Latest News | Read Our Blog

Bruno Massel Ignites 2011 with Pro-Import Win at Palm Beach International Raceway

29 Mar 2011

Winning Pro-Import class in his 1400 horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder Chevrolet Cobalt, stretched the Massel’s winning streak to four consecutive races and 19 successive round wins.

K&N sponsored, Bruno Massel, fired-up his 2011 race season in grand fashion. After first unveiling his new primary sponsor to the one million plus weekly viewers of "TruckU" on SPEED TV, he headed south from Tampa to compete in the Inaugural Shakedown at the newly renovated Palm Beach International Raceway. It was a "run what ya brung and hope ya brought enough" outlaw event, and clearly Massel brought plenty, setting the low ET and top-speed as he qualified number one, and then winning the Pro-Import class in his 1400 horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder Chevrolet Cobalt.

Massel set the low ET and top-speed as he qualified number one on the newly renovated Palm Beach International Raceway.

With that victory the Chicago-area native and one-time University of Iowa football player, DePaul University law-school student, and Ralph Lauren underwear model, extended his winning streak from last season, to four consecutive races and 19 successive round wins.

"Winning the Shakedown at Palm Beach was a great way to not only start the year, but my new relationship with Autogeek.net," stated Massel. "It was the first time we raced the car in heads-up competition and it really was a lot of fun. Not having to worry about our comp-index was such a luxury, and it allowed us to just focus on going fast, rather than how the ladder was falling, or if I could get by the next round clean or not. We are actually looking at running some more heads-up stuff this summer if time allows."

In debuting his primary sponsor on an episode of TruckU, Massel also provided welcome exposure to K&N and his other sponsors.

"In 2009 we had some pretty good stretches, but I would have to say that this is probably my longest winning streak. I just hope to keep it alive once we get into points earning events in Competition Eliminator."

Now in his fifth year of co-hosting the TruckU show, Massel's racing has been referenced often on the show, "So I guess it was it was time to show off my new colors to the viewing audience," said Massel about his sponsor introduction on the show. This past off-season was very different from the past for Massel, as he literally did nothing to his car, instead, he spent untold hours putting together sponsorship proposals and presentations.

"My nine year relationship with WyoTech had run its course and I had the daunting task of finding a replacement in this brutal economy," said Massel. "I had a few really big deals fall through that each would have taken us to the 'next level' and it all seemed to come at the last minute. Fortunately, Bob McKee, the CEO of Autogeek.net and I were able to get together in late January, and we put a plan in place that I think will help both of our causes in 2011. So now it's just a matter of freshening our ECOtec engines and go racing."

Since Massel lists underwear modeling on his bio we felt it only fair game to ask whether he ever hears any smack-talk at the track about it.

"I used to get it all the time, but I don't do much of the underwear stuff these days," laughs Massel. "When I was doing the IHRA racing broadcasts, I used to get a lot of ribbing over it. I once showed up in an Alcohol drivers pit to do an interview, and he had taken ads of mine, and had blown them up into posters, and he hung them on the side of his trailer – good times."

Massel may have hung up his skivvy modeling career, but he continues to keep himself busy, having created, produced and hosted a 30 minute show called "Behind the Helmet." The show provides viewers with a behind the scenes glimpse at some of the biggest stars in motorsports.

"The pilot episode features my buddy Jeg Coughlin JR and it looks to be coming to a major cable this fall," adds Massel. "I'm looking forward to a busy, and hopefully successful 2011, both on and off the track!"

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.

Brooke Kawell and the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Modified Kart Division

29 Mar 2011

Trophy Truck Racer Brooke Kawell

When most kids start racing, they envision themselves one day hoisting a Sprint Cup trophy, or taking a swig of milk at the Indianapolis 500. Brooke Kawell is not your typical kid. The 7th grader's plans are a little muddier. Let me explain.

Kawell Currently Runs in the Modified Kart Division

Kawell is an aspiring trophy truck racer. She currently runs in the Modified Kart division at the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series events, often against drivers who are older, with more experience and a larger budget than she has. But just two weeks ago, Kawell made a giant statement when she finished third at the Regional event at Firebird Raceway in Arizona. Kawell started last in the Main Event, but maneuvered her way into a podium position quickly, and held on to become the first female to ever podium in a Modified Kart.

