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Shell-Camino Monster Trucks - Winners - With a Monster Sized Heart

23 Nov 2010

These were the lucky fans from the Brigden, Ontario event, receiving their prize.

Snuggled in Northwest Wayne County is the bucolic city of Plymouth, Michigan, hardly the kind of place you'd expect find ogres, yet that's where you'll find Shelley Kujat's Shell-Camino Monster trucks. K&N sponsored Kujat is a professional Top Alcohol Monster Truck driver and she is every bit as passionate about devouring the competition as she is about sharing the love with her many fans.

For Shelley Kujat the only thing better than crushing the competition is handing out the K&N flag after the event.

"I have presented 34 K&N flags to some extremely excited fans after freestyle events," says Kujat. "It was so cool to see these flags come through the autograph lines at the end of the night. Several different circumstances surrounding the flag presentation have occurred. Many of the children I have given them to bring the whole family over for photos with me. Some are too excited to speak. I have presented several flags to 'Make a Wish' children that we sponsored at the events."

The Shell-Camino Monster Truck devours hapless obstacles much to the delight of the many fans.

At a recent 2010 Edge Motorsports Monster Madness event, Kujat selected to give the K&N flag to a young boy in the crowd. His serene, sweet smile lit up, and stood out to Kujat amid a sea of frantically waving arms. After the show, during her autograph session, the boy's grandmother came up to Kujat and said, "You have no idea what you did by giving my boy that flag. He has Tourette's Syndrome and he was having a hard time processing what was going on, when he realized he was being given the prize he was ecstatic."

"I have received a lot of positive feedback from parents, fans, promoters, fellow drivers and building owners, regarding what a great gesture it is to give the K&N flags out," says Kujat. "It is really satisfying after a hard freestyle event to present one lucky fan with a memento of the show. Motorsport shows are all about fans. This is a nice way to let them know that we appreciate all of them. Maintenance, hard work, long nights, great sponsors and quality K&N products keeps our team in the top ranks."

"The year has been going great," adds Kujat. "The truck has held together fantastically. Racing has been consistent this year, giving the team more wins than ever. The freestyle runs are more solid since we've got the shocks dialed in. The new tires and gusseted rims allow us to go bigger and stay together with less breakage. So far this year we have done 32 awesome weekend events, where K&N products have protected the Chevy powerplant."

Last weekend the Shell-Camino participated in the Pontiac Silverdome Monster Truck Shootout. The Pontiac Silverdome is legendary in monster truck history - it's where the sport was born back in 1982 - and it's always been recognized as the Mecca of Monster Trucks and the Holy Grail of Horsepower. The show consisted of 12 top-notch trucks including Shell-Camino and the new Shell-Camino ride truck.

"It was awesome dominating the huge obstacles in front of a packed stadium. Shell-Camino held together flawlessly and finished in the top brackets," remarked Kujat.

"I am looking forward to the first quarter, with some new venues, where both trucks will be appearing at. Keep an eye on our schedule. I think next year will be a remarkable year. Thanks again to all of our fans and sponsors. Always remember "Girls Rock!"

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.

Cognito Motorsports' Justin Lambert Brings Two Custom Yamaha Rhino to SEMA

23 Nov 2010

Cognito Motorsports' Yamaha Rhino R1

The Yamaha Rhino is a utility side by side vehicle that brings recreation and utility into one vehicle for families across America. Let someone like Justin Lambert from Cognito Motorsports get their hands on one and it truns into a fire breathing dragon.

Yamaha Rhino R1 Utility Side by Side

Lambert comes from a background in high performance early on. His father builds racing engines, drag cars, and drag boats so he grew up going fast and being very competitive. He has been custom building since a teenager working in his father's shop building a dragster chassis, sheet metal panels, and machining parts on a mill and lathe. After college he started his own business building suspension systems mainly for GM trucks and SUV's. He bought the Yamaha Rhino in 2007 and built long travel suspension for it and used the car as a marketing tool for the next couple years. Of course he needed more power so the engine was definitely getting some modifications.

Yamaha Rhino R1 in Cognito Motorsports' SEMA Booth

The problem is, the Rhino engine just would not live long enough while making that much more horsepower than the stock. Lambert decided to swap the engine in the Rhino. There were several options he looked at, but his Yamaha R1 engine choice was influenced by the SR1 UTV class which had pretty much launched in the 2009 racing season.

Yamaha Rhino with R1 motor

The other benefit of using the R1 is that they make plenty of power in stock uniform and replacements are much cheaper than rebuilding a Rhino engine. An R1 engine is usually easy to find from motorcycle dismantlers.

This R1 Yamaha Rhino has been custom built from the factory lower frame rails on up. The seats had to be wider in order to fit the R1 engine between them. Thus the floor had to be widened and a custom roll cage and chassis were fabricated. Reverse is important with a weight of 1400 lbs. Since the R1 motorcycle does not have reverse, Justin used a chain driven, forward and reverse, gear box. He also used full size racing seats and safety harnesses.

