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NASCAR K&N Pro Series Driver Greg Pursley Sits Down to Chat with K&N

15 Jul 2010

NASCAR Pro Series West driver Greg Pursley

NASCAR Pro Series West driver Greg Pursley was essentially born with an accelerator pedal under his right foot. He has been around racing his whole life, doing everything from working on racecars and motorcycles to being in the driver's seat, tearing up the track.

Greg Pursley says it take a great amount of commitment to do it right.

He started racing motorcycles, and then switched to automotive racing in his twenties. Greg made his debut in the K&N sponsored NASCAR Pro Series West in 1999, and has been steadily improving since. His current team started together about two years ago when Greg began talking with long-time friend and Gene Price, owner of Gene Price Motorsports in Parker Arizona, who owns the team. While there have been some crew changes along the way, the team's mentality has been unified - championship.

K&N recently had the opportunity to sit down with Greg Pursley and gain some insight into who Greg is, what his passions are, and how his team feels about their performance in the 2010 season.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series has been a very exciting season to date.

What got you started in racing?
I've been around racing my entire life. My dad was involved in drag racing, so we were always at the track. I would help him work on the cars. I started riding motocross, then made the transition to street bikes and eventually ended up racing cars.

Is racing a family event? Do your children race?
My kids, Tyler and Taylor, ride dirtbikes. All of our family is involved at our shop in Parker, Arizona. The kids are always around, my wife, Heidi, does marketing for the shop, and I'm always there working on the cars, testing them, etc.

What made you switch from motorcycle racing to automotive racing?
I had a big wreck on a street bike during a race when I was twenty-four. I went down doing about 170 mph at Willow Springs and ended up in a wheelchair for about a month. My dad said that was it, and put me in a racecar because it was safer.

What are your career goals? How does the Pro Series fit into the grand scheme of things?
Well at 46, I don't think I'm going to be progressing into other NASCAR series. Our team definitely wants a championship here. After that, we'd like to set up this team for younger drivers to help bring them up in NASCAR and provide a solid team for them to race. I also want to keep developing our parts business out of our shop for cars and boats too.

What life challenges have you faced being a professional racer?
Definitely the time commitment to do it right. You get out what you put in, and it's a big commitment to do things right.

What have been your best and worst moments in racing?
The best moment was definitely winning the National Championship in the Super Late Model in Irwindale in 2004. I think the worst has just been the bad luck you experience sometimes. Luck is about 50% of racing. Sometimes the wrong stuff just happens at the wrong time.

Is there any meaning behind your number 26?
We won the national championship racing number 13. When we made the transition to the Pro Series West we wanted number 13, but another team had it. We tried to get 13 but we couldn't, so we decided to double it. Maybe 26 would be twice as lucky as 13?

How do you prepare for a race? Any superstitions or routines? How do you stay in "race shape"?
I don't buy into any of those superstitions. I just make sure to hydrate my body for days before a race. We have a gym in our shop and I make sure to exercise to keep in shape and eat healthy. Our family is always doing something active at the river too.

How has the 2010 race season compared to last year? How do you feel about your team's performance this year?
Luck just doesn't seem to be on our side this season. We've been in the top 5 a few times only to have something go wrong, whether that be a crash or the car breaking down on us. It's just "one of those years." We were 3rd in points last year and were hoping to match and do better than that this year, but no such luck.

What challenges have your team faced this year? What have you learned?
We have a new crew chief this year, Jerry Pitts, and we've really been working on communication. He's been doing a great job learning the ropes, and we're always working on making sure he and everyone knows what I need in the car.

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
Hopefully we will turn around our luck at Irwindale, my home track. We're actually going to be running chassis number 13 that weekend, so maybe that will give us some luck.

What is your favorite track?
Irwindale is definitely my favorite because it's my home track. Phoenix is a close second since it's so close to our shop in Parker, AZ.

What are your thoughts about K&N being a series sponsor for the next 7 years?
I think it's great. K&N came around at just the right time and really saved the series. It will be a great partnership for recognition if NASCAR and K&N.

