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The American Dream. It's what our country was built on. And for one Australian, the American Dream came through in 2010. Lynton Jeffrey, an Australian sprint car driver and parts manufacturer, completed a dream season by capturing two championships in the last month. Jeffrey and his Vortex Racing Products team captured both the Husets Speedway Championship and the Heartland Racing Association Championship to conclude the best season of his career. Jeffrey also finished 6th in the Knoxville Championship Cup at one of the most prestigious tracks in the world.
Lynton Jeffrey captured 10 total podiums including 3 victories this season.
"Honestly, I never really thought I would win one (championship)," said the 36-year-old. "At the outset of the season, we set our goal for top five's and maybe a top three."
Jeffrey blew the doors off of those goals, capturing 10 total podiums, including 3 victories this season. He finished in the top 5 in half of the races his team entered, and failed to finish just twice all year. Then, Jeffrey gained national attention when his privateer team qualified for the 24 car A Main at the Knoxville Nationals, the Indy 500 of sprint car racing. Jeffrey said it defined his racing career.
Vortex Racing Products Team Crew Chief Glen Saville
"The Nationals was a career moment for myself and Glen (Saville, team crew chief). The Outlaws (World of Outlaws) have budgets in the millions. We don't have ten percent of that. It was my first A Main at the Nationals, and to do it in the 50th running of the event made it even more special. It was truly a 'David' versus 'Goliath' moment, and we succeeded. It was a time we will never forget."
Jeffrey hopes his teams success in 2010 will lead to more funding from companies other than his own. Vortex is a leading supplier of wings for sprint cars throughout the world. With engines that were down on power, Jeffrey struggled to qualify well during his weekly races this season. Knoxville's high speeds and the demand for greater horsepower took a toll on Jeffrey's team, and they were disappointed with their points finish at the track.
"We've decided to make some pretty expensive upgrades to the motors for next season. We think it will give us the advantage needed to compete consistently at tracks like Knoxvile. Hopefully some of our supporters from this season will come on as partners for next season, and we can take this team to the next level."
The one consistent thing about Vortex Racing's season was the lack of engine failures. The team never experienced engine problems, and Jeffrey was quick to credit the support given by K&N Filters for that.
"We love K&N's product. The clean oil and lack of wear on the engines really helps a team working on the budget we do. We probably owe K&N more than we know once you look back at our season. Two championships and an A Main at the Knoxville Nationals could never have been achieved without their help. Thank you to everyone at K&N and Vortex for supporting us this season."
Denmyer locked up the championship by winning both the heat and feature race in the last race of the season at Hunterstown.
"This is my seventh championship, and it still feels like the first - AWSOME!" remarked Joppa, Maryland, racer Kyle Denmyer. It has been two years since I have been on the top, and what a wonderful feeling."
Kyle Denmyer's favorite racetrack has long been Hunterstown Speedway in Hunterstown, Pennsylvania, and now he holds the tracks 340 Briggs and Stratton Championship.
Two years must seem like forever when you're a nine year race veteran at the measly age of fourteen. This was Denmyer's first full year running in the adult classes, which consisted of 47 events. And, by all measures, it was a very successful inaugural year, as he is the 2010 Hunterstown Speedway Briggs and Stratton 340 Champion. Denmyer also successfully competed in the Burris Tire Series, running with many of the most talented racers from the East Coast.
"Since I've moved up to non-restricted classes it has been tough," said Denmyer. "I had a lot of help to get where I am though. First thanks to K&N filters, they help to keep my Dart Power engine clean and running at its peak performance. Second, to my engine builder Mike Daugherty, and of course all our other sponsors.
At only 14-years-old, Denmyer already has the steely determination and focus to continue winning championships for a long time to come.
And third , I'd like to thank Missy Ford for her help with the chassis, both on and off the track. I'm gonna cherish this for a few months, because a championship is hard to come by with all the great competition in these classes."
In total for 2010 Kyle accumulated 16 feature wins, six second place finishes, six third place finishes, three fourth place finishes, three fifth place finishes, and 10 top-ten finishes .
"I raced in two points divisions this year, the first one being Hunterstown Speedway (every Saturday night from March-October), and the second was The Burris Money Series (a five race series)," explains Denmyer.
"At the last points race at Hunterstown Speedway I went out with a bang! I won both the heat and the feature, and that's how I won the championship. In the Burris Money Series I finished seventh in both heat and the feature in the last points race. And considering I was racing against the best on the East Coast, finishing ninth overall in points out of 42 racers is not too bad."
"After racing a total of 47 races this year I need a little break," said Denmyer. "I am going to take a short break for the holidays, then I am planning to race a few indoor races. But I never stop thinking about racing, I will be on my simulator and in the garage getting ready for next season."
