Latest News | Read Our Blog

K&N's Michael Lewis Wins at Monza and Claims 2011 Formula 3 Italia Rookie Championship

24 Oct 2011

Lewis gives the "thumbs up" and displays the winner's trophy as he stands on the podium celebrating his win at Monza with PREMA Powerteam's Grazia Troncon on the left.

We have been following 20-year-old Laguna Beach, California native Michael Lewis closely all season long as he campaigned in his inaugural year in the ACI Sport Formula 3 Italia Championship. We've had the opportunity to witness first-hand that what separates exceptionally gifted athletes, from those that win, is an extreme ability to hold their laser focus through periods of adversity. It is in essence an innate denial to accept anything but the very best of themselves at all times. Yet, the flip-side to that coin is that at first, anything less than everything, just isn't satisfactory enough.

Having won the rookie title and finishing second overall in the Formula 3 Italia Championship Lewis now looks forward to his test drive in a Ferrari Formula 1.

"Winning the Rookie title is quite special," Lewis told K&N Race News. "But I am quite hard on myself right now, as I was unable to secure the overall championship. However, it was my mistake and that's it; I can't change the past. My team and I put in a great effort, and apart from that error, we really had a flawless season."

After earning his second win of the season during the previous round of the championship at the Mugello Circuit, which put Lewis into first for the series' rookie championship chase and second for the series' overall championship, Lewis remained completely focused with his sights set on winning both championships as he arrived in Monza for the final round of the 2011 Formula 3 Championship.

After winning on Saturday in Race 1, and locking up the Rookie of the Year title, Lewis was now in striking distance to go for the overall ACI Sport F-3 Italia Series Championship. In Race 2 Lewis had the lead in his PREMA Powerteam car, but when he entered a chicane he accidentally hit the birm with the right rear wheel, which damaged the suspension. He was unaware at that point that he had a problem, so when braking for the next chicane he only had three wheels on the ground, and the car didn't turn as expected. Lewis went off into the gravel, ending his day and his chance to win the overall series championship.

K&N sponsored Michael celebrates his third win of the Formula 3 Italia season at Monza.

"Race 2 started out amazing. I was on the grid in P8 because of the top 8 invert from qualifying. I then got an amazing start, and I was in P4 by the second corner. By the second lap I was in P3. By lap-5 I was in P2. Then on lap-6, my teammate was very kind and let me pass with ease. (It was because he wanted me to win the overall championship as much as possible, because if I did, then he would have been the second driver to test the Ferrari F60 F1 car). In any case, I was leading with a one second margin over the second place car and I then crashed with two laps remaining, as I took a curb and broke the rear suspension."

Lewis not only won the first race at Monza, he also set fast time in practice, qualified first, and set the fastest time of the race.

After the race Angelo Rosin, PREMA Powerteam team principal commented. "This is a great result for both the driver and the team. Michael once again demonstrated his skill and potential. In this past year he has grown as a man and a driver, and we are really proud of him today."

In summary Lewis ended the 2011 Formula 3 Italia season finishing second in the Series Championship, only 13 points behind series champion, Sergio Campana and with the 2011 F-3 Rookie Championship. In the race at Monza he was first in practice, started from the pole in qualifying. He then started Race 1 from the pole, set the fastest lap and led all laps. In Race 2 he once more secured the fastest lap, and he was leading until tweaking his suspension. "Basically I scored every point possible except the race 2 victory," added Lewis.

Clinching the ROY title earned Lewis a test drive in a Ferrari Formula 1, which is perhaps an introduction for a move in that direction in the near future. "It honestly is so amazing. I get to drive an F1 car. Just to say that brings chills up my spine. Honestly, it hasn't hit me yet. I definitely will try everything to make it to Formula 1, and this is a start!"

Lewis returned home this week where we suspect his perspective and level of approval for what he accomplished this year will be more fully released. "Basically, I will train in California, also take a midterm from my college, and then head back to Italy in the first week of November."

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.

