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Dan Fletcher Puts Both His K&N Camaros into Finals at NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals - Nearly Doubles

24 Jun 2011

Dan Fletcher wins Stock Eliminator in NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.

Churchville, New York's Dan Fletcher found himself with a shot to double up at an NHRA National event, for the eighth time is his career, during the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, taking both his Stock and Super Stock class cars all the way to the finals of the rain plagued event.

Dan Fletcher gets his 73rd NHRA National Event win.

Fletcher, who has had success at the facility in years past, notes that his very first time to the Tennessee track was back during the IHRA days. "That was actually the very first track I traveled away to with my father when I was sixteen," he said. "You know it was my first away type race and it was the IHRA bracket finals."

Qualifying, for both of Fletcher's classes, was completed on Friday and the first three rounds of eliminations were held on Saturday where he put away his competitors, even if there was a little luck involved. "I was very fortunate," he pointed out of his second round in Super Stock. "I red-lighted but my opponent was red ahead of me. So after that, it was all found money, that's the way I looked at it."

"I should not have been red second round," he continued. "When I'm early, I know it. I wasn't early and when I got the ticket and it said ten [.010]. And then I said, well there's a minus in front of that. I was just flabbergasted. Then I ran the left lane the next couple of rounds, where I went with my normal setup, where I felt everything should be [reaction time] and everything was fine. So I get put into the right lane again in the semi's. I thought I would see the light better because by this time it's dusk. I was fortunate again as I was fifty-seven on the tree to my opponent's teen but I was going under. I managed to drop it dead-on the dial and he went under by one and a half."

K&N 1969 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Dan Fletcher

Thanks to his top end driving skills, Fletcher moved on in his K&N SS/AS Camaro to meet up with Mike Saye for the Super Stock final. Although the two had competed many times before, this would be their first meeting in a final round.

Before business could be taken care of in the Super Stock final, Fletcher had things to take care of in Stock where he had also made his way through the rounds.

"Honestly, I only put this motor in the car about a year ago," he said of his K&N E/SA 1969 Camaro. "I'd been have a carburetor issue that only occurs during very low barometer conditions. You know that at Bristol it's a low barometer and pretty slow. My car started screwing up on me and it would go out about thirty feet [makes car noises] and then down the track it would go. Sunday during the long rain delay, I went through the whole carburetor. I had leaned it down to go there but put it back to my normal set up, which I didn't like to do [in the middle of a race] but I felt like I had to. Well, and it still screwed up."

"I don't really know what to say about my Stock rounds," he continued. "I feel like I drove pretty well. I know I was late one time in the semi's and running against a pickup truck. [Randall Campbell, 1986 Chevy C-10, R/SA] He's a fourteen second thing and I'm forty on the tree, which is unacceptable after coming off of two .003 lights. But I just slid on down there and managed to take .007 of the stripe."

"That guy was driving great in that truck," he added. "The light in the semi's was his worst light of the weekend and he was just driving really well."

With the round win, Fletcher moved on to the final in Stock to meet up with Joe Santangelo. Fletcher's dial would have him leave first posting a nice .013 light and before he could make it past the tree, Santangelo handed him the Stock Eliminator win by going .013 red.

Fletcher only had a moment to enjoy his spectacular 73rd NHRA National Event win before returning to the staging lanes and hopping in his Super Stock Camaro for the last final to close out the event.

"I was back in the left lane and just put everything back where I felt it should be," he said of his Super Stock final. "I put it in just a little deep and tried to correct for it and I was .004 red. It was kinda of maddening, but what are you gonna do."

Prior to his huge success during the Thunder Valley Nationals, Fletcher's week started by representing K&N at a different kind of event. "I was in Nashville the week before at the CMA Fest that is a week-long affair. I was there displaying one of the cars on behalf of K&N there in downtown Nashville area. Those types of things I don't get to do every often, but it was definitely fun."

"It just goes to show you how I am truly blessed to be able to work with and represent a company like K&N," he continued. "To be able to go to an event like Bristol and take two cars deep into eliminations for a company that has the faith in me that they do is really pretty special,"

"Being a part of the K&N family, well I couldn't be more proud," he smiled.

There will be no rest for the champion racer as he heads to the next event on the 2011 NHRA tour in Norwalk, Ohio for the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, June 23-26. Fletcher will once again wheel his K&N Super Stock Camaro and change it up a little with his second entry coming being a dragster in the 8.90 Index Super Comp class.