"I did great in that race," said the well-spoken, home-schooled Kawell. "To be the first girl to ever podium in a Modified Kart was pretty exciting."

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Racer Brooke Kawell

Brooke's mother, Stefanie, has guided her daughter through her racing career, and said the moment was a special one. "I couldn't hold back the tears. We were so proud of her. To be the only girl racing in the class and podium is amazing," said an elated mother.

Brooke has a chance to revolutionize Off-Road Racing. The NHRA had Shirley Muldowney and now has drivers like Ashley Force-Hood and Erica Enders. The IRL has Simona De Silverstro and some lady named Danica Patrick. You might have heard of her. Even NASCAR, considered to be far behind the gender curve compared to other American auto sports, has had drivers like Shawna Robinson, Jennifer Jo Cobb, and now Patrick. But the Off-Road scene lacks a household name female to pair with stars like Curt Leduc and Carl Renezeder. Kawell could be that driver one day. She certainly has set her sights high.

"I want to win a championship in the Modified Kart…when I'm sixteen, I'd like to move up to Pro Lite's and eventually Pro 4's (the equivalent of the Sprint Cup in short-course racing). I want to be the first female to win a Pro 4 Championship. I'd also like to compete in the Baja 1000," Kawell declared.

Kawell certainly has some good blood lines. Her grandfather raced Sprint Cars and Off-Road vehicles, and her father was a Motocross racer and a 3-time Baja 1000 winner. Kawell new she wanted to race and her father decided four wheels were better than two. From there, Kawell started running in various karting races, but when she was introduced to the dirt and trophy kart's, she found a home.

Kawell said she looks up to her cousin, professional dirt bike racer Blake Baggett. She enjoys being home schooled, because it allows her to focus on racing and take her school work with her. When asked about her friends, Kawell said they are supportive of her racing. Actually, she said "They think it's sick, especially since I am a girl and can hang with the boys."

Personality? Check. Racing in her blood? Check. If anyone is going to break the gender barrier in Off-Road Racing, Brooke Kawell might just be the one to do it.

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.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Cole Whitt

29 Mar 2011

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Cole Whitt. Photo by Ronda Greer Photography.

All great racers need a nickname right? The King, The Intimidator, The Snake, Smoke, Rowdy. You get the picture. So, you ask, what might be an appropriate nickname for 19-year-old NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Cole Whitt? How about "Fireball." No, Cole has never caused one of his vehicles to burst into flames, at least not to my knowledge. But his shiny red hair just begs for the nickname. Ok, maybe that lacks creativity. And I'm sure he's heard it a thousand times. But when digging to find something to criticize the Alpine, California native about, all I could find was his red hair and less-than-intimidating size (Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon think Whitt is small.) But once you get past his boyish looks, you'll find that Cole Whitt doesn't do much wrong.

Cole Whitt and the Turn One Racing Team. Photo by Ronda Greer Photography.

As a matter of fact, put him in your race car, and watch him transform your team into instant contender. That's what energy drink giant Red Bull saw in the teenager when it signed him to a multi-year contract, and Whitt responded by dominating the USAC ranks on his way to the 2008 National Midget Championship, becoming the youngest champion in USAC history at the age of 17.

That's right, not Tony Stewart, not J.J. Yeley, not Jeff Gordon or A.J. Foyt or fellow Red Bull racer Kasey Kahne. Cole Whitt is the answer to the trivia question, Who is the Youngest Champion in the history of America's Oldest Auto Racing Sanctioning Body? Use that on Jeopardy, Alex Trebek.

In 2010, Whitt took on a knew challenge, competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, and surprising many when he captured the pole in his debut at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. He went on to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in Phoenix International Raceway at the end of 2010, finishing 15th, and followed it up with a 17th at Homestead-Miami Speedway the next week. This year, Whitt is tackling the Camping World Truck Series, and despite a tumultuous season, finds himself right in the championship hunt through three races.