How have K&N filters improved the performance of your racecar? Do you use K&N products on your family's vehicles?
We have a K&N air and oil filter on our racecar and they're great. They really help the engine breathe well and keep the oil clean and flowing well. I have a K&N 57 series performance intake kit on my Ford F250 diesel, K&N filters on all our motorcycles, and my son's Ford Ranger. They're great products.

What is a normal day like for you off the track?
I'm usually at the shop from 7:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. We're getting our parts shop up and running, and we're always working on the racecar, dialing in the setup for the next race.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love relaxing with my family at the river. We take the boat out and the kids love the watersports. I don't water ski much anymore but I used to a lot when I was younger.

What advice do you have for young racers seeking to enter NASCAR or just racing in general?
If you really want it, you have to commit heart and soul. Start early with someone who's been racing for a while as a mentor-apprentice relationship. That will really help. Overall though, the important thing to remember is that you get out what you put in - simple as that. You get out what you put in.

With one top 5 finish, 3 top 10 finishes, and a pole position at his home track at Irwindale in the 2010 season, lady luck hasn't completely abandoned Greg Pursley and the Gene Price Motorsports team. Greg and his team are currently sitting in 10th place by points, less than 200 points separating 10th and 1st, and with only half of the season behind them there are plenty of races left for the Gene Price Motorsports team to climb the ranks to the championship they so tenaciously want. The NASCAR Pro Series West sponsored by K&N has been a very exciting season to date and the second half is looking to be just as entertaining as the first. NASCAR fans everywhere won't want to miss the exciting finish to the 2010 season!

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.

Josh Hodges Motorsports Takes 360 Sprint Car Victory at Aztec Speedway

14 Jul 2010

The plan for Hodges Motorsports is to shake out all the wrinkles and peak in time for the big races towards the end of the season.

This is by no means a scientific study, but there appears to be a common denominator between successful young racers and straight-A students. It most likely has to do with focus and discipline and good stuff like that. Case-in-point, 15 year old Josh Hodges from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hodges is certain he was born a race fan, but he wasn’t born a straight-A student - that he earns through hard work. Hodges plans on continuing his education after high school and combining that with a career in racing.

Josh Hodges earned his first 360 Sprint Car win of the year on a tough and tricky Aztec Speedway in Aztec, New Mexico.

Hodges started competing early, racing Quarter Midgets with the Roadrunner Quarter Midget Association in Albuquerque. Finding early success there he quickly graduated into 600 Micro sprints, and in 2008 he stepped up to Sprint Cars, running mostly with the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS). This year Hodges has already raced 22 times, with 11 top-ten finishes, seven top-five, and he now has his first win, coming on a very slick and aggressive Aztec Speedway.

"The win at Aztec Speedway was definitely pretty cool, especially since I finished second the night before - it made it even sweeter to improve on that the next night," remarked Hodges.

"It has also been a confidence boost for me. It means a lot to get a win with those caliber of guys in the ASCS Southwest region. So far our season has been good, we have been hitting the top-five quite a bit in the regional events, and we are improving every night we race. The few races with the ASCS National Tour have been tough but we are gaining on those too.

Based on his relatively short, yet flourishing race career to this point, there is every reason to believe that Hodges will only continue to thrive. He then ran the ASCS Southwest Series in 2009 and was awarded third in Southwest points along with Southwest Rookie of the Year. He also became the youngest ASCS main event winner at 14 years, 4 months and 23 days of age, and won the National Winged 360 Rookie of the Year, voted on by the North American 360 Sprint Car Poll voting panel of media members, promoters, sanctioning officials and manufacturers.

The kid has made skills and he credits much of his passion for the sport to his dad Jack, along with the support of his entire family-crew - Linda his mom, and brother Jeremy.

"We have been lucky enough to have several great sponsors who help us like K&N, as well as Napa Auto Parts, Benic Enterprises, Wilwood Brakes, FK Rod Ends, and many others, explains Hodges.