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 Mike Edwards Makes It Three NHRA Pro Stock Wins in a Row at Thunder Valley National Event

24 Jun 2011

Mike Edwards on the podium at the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol

2009 NHRA Pro Stock Champion Mike Edwards came very close to taking it all in the extremely tough class at the most recent event NHRA National event in Bristol, Tennessee and while he just missed being number one in qualifying, he and his Penhall/K&N/Interstate Battery team saved the best for last.

Penhall/K&N/Interstate Battery Pontiac

During the second session of qualifying for the Thunder Valley Nationals, Edwards moved up into his familiar territory of number one when he easily bumped Rodger Brogdon from the number one spot with his 6.679 ET, more than a whopping two-hundredths quicker that Brogdon's earlier pass.

"The starting line got so much better in the evening session than in the first," Edwards said of his second qualifying run. "We ran later than what we expected and when this track cools off, this track gets really, really good."

Edwards wasn't ready to begin any type of celebration on his potential pole as he quickly pointed out the turn of events during the same race in 2010. "I was sitting here on a Friday as the No. 1 qualifier and some guy named Allen Johnson came along and kicked me," Edwards said with a smile.

2009 NHRA Pro Stock Champion Mike Edwards

Saturday's two qualifying sessions would be separated by the first of two rain delays that plagued the weekend. The air earlier in the day for session three was pretty thick and not very friendly to the naturally aspirated Pro Stock combinations. Edwards, like most other teams, was unable to improve on the previous evening's session, although he did manage to remain on top. And then the first rain came.

The air was still very heavy with moisture by the time the NHRA Safety Safari had the track back in shape for the fourth and final session on Saturday evening, but the track temp was certainly much more favorable. Unfortunately for Edwards, it was a little too favorable for other teams, namely one Allen Johnson. Just like during the same event in 2010, Johnson swooped in during the final session and stole the pole position away from Edwards with his 6.668, a full hundredth of a second quicker than Edwards prior day run.

Come Sunday, teams were wondering if they would even get to see a round of competition when the skies opened up around 9AM and didn't let up until midafternoon.

As a side note, Edwards had been dealing with a knot in his back and while the heavy rains came down, he decided to have it looked at by the onsite doctor, not expecting for the event to be run until Monday. The doctor cut him open and he was reportedly in a lot of pain during the rest of the day.

Much to the surprise of many, the show would go on after all and for all the fans who stuck it out, by shortly after 4PM the first pairs of professional teams were making their first rounds of eliminations down the track.

Qualified number two, Edwards met up with Richard Freeman in round one. He took a small starting line advantage and never looked back, putting up a 6.701 for the round win and picking up lane choice in round two over Vincent Nobile.

With the best reaction time pair of the round, Nobile and Edwards made it a great drag race from the hit with their .012 and .010 respective lights. Edwards came out on top and took a little over one hundredth at the stripe with his better 6.697 to Nobile's very respectable 6.708.

That would move Edwards to the semi-finals where he would pair up with Greg Anderson. Edwards once again treed his competition, and although it got a little hairy for him shortly after the launch when his car made a few little moves, he still managed to out ET Anderson by two thousandths to make his way to the final round.

On the other side of the ladder, 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge Fan Vote Winner Erica Enders had used a holeshot advantage to take out hometown driver and number one qualifier, Allen Johnson. While she had been in a Pro Stock final before, she was looking to make history with her first win and a first for any female in NHRA Pro Stock.

Enders' car had been like a bracket car through the rounds leading up to the final, posting three 6.69 passes in a row, it was going to make what should be an exciting match up in the final with former champion Edwards, who was looking to make it back-to-back National event victories.

When the two lined up and the tree came down, it looked like Edwards might be in trouble when Enders took a huge five hundredths advantage. But sometimes it's just your race to win, and Edwards was able to take his Penhall/K&N Pontiac right down Broadway for the win when Enders car had major trouble shortly after the launch.

"Me and my team fought through it," he said about the weekend. "We made some ugly runs. Somehow we were able to turn on the win light. Some days you pull up there it seems like no matter how bad you do, you win. That's the kind of day we had. Congratulations to my team. This car has given us some headaches."

