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The Best in the Desert Henderson Fabtech Classic Race in Nevada marked the end of the BITD 2009 season. The Lasher Motorsports Team finished the BITD on a high note. Drivers Mike Lasher and Rick Wallace took their Kawasaki Teryx to a fourth place finish in the Henderson Fabtech Classic. That position gave them a second place finish overall in the points standings for the year.
Kawasaki Teryx piloted by Lasher Motorsports finished BITD Season in Second Place Overall
Cold weather and blinding dust were part of the BITD 60 mile course filled with boulders, sand and silt
“Our original plan was to take it slow and easy in the Henderson Fabtech Classic,” said Lasher. “As long as the Kawasaki could finish, our team would sustain at minimum, a third spot in the season long points battle. However, we managed better than third.” Lasher and Wallace battled cold weather at the start of the race. The thermometer only read 22 degrees but thousands of spectators lined the course to watch the action.
ITP wheels and tires, K&N air filters and Lockmann Precision built Muzzy's motor on Kawasaki Teryx built by Side X Side Outfitterz finished 7 grueling desert races in 2009
The six race 2010 Best in the Desert Season kicks off January 8-10 in Parker, Arizona
“Blinding dust and the cold made for a slow first lap,” said Lasher. “We wanted to make sure we didn’t damage the Teryx.” The team ran rest of the race without a hitch and completed two 60 mile laps in less than four hours.
“The course was filled with boulders, silt and sand,” he said. “The terrain proved to be no match for the ITP wheels and tires as they pushed through the desert with easy from the power of the Lockmann Precision built Muzzy’s motor. The performance gain from our K&N products, part numbers 55-1000 and
KN-204, helped us get to the top of our class and stay ahead of the competition.”
The team ran a complete BITD season of seven races in the grueling deserts of Arizona and Nevada during 2009. Lasher Motorsports also competed in the Vegas to Reno race, the Silver State 300 and the Parker 250.
“The Kawasaki Teryx built by Side X Side Outfitterz saw over 1800 race miles during the season and finished every race,” said Lasher. “I’ve been a long time user of K&N and have nothing but great things to say. K&N air filters help keep the cost of racing down because they are washable and reusable.”
The six race 2010 Best in the Desert season kicks off in January 2010 in Parker, Arizona.
The Cummings Motorsports Team had another successful season in 2009. Brothers Britt and Slate Cummings along with family patriarch Larry Cummings, Jody Simoneaux and team partner Allen Constantine posted wins along the IHRA and NHRA sportsman racing tours.
Moser Engineering backed Cummings Motorsports Team racked up wins in IHRA and NHRA Sportsman Class events
Late Model Camaro is one of many competition vehicles for former IHRA World Champions Britt and Slate Cummings
In IHRA competition, the Moser backed team scored a pair of division titles. Britt Cummings earned the Division 4 Top Dragster crown and Jody Simoneaux took the top sport in Division 4 Stock Eliminator. The team also scored a trio of IHRA national event victories. Slate Cummings earned a double victory at the Mardi Gras Nationals and Larry Cummings took his first national event triumph at the Northern Nationals.
Family patriarch Larry Cummings drove the team Cavalier to his first National Event Title in Super Stock at IHRA Northern Nationals
The Cummings Team will compete in the IHRA Tournament of Champions and JEGS All Stars in 2010
The Cummings Team also earned six spots in four categories at the IHRA Tournament of Champions event in 2010. Both Larry and Slate Cummings will compete in Super Stock, while Slate Cummings and Simoneaux earned bids in Stock Eliminator. Britt Cummings earned a seed in the Top Dragster runoff and Constantine will compete for the title in Quick Rod.
In NHRA competition, both Slate Cummings and Simoneaux earned the right to compete in the JEGS All-Stars competition in June 2010.
“We can’t look back and say this was a bad season,” said Britt Cummings. “We all had our moments. We are moving forward next year and hope to take our program to the next level. We’re a world championship caliber team, we’ve proven that in the past and anything short of that really does not meet our expectations.”
Britt Cummings is also looking forward to a full race schedule next year. He spent much of his time over the past few seasons at home with his wife who fought cancer. "The latest prognosis is good," he said. "Our family life has resumed some degree of normalcy. We race as a family and when you've got a serious illness in the family it takes its toll on everyone. It's behind us now and the future looks bright at home and on the track. We're looking forward to getting back out in force and getting back to that championship level of competition."
The Cummings Team will add a Phantom Chassis hot rod in Top Dragster competition to its stable of vehicles in 2010. “We use K&N products on all our vehicles,” said Cummings. “With K&N we’re faster and very consistent on the track. Our K&N air and oil filters help us get to the Winner’s Circle.”
The Folk Family has retired its Folk Race Cars for the winter. The Durand, Illinois team consists of Ron Folk along with his sons Brian and Nick. Together the family has finished another excellent race season with a pair of division championships, four national event wins and number of big dollar bracket titles in 2009 alone.