Cole Whitt in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Photo by Ronda Greer Photography.

"I think the transition has been good. I adapt to new situations quickly, and so far so good. The new tracks are definitely a learning curve, but that's the part I look forward to most," Whitt said.

"Trucks are completely different. Sprint Cars have no aero and a ton of horsepower. Trucks rely more on aero and less on horsepower. The only time I can really compare them is on the bigger tracks, where you're pretty much wide open," Whitt said when comparing his new ride to the cars he has become so accustomed to.

After missing the season opener at Daytona for his Turn One Racing team, Whitt and Red Bull were forced to rent a truck that had qualified. He responded with a strong run, staying in the top-10 most of the race before finishing 14th. Whitt's Turn One team has responded like a championship fighter after being knocked down early, rattling off a pair of top-10's since. Two weeks ago, at one of NASCAR' most historic, and historically difficult tracks, Whitt stunned observers when he qualified on the pole, and dominated the race early, outclassing eventual race winner Kahne for much of the race's first half, before a mechanical problem forced the team to spend extra time in the pits. The team found the problem, and battled back to finish 8th. It felt like a win to Whitt.

"It showed that this team never gives up. We can dig deep and rise above the low times. We brought a really good truck to Darlington. The track just fit my style...it's a track where the driver can make a big difference and help compete against the bigger teams."

When asked about the issues his team has faced early, Whitt attributed it more to growing pains with a young team, and said the team is quick to brush it off and make strides towards getting better. "I try not to worry about things out of my control. We all can learn from mistakes…That's what I love about this team, when we have mechanical problems, nobody ever blames anyone, we just fix it and learn from it."

Whitt is enjoying his first season in the Truck Series, and he should be. He currently sits second in points, just six points back of series regular Matt Crafton, and ahead of former series Champions Ron Hornaday and Todd Bodine. While he would like to transition into the Nationwide, and eventually the Sprint Cup Series full time, Whitt is solely focusing on 2011 and his Turn One Racing team.

"We want to win some races and Rookie of the Year. But most importantly, we just want to keep improving every race, both me as a driver and the team as a whole. It would be really cool if we were in Championship contention come October."

Whitt's favorite part of the season so far has been the opportunity to race at different tracks. "I enjoyed Daytona and Darlington. I'm really looking forward to Dover too. It's a fun track and I've had success there. I'm not looking forward to New Hampshire though. I don't think it's a hard track to drive, and it's more about what team has the most resources."

Whitt said K&N Filter's products allow his team to stay on top. "K&N offers the best products out there. K&N's support, improved performance and horsepower allow our team to focus on other areas in the shop. Their support has been great!"

And who knows, with K&N's support, maybe Whitt will be hoisting a Camping World Truck Series Championship in November. While it would be an upset, don't put it past him. After all, then he won't have to worry about a nickname. They can just call him "Champ."

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 V.P. and NHRA/IHRA Drag Race Driver Steve Williams

29 Mar 2011

NHRA/IHRA Driver Steve Williams

Most stories on the K&N website are about racers out in the field who use K&N filters. This one is a bit different; it's about Steve Williams, Vice President of K&N Engineering. Why would you want to know about him? The answer is simple; everyone knows great racing products aren't build by folks who never set foot in a race car.

Steve Williams and his 1962 Super Gas Corvette

So it's not surprising that K&N currently has about 30 employees who are racers and deeply involved with the development of products. This means that they race with the products they build, allowing them to learn what these products need to be successful and last a long time. K&N is all about making products that increase horsepower and protect the engines from harmful debris. The best way to describe it is—they are racers developing products for racers that everybody can use to increase and protect their engines.

But let's get back to Steve… His passion for racing started at an early age. "I had a next door neighbor that went to the races all the time and as a 12 year old interested in cars, I cleaned his car so I could go to the races with him." After that first Drag Race he was hooked and it seemed to stick with him as he was growing up. At the age of 36, Williams decided to build a drag race car out of a basket case '62 Corvette that had been parked dash deep into a tree. "It took me about 2 years to build the car and when I went to race, it fit right into the classes of Super Comp and Super Gas that NHRA had just started to run a few years earlier. I suppose that the competition was the magnet that kept me racing for the last 20 years."