Even away from the track Denmyer continually works on sharpening his driving skills by pitting himself against Vaughn Gittin "JR" on his driving simulator. Referred to simply as JR, Gittin's hometown also happens to be Joppa, Maryland. When he's not doing that he's out tooling around on his four-wheeler, or checking out what the freestyle motocross team, Metal Mulisha Crew is up to.
Denmyer, already a well versed sponsorship veteran adds, "We would like to thank all those who made this possible - our sponsors, our friends, our family, and of course our fans. Thank you for a great year, and we look forward to 2011."
With only two NHRA Nationals events remaining in the 2010 season, Tennessee based Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson has been doing all he can to earn every precious point, many of those as of late coming during qualifying.
Allen Johnson and his Mopar Dodge Avenger
Johnson came into the latest NHRA National event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway fifth in the Full Throttle Series championship standings.
While the 2010 championship may be very close to top-of-mind for any team who still had a mathematical shot at grabbing it, all Pro Stock teams continued to vie for points during qualifying for in the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge and Johnson slowly continuing to claw his way to the top of the heap.
Drivers earn points for the K&N Challenge based on final event qualifying position, with a max of one-hundred seventy-five points awarded to the pole sitter along will a $3,000 bonus from K&N Engineering.
Johnson and his Mopar Dodge Avenger have become quite familiar with the accolades of late, after back-to-back low qualifiers over the last two NHRA events in Dallas and Reading, respectfully.
After the first Pro Stock qualifying session on Friday during the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Johnson found himself and his 6.671 E.T sitting in third on the sheet, just a mere thousandth behind Rodger Brogdon’s at number two 6.670 and well within reach of Mike Edwards’ 6.667 pole.
When Johnson lined his Hemi power up for the second session on Friday evening, he soared back to his familiar number one spot, posting a 6.660 to bump Edwards from the top spot.
"The first run, we didn't make a very good run at all, so we knew we had a little bit left in the car," said Johnson after the second session on Friday. "The left lane is the lane of preference here for Pro Stock, and we had it there that session. The sun went down about halfway through that session, and it helped us out a lot. We made a very, very good run. The guys got the Hemi power, and now they're just putting it down. I'm telling you this is a strong engine."
For the first session on Saturday, teams would find very similar weather and track conditions to what they had to work with the previous day, including mid-ninety degree track temps.
Johnson continued show he and tuner Mark Ingersoll were “on kill” and were going to “be aggressive” each and every round as they posted an even quicker 6.651 at 207.82 MPH, easily hanging on to the number one spot.
And Johnson wasn’t done yet.
After what one may consider a tremendous amount of downtime due to numerous oil downs in the earlier Saturday session for the nitro ranks, which pushed the events final qualifying session well into the darkness, Johnson was actually looking forward to what the track conditions would bring he and his team.
"We knew that this run was going to be the best one after over four hours of down time," said Johnson. "The sun goes down, and the track gets awesome here. We knew we had to get after it to keep [the pole], and that's what we did, we stepped it up."
Other Pro Stock teams did their best to take advantage of the conditions, with several bettering their E.T.”s and qualifying positions, including V. Gaines who matched Johnson’s previous E.T. effort, but not good enough in the MPH department to steal away the pole position.
With a now mid-seventy degree track temp and the final Pro Stock pair on the track for the day, Johnson’s Mopar Dodge Avenger sailed down the quarter mile posting a 6.646 at 207.75 MPH and put a stronghold on the number one spot. This would be his seventh pole of the season and the fourteenth of his career.
Johnson was able to rack up some nice bonus points during qualifying, after being number one in three of the four qualifying sessions, but after an early exit on Sunday, Full Throttle Championship hopes will have to be put off for another season.
It’s a little different story in the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge where Johnson continues to be a terror. Should he be able to keep up his string of low qualifiers, he could easily be holding down the top spot when the eight elite Pro Stock teams some together to do battle for the $50,000 winner purse next year in Norwalk, Ohio.
Team owner Bill Gallagher credits Michael's skilled driving, along with the team's overall synergy and dedication, and sponsors like K&N, for winning this year's championship.
"To be the first driver to win five Championships in a row was pretty cool, but to now be the first and only driver to win seven Championships is a very big accomplishment," commented a jubilant Curt Michael.
Driver Curt Michael did precisely what was needed to win the championship Cayuga County Fair Speedway in Weedsport, New York.
The Bill Gallagher owned sprinter driven by Michaels did exactly what they needed to do at Cayuga County Fair Speedway in Weedsport, New York. Michael started the race in fourth place and finished fourth in the feature, thereby collecting the necessary points to earn the championship.
In winning the 2010 Rislone URC Sprint Series Michael set a new United Racing Company (URC) record, becoming the first driver in the company's 63-year history to win seven championships. Michael shared the previous record of six championships with legendary 360 sprint car driver Earl Halaquist, a member of the Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
Curt Michael joined the number 5G team back in 2008, securing the team's first championship during that season.