"K&N has been great with their help and support. Their products are excellent, from the way they hold up, to the way they perform. Racing on dirt really puts them to the test, and we have had no problems whatsoever. We use their air filters, vent filters, filter wraps, filter oils and cleaners, sealing grease, and oil filters."

Hodges Motorsports intends on continuing to race hard every weekend and they plan on running as many ASCS National events as possible. Hodges comments "Near the end of the year is when all the big races are happening, and we hope to keep improving, so we can be competitive when they come around."

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 Sponsored LTD SuperSport Racing Team Looking Good Halfway Through the 2010 Season

14 Jul 2010

Huntley Nash takes 1st place at Road America.

The 2010 season has been a good season so far for LTD racing's SuperSport team. Riders Thomas Puerta and Huntley Nash on their LTD Yamaha R6s are doing very well as the halfway mark for the season has just passed.

Thomas Puerta and Huntley Nash celebrate with a big burnout!

Thomas Puerta is tied for 2nd place and Huntley Nash is sitting in 4th, just one point behind Puerta and another rider, Cameron Beaubier. This coupled with a 3rd and 1st place finish respectively last month for Puerta and Nash at Road America means that the LTD team is a strong force to be reckoned with as the swooping hills of Mid-Ohio and treacherous chicane of Laguna Seca must be precisely navigated before the end of the month.

K&N recently had the opportunity to interview Jason Parker of LTD Racing and get a first hand testimony of how their season is going to date and how the team feels about their performance.

Huntley Nash after the checkered flag

Has your team experienced any challenges with bike setup? What's working well and what isn't?

"In 2009 we fought with many challenges with bike setup. To start with, the Yamaha R6 was a new bike to us and the riders. Every track we went to, we had to start from scratch with chassis setup and the riders were taking huge bites off of their lap times each session. Just when we thought we were dialed in, the riders would often drop another second or two riding at their race pace, and their bikes just were not set up for that. Subsequently, we had many crashes. All in all, that season was a success and we had several podium finishes."

Nash and Puerta leading the pack, leaning way over into the corner.

How does this year compare to last year?

"2010 has been a much different and more successful season. With the riders becoming more familiar with the Yamaha R6 and the tracks it just got easier. A key component was the addition of Gary Medley to the crew, along with some other hard working technicians. Gary, a veteran of pro racing, brought with him the knowledge of what it takes to be a championship team and combined with all the data we had acquired over 2009, brought us to the top. Now we are the team to beat."

Huntley Nash celebrates with a big smoky burnout!

What have you learned in terms of personal growth and technical growth?

"As far as personal growth, when we formed the team in 2009 I only had experience as a racer and a technician. We had very few sponsors and our budget limited us on team members; therefore I took on several duties: manager, crew chief, technician, etc. It was very overwhelming but at the end of the season I was very rounded.

Nash and Puerta coming out of a corner ahead of the pack.

On the technical side, we now put a lot of focus on the electronics technology that is available to us. With that we are able to fine tune each bike to its rider and in turn get better results."

How do you feel about the team's performance this year?

"The team's performance this year has been nothing short of outstanding. We began the season with a podium sweep at Daytona, so we set really high expectations for the team and the rest of the season. We have had some challenging rounds but all together I am proud of the riders, the crew, and everyone who has supported LTD."

What challenges are you expecting in the next race?

"The only challenge I foresee is getting all my riders on the podium at once. We did it at Daytona but we would love to do it again. Right now everything is working very well. The riders and crew have bonded into one fine tuned mechanism and everyone wants to win."

Things seem to be coming together over at LTD Racing, both technically and personally, as this young team finds their stride in just their second season. It will definitely be an exciting race at Mid-Ohio, "the most competitive track in the U.S," and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca never fails to entertain when AMA SuperSport comes through. LTD Racing is poised to be a strong contender for the podium in both races with Huntley Nash and Thomas Puerta riding to near perfection. Motorcycle racing fans won't want to miss the exciting finale to the 2010 AMA SuperSport season.