K&N's Vice Presedent and NHRA/IHRA Racer Steve Williams

Steve's first win was the 1991 NHRA divisional race in Bakersfield, CA. His most current win was the 2010 NHRA National event in Las Vegas, NV, in Super Gas. Currently, he has about 23 "Wally's", as they are known in NHRA racing, with three divisional titles and has finished in the top ten nationally in both Super Gas and Super Comp many times. His best finish ever was Third Nationally about five years ago. He has received a lot of support over the years from wife Janet and his now eight year old daughter Shelby, who accompany him to most of the races. Throughout his 20 years of racing Williams has spent the most amount of time racing NHRA events but has also raced with IHRA, the Southern California Super Gas and Super Comp Associations.

Steve started in K&N Product Development in 1997 but currently holds a VP position with primary responsibilities in Engineering, Marketing and R&D. His current race cars in competition include a Super Gas '63 Corvette, and a new Super Comp T&T dragster. Both cars are maintained at K&N, with help from K&N employees Travis Hodges and John Reedy. Williams says "All in all, I feel I have been very competitive considering I have had full-time responsibilities at K&N the last 14 years. K&N has always encouraged me to Race a full schedule and go after a National Championship and I could not race without their support"

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.

Legend Car Racer Austin Reed Looks for His First Championship in 2011

28 Mar 2011

Legend Car Racer Austin Reed

Since the inception of the Legend Car in 1992 at the former Charlotte Motor Speedway (now Lowe's Motor Speedway), thousand's of racers have honed their skills in the high-horsepower, low-budget car. NASCAR stars Kurt and Kyle Busch, Aric Almirola, and Taylor Malsalm are just a few drivers who spent significant time building their resume's in the 140 horsepower Yamaha powered replicas of the coupe's and sedan's raced up and down the east coast in the pre-NASCAR era of racing. On the west coast, Austin Reed is hoping his experience in a Legend will propel him to the next level, much like it did for the Busch brothers and so many others.

Reed captured a second place points finish in the SRL Legends Tour in 2010

The Southern California native has been competing in Legend's for a little more than two years, and after a strong 2010 season, where he captured a second place points finish in the SRL Legends Tour, a traveling partner series to the Spears SRL Southwest Tour, Reed is looking for that elusive first championship in 2011.

"I think the biggest thing for me was being able to run multiple tracks last season," said the teenage up-and-comer. "Just being able to learn in the car and adapt to each situation put in front of me was huge."

Reed took a more hands on approach in his second full season as well, taking over the role of car chief on his car. "I learned a lot about the technical side and maintenance of my car. Derek (Thorn, another future NASCAR star by all accounts based on his 2010 season in the Southwest Tour and at various NASCAR Home Tracks) taught me a lot about how to work on my cars and how important it is to keep them clean."

Reed just missed out on winning his first championship in 2010, despite not registering a win. It was his consistency that led him to challenge second-generation racer and 2010 SRL Legends Tour Champion Cale Kanke right down to the last race. Reed's most memorable moment from 2010 also involved Kanke, when the two youngsters battled it out in an intense, back-and-forth race at Madera Speedway in Northern California.

This season, Reed thinks he has what it takes to defeat Kanke, whose dad has won more Southwest Tour races than any driver in the series history. "The most important thing for our success this year is to be disciplined and organized. I need to communicate with my crew chief so we can make the right adjustments and keep moving forward," Reed added.

Along with the SRL Legends Tour, Reed plans on taking his car back to North Carolina to run in the prestigious Summer Shootout series, and also plans on running some ASA Truck races and possibly even some K&N Pro Series West races toward the end of the year. If all goes well, Reed could be competing for what already promises to be a strong Rookie of the Year class in the West Series in 2012.

Reed said he was grateful for the relationship he has already established with K&N Filters. "K&N's products have helped us in some many ways. We use them on our personal vehicles, tow vehicle and the race car. They have proven time and again, both on the track and on the chassis dyno, that their filters produce the most power and the best filtration available."

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.