Colton Haaker Earns Podium Spot At Geico AMA Endurocross Series Round 4

21 Oct 2011

Colton Haaker recently earned a spot on the podium at the 2011 Geico Endurocross Series, round four, at Ontario California.

After finishing fifth at the Pepsi Coliseum, in Indianapolis, Indiana, Colton Haaker savored a two week rest prior to returning to racing in round four of the 2011 Geico AMA Endurocross Series, at Citizens Business Bank Arena, at Ontario, California. One could say that during his off time, the rider took advantage of the opportunity to get his ducks in a row.

During a two week break between races, Colton Haaker foused on balancing riding, training, gym, friends and life properly.

"Actually, it was the first week since well before X Games that I was able to balance riding, training, gym, friends and life properly! I had some great talks with my coaches, John Ellsworth and Charles Dao, solidifying my readiness," shared Haaker. "I was in a great mental state, and for the first time this year, I was a man with a plan."

Logistics played a large role in Colton Haaker's confidence level as well. In fact, the rider embarked upon a thirty-six hour drive from his home in Murrieta, California to race in Indianapolis just weeks prior, and Ontario was only forty-five minutes up the road. "My confidence level going into the event was good," shared Colton. I had more time to practice and train instead of having to drive thirty-six hours to get to the race," he continued. "Thirty-six hours is a long drive."

After rolling into Ontario, only two other riders exceeded Colton's time in the hot laps in the Pro Endurocross class. When his heat race was deemed underway, the rider experienced problems getting traction on his KTM 250 SXF bike during the start, but still managed to qualify directly into the main event. I knew that the race was going to be dependent upon the start," shared Haaker. "I was wrapping my brain around how I could keep from spinning."

After exploring several potential causes of the problem, the rider suddenly devised a solution upon arriving at the front of the gate, and realizing that previous runs had rutted the topsoil. In turn, Haaker simply leveled the soil from the sides of the grooves, which consequently produced better traction at his starting spot. "This way I could use my start device and start in my normal position without worrying about spinning," explained the rider.

Immediately upon the start, it became evident that Haaker had alleviated the problem, as he grabbed the second place position early on. Once taking the number two spot over, Haaker pursued, but never managed to overtake the leader, Taddy Blazusiak, before the race's end.

"I rode my race and finished a solid second place," explained Haaker. "I executed my game plan perfectly, and showed myself how powerful your mindset can be when you follow through with full intention of your plan. From there I was pumped. I mean I was absolutely ecstatic."

When asked about the importance of his team, the rider explained that friends and his father often serve as team members, but on occasion, he also heads out on the road by himself. Although, Haaker can and has raced alone, he was quick to explain that his team is a very important component and much appreciated. "It's one hundred percent better when they're there," shared the rider.

According to Colton, some of the riders competing in Endurocross racing modify their bikes while others, including him, don't. Regardless of any changes made, proper maintenance is essential if one plans to experience success on a consistent basis. That said, Haaker has been using K&N air and oil filters throughout the 2011 season. Although this is the first year he has used K&N products, Haaker stressed that he is very satisfied with their performance.

When asked what he enjoys about competing in the Endurocross Series, Colton Said, "I like the competition and the lifestyle. You have to get physically and mentally prepared for each race. I really like that. It's like a test every time."

In closing, Haaker said, "If endurocross is in your area, you should come out and watch, because it's some of the most exciting racing you'll see."

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 Luke Bogacki Continues at Beech Bend with Two Final Round Finishes at Tenn-Tuck

20 Oct 2011

Bogacki hopes his last series of successes brings the sort of momentum he needs going into the Million Dollar Race and the season ending Florida Winter Series in November.

"The two finals in Bowling Green were a nice shot in the arm," remarked Carterville, Illinois' Luke Bogacki. The season in nearing a close, but we still have a number of big events left. I'll run the Million Dollar Race in Montgomery, Alabama this weekend, and at least a portion of the year-end Florida Winter Series in November. Hopefully we can build on the momentum from Tenn-Tuck going forward."

