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2010 to 2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500's Get 30 More HP with K&N

26 Aug 2011

K&N Air Intake Installed on a 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 5.4L

Dyno Chart for Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 5.4L Air Intake System

Ford introduced an all-new retro-styled equivalent to the early muscle car trend with their modern, but old-school, Mustang Shelby GT500. Mustang Shelby GT500 models are an exciting car to drive and their powerful V8 really moves. This high-performance variant of the standard Mustang seats four and is available in coupe and convertible body styles.

K&N Air Intake System for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 5.4L

2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 5.4L

The 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 models continue the retro styling while bumping up the horsepower to 540 for 2010 models and a whopping 550 hp for their 2011 and 2012 models. Ford also made some adjustments to the stability to help it grip the road around a corner.

This Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 delivers a comfortable ride and features aggressive styling, athletic handling and powerful brakes, making it one of the most desirable performance level vehicles on the market.

K&N's 57-2579 air intake system was designed for 2010 through 2012 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 models with the 5.4 liter engine. K&N air intake systems are guaranteed to increase horsepower and acceleration. K&N dyno tests showed an estimated increase of 30 horsepower at 5200 rpm with the use of this intake system.

K&N was able to obtain this massive increase in horsepower by removing the restrictive factory air intake and replacing it with a custom designed non-metallic rotationally molded intake tube and attaching it to K&N's lifetime high-flow cone air filter, part RF-1044. K&N's RF-1044 air filter is washable and reusable and only requires servicing every 100,000 miles depending on driving conditions. It allows high air flow while providing outstanding filtration.

A heat shield is provided with K&N's 57-2579 air intake. It helps bring in cooler air by separating or shielding the air filter from the hot air surrounding the engine. The heat shield also has an opening that allows connection to the OEM fresh air duct.

Installation of K&N 57-2579 on your 2010 to 2012 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 5.4L is very simple. K&N provides detailed installation instructions that make the process a breeze.

The 57-2579 air intake is backed by the famous K&N Million Mile Limited Warranty and it will last for the life of your vehicle. Adding enormous power to the already powerful Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 has never been easier.

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.

Jason Line Marks 20th Career NHRA Pro Stock Pole at Brainerd International Raceway

26 Aug 2011

NHRA Pro Stock Racer Jason Line

For the third time during the 2011 season, Jason Line put his Summit Racing Pontiac at the top of the NHRA Pro Stock qualifying sheet and his latest feat came during the 30th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota.

The Summit Racing Pontiac at the 30th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.

With so much on the line for Pro Stock teams every time they go down the track, Line and teammate Greg Anderson laid down identical 6.607 ET's during session number one on Friday to take the provisional number one and two spots. Line just edged out Anderson with his ever-so-slightly faster 208.62 MPH.

Normally the late August air conditions during the Brainerd event are not as friendly to the naturally aspirated Pro Stock combinations as they were during this year's race. "It stayed between twenty-five and twenty-seven hundred feet," Line noted of the adjusted altitude over the course of the weekend. "It was pretty steady and that's about as good as you are going to see at Brainerd during August."

During the second session on Friday, Line continued to be strong and picked up on his earlier effort by a few thousandths but it was K&N's Mike Edwards who would bump his way to the top by laying down a 6.595. Greg Anderson also improving with his 6.597 and a mere five thousandths of a second separating Edwards' provisional number one to Line's number three 6.600.

"In addition to the air conditions being what they were, the race track itself was also very-very good," he commented. "It made for probably a little bit quicker ET's than what we would have expected to run there."

Edwards only had Friday evening to enjoy his possible pole position, as Line came back during the first session on Saturday and blazed down the BIR quarter mile to reset both ends of the Pro Stock track record and right back to number one. His 6.581 at 209.26 would set the mark just that much higher for team's hoping to grab the K&N Low Qualifier bonus check and the maximum points for the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge.

"Our car has just been running great and it felt really good to make that pass," he said of qualifier number three. "We have been on somewhat of an upswing lately and it just feels good knowing when you go to a race that you are going to have a little something for them."

Although unable to improve on his earlier 6.581, Line remained quickest of the pack during the fourth and final Pro Stock session later in the day on Saturday, which also garnered him even more of the NHRA Full Throttle bonus points professional teams are awarded each session, should they make one of the quickest three runs of their class.

Line, who now resides in Mooresville, North Carolina, was able to show off a little and make his hometown crowd proud with his twentieth NHRA Pro Stock pole. Originally from Wright, Minnesota, a small town just seventy miles from BIR, Line noted after he wrapped up qualifying on Saturday, "I'm thinking they'll be pretty proud. They might not make it Jason Line Day but I might end up with the key to the city sometime. There will be a celebration but I don't think it will be too wild, there's a large elderly population there."

With his latest number one, Line grabbed the $3,000 bonus check from K&N Engineering and placed himself firmly in the number two spot in the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge standings, just trailing teammate Greg Anderson by ten points.

"It's really so awesome what K&N does for our class," said Line. "The Horsepower Challenge is such a great program all the way around and the support K&N gives Pro Stock, with not only the cash bonuses to shoot for, but the R&D in their product available for racers at all levels, well it really shows what kind of company they are."