The Pro Stock win put him on a very special list joining only Top Fuel's Tony Schumacher as competitors to grab three victories in a row at Bristol, "Winning three times straight at anything is really hard to do. And then spread it over three seasons, that makes it seem almost impossible," Edwards said.

"I praise The Lord, just thank Him for my blessings. It's all about Him. It's just a great day, anytime you can win one of these things, especially here at Bristol. It's an awesome place. It means so much to me," Edwards said.

"I want to dedicate this win to my good friend, Jeff Byrd," he added. "The people, fans, and everybody here, I want them to know he's got a special place in my heart and in my team's heart."

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.

Sergio Peña Wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Langley Speedway

22 Jun 2011

Sergio Peña wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Langley Speedway

The tracks in Virginia have provided Sergio Peña a bit of a home advantage in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

Peña won the VisitHamptonVA 175 at Langley Speedway on Saturday night for his second win of the K&N Pro Series East season. He won his first race at South Boston Speedway in Virginia in April.

Sergio Peña passes Max Gresham for the win

Too bad for Peña the K&N Pro Series East doesn't visit a Virginia race track again in 2011.

"This run was unbelievable," said Peña, who is from Winchester, Va. "Being able to lead the most laps was awesome. Racing hard with Coleman Pressley, Matt DiBenedetto, and just everybody, it was really fun."

Peña led a race-high 99 laps. He took the lead for the first time in the race on lap 44, passing Pressley, who won the pole and was out fron for 42 of the first 43 laps.

"In the beginning I was trying to save tires as much as I could and that's when DiBenedetto and the others flew by me and pretty much left me," Peña said. "Then my spotter and crew chief told me to step it up a little bit. I was able to get by them before that last caution and that's what put me in position."

Victory burnout from Sergio Peña

Max Gresham passed Peña for the lead on lap 84, but Peña worked his way through lapped traffic and regained the lead on lap 117. Peña was out front for the remainder of the race.

As impressive as Peña was in winning his second race of his K&N Pro Series East career, Brett Moffitt battled to a second-place after cutting a tire on the first lap of the race.

Moffitt had to pit early to repair the tire. It put him down two laps, but Moffitt rallied through the field and jumped up to second place behind Peña in the closing laps.

"I was pretty used up at the end there. He was too," Moffitt said. "I was slowly catching him. Congratulations to them. This is their second win of the season. That's awesome for them. I was praying for a caution there at the end, hoping we could work something out. Second's not bad after the night we had."

Gresham finished third, followed by DiBenedetto in fourth and Chase Elliott in fifth.

Gresham moved into first place in the K&N Pro Series East standings after seven races. It is the first time in his career that he has led the K&N Pro Series East standings. Gresham, who led 33 laps in the race at Langley Speedway, is 17 points ahead of DiBenedetto.

"I had a lot of fun racing here at Langley Speedway," said Gresham, who posted his sixth top-five finish in seven K&N Pro Series East races. "To come home third here is a great night for us, a great points night for us. I'm glad to be up front. All these solid top-five finishes we're getting recently is definitely helping us."

Peña is in seventh place in the K&N Pro Series East standings. His two wins are his only top-five finishes of the season.

The VisitHamptonVA 175 will be broadcast on Speed on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

The next K&N Pro Series East race is at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15.

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.

Two Guys Garage Episode to be Taped at K&N on Car Collector Appreciation Day

21 Jun 2011

In 2010, the United States Congress announced Collector Car Appreciation Day to celebrate the people, organizations and influences the automotive industry has had in American society throughout history. This year, K&N Filters along with many other automotive groups around the country will be commemorating this day and all that cars, vehicle restoration and automobile customization have meant to American culture over the years.

K&N's 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air is on tour

On Saturday July 9th, 2011 from 10 AM until 4 PM K&N Filters will be hosting a car show in celebration of Car Collector Appreciation Day at K&N's world headquarters in Riverside, California. A variety of custom and classic cars will be on display, refreshments will be available, there will raffles and best of all the "Two Guys Garage" TV crew will be on site taping a future episode covering the incredible vehicles and people at this event. The festivities are geared towards honoring dedicated car enthusiasts of Southern California and the nation, while showing off a wide range of new age and old school custom rides.

K&N's Car Show Flyer

The event is open to the public and it is free.