K&N sponsored Bogacki drove his ThisIsBracketRacing.com backed American Race Cars dragster to a pair of final round finishes in the Tenn Tuck 2011 Extreme Triple Crown bracket series event at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Tenn Tuck Triple Crown is recognized as one of the most competitive and prestigious big-dollar bracket racing series in North America. In Friday night's $5,000-to-win event, Bogacki took runner-up honors after falling to five-time NHRA champion, Jeg Coughlin, Jr. in the final round. A day later, he one-upped himself by scoring the $5,000 victory when he bested Buddy Ferrell in the final.

The Tenn Tuck 2011 Extreme Triple Crown bracket series victory was Luke Bogacki's 15th final round appearance of the season and his seventh victory for 2011.

"I have a lot of theories as to why I've had so much success there," Bogacki told K&N Race News. "For one, I just love the facility, the owners, the workers, everything about it feels like home. The auto-start count on the tree really agrees with me too, the light just seems to come on when I'm ready for it. It's a little bit longer than most tracks, so a lot of racers tend to struggle there, but it's right in my comfort zone. And of course, winning breeds winning. I've had so much success there over the years that I always feel really confident when I pull through the gate - and that can go a long way."

Saturday's win marked Bogacki's 15th final round appearance of the season and his seventh victory for 2011. Of his 15 final round appearances, five have come at Beech Bend Raceway, as Bogacki continues a history of incredible results at the western Kentucky facility. He won the Tenn-Tuck Triple Crown points championship in 2004 on the strength of a March weekend sweep of the $10,000 main events (a feat that has yet to be duplicated in the history of the series). He has appeared in a whopping 12 Tenn-Tuck final rounds in the past seven years, winning eight of those matchups. In addition, he earned top honors at the Beech Bend NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional event, taking the Super Comp crown in each of the last two seasons.

Bogacki's workhorse Vega went 39 runs on route to a 30 and two record weekend.

To insure that the momentum train was indeed moving in the right direction, last weekend Bogacki put his "little Vega" through a torture test locally in Benton and Harriburg, Illinois. "I entered three classes, Super Pro, Pro (No Box) and Footbrake, at I-57 Dragstrip Saturday. Then Super Pro and No Box at Cars for Kids at Accelaquarter Raceway Park on Sunday. In the two days, I went down the track 39 times and never raised the hood. While they weren't big events, the results were fantastic: three wins, one runner-up, and one semi-final. A 30-2 round record on the weekend," says Bogacki. "Everything worked flawlessly, as I've come to expect."

Regarding his stellar performance last weekend Bogacki adds, "Yea, 30-2 is pretty crazy, regardless of where you're racing. However, 39 runs in a weekend isn't all that unusual, especially for my Vega, it's the workhorse of the team for sure. But that type of success is certainly not something that happens every day. I was just fortunate, the car was great, and I was good when I needed to be for the most part. We got some breaks, and I found myself in the right place at the right 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.

Howard Racing Defies All Odds By Gaining Five Feature Wins This Year Alone

20 Oct 2011

(Left to Right) Jan, Josh & Dale Howard

Racing has been in the Howard family for as long as anyone in the family can remember. According to Josh Howard, his Dad raced in the 70's & 80's, then his two older brothers Jan & Dale began their own race careers, so it was just a natural for Josh himself to get in on the act as well. Today, Howard Racing is considered a major contender when it comes to Sprint Car Track Championships, but that was not always the case.

Dale Howard has five feature wins under his belt this year alone.

In 2007 during the last race of the season, Josh was involved in a horrible accident in which he flew off the track, broke his neck and was confirmed to be paralyzed from the neck down. His family soon thereafter walked away from the sport, with no real intention of ever looking back. But once Josh got his bearings again, armed with a wheelchair & other devices to help him develop his own form of independence, he determined that racing was in his blood, and it was time to get back in the game. Now, Josh owns the racecar, and brother Dale does the driving, with five feature wins under his belt this year alone. Talk about taking adversity, and turning into something positive! Josh's six-year-old son has also started to race, so the Howard family race tradition will not be fading away anytime soon!