$10,000 opening event win for Brian Folk in the 5-Day Bracket Championships at Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida
Family patriarch Ron “The General” Folk was successful in limited action this
season behind the wheel. He drove his dragster to a Quick Rod victory at an IHRA National event in Grand Bend, Ontario and earned a berth in the IHRA Tournament of Champions. It will be held in May of 2010.
The General’s sons will also join their father in the IHRA premier event next spring. Their strong finishes in IHRA’s Division 5 Thunder Region earned each of them a spot. As the defending Stock World Champion, Nick Folk once again dominated the Stock category in 2009. His four Pro-Am Tour victories along with 497 points earned Folk the division crown.
Brian Folk joined his brother as a division champion and took the Super Rod crown in the family Camaro Roadster. Both brothers also qualified for the Tournament of Champions in a second class, Brian in Top Dragster and Nick in Super Stock.
Brian Folk ended his 2009 season at the 5 Day Bracket Championships at Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida. Folk won the opening $10,000 event, and appeared in a $5,000 to win 1/8th mile final round before finishing the week in third position overall in the points championship.
The Folk Family Racing Team uses K&N on all of its vehicles. “Our K&N air and oil filters are the best on the market,” said Brian Folk. “The dirt stays out of our engines and the filtration is great. We get
our competitive edge with K&N.”
Premiere Motorsports Group will be in full force at this year's Challenge Cup, taking place in Lake Elsinore, California, at the Lucas Oil Motorsports Complex. The event originally scheduled for December 11th and 12th was rescheduled to December 18th and 19th due to inclement weather. There are no championships on the line this time around, just large cash prizes and a title that crowns the best of the performing drivers. The Challenge Cup is a unique event, pairing up several divisions against a comparable counterpart - Unlimited-4 versus Unlimited-2.
Carey Hart's no. 46 Truck
"Unlimited-Lite versus Unlimited Buggy, it is finally time for all the buggy dorks to back up the years of smack talk. Open wheel buggies putting it all on the line to beat out the 4-cylinder Lite Trucks. The only thing I have to say about this is, keep it rubber side down and the speed up," says a spokesperson for the team.
The Premiere Motorsports Group was presented multiple awards this year including, Super Team of the Year, Driver of the Year - Chris Brandt, Mechanic of the Year - Blake Wilkey, second in points in limited Buggy - John Fitzgerald (number 314), and second in points Superlite - Chad Leising (number 17). This is a team with a shipload of pride and smack talk to backup.
"We are really proud of our team drivers this year. Everybody showed an impressive display and enthusiasm for what they are doing on and off the track. You can feel the energy during every race day. Chris Brandt, Chad Leising, and John Fitzgerald are the corner stones that round off the team. Each of these guys really pumps their crews up, fueling the momentum to keep this operation rolling. Believe it not, these three drivers alone supplied all of the 45 Podium finishes Premiere Motorsports Group achieved this season. We look forward to continuing the terrific relationship with K&N and bringing them many more first place finishes and podium victories," says Scot Demmer, PMG team manager.
Freestyle motocross pioneer Carey Hart is a new comer to off-road truck racing. This year has been a learning process for the Rockstar Hart and Huntington leader. He is sure to be a serious contender in the near future with his skills. Hart competes in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Unlimited 2 class for the Premiere Motorsports Group.
Entire Premiere Motorsports Group team
Scot Demmer on Podium
Chad Leising - SuperLite Number 17
"I have been using K&N products on my vehicles for years. The quality of K&N products far exceeds the others on the market and due to that simple fact; I use their products on not only my race truck, but my daily drivers as well. It is added insurance that not only gets us to the finish line, but also wins races and ensures maximum protection against all the destructive elements out on the racetrack. I highly value our teams relationship with K&N and strongly believe in their products, bottom line."
"After two years of running our SuperLite program, we feel as if it is time to take the next step. In the near future, we plan on participating in one of the three upper class divisions (Pro-Lite, Pro-2, Pro-4). This is all made possible with the great support of race partners like K&N."
John Fitzgerald - Limited Buggy Number 314
"I use K&N air filters on my buggy to ensure no dirt gets in my motor and a K&N oil filter to keep my Lucas oil clean and pure.
"Next year we are trying to put together a Pro-Lite program for me, in which we would use K&N products to ensure we get plenty of filtered air to the motor and keep the oil clean. 4-Cylinder Toyota Engines need to breathe lots of air to make good power."
Chris Brandt - Unlimited-Lite Number 82 (Pro-Lite)
"I use K&N air filters and oil filters. I am very pleased with the relationship we have going and appreciate the support I get for our team. My future plans are to dominate the Unlimited-Lite class and move up to an Unlimited 2 or 4 class. We have already done a bit of testing in the Unlimited-4 (Pro-4) with great results."
