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Parr says that his K&N flame arrestors help to suck more air into his carbs, resulting in greater power output. Photo by Kelle'Ann Carion-Parr
The International Jet Sports Boating Association (IJSBA) is the worldwide sanctioning body for personal watercraft competitive racing. A big jet skiing fan favorite is Pro Freestyle, the tricks are breathtakingly huge and appear to defy the laws of physics. It might be easy to maintain that this isn't rocket science though, were it not for Jeremy Parr, the current IJSBA Pro Freestyle point leader.
Jeremy Parr, Mechanical Engineer at NASA, enjoys taking particular liberties with flight dynamics on his jet ski. Photo by Kelle'Ann Carion-Parr
"It's hard to pinpoint any one thing from NASA that has helped me, but as I look back, I can see how it has had a definite impact on jet skiing and my life in general," reflects Parr.
Parr works as a Mechanical Engineer in the Prototype Development Branch at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and he says working there has opened his eyes to the worlds of possibilities for new designs and problem solving techniques.
"I can assure that I don't accept problems at face value any longer, I do my best to get down to the root cause of the issue and fix it, where as I see a lot of guys 'throw' money and parts at problems.
Parr is the current IJSBA National Tour Freestyle points leader with two rounds remaining. Photo by Kelle'Ann Carion-Parr
And every now and then I see something on my ski that could be changed or re-routed for better performance, so those little secrets add up in the long run to make a significant impact."
"Funny story regarding your flight dynamics question, a few years ago I was considering adding golf ball dimples to the bottom of my ski to reduce friction with the water. Long story short, after getting some super smart folks to think about it with me, we decided it would most likely have a hefty negative effect on performance. It seems that golf balls and jet skis have nothing in common," remarks Parr with a wink.
The 2010 season has been tremendous up to this point for Parr, he is leading the IJSBA National Tour with only two round remaining.
It's an awesome feeling, and a dream that I have been chasing for years," admits Parr.
He originally began his freestyle calling in Texas back in 1998, and he says he was fortunate enough to get a summer job that year doing a jet ski freestyle show at The Beach Waterpark in Mason, Ohio. The point of the matter is that he was immediately talented enough to be asked to perform at the show.
"Needless to say I was hooked," adds Parr. "The following years led to more water ski and jet ski shows and hundreds of competitions. I never imagined a weekend hobby could turn into something so exciting."
In 2004 Parr won the APBA National Title in Can-Am Freestyle. He has been competing in the Pro Class ever since.
"I did end up with a pretty bad injury in 2005, that set me back a bit, but overall I have been slowly moving up the ladder, and the 2010 season is the dream I have been chasing."
Parr runs a pair of K&N 59-2042R flame arrestors on his full-spectrum carburetors.
"I have been using this setup for about five years now and couldn't be happier. A two-stroke motor is just a big air pump, and the more air and fuel you can get in, it equates to more power out the back side. K&N racing flame arrestors suck, which is exactly what they should do, suck massive amounts of air," explains the rocket scientist.
Regarding what lays ahead, Parr says smiling, "I wish I knew. My career in jet skiing to this point has been a thrill ride, I have no idea where the future will lead. Only the Lord knows my direction, my job is to follow his lead."
Winning the Ironman 55 is an honor says Jason Meyers, he is proud to now be include on the list of winners.
I-55 Raceway in Pevely is a high-banked third-mile clay oval, banked 19 degrees in the corners and 10 degrees on straight-aways - it's a bullring. A lot can happen in 55 laps of racing there. Surviving and making it to the checkered first requires a saint's patience and a paramount ability to roll with the punches, to bob and weave, to move from defense to offense in the same thought. Jason Meyers and his Elite Racing team proved that they were up to the task, winning the Ironman 55 by just .092 of a second, after one of the longest races on the World of Outlaws schedule.
Meyers and his Elite Racing team won the longest race on the World of Outlaws schedule by a mere .092 of a second.
"To win any race here, let alone a 55-lap race is pretty special," remarked the Brownsburg, Indiana driver. Meyers earned his first career victory at I-55 Raceway back in 2008.
"We had a great race tonight and learned some things last night that we were able to use tonight. We just keep getting better," added Meyers.
On Friday night during the prelude to the Ironman at I-55 Raceway Meyers ran strong, but fell just a few positions short. After recording quick time in qualifying, Meyers would have to settle for a sixth place finish.
"We have been in a little bit of a lull this last month," stated Meyers. "I keep saying that with hard work we will overcome it and get back to Victory Lane. My guys are working really hard right now. Fortunately we got some good information that helped us out."