With one week off to prepare for the biggest NHRA event of each season, The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Line points out that he is going into the "Big Go" with a different frame of mind this season. "My Indy's have been forgettable," confessed Line. "If I want to do a better job there, I have to go into it with a totally different attitude than I ever have before. I'm really feeling good about it, because we have a great team, great crew and great sponsors going into it. We already have ninety percent of it done, I just need to go in there and finish it off."

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 Sponsored Vicki Golden Strikes Gold at 2011 X Games 17 at the Staples Center

26 Aug 2011

Golden flew over the massive 65-foot ramp-to-dirt jump with style, throwing her bike sideways with a fist in the air as she flew past the checkered flag.

In the last line of the first story K&N Race News did with Vicki Golden, she is quoted saying "I also really want to win an X Games gold medal this summer in Women's Super X." This time around we get to start by asking her if winning the X Games Gold feels as good, or better, than she imagined it would.

Vicki Golden dominated the Women's Motocross event at X Games 17 only two days after celebrating her 19th birthday.

"It definitely feels great and it means the world to me. It was such a major win for me. Winning X Games has taught me how important it is to be mentally prepared and it has proved to me how much that can boost my performance!"

And what a performance it was, Golden, who celebrated her 19th birthday only two days prior to the X Games, extended the party by flat-out dominating the Women's Motocross event at the 2011 X Games 17, held at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, California. With over 11,000 passionate fans cheering her on, the K&N sponsored rider put together a perfect showing, posting the fastest qualifying time, getting the hole-shot and winning her heat race, and then leading wire-to-wire for the win in the main event.

Golden credits her recent professional Arenacross experience, racing in the Women's Motocross (WMX) Championship, as well as training on the Kawasaki Supercross track, for helping her be ready for the single biggest Women's Motocross event of the year.

The K&N sponsored rider grabbed hole-shot and won her heat race, and then she lead wire-to-wire for the win in the main event.

"Thankfully Kawasaki let me onto their Supercross test track," said Golden. "That played a big part since there were no other Supercross tracks to ride on. It was just another great way that they supported me this year. Sean Hamblin also came out and spent almost every day with me at the track. I feel my riding and my mentality has improved since I've been working with him so I can't thank Sean enough. It helped having a good team. Even though I am a privateer this year, I think things came together with my MotoUSA.com/Langston Motorsports Kawasaki ride by X Games too."

Winning the X Games gold means the world to her said Golden.

With her focus being on winning the gold, we wondered how things were going with the WMX series. "The WMX series hasn't been going exactly as planned. I started the season off with not finishing my second moto in the first round, so that set me back in points. I've caught up to fifth in the points, and I'm only seven points behind fourth, so I really want to reclaim my No. 4 for the year. I have had several fourth place finishes, and a third place in moto one at Lakewood (Colorado). We have three rounds left; I want to put in the results that I know I'm capable of. I'm working hard to be on the podium."

"After I finish the rest of the WMX series I really want to go back to AMA Pro Arenacross and pick up where I left off with that. It starts in October. I hope to race the West races again, and continue to earn points for my Pro license. Also, last year I had the opportunity to go to the Supercross in Geneva, Switzerland and I would love to go back there and race again. So I am pretty much going to focus on indoors again after the season.

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.

Mark Bitner Takes Checkered Flag in Big Kahuna Series

26 Aug 2011

Mark Bitner wins 360 class at New Egypt Speedway in New Jersey

Mark Bitner and Team Twister Motorsports recently rolled into New Egypt, New Jersey with anticipation of testing their skills against fellow wingless sprint car drivers in the Big Kahuna Series at the New Egypt Speedway. Recalling how well the car had performed during their most previous race, the crew quickly made the needed adjustments as soon as it rolled out of the trailer. That said, their confidence level was high.

Mark Bitner's #15 410 Winged Sprint Car

Driving in the 360 class, Bitner started fourth in the heat race. After the waving of the green flag, the driver wasted no time taking the lead, and in fact, had muscled his way to the front position prior to the end of the first lap. Once taking the lead, Bitner was not challenged and took the checkered flag with time to spare.

With the heat race behind him, Mark Bitner lined up third in the feature, with even more confidence on his side. When the race was deemed underway, the driver once again took an early lead. Nearing the end of the final lap, Bitner was ahead of the second place driver by one-half the distance of the track and when the dust had settled had easily taken the checkered flag. Referring to his confidence level going into the feature, the driver said, "After the run in the heat, we were confident, and even though Joe Biasi was fast, he couldn't catch me. I wasn't challenged during the race, but Joe Biasi had a good run. If we'd had a caution, it would have been good."

When asked how his car had been running thus far in the season, Bitner explained, "The car has been running well. It's just that we haven't really concentrated on one division or track. We have been running URC 360 and running up front. We ran with the USAC Series for six races and finished 8th and 5th in two races. Running third in another race, we ran out of fuel. We ran 410 winged for a couple of races," he continued. "Which in Pennsylvania is like running with the outlaws. We are getting faster every week with that car." According to Mark Bitner, he and his team also have a street stock car that they run for pleasure. In fact, one of the crew members drives that particular car.