The K&N lot will have up to 125 vehicles ranging from classic cars to racing vehicles to the most exotic creations on wheels around. If you have a car that fits this description and you want to be part of the show contact us by email at [email protected] or call us at 800-858-3333 to register your vehicle. Registration is free. Space is limited so please register only if you are sure you and your vehicle can attend.

Staff from the Riverside International Auto Museum are scheduled to attend. They will be showing off some of the world's most amazing historic restored cars.

Representatives from the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) will attend the event as will the Universal Technical Institute to discuss vehicle maintenance and programs available at many of their national facilities. If you have any questions about any K&N products, K&N will also have a booth with products on display and product specialists that can answer your questions.

Kevin Byrd from "Two Guys Garage" is scheduled to attend. He will show their TV audience some of the best restoration work and the importance of quality aftermarket parts.

If you want to see some of the best classic and new style vehicles around while getting the opportunity to talk with real owners and builders, then come to K&N's "Car Collector Appreciation Day" celebration. K&N is located at 1455 Citrus St. in Riverside, California between Iowa Avenue and La Cadena Drive.

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.

Bryce Menzies Wins 2011 Baja 500 Overall and Leads Entire Race

21 Jun 2011

Menzies said after the race that the course was extremely technical and rocky.

"Winning my first Baja 500 is one of my biggest accomplishments," Bryce Menzies told K&N Race News. "It was a huge goal this year and as a team we accomplished it. It is a dream come true. This was only my second time racing the SCORE Baja 500 and to be able to start first, and finish first, with no flats, or damage to the truck, speaks volumes about my crew and our sponsors. Without them I would not have been able to see this dream come to life."

The K&N sponsored team of Bryce Menzies and Pete Mortensen led the 2011 Baja 500 from wire-to-wire.

After six months of planning and hard work it all boiled down to a single day of racing. "I don't really have much to compare it to," continued the K&N sponsored driver, "But I do know that it was extremely technical and rocky. And I am already looking forward to this year's SCORE Baja 1000, where we will also run some of the 500 course."

Menzies' sixth place overall finish in the SCORE San Felipe 250 put him in the draw for the top 12 starting positions for the 500. With only weeks to go before the start of the race, the announcement came through that Menzies Motorsports would be starting the 43rd Annual Baja 500 from the number one position.

The day that the 452.84 mile course was opened for pre-running, Menzies and co-driver, Pete Mortensen, were on their way to Mexico to get as much time on the course as possible. The two then proceeded to run and re-run the course tirelessly until they felt confident with every nook and cranny.

Starting out front presented its own set of challenges, but nothing the Menzies Motorsport duo couldn't handle.

The 2011 Baja 500 started in the heart of Ensenada on June 4th at 10am. The team of Menzies and Mortensen driving the No.70 Menzies/Red Bull Trophy Truck was the first 4-wheel vehicle off the line, leading the way for over 250 competitors into the open desert of Baja, Mexico. Thousands of enthusiastic fans were on hand cheering on every single participant.

"Starting in the front is a big advantage because you are not stuck in the dust," Menzies said. "However, when starting up front you also have to be aware of spectators and oncoming traffic. There were a few incidences where spectators got a little too close for comfort, and there was one point where a car was coming at us head-on, but they were all pretty easily avoided because of all the proper safety precautions that were being taken. It was mostly clear sailing the entire way, and we plan on doing the same for the SCORE Primm 300 in August."

Winning in only his second attempt at the 500 was a dream come true for Menzies.

Nine hours later, as the sun began to set, casting eerily long shadows on the desert floor, Menzies and Mortensen continued to methodically retrace their steps back through Ensenada. Steve Menzies (Bryce's dad) waited at the finish, where the sound of the Kroyer Racing engine vibrated through the cities infamous buildings, as it made the last turn, which was still lined with cheering fans waiting to see the finish. The checkered flag took to the sky and Bryce Menzies was the first Trophy Truck to finish the 2011 Baja 500. "We have a solid team, with a lot of people who dedicate their spare time to see this team succeed, and the best thing we can do for those who support us is give them a win. We would not be able to do this if it wasn't for the people behind the scenes who help put it all together," said Menzies' Motorsports General Manager, Cory Beacham.

The Menzies Motorsports team now stands in first place in the SCORE series points. The team will now start preparing for the next SCORE race in August. The Menzies/Red Bull Trophy Truck will also be ready to tear up the desert of Nevada and California in the Primm 300.

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.