Yamaha Rhino air filter

Other details include Cognito's long travel suspension with FOX racing shocks and heavy duty Rhino front spindles which were built by Cognito. This R1 Rhino also includes a custom stainless steel header, hydraulic clutch (instead of the cable activated clutch on the R1 motorcycle), custom gear shift, fuel cell, fuel filler mount, custom radiator and shroud, seat mounts, re-located steering column (to line up with the repositioned seat), custom sheet metal doors and roof, tail light housing, fiberglass hood and fenders, ITP bead-locked wheels and ITP tires.

Cab of Yamaha Rhino R1

This R1 Rhino is fully functional, it has 14" of travel front and rear, a top speed of 100 MPH via the 6 speed transmission inside the R1 engine package, an 8 gallon fuel cell, and plenty of cooling capacity. It does not however have 4WD anymore, which does not pose a threat coming from the kind of tire speed with 130 rear wheel horsepower. The off-roading this car sees is desert riding and a lot of sand duning. Without 4 wheel drive it definitely isn't a rock crawler or mud bogger.

Lambert is not really into the custom build scene, he just mainly build his own custom projects if time allows. "This build allowed me to show off my design and fabrication skills representing Cognito Motorsports," Lambert states. "The bad thing about my being involved in custom builds, is I can't normally make much money from them. But in my position, I was also building a marketing tool for Cognito Motorsports which can be worth a lot of money if I use it properly."

Lambert built the R1 Rhino machine and Rodger from Ironworks built the intake setup including the custom flanges that capture the K&N air filter. "I have been using K&N filters on my motorcycles and quads for 20 years due to the availability, selection, quality, and performance," Lambert mentioned. "So when this custom project arose I already had K&N on my mind for the intake." His other projects normally involve building trucks with Cognito Motorsports suspension and steering components, although he is also building himself a Kawasaki Teryx setup for desert racing, and currently drawing up plans for another SR1 Rhino setup for short course racing.

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.

Pratt and Miller Engineering/Corvette Racing Wins 13th Running of the Petit Le Mans

22 Nov 2010

The number 3 Corvette C6.R was driven by Johnny O'Connell, Olivier Beretta, and Antonio Garcia (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo).

There was absolutely nothing "petit" about the clash in the ultra-competitive GT2 class at Petit Le Mans this year. It was in fact, a battle royal for nine hours and ten minutes between Corvette, Ferrari, BMW, and Porsche, fought over the hills and valleys of the 2.54-mile circuit at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. The winning number 4 Corvette driven by Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, and Emmanuel Collard completed 355 laps (902 miles) in the season finale of the 2010 American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

The winning number 4 Corvette driven by Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, and Emmanuel Collard completed 355 laps, 902 miles, in the season finale of the 2010 American Le Mans Series (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo).

Going into the final lap, the number 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, driven by Gavin, was trailing Toni Vilander in the class-leading Risi Competizione Ferrari by 10 seconds. With a low-fuel alarm flashing on his own instrument panel, Gavin watched incredulously as the Ferrari slowed on the back straight, as it ran out of fuel. Gavin raced across the finish line nearly six seconds ahead of the runner-up Ferrari of Dominick Farnbacher, who also passed Vilander's hapless Ferrari.

"It's an amazing result!" exclaimed a triumphant Gavin. "Everyone on the team and back at the shop kept on believing in us, the drivers, the crew, the engineers. I'm so happy for everyone involved."

According to Pratt and Miller's Program Manager, Mike Atkins, the filters K&N makes for Corvette Racing are critical to the design of our intake system, and they are the best air filter for maximizing horsepower and filtration (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo).

"When the fuel alarm came on, I asked the engineers, "Are you sure we have enough fuel in?" Doug Louth, the engineering director, said, 'Don't worry, we have enough.' We had to cut it close, and we'd been there before. Yes, we were all a little nervous, but you have to have faith in your crew," noted Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan.

After nine hours and ten minutes, running only on fumes, Corvette Racing crossed the finish line nearly six seconds ahead of the runner-up Ferrari.

"The racing was as close as it could be," said team manager Gary Pratt. "It felt like that all race long, gaining or losing a tenth of a second at a time. We'd stop, somebody else would be on a different strategy, and we'd go from first to fifth. Through it all, nobody on the team ever gave up."

"Those who don't race say we got lucky - those who race say we just did a great job. When you race for nine and a half hours, and you're separated by 10 seconds, winning that race is not luck," added Voegelin. "Winning a race requires preparation, planning, and execution. The team that does that best and makes the fewest mistakes is going to be the team that emerges victorious, and we were the GT team that did those three things the best at Petit Le Mans.

Although there are two cars, two crews, and two set of drivers, there is only one Corvette Racing team. Everything that they do, from chassis and tire development, to aerodynamics, is done in a unified fashion. Even though the cars compete against each other on the track, the ultimate goal of course is to bring a Corvette home in first place. "When that happens, the entire team is victorious," adds Fehan.

"The season was a series of highs and lows," says Voegelin. "At every event we had Corvettes that were capable of winning, so naturally there was some frustration when one thing after another resulted in the cars not showing they were as strong as they actually were."

