanation point, rather than a just a little ol' period, on his season. Biondo ended his season the way he started it by adding yet another win and grabbed the final Super Gas National Event victory of 2011 went he prevailed over Dana Keniry, thanks to a nice starting line advantage.

The memories that Biondo took away with him from this year's Pomona event differ from night to day to those from 2010. "What a difference a year makes," he noted. "One year and a day ago from winning this year, I was flipped over upside down and on fire in a Comp car during first round. It was just horrifying. So just a one-hundred eight degree circle from last year."

The newly crowned champion looks to start 2012 right where he left off and his current plans are to make the first few races of the season out west and again, compete in both Super Stock and Super Gas. "We'll see how I do and how we feel after those first few races and take it all from there," he explained. "As hard as it would be to put the Super Gas car away, I do miss my Stock car. At some point next year, I do want to get that out."

In addition to being a multi-time championship racer, Biondo is also becoming quite the race promoter with his good friend and fellow racer, Kyle Seipel. For the third year they have announced that their K&N Spring Fling 20's will be held at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tennessee and the date for the 2012 four day event has been slated for May 17-20.

K&N is not only a major part of Biondo's annual event, he also considers them be a major part of his on track success over the years, as well. "It only takes one weak link and your whole season could crumble," he explained of the importance of the parts used on all of the cars he races. "Just like a good friend of my, Dan Fletcher says, â€˜You're only as good as your equipment.' I envy him in the way he has the best equipment out there and I try to have the maintenance and the good parts like he does. I know how important it is, so I don't spare any expense as far as parts go. I want to give myself the best chance possible chance at winning. Obviously, K&N is a very big part of that equation, along with Goodyear, VP and many other companies I deal with throughout the year."

In addition to the Super Gas National title, Biondo also finished as the NHRA Div 1 Super Gas champion, finished a very strong second in the country in Super Stock as well as an extremely respectable third in his tough home division.

"I am so very grateful to everyone at K&N, for all they do for sportsman drag racing in general," he continued. "The quality in each and every one of their products is absolutely unsurpassed and as I mentioned, you cannot have one weak link and expect to win rounds, races or let alone championships. Install K&N oil filters, air filters or any one of their products and the job they do speaks for itself."

From everyone at K&N Engineering, congratulations to Peter Biondo on your 2011 NHRA Super Gas National Championship!

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 Henderson Wins Season Finale at Williams Grove Speedway in the 410 Sprint Class

30 Nov 2011

Going into the season fimale at Williams Grove Speedway, Justin Henderson had confidence on his side.

Sprint car driver, Justin Henderson and his crew recently pulled into Williams Grove Speedway, at Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania with anticipation of an exciting and successful night of racing in the 410 class. Racing in the feature-only event, Henderson lined up in the fourth spot in a twenty-four car field. "We had a lot of confidence going into the race," recalled the driver.

Justin Henderson recently earned his second victory in the Sorokack #35 car at Williams Grove Speedway.

"We had been running well the past few races at the Grove, including a fourth place finish with the "World of Outlaws" recently at the National Open. I knew it would be a tough race, starting behind Brian Leppo and Daryn Pittman," he continued. "We had a car that could maneuver in lap traffic. Even in dirty air, I had full control of it and could race the entire track."

As Leppo took the lead at the waving of the green flag in the 25-lap event, Henderson went to work early, muscling his way into to a heated battle with Pittman for the second place position. Once taking the spot, Henderson, then set his sights on Leppo, the only driver standing in the way of a victory at the season finale.

By the sixth lap, Justin Henderson had managed to catch, and took the first place position from Leppo in the fourth turn. As the drivers continued to go toe-to-toe, they eventually encountered lapped traffic. Using the slower cars to his advantage, Henderson was able to gain a substantial lead.

Justin Henderson poses with his mascot after winning a the Season Finale at the Williams Grove Speedway at Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

Upon a lap twenty caution, the driver lost his twelve-length edge, but had no intentions of finishing the race with anything less than a victory. That said, following the restart, Justin quickly pulled away from the field, earning his second checkered flag in his Sorokach # 35 car with Daryn Pittman finishing second and Steve Buckwalter, Fred Rahmer and Greg Hodnett trailing.

"The key to victory was all of the hard work the crew did," explained Justin Henderson. "The car was so good, and I could run anywhere on the race track and gain speed. In the victory lane interview, I told the crowd I could drive that car all the way to Indy and back. It was that good, and a joy to drive. On the late race restart, I just ran my line, and they told me afterward that I won by over one-half a straightaway."