"We met K&N's Bob Harris at the PRI show back around 2005," says Josh. "We had hoped to develop some sort of partnership because their products are top of the line due to such extensive R&D. Well, we indeed formed the partnership, and after the wreck, simply started things back up when we returned. Other people try to replicate their efforts, but no one can."

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 Aleksandr Grinchuk is the 2011 Absolute Drift Racing Champion of Ukraine

18 Oct 2011

Grinchuk performs some burnout entertainment at one of the 11 Ukrainian events.

On the increasingly popular Ukrainian Drift Racing scene one name continues to shine brighter than all the rest, that name is Aleksandr Grinchuk. The passionately self-taught driver was the undisputed Ukrainian Drift Racing Champion in 2009, 2010, and in 2011 he once again is the king of Ukrainian Drift Racing.

Aleksandr Grinchuk is presented his third consecutive Drift King trophy by the president of the Federation of Autosport of Ukraine (FAU).

"My team and I did our best to get all three possible drift titles, in all of the three different drift series in Ukraine," Grinchuk told K&N Race News. "These are the TuningFest Drift Edition Championship, Vinnitza Grand Prix Championship and the most prestigious the Ukrainian Drift Championship (UDC). The possession of all three titles gives us the ultimate title of the Absolute Champion of Ukraine 2011."

The K&N sponsored driver was also awarded a special prize from the Red Bull company for 2011. After reviewing the performances of all drivers throughout the year, Grinchuk was selected as the Ukrainian Red Bull Drift Racing Driver of the Year.

"This year was much harder than the others," said Grinchuk. "This is the first complete season with three different series totaling 11 drift events in Ukraine. We also we took part in two of five events in Eastern European Drift Championship and got the 8th place in that series."

On a qualification run at Round 4 of a UDC event in Kyiv.

Grinchuk says the one competition that stands out from the year was the FXOPEN contested in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. It's an event that gathers the very best drifters from all of the Russian speaking countries. "Every year some celebrity drift drivers visit this event to compete with us," explained Grinchuk. "This year it was Ryan Tuerck and Tengku Djan Ley from Drift Alliance. We managed to finish in seventh place at this event from 46 other drift pilots, including the celebrities."

Grinchuk and his team participated in 14 different races in Ukraine and abroad for the season. "Our main goal was the title of the Absolute Champion of Ukraine. And we have not disappointed our sponsors and fans," adds Grinchuk.

The decisive tandem run after which no one would be a threat to Grinchuk for the title of Absolute Champion of Ukraine.

Grinchuk along with only a handful of other talented drivers, are responsible for introducing drifting in the Ukraine. 2011 season marks the countries fourth year of steadily growing drifting competitions, and Grinchuk says the talent pool is becoming far more professional in their approach to the sport which is bringing a lot of new sponsors.

"Drift events became even more popular this year," said Grinchuk, "With a better level of convenience, safety, and overall attractiveness as a show. We had very different races this season too, from closed international airports and race tracks, to enormous parking lots and the closed streets of the city. Also, we had very different weather conditions for 2011, from scorching heat in July and August, to hard showers with hail in early October. Yet, every race our car was ready to compete. We used a twin turbo configuration of VQ35DE engine with K&N filters all the season. We were not afraid of any track or weather with our filters and Pre-Chargers."

"Next year is not going to be any easier," continues Grinchuk. "My team and I plan to switch to a supercharged configuration of VQ35DE. We want to use wider Maxxis tires, a more powerful engine, and more aggressive tactics for 2012. And, as we are the three time Absolute Champion of Ukraine, we want to pay much more attention to Eastern European Drift Championships and other international events. But our Ukrainian titles must be defended too. We are working with our sponsors and looking for some new partners to help us to make our plans come true. It is not a very simple task. But drifting still grows fast here in Ukraine, and nothing is impossible."

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.