When asked the key to continued success throughout the remainder of the season, Bitner said, "Keep good preparation in the shop and concentrate on set-ups." Referring to his team he stressed, "My team is key. With this many cars running at different places every week, you need a top of the line crew. Dedication is what they're all about. I could not do it without them."

Understanding the importance of preventive maintenance, Mark Bitner and his crew stay on top of keeping their race cars in optimal running conditions. Referring to keeping the internal parts of the engines clean and well lubed, the driver said, "We use all of the K&N products available on the race car and the hauler. We also sell their products at our shop. I've been using K&N products my entire racing career (22 years), in a lot of different divisions. They're the best out there, period."

When asked to share his thoughts about their hopes for the remainder of the 2011 season, Bitner said, "We're confident. We've got a good roll going and are looking to pick up some more wins." Referring to his most anticipated upcoming events, the driver continued, "We're looking forward to Thunder on the Hill, a URC race at Grandview Speedway at Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania. We have won it a couple of times before."

In closing, Mark Bitner said, "I would just like to thank K&N for the many years of support. That means a lot to a local racer like me. Also, thanks to the sponsors, Bitner Automotive, Haines Towing, John Benko, Pensoil, Fuel Clothing, Simpson, Keizer Wheels, Auto Meter, Manly, Wilwood, Total Seal Rings, Powtech, Rico's Autobody, Rusty Star Ranch, Diamond Pistons, and Wings Unlimited. And thanks to my crew. They are the best!

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.

Ten Year Old Hailie Deegan Shines at Glen Helen Raceway with Two Podium Finishes

26 Aug 2011

Hailie Deegan acquired a passion for off-road trucks at a very young age. Photo by Metal Mulisha.

Watching her father racing off-road trucks, Hailie Deegan acquired a passion for the sport at a very young age. That in mind, her family probably wasn't too surprised when she grew excited upon learning that there was also a classification for kids. Of course, Hailie wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and at the age of nine, found herself manning a Kart capable of running as fast as 49 miles per hour with the checkered flag in her sights.

10-year-old Hailie Deegan in her #438 off road trophy kart. Photo by Metal Mulisha

Of course there was a learning curve to be followed, and that Hailie did. Returning in 2011 for her second season of racing, the ten-year-old is now navigating the track with experience under her belt. In turn, Hailie "Dirt Princess" Deegan recently earned positions on the podium twice during rounds nine and ten of The Lucas Off Road Racing Series, held at the Glen Helen Raceway, at Devore California.

During the qualifying rounds Hailie prepared to take on eighteen other drivers in front of thousands of spectators and finished in the fifth place position. When asked how she felt about her qualifying finish, Deegan said, "Good, but I know I could do better. I just placed second and third in the last race."

Lining up in the fifth position at the beginning of the main event on the following day, and immediately behind the #474 kart, driven by Maxwell Ries, Deegan recognized and capitalized on the opportunity to pass the driver in the fifth lap. When the waving of the checkered flag deemed the race over, Hailie "Dirt Princess" Deegan had earn a third place finish, and her first visit to the podium in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.

Hailie "Dirt Princess" Deegan recently earned positions on the podium twice during rounds nine and ten of The Lucas Off Road Racing Series. Photo by Metal Mulisha.

Stressing that taking third place was a confidence booster, which would follow her into the upcoming race on the following day, the young driver said, "I know I can do it! The top ten kids were all within a hundredth of a second if each other."

With the luxury of having even a better starting position in the main event on the following day, the 10-year-old, Deegan worked her way through the maze of drivers in short order, and passed Paige Porter's #462 kart, putting her in second place. Although she fought a very hard fight, Deegan never managed to pass Myles Cheek, the 1st place driver. That said, the race was still considered a success as the "Dirt Princess" once again found herself on the podium. When asked the key to her success at this particular event, Deegan explained, "Lots of hard work and practice."

Regardless of size, and horsepower, the key to keeping an engine that experiences the rigors of racing in top running condition is proper maintenance. This is a tidbit of information of which Hailie's mechanic, Craig Koback, is acutely aware. That said, the young driver's kart is equipped with a K&N air filter, which has been a staple since the beginning of her racing career. When asked their opinion of K&N products, the answer was quick and to the point, "They're awesome."

When asked how Hailie acquired her nickname of "Dirt Princess", her parents explained, "She has always been our little princess, and she loves to be in the dirt." When asked her strong point as a driver, they continued, "Her drive to win."

Hailie Deegan has full intentions of continuing her racing career and in fact has plans to eventually pursue NASCAR. That said, the youngster understands that she must presently focus on the kart she is driving now, and is confident in what it will take to continue experiencing success. When asked the key to outperforming her competitors, she answered with wisdom, "Practice, focus, listening to my dad's instructions and plenty of sleep the night before."

Hailie "Dirt Princess" Deegan expressed gratitude to her sponsors and all of the others who have played an essential role in her opportunity to get out there and participate in the sport of which she loves. "Thank you for everyone's support, God for keeping me safe, my mom and dad for letting me race, and my AWESOME fans that continually follow and support me."

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.