When asked the key to success throughout the remainder of this season and into 2012, Henderson said, "Just to take advantage of the momentum that we have going for us. We need to qualify well. I have had some good runs at Charlotte when I was a regular with the outlaws a few years ago. The key to a good 2012 season will just build upon what we have started here," he continued. "To keep our momentum going and cut down on the DNF's we fought this year. We are a small team, but everyone gets along well, and we all have the same goals, which make it even more fun when we do well."

Although as the driver, Henderson stands in the limelight while at the podium, he is eager to credit his team as a huge component of his success. "Racing is a team sport," explained Justin. "Without all of the hard work of the crew on the car during the week and during race night, I couldn't have the success on the track. Some people just don't know how much work goes into a race car during the days we're not at the track, and we have a bunch of great guys who help out on the car."

Acutely aware that maintenance is essential, the driver said, "In order to finish first, you must first finish. Nothing will take you out of a race quicker than an ill prepared car. After a race we do full maintenance on the car and engine. We use KN filters on all of our motors to keep them clean and running strong. We also use the filter oil to keep our filters oiled up to prevent dust and dirt from getting into our engines. I have been using their products since I started racing over fifteen years ago, and my father used them in his race cars as well. We need to get air into the 900 horsepower engine, and KN helps us keep all of our motors running to their full potential."

When asked what he enjoyed most about racing, Justin Henderson said, "I love the competition. There is nothing better than racing with the best in the world in your sport and running well. I also love being able to meet new fans. I remember growing up around the race track, and how great it was to meet my favorite drivers as a kid."

Referring to his supporters, Henderson continued," I can't thank the sponsors enough. If not for them, we wouldn't be able to race the way we do. Every name on the car helps make sure we keep it on the track, and they are just as much a part of the race team as I am. Fans are the key to keeping the sport of racing alive," he continued. "Without them, I'd just be out driving in a circle. I welcome anyone to stop by if they get a chance to attend a race where the Sorokach Motorsports #35 is racing and say hello. I will always have time to chat with you."

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.

Roland Sands Design and Tony Hawk Craft Custom 2011 Triumph Scrambler for Charity

30 Nov 2011

The exclusive Hawkized Triumph featured a host of RSD upgrades to boost the performance and give the machine a unique aesthetic, worthy of the Hawk brand.

Some have a need for speed, while others have a call for artistic expression; Roland Sands proves they needn't be mutually exclusive. Sands took his love for two wheel speed to the top ranks of the professional level for a decade, claiming multiple track records in both the U.S. and Europe, as well as the 1998 AMA 250 Grand Prix Championship. After 32 broken bones, Sands made the decision to trade in his leathers for paper, pencil and a computer.

The 8th Annual Tony Hawk: DaGeDar Presents Stand Up For Skateparks benefit hosted by the Tony Hawk, generated a total of $755,000 for the Tony Hawk Foundation.

In a mere six years Roland Sands Design (RSD) has positioned himself as a leader in the distinctive design of motorcycles, motorcycle parts and apparel. Sands' roots in design and racing have proven to be the ideal combination for creating functional, aggressive, well-rounded and aesthetically pleasing designs and custom bikes. "We build what we like and we hope you like it as well," remarks Sands.

To date the RSD fleet of custom motorcycles has been featured in over 450 magazine articles world-wide and over 100 magazine covers. Sand attends and is a huge draw at most major American motorcycle rallies and events year round, as well as multiple International shows. However, what separates Sands further from other customizers is not just his inimitable vision; it's his willingness to use his powers for good, as a means to give back. "We've worked with many charities in recent years," says Sands, "and we have generated over 300K for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, 60K for the Tony Hawk Foundation, 40K for Kids and Chrome, and we have many other charity projects currently in the works."

Tony Hawk and friends, including Shaun White, wowed the Beverly Hills crowd with high-flying aero displays.

Recently Sands and Tony Hawk joined forces once again to create a one-of-a-kind custom motorcycle to be auctioned off at the 8th Annual Tony Hawk: DaGeDar Presents Stand Up For Skateparks benefit hosted by the Tony Hawk Foundation in Beverly Hills. Hawk and other top skaters and BMX athletes, including Shaun White, Mat Hoffman, Bucky Lasek, Mitchie Brusco, and Lincoln Ueda performed a Vert Demo on Hawk's personal ramp. The bike auctioned off for $32,500 while the entire benefit raised $755,000 for the Tony Hawk Foundation's mission to build free public skateparks in low-income areas. Triumph provided a modern day version of their legendary 2011 Scrambler 900 for the build, RSD then re-worked and upgraded the classically designed motorcycle, giving it a unique aesthetic worthy of both the Hawk and Sands brand.