Colin number 27T of Team Tenacious at starting line
Te-na-cious - tending to stick firmly to any decision, plan, or opinion without changing or doubting it.
Nigel number 81T of Team Tenacious
That's an altogether appropriate description for the Heggarty family, or Team Tenacious from, London, Ontario, Canada. Currently the team consists of Nigel (number 81T), Colin (number 27T) and Mike, "dad, the mechanic, manager and mentor."
"We had a tough first year in the AMA Pro Singles competition. We found it to be even more seriously competitive racing than first anticipated, but we learned a lot, made new friends and had great fun. In spite of bad luck that seemed to happen at the worst times, we proved to ourselves we are in the hunt. With a little more fine-tuning, we can definitely do this and win," says tenacious leader Mike.
"This past season was by far our most intense yet, it was totally up and down. This was our first year as pros in the United States and our first time ever seeing any of the tracks. It was a ton of work but a lot of fun in return. The level of competition this year was insane," adds Nigel.
Nigel and Colin battle it out on the track
In 2009 both Nigel and Colin were top contenders in the CMA National Series in Canada as well. In his first year as an Expert, Colin ended up 4th overall with 450 Expert and Open points, in spite of missed races and competing against Canada's best and current AMA GNC riders.
In some cases he was racing his lone 450 DTX Kawasaki against big motors such as Rotax's and even 750 twin Harley's. They did not have the luxury of backup, or class specific bikes last season and it cost them.
The team's Pro Singles bikes are KX450 Kawasaki motocross bikes converted for dirt track. The motors have been thoroughly gone though in an effort to extract the maximum horsepower and torque. The suspension has been recalibrated for each rider and is specifically set up for dirt track competition.
"I'm hoping to address these issues for next season with our new Kawasaki 650 twin and perhaps even a spare 450," says Mike.
Despite this being the team's first season in the new Pro Singles class, Nigel and Colin were the only two Kawasaki's to consistently make main events.
"The most important thing when you're at the nationals down south is the qualifying. In order to do well in the main, you have got to qualify well, or you are just doing it the hard way all night and coming from the back of the pack and working your way through, which we seemed to do a lot of this year," explains Colin.
"We consider 2009 to be a learning year. We raced Mile, 1/2 Mile, Short Track and TT events with the same two bikes. We spent a great deal of money and effort just keeping the bikes together and competitive. In their first season at this level though the boys demonstrated they can ride with the best riders in North America. Our green-machines and their riding ability got noticed," says a justifiably proud dad.
"In his debut at Indy, where we finally met Johnny Jump from K&N and talked briefly, Colin placed tenth in the Mile in front of a full house. He ran as high as seventh, before his inexperience with drafting pushed him back. His was the only Kawasaki to make the Main event. Nigel would have been in it as well had it not been for a main bearing failure discovered that morning."
In this their learning year, they discovered very quickly that even qualifying, at this level can be difficult, as there are usually 50 to 60 top teams and riders attempting to do the same. Both Colin and Nigel consistently proved they were up for it nevertheless. Colin was third fastest at Daytona and Nigel was fourth fastest at Hagerstown.
"As it turns out our K&N equipped bikes were the fastest Kawasaki qualifiers and have had the best Kawasaki finishes in all the races we entered. Our K&N supported bikes were the only Kawasaki's in he Pro Single Main events most of the time. We ended up being the highest ranked Kawasaki's in AMA GNC Pro Singles competition - in spite of all the missed races."
"We use K&N oil filters and air filters in our GMC Duromax crew cab pickup, our E350 Ford Diesel van, as well as in all our race bikes. We also use K&N grease and foam oil. We like the K&N products for their protection, performance and durability. We are very happy to be part of the K&N "team" and endorse their products at every opportunity. We look for every edge in our race program and K&N gives us just that," adds Mike.
The team's focus next season will be AMA Pro Singles competition and making it on the podium consistently by qualifying in better position.
"If we can start the Main Events in the front row - I know we can be a threat."
In addition to AMA Pro Singles competition the team will also campaign their new Kawasaki Twin in select AMA National Hot Shoe Pro Twin events.
"We got a new Kawasaki Verseys last year and have been busy building it up for dirt track competition. It's a very cool bike and should get its share of attention, as it is the first one in Canada. And of course it is K&N equipped," adds Mike.
"We are also nearing completion on our new KX450 Kawasaki road race project. My roots are with road racing so I am really looking forward to seeing the boys try it out. They got their road race licenses a couple of years ago, but our focus so far has been winning dirt track races, so that has taken a back seat. This bike will be ready for 2010 as well. We hope to run some road races in both Canada and the United States, when the dirt track schedule permits," concludes Mike.
Tenacity blended with mad-skills, a simple yet powerful recipe for racing success. The safe bet indeed is on the Heggarty boys.
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