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A California girl is on her way home from the European Motorcycle Union Supermoto Championship Series. Michele DiSalvo finished 12th overall in her first year of competition in the Prestige Class.
California girl raced through Europe with this RMZ 450 Suzuki
“I’m happy with the result, but I want more in 2010,” said DiSalvo. “We ended the season in Salou, Spain where I ran in 12th position for most of the first race.” During the next Round 7 event DiSalvo was in 14th place until her motor began to cut out with only a few turns left. “There were two riders just behind me and I had to let them by,” she said. “I finished 16th.”
Manteca, California's Michelle DiSalvo is planning on returning to Europe for the 2010 UEM Supermoto Championship Series
The weather was good in Spain, in direct contrast to the round in Ottobiano, Italy. “Racing in Italy is always interesting,” said DiSalvo. “The track was hard to find and the weather was cold. After six laps I could not feel my hands and it made it harder to learn the track when I could not feel the controls.”
DiSalvo drove her 450 Suzuki with K&N air filter, part number
YA-2506XD and K&N oil filter, part number
KN-207 to
a 11th place finish in Italy.
Her season will start again in May, 2010 in the UK at the Santa Pod Raceway in Podington, Northamptonshire.
Pole Position Raceway in Las Vegas, Nevada hosted the fastest motorcycle hillclimbers in the nation during the 2009 N.A.H.A. Pro Hillclimb awards banquet.
Robie Peterson, Corey Erhardt, Harold Waddel, Travis Whitlock, from left to right, were honored during the N.A.H.A. Pro Hillclimb awards banquet in Las Vegas, Nevada
The top four champions were Robie Peterson for the first Verticross Championship win, Corey Erhardt for the 450cc Pro Class, Harold Waddell claimed the 700cc title and Travis Whitlock won Open crown.
“I’m really excited to win the first-ever Verticross championship,” said Peterson. “The side-by-side, drag race style hillclimbing is a lot of fun for me as a racer, and the fans love it. It’s a great spectator sport.”
Before the banquet, the four champions competed in the final round of the Malcolm Smith Motorsports and Racer X sponsored
Endurocross Series .
Earlier in 2009, Peterson was the only competitor to reach a 900 foot summit at the
Hillclimb World Trophy Event in Arette, France. He rode his Malcolm Smith Motorsports KTM 950 with K&N X-Stream top universal air filter, part number
RX-4020-1 and K&N oil filter, item number
KN-158.
Ray Cook and the D&R Motorsports Team enjoyed a stellar 2009 racing season, with 12 different trips into victory lane. Cook, also known as the Tarheel Tiger, wrapped up the year at the historic Cleveland Speedway in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Ray Cook in Victory Lane with a $4,000 Payday for winning the Grand Adcox Memorial at the historic Cleveland Speedway in Tennessee, photo by Action Shots and Graphics
The Southern Regional Racing Series (SRRS) sanctioned its annual race named
the Grant Adcox Memorial. The event paid $4,000 to the winner. Cook started off the race by qualifying first at the southern Tennessee venue.
Late Model Dirt Series driver was fastest racer on the track in southern Tennessee venue
Tarheel Tiger Ray Cook hopes to repeat his 2009 Ice Bowl victory in 2010, photo by Thomas Hendrickson Photos
Cook took first position on lap nine where he stayed until the end of the race for the win. “I can’t believe how good of a season we had in 2009,” said Cook. “I am so thankful to the entire D&R Motorsports team and our great sponsors including K&N. Our K&N filters protect our engines in this type of dirt racing. We get great filtration and additional horsepower for our engines with K&N.”
Cook amassed 27 top five finishes and 37 top ten efforts in 71 races this year. He also achieved a sixth place finish in the Lucas Oil Late Model Series.