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.

2010 K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes Winner Stephanie Dunn Ready for the Open Road

14 Jul 2010

Stephanie Dunn wins 2010 Harley-Davidson Street Bob Motorcycle

Each season, K&N Engineering crowns a NHRA Pro Stock driver for their tremendous efforts over the last twelve months in the K&N Horsepower Challenge, all while awarding them with the single biggest payday in all of NHRA Pro Stock and a cool $50,000. The professional drivers aren't the only ones who get to participate in the excitement. K&N also offers the fans a chance to win big as well.

Stephanie Dunn and NHRA Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson accept Greg's winning check

For 2010, K&N announced that the K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes would continue and this year not only would eight lucky finalists be swept off to Norwalk, Ohio for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, but the one lucky fan who had been paired with the Challenge winning Pro Stock driver would be driving their very own 2010 Harley-Davidson Street Bob Motorcycle.

The eight lucky finalists arrived for the event and were paired at random with a Pro Stock driver as follows: Frank A. Santos (Q1 - Mike Edwards), Alan Rickert (Fan Pick Q8 - Warren Johnson), James L. Hasch (Q5 - Jeg Coughlin), Charles R. Burgoon (Q6 - Ron Krisher), Joe Soucek (Q7 - Roger Brogdon), Geoffrey B. Dana (Q3 - Allen Johnson), Robert A. Foos (Q4 - Jason Line) and the only lady in the competition Stephanie J. Dunn (Q2 - Greg Anderson).

Stephanie wasn't the one who first found out about the K&N HPC Sweepstakes. "Actually it was my husband, Curt," she admitted. "He saw the contest in a magazine he was reading and said 'oh you have to enter this contest right now', so I ran down and got on the computer and entered."

While Stephanie's husband Curt drag raced many years ago, she herself had never seen a drag race let alone ever attended an event. That was all about to change for the Northeast Ohio resident, when a FedEx envelope arrived announcing that she had been selected as one of the eight finalists.

"I couldn't believe it," she said of receiving the notice from K&N. "I was like what, are you serious? I told my mom and step-dad and they didn't seem to believe it and said well you're definitely not going to win the Harley."

"The whole experience was just awesome," she continued. "The folks from K&N treated us all like royalty the entire weekend. It was so exciting. I may not have ever seen a drag race before, but I am certainly a fan now."

Once the finalists had been paired with their driver, Dunn noted that Frank Santos who had been paired with Mike Edwards, was feeling quite good about his chances of winning the Harley.

"Whenever we were waiting for the cars to run in the shootout, Frank would tell me he wasn't a bit worried since Edwards has been running pretty good, I think we've got this one in the bag," she laughed.

Dunn was paired with number two seed and previous K&N Challenge winner, Greg Anderson and he reflects on meeting the eight finalists, including Dunn and Santos. "Before we started first round of the challenge, we all met the lucky people who had the chance to win the Harley. I met my girl Stephanie there, and she's all excited. Then I meet this guy who is representing Mike Edwards and this guy is just smiling ear-to-ear," he pauses. "I mean he knows he's got her in the bag. That he's going to be the one that will be driving that Harley home at the end of the day."

"I already wanted to apologize to my girl," Anderson laughed. "I mean she got me, she drew the short straw."

As luck would have it, it came down to number one Edwards and number two Anderson for all the glory and cash in the final round of the K&N Horsepower Challenge, with their respective paired finalists, Santos and Dunn.

Unlike the previous rounds of the competition, for the final round, the finalists were not at the starting line, but taken to the top end of the track where they could watch the race and greet there driver as soon as the rounded the corner, hopefully to congratulate them and begin the victory celebration.

"I was pretty nervous," Dunn said of her state of mind before the final. "Frank was cool as a cucumber. We waited what seemed like forever for our race to come up and we were going to watch on the monitor that ESPN set up for us. There were so many cars before our race and I don't know, I must have missed ours because I looked at one of the other guys down there with us, I don't know, it could have even been my husband, it was all so much and they said he won."