With their win at the Petit Le Mans Corvette Racing returned to the ALMS winner's circle for the first time since its inaugural GT2 win at Mosport International Raceway in August 2009. Mosport International Raceway is Canada's largest motorsports complex.

"I think one of the highs of the season was the absolute battle at Le Mans and how well we acquitted ourselves there, followed by the biggest low of the season, when we had engine problems. Obviously the most emotional moment of the season was the victory at Petit Le Mans.

The 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans marked the 50th anniversary of Corvette's first participation in the world's most celebrated sports car race. For the first two-thirds of this year's race it was all about Corvette Racing, with their two cars swapping the lead, until mechanical problems heartbreakingly ended their chances.

With seven previous victories in the GTS/GT1 division, Corvette Racing has now won eight times in the American endurance racing classic that's based on the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The victory earned an automatic invitation to Le Mans in 2011 for the Chevrolet team.

"I think everyone on the race team, along with everyone at Chevy Racing and GM Powertrain, is focused on Le Mans. Everything we are doing is with that race in mind, as it always has been. We are highly motivated to provide our fans with a better result in 2011.

"The filters K&N makes for Corvette Racing are critical to the design of our intake system," said Mike Atkins, Pratt and Miller Program Manager. "K&N makes the best air filter for horsepower and filtration."

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.

The Scrublade VAMP was Featured at the 2010 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada

22 Nov 2010

Scrublade VAMP with Ramp Down

The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, is all about innovation and creativity when it comes to designing vehicles that will shock and awe the crowd. Functionality is one of the key characteristic that Bill Westbrook brings to the table with his unique Scrublade VAMP.

Scrublade 2001 Dodge Van B350

The term VAMP is compiled from the fact that it is a van with a ramp joined together as a single unit. Westbrook claims the idea came about when, "a couple friends from Japan used the 2001 Dodge Van B350 while visiting, and when they returned home, they gave it to us." Westbrook wasn't sure what to do with the van at first. "We didn't need a van," he said, "but since we all ride bikes we decided to convert the van into the VAMP."

This special utility vehicle was intended for (FMX) free style motocross stunts. "But," Westbrook mentions, "it can be used for anything you want to ride off of it." Many extreme athletes such as Mike Metzger, Jimmie Mcguire, Julian Dusseau, Ryan Leyba and Dan Norris have jumped this VAMP, even before it was completely finished.

2001 Dodge Van B350 aka Scrublade VAMP

"The initial fabrication of the ramp took about 4 weeks," Westbrook explains, "then there was the finishing details such as putting everything back in the van, seats, floors, dash, sealing the ramp to the van, rubber coating, body work, paint, suspension, wheels, replacing the interior lighting, tail lights, and more." Not bad for a custom build of this nature. You have to consider the back half of the van was completely chopped off and is still visually appealing. It also breathes with a K&N air filter, part E-1100, and is protected by a K&N oil filter, part HP-2004.

Westbrook has big plans for the Scrublade VAMP such as hitting the slopes to allow snow boarders to huck tricks off of this winter. The next addition will be to add hydraulics that will allow the ramp to open and close with the push of a button. Make sure you keep an eye out for this machine as it may roll into a town near you with a group of athletes willing to do the biggest aerial tricks.

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.

Divine1Customs Featured 1956 Chevy Bel Air and 1967 Lincoln Continental at the 2010 SEMA Show

19 Nov 2010

1956 Chevy Bel Air

Show cars were lined up everywhere taking up every inch of the Las Vegas Convention Center for SEMA. Many vendors roamed around the massive set up looking for new business partners and checking out all the new products the automotive world has to offer.

1967 Lincoln Continental

Among the attractions you could find the new Camaros, Mustangs, and Challengers. That is why the more classic custom builds like the 1956 Chevy Bel Air and the 1967 Lincoln Continental built by Divine One Customs seemed to attract a different crowd.

The original classics seem to still be prominent in the midst of all the new old-body-style muscle cars with overhead cams. But how much longer will the 50's and 60's classics make their way to car shows around the world? Let's just say that Divine One Customs will continue building classic customs for quite a long time. "We have a few things up our sleeves… a 1963 Impala, 1953 Chevy pickup, and a 1966 Chevy pickup."

Divine One Customs' 1967 Lincoln Continental

The 1956 Chevy boasts the works; including a corvette engine that breathes courtesy of a K&N air filter and a sweet, sweet two tone paint job with a flat Dragon Fire red and gloss black paint job. This set up would not be something your grandfather would have ever thought his old Chevy could be.

Divine One Customs' 1956 Chevy Bel Air

Switching gears to the 1967 Continental is quite a trip with it's haughty stance and a Kandy Brandywine paint job. If you take a look under the carriage you would notice the boat of a car is protected by a one and only K&N oil filter. "We love K&N here at Divine One Customs. K&N is far superior to any other performance filters on the market." Protection and performance are two characteristics any car enthusiast should focus on no matter how many miles a vehicle may have.

If you are ever in Henderson Nevada right outside Las Vegas you may see these two amazing machines cruising around. And if you are curious as to what Divine One Customs can do for you stop on by 1967 Whitney Mesa Drive where you can order all of your K&N products.

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.