"Winning the Ironman 55 is certainly a milestone victory, it's an honor to be on the list of winners. It is amazing how you can race for 55 laps and be that close at the end, but that's short track racing and that is what makes it so exciting."
Being on the road with the World of Outlaws and racing 80 times a year takes its toll. It's grueling schedule, with racing reaching coast-to-coast, and even north of the border. You have to be iron tough, yet flexible enough to bounce back from adversity when it strikes. Meyers proved he has the chops, overcoming a blown engine in qualifying only four days before the big race.
A bad race for me is a lesson, and as the adage goes 'a lesson learned is a lesson gained,'" reflected Meyers.
"I read once that every great athlete has a profound ability to learn from their mistakes and then forget about it and move on, and that is what I try to do. I hate losing, but I always try to make something good out of it. Sometimes it is very hard, but if I can find a positive anywhere, I take it and use it to get better."
In the World of Outlaws racing the month of August is referred to as the "Month of Money". The K&N supported driver and his Elite Racing team are headed to the Knoxville Nationals next for their very real chance of cashing in on yet another big check.
"I feel great going into the Nationals this year," commented Meyers. "It is a tough race and things need to go your way. The big thing to remember is it is just another race."
Swedish Speedway motorcycle star Linus Sundstrom is continuing to turn heads amongst the sports' biggest names in Europe this year. Sundstrom was recently named a first track reserve at the International Motorcycle Federation (FIM) meet at the Scandinavian GP on August 14th.
It's been a long year for Sundstrom, but good results continue to pour in.
In being named a reserve, Sundstrom has taken one more step towards his ultimate goal of riding in the world's top speedway series. "That will be a great experience for me and the team to get to watch the top teams in the sport up close," said the 2008 Swedish Rider of the Year.
Sundstrom got some more good news recently. His team has qualified for the Swedish U21 Finals, to be held at his home track of Rye House. Sundstrom also competes for the Rye House team. This season, the young rider has taken on multiple roles, racing in Sweden, Poland and England. It's been a long year, but good results continue to pour in.
This season, Linus Sundstrom has taken on multiple roles, racing in Sweden, Poland and England.
"I'm very happy with the way I have been riding. The UK has especially been very good in both the Premier and Elite leagues. The Swedish and Polish leagues are still very hard, but we are still scoring some good points and still making good progress with regards to my career development."
Sundstrom's newest team, Start Gniezno in Poland, also recently qualified for the playoffs with the help of their new rider. The team finished fourth in the regular season standings, and Sundstrom is looking forward to the experience he will gain in the playoffs.
The K&N sponsored rider still has several appearances left on the season, and by years end, will have ridden in more than 100 events. "With so much traveling and then the riding its so important to have a good team around you. They really help take some of the pressure off."
Sundstrom says his K&N Filters are holding up wonderfully during the grueling races. Speedway bikes can accelerate to 60mph quicker than a Formula 1 car, so keeping everything clean is important. "My engine tuners are always happy when they see the work K&N Filters does for our motors. Keeping dirt out of the engine keeps everything running clean and smooth, and that eliminates the need to constantly spend money on rebuilds and service."
Peter Alexander and driver Darren Burke secured the 2010 Historic Formula Ford Championship with three races yet to go.
Peter Alexander and his K&N Filters Macon MR8, driven by Darren Burke, have won the 2010 Historic Formula Ford Championship with three rounds remaining. The PA Motorsports' team has won all 11 races so far this season.
At Castle Combe, even the return of former Champion Nelson Rowe couldn't stop the dominant run by Burke and the K&N Filters Macon MR8.
The teams' near supernatural track supremacy has been bewildering their competition all year, igniting petty suspicious and rumors spanning from the ridiculous to the absurd. Alexander has been nothing but forthright throughout. When officials, reacting to the peaking hysteria, asked to seal the Macon's' differential after the win at Snetterton, Alexander obliged, adding "Well, while you're sealing the diff can you seal the engine too?" Becoming perhaps the first team owner to ask for his own engine to be sealed.
The simple truth is that PA Motorsports' success comes about through a fundamental combination of talent and car preparation, plus shared communication and mutual respect between owner and driver.
"We trust each other totally, he lets me put the set-up on the car I think is right, and I let him get on and drive it," remarks Alexander.
"Without wanting to sound big headed, we were pretty confident of doing well. At the start we did in fact joke about trying to win all the races, as we knew we had a good package, but to actually do it is something else."