"I've always been a skateboarder and a fan of the sport so when a mutual friend connected us (Tony Hawk) it was a natural progression from talking about helping to actually doing it," Sands told K&N News. "The Hawk foundation is a great example of how people can directly help their local communities by providing recreation for under privileged youth. It seems the government routinely fails at doing this and the Hawk Foundation has had great success, so it's been an amazing project with great benefits."

The foundation's goals are to aid low income communities in building skate parks where they normally would not be funded or built. "Skate parks are often overlooked as recreation," adds Sands, "but today there are more kids interested in skating than ever before. These parks give young people a safe place to have fun and exercise with their friends and build confidence."

Sands explains that Hawk relied almost entirely on his vision to create the Hawkized Triumph, adding "Tony didn't get too heavy into the building. He tends to stick to four wheels bolted to a wooden plank most of the time. We worked back and forth on the design and paint though, and he made the final design call. He really liked the last one we did together, the red Thruxton."

How did the connection between the Hawkized Triumph and K&N come about? "At RSD we use K&N filters on all our bikes, so it was an easy pairing with the Hawk Triumphs," said Sands. "Bikes need air and nobody delivers it more efficiently than K&N."

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.

Chris Ferguson Wins 27th Annual Stick Elliott Memorial at Cherokee Speedway

30 Nov 2011

Ferguson jumped into the lead at the outset of the 40-lap race with an aggressive maneuver which gave him the lead and ultimately the commanding victory. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com

Mt. Holly, North Carolina's Chris Ferguson recently had an exceptionally full day at the office. The K&N sponsored Late Model driver competed in four different racing events in three different cars. In hindsight it appears the first three races were in essence a way of warming up for the big race of the day. The big race being the 27th Annual Stick Elliott Memorial at Cherokee Speedway, which Ferguson flat-out dominated. He was second quickest in qualifying and then led flag-to-flag to pick up the $4000 Ultimate Series-sanctioned win.

The K&N sponsored driver said that 27th Annual Stick Elliott Memorial was high up on his list of races to win. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com

"It feels great to get this win under our belt," Ferguson told K&N News. "This race has been going on for 27 years, and to add my name to it means a lot, considering the past winners accomplishments. This is a race that was on my list. I have always wanted to be able to put a check mark next to it. I grew up watching my heroes run in this race and to add my name to such an impressive list of past winners is just amazing. We worked really hard getting our car good this week and it paid off when we finished over a straight away ahead of second place."

Ferguson began his day by competing in a U.S. Legends Modified race at East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, North Carolina. In his first ever stint behind the wheel of a fender-less machine Ferguson finished third behind the current East Lincoln champion. Ferguson was however unable to complete in the second race of that event due to suspension damage. "That was a lot of fun. Those cars are really fast and have a completely different feel than anything I have ever driven. I've never driven a U.S. Legends Modified before so that was the biggest challenge. I had a great time though and hope to drive one again someday," commented Ferguson.

Ferguson holds a slim two point lead headed into the season finale Blue-Gray 100 at Cherokee in late November. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com

Next Ferguson piloted the Mike Mercer owned GM Performance Late Model at Cherokee. After qualifying in fourth position in the preliminary action, Ferguson moved up one spot to finish third in only his second appearance in the Chicken Hauler Barry Wright machine. "I appreciate Mike offering me a chance to run his crate car. He has really nice equipment and is great to work with. It had been a while since we ran a crate car but it came back to me. It's a little different than driving the super car for sure," Ferguson added.

The entire Chris Ferguson Motorsports crew was on hand to celebrate his big win. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com

When asked if he felt that racing three other events leading up to the Stick Elliott Memorial in a sense gave him an advantage, Ferguson remarked, "I think overall getting out and back into a different car every time I went out did make me a better driver. I was able to get more track time, along with getting used to adjusting to something different every time."

With his victory in the Stick Elliott Memorial Ferguson now holds a slim two point margin in the Ultimate Series point standings heading into the late November series end to the 2011 season at Cherokee. "We are excited about going back to Cherokee Speedway after our win," said Ferguson. "The Blue-Gray 100 is the season finale in our Super Late Model, and it pays $10,000 to win, along with $15,000 for the point's championship. We know this track really well and it would be awesome to end the season on a high note."

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.

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