It took a moment for it to sink in that Anderson had won the Challenge over Edwards which meant she had won the 2010 Harley-Davidson Street Bob Motorcycle in the K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes.

"I said 'what, my guy? He won?' I just stood there for a second and then it was all over," she giggled. "I started jumping up and down and then Greg came around and he was jumping up and down."

"Greg was really sweet," she continued. "He said that he had been having a rough go lately and that I must have been his good luck charm."

"The entire experience was unbelievable. The people at K&N are just wonderful people. We had so much fun and met some really nice people, including the others in the contest," she added.

Dunn may not have previously been a fan of drag racing, but she and her family have been long time fans of K&N and all of their filter products.

"My husband, Curt has been using K&N products for years from when he was in auto repair to even now that he works in aviation," she noted. "We know that K&N air filters not only increase fuel mileage and horsepower, but they are also environmentally friendly since you can reuse them for a very long time."

Dunn doesn't currently have a motorcycle endorsement on her driver's license, but she assured that will change very soon.

"My parents all ride. My dad and my step-dad both have Harleys and I will absolutely learn to ride it and get my license," she said.

With the 2010 K&N Horsepower Challenge and Sweepstakes in the books, the excitement has already started to build for the 2011 edition. Keep watching www.knfilters.com for weekly qualifying updates and how your favorites NHRA Pro Stock driver is doing and all the latest news on how you can enter for a chance to take part in the next K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes.

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.

Bill Balog and B-Squared Motorsports Win Sprint Car Event at Wilmot Raceway

14 Jul 2010

The commanding win at Wilmot Raceway was team B-Squared's first of the season, as they work towards securing their third consecutive IRA Championship. Photo by: McKay's Digital Images.

"It feels awesome to finally get our first win of the year. We have been very close on many occasions and we finally put it all together. Hopefully this is the first of many for the year," exclaims Chippawa Falls, Wisconsin racer Bill Balog.

This was the second of five trips to Wilmot Raceway for the B-Squared Motorsports team, and with track conditions less than favorable, Balog still managed to turn the fifth quickest time of the night, despite being the 25th car on the track. He finished his heat in third place.

In the 30-lap feature the number 17B car took the initial green flag from the sixth place starting position. After the top two cars got involved in an incident on lap one, Balog restarted the race from outside of row one this time. On the ensuing restart, Balog battled with the pole sitter for the first lap, but then quickly opened up a sizable lead on the field. By the time the next yellow flag came out on lap 15, Balog had opened up a half track lead on second place. With each ensuing restart, he quickly increased his already sizable lead, and he would easily go on to collect his eighth career IRA feature win, and the first of his 2010 season.

B-Squared Motorsports combines the efforts of driver Bill Balog and crew members Ryan Buesser and Jeff Bonilla, to form a Sprint Car racing team that is truly a force to be reckoned with. The award winning team is based out of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

B-Squared Motorsports has experienced a good deal of success merging careful engineering with an undeniable understanding of racing. A few of B-Squared Motorsports' accolades include, driver Bill Balog being named Bumper-to-Bumper IRA Rookie of the Year, GFRA Rookie of the Year and Champion, and back-to-back IRA Champion 2008-2009. The team competes with the Bumper-to-Bumper IRA Sprint cars fulltime, and with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series at select races. Balog says he is grateful for his continued support from his sponsors such as K&N.

"Our relationship with K&N has been great. We have always gotten everything we wanted plus more. They do a fantastic job with supporting the short tack racers," says Balog.

"We currently use the Sprint Car air boxes, oil filters, filter oil and filter cleaner. We feel these items are the best on the market today."

For the remainder of year the team says they hope to pick up a few more wins before the season draws to a close. States Balog, "We are working on securing our third consecutive IRA Championship with the help of our K&N product."

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.

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