At the Castle Combe race in Wiltshire, England where they clinched the title, former Champion Nelson Rowe returned to try and stop the dominant run by Burke and his Macon. Rowe used his local circuit knowledge to good effect, securing the pole position, whilst Burke was trying to quickly get familiar with a circuit he hadn't raced on before.
Burke still qualified second, just one-tenth of a second shy of the pole, so when it came time to race, the real battle ensued. The lead changed ten times in seven laps, with both cars glued together and running at lap record pace, all the while pulling away from the rest of the pack by two seconds a lap.
"The Castle Combe race was a good test for us, as a former Champion came back to try and beat us at his home circuit, so it was nice to win that one," commented Alexander.
Regardless of what was thrown at Burke or the PA Motorsports team, they couldn't be stopped. Given the earlier scrutinizing the team endured, how did their competitors deal with the championship sweep to this point?
"Some of the paddock gossip stopped after we had the engine and gearbox stripped," said Alexander.
"We went straight to Mallory Park after rebuilding the engine and won both races, even with Darren having never raced there before. We also set a new lap record. That night by 8 p.m. there were rumors on the internet that we were using tire softener. However, since then the only sound has been head scratching."
With three races to go is the team still looking for a perfect season?
"Yes, that would be the ultimate. We are entered for the next round at Oulton Park. After that we are struggling for budget, but somehow we need to go for the clean sweep don't we?"
"People would always remember the season that one driver won every race, and as we've got this far, it would be a shame to stop now – we already have the Championship. We need to try to win the lot. Besides, there are still a couple of lap records to be had."
"To be honest, we are still very much focused on this season. The more races we win the more pressure there seems to be. It's probably self induced pressure, but I'm spending more and more time on the car to make sure something silly doesn't let us down. I would be mortified if we lost a race because something broke!"
"As for what's ahead, we need to figure out what happens in 2011. We don't have any firm plans yet, it really depends on what sort of budget we can raise as to what we do."
Although the track at Petaluma was unusually rough and tacky, Forsberg was able to find his groove up high early in the race.
Andy Forsberg and Brian Cannon Motorsports', Autism Awareness, Coors Light, number 47car headed to Petaluma Speedway in Northern California for a 360 Civil War Race.
Forsberg felt the heat from Becker mid-way through the race, but he managed to break free and cruised comfortably to victory after two late-race caution flags.
The Civil War series consists of Northern California tracks that run 360 Sprint cars once or twice a month. On that particular race night the other tracks must go dark, so all the 360s from the various other tracks are not racing against each other on the same night. That way you insure that the best drivers from all the different venues are present. The Civil War races are contested at Chico, Placerville, Petaluma, Calistoga, Quincy, and Watsonville, California.
Forsberg finished second in his heat at Petaluma, giving him a starting position along the outside front row for the A-Main event. Forsberg wasted no time taking the lead on the rough and tacky Petaluma track. Mid race, in heavy lapped traffic, Sean Becker began applying some serious pressure on Forsberg. However, after a couple of late-race cautions broke up the race momentum, Forsberg once again found smooth sailing the rest of the way to the finish.
With this his second Civil War win of the year, Forsberg holds onto the points lead and becomes only the first two-time winner in the series.
This was Forsberg second Civil War victory of the year, making him the first, and only two-time winner in the series at this point. He holds onto the point lead by twelve.
"Hopefully we can be the first three-time winner as well, we keep trying to finish up front with Civil War races, but when we have had a chance to win before, we just have seemed to run into some bad luck, and we really need to be taking advantage of those nights," confesses Forsberg.
"Winning the Civil War Championship is very important to us, Sean Becker has won it two years in a row now, and we really don't want him to get a third. Being consistent is what we need, along with a little luck, and a few more wins would really help."
The evening before Petaluma, Forsberg and the team raced in Chico, California in a 410 points race. Things started off well enough, with him earning a fourth in the heat. But the track caught everyone by surprise, as the normally hooked up surface was slicking off at a rapid pace. Forsberg spun a couple of times in the main and wasn't the least bit pleased with his sixth place finish. Looking on the positive though, it was the first time he had even finished a race in Chico since back in May.
"We have kind of struggled in Chico since 2007, that's when they took the dish shape out of the turns," said Forsberg.
"I used to really excel at running the top groove, but when they flattened out the turns, in my opinion, it made the track more one groove and harder to pass. We did win another Championship there in 2008, but were definitely not the force we might have been in the early 2000's."
Forsberg has been with K&N since 2003, during that period he has won 46 races, two California 360 Civil War Championships and two Silver Dollar Speedway 410 Championships.