"I really respect the drivers that paved the way for us, and to surpass a Hall of Fame driver in Earl Halaquist is just amazing," remarked Michael. "I have to thank team owner Bill Gallagher, my brother Sean (crew chief and mechanic) and all of my past owners, mechanics and crews that helped me over the years."
Michael joined the number 5G team back in 2008, securing the team's first championship during that season. Back then Todd Rittenhouse, owner of Todd's Performance, was still the crew chief. He was crew chief in fact until 2009 before passing the baton to Curt's brother Sean.
"As the owner of Todd's Performance I still extend the sponsorship from K&N to Curt and Bill, as well as my son Todd Jr. from the same program," said Rittenhouse, who has been slipping into his retirement incrementally. "I still do all the write ups and have the show car available during the summer months if needed when everybody is racing."
This year the team's record included two wins, 16 top-fives, and 20 top-tens, during the 22 URC race season.
"I am happy, ecstatic, and proud that the 5G won the URC points Championship this year," remarked team owner Gallagher. "Curt, Sean, and the crew did a fantastic job. Curt is, by far, the best driver I have had in my 20 years as an owner. He not only races a great offensive race, but also a good defensive race, keeping out of trouble and not having any crashes, which makes for a happy owner. A true team player and leader."
Gallagher says the team's remarkable year is due not only to the driving talent of Michael, but also team members' synergy and dedication, and, of course, the sponsors.
"We could not have accomplished this without the great support and products from the people at K&N," adds Rittenhouse.
Many of the ACT races are every bit as competitive as the Milk Bowl, with up to 50 cars battling for 30 starting positions.
"It's called the Milk Bowl because I believe it was originally sponsored by a Dairy Company," noted seven-time American-Canadian Tour champion Jean Paul Cyr. "The victory lane celebration included drinking their milk, and kissing a cow. That tradition still lives on."
The Annual Milk Bowl run at Thunder Road International Speedbowl has been labeled the toughest short track race in America.
The K&N sponsored Milton, Vermont, resident won the final segment of the 48th Annual Milk Bowl run at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vermont. Winning the last segment of the "toughest short track race in America," credited Cyr with a 17th place finish in the overall three-segment race.
"At least we won the last segment," said Cyr. "I think we're getting really close with the car now, we have a good baseline set up. It's too bad we had a flat in the second segment because I thought we were positioned okay after the first (segment)."
Cyr's number 32 car is “Army Strong” and his patriotic fans are as well.
The field of cars was reversed for segment two. Mid-race Cyr encountered a flat tire that saw him retire into the pit area for the remainder of the second segment.
The new Cyr Motorsports team is confident that they are on the right track to finding a winning combination for the 2011 season.
"I think we had a good enough car where we could've gotten to the front in the second segment, seeing what happened in the third segment," he said. "All the same, I just as soon win the money in the third segment.
Cyr's win earned the team $50 for each lap he led plus a $500 bonus for leading at the halfway mark.
"What makes the Milk Bowl interesting and fun for fans, is that you qualify by time trials, and then by 50-lap heat races, making it very competitive to qualify," explains Cyr. "The Milk Bowl consists of three 50-lap segments. The field is inverted after the first and second race. For example, the winner of segment one, starts last in segment two. The short amount of time between segments makes it difficult to make adjustments. And, there is one short race (other models), between each Milk Bowl segment."
2010 has been a "building" year for Cyr Motorsports and they will be first to admit that they have experienced more than their fair share of disappointments over the course of a long season.
"After coming off of a Thunder Road Track Championship, this year was challenging and disappointing," remarked Cyr candidly.
"I started off the year driving for a great family. Unfortunately lack of funding made it hard to compete at the level needed to truly be competitive. So, half-way through the seasons, and after four years of driving for other teams, I made the decision to start my own team again."
The exceptionally competitive American-Canadian Tour (ACT) consists of approximately 10-14 races held on tracks throughout New England, New York, and Quebec. The Tour is unique in that the tracks have been adapted to ACT rules, and drivers are often racing against "local favorites," at their own tracks. Many tour races are every bit as difficult to quality for as the Milk Bowl, with 35-50 cars typically be vying for 30 starting positions.
"Overall, I'd have to say we had moderately successful year," said Cyr. "We are putting all the key pieces together and looking forward to a good next year. We purchased a new car from McColl Racing Enterprises out of Ontario, and our new crew chief is Brian Latuche, who was instrumental in Brad Leighton's K&N Series Championships."
"I've always enjoyed using K&N products, even before the sponsorship. Then, I had the opportunity to meet Bob Harris, at the PRI Show. K&N's reputation is unequalled, and I jumped at the chance to have a relationship with K&N. I use K&N air filters, oil filters, engine breathers, and vents."
"I'm really happy with the team and what they did, this year," Cyr added. "We had a well thought out plan and stuck to it."