Some of his 2009 accomplishments include:
$41,000 ‘Hillbilly 100’ Victory at the Tyler County (West Virginia) Speedway
$10,000 ‘Dixie Shootout’ Victory at the Dixie (Georgia) Speedway
$10,000 Lucas Oil Series Victory at the Fayetteville (North Carolina) Motor Speedway
$10,000 Lucas Oil Series Victory at the Utica Rome (New York) Speedway
$10,000 Lucas Oil Series Victory at the Bluegrass (Kentucky) Speedway
$7,500 ‘Bama Bash’ Victory at the Green Valley (Alabama) Speedway
$6,000 ‘Ice Bowl’ Victory at the Talladega (Alabama) Short Track
$5,000 Unsanctioned Victory at the Boyd’s (Georgia) Speedway
$4,000 SRRS Series Victory at the Cleveland (Tennessee) Speedway
$3,000 SRRS Series Victory at the Green Valley (Alabama) Speedway
$2,000 Unsanctioned Victory at the Talladega (Alabama) Short Track
$2,000 Crate Late Model Victory at the Columbus (Mississippi) Speedway
Finished Fifth in $20,000 ‘Scorcher 100’ at the Volunteer (Tennessee) Speedway
Finished Fifth in $15,000 ‘Fall Classic’ at the Whynot (MS) Motorsports Park
Finished Sixth in $40,000 ‘Show-Me 100’ at the West Plains (Missouri) Motor Speedway
Finished Tenth in $50,000 ‘Dirt Track World Championship’ at the Lawrenceburg (Indiana) Speedway
Cook is looking forward to the 2010 Ice Bowl at the Talledega Short Track, where he hopes to repeat his 2009 victory.
2000 SEMA Award Winning 300hp PT Woodie Indian Cruiser
Dale JR. Chevy Colorado Extreme
Bob Fehan has been designing and building specialty vehicles for more than 35 years. His passion began when he was only a child. Fehan would draw pictures of, what he saw as, the future of the automotive industry. This cutting-edge perspective has carried him to the present as a well-recognized designer of custom automobiles.
2010 Ford Transit Connect aka the "Travel Inn Van"
600hp Hummer H2 for Joe Gibbs Performance
Bob Fehan's many accomplishments have given him a strong reputation for meeting and exceeding client satisfaction.
Fehan custom built vehicles awarded to top music producers at the 2004 MTV Music Awards. Some of his other modifications include his "PT Cruiser Woodie Indian Cruiser", "Dale Jr. Colorado Extreme", "1969 Parnelli Jones Replica", a modified Hummer H2 and a 500 horsepower Chrysler PT/10 pickup.
The 2009 SEMA Show featured the Bob Fehan "Travel Inn Van." This 2010 Ford Transit Connect is a mini motor home that is complete with a kitchen Solaire grill, Edgestar fridge and beer taper, Thatford portapotty, Bedslide slider system, Kicker sound, Azente computer, Greant Products body kit and race steering wheel, GAC interior, BBS wheels, Bridgestone tires, Concept and Visualogic DVD screens, Acsco badges, Imagequest Graphica and Borla Exhaust..
Bob Fehan has been going to SEMA for 28 years and continues to impress automotive enthusiasts with his creativity and style. K&N spoke with Fehan about his dedication to using K&N products for his builds. "I have been using K&N filters for 19 years," he said. "They are proven products that perform great. I even have K&N on my personal vehicles."
Many of the major automotive magazines have recognized the numerous accomplishments of Fehan. His passion for specialty vehicles and aftermarket parts continues to grow as he implements new technology and puts his intuitive concepts in the hands of the consumer.
Freakishly gi-normous trucks with 66-inch tires and 1500 horsepower exploding into the air with all the intensity of a Saturn-V rocket, capable, and very willing, to munch on lesser vehicles much like mini-wheat - welcome to Monster Jam. What's not to like? There's something, no everything, so comfortably unsubtle about it - and fans can't get enough of it.
Grave Digger
We recently spoke with Henry Cross from Poplar Branch, North Carolina. Cross is the Race Team Director for Feld Motor Sports - the prompters of Monster Jam.
Tell us about the Monster Jam series - when and how did it really get started?
"It all started when a guy named Bob Chandler decided to soup-up his 4X4 some 30 years ago. He put some of the biggest tires he could find and stuffed a blown mountain motor under the hood as a power plant. Heck, once it was built the only thing to do with such a large toy is go see if you can drive over some cars. Well, that's exactly what happened, in 1982, in front of 72,000 people, he rolled up and over a row of cars, and monster trucken was born."
"The series 'Monster Jam' is to Monster Trucks, what NASCAR is to cup cars. It is a series that tours around the country and puts some of the biggest names in Monster Trucks in front of millions of awesome race fans. Our fans are the greatest fans in the world. They know the drivers, trucks, and sometimes the crew by name. They are very loyal to their favorite truck like Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, Monster Mutt, or El Toro Loco. They have different reasons for liking a particular truck, could be the driver, color of the truck, or a favorite character. But whatever the reason, they are the best."
Pastrana 199
Talk a little more about some of the heavy hitters you just mentioned, like Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, and Pastrana 199, how's he doing?
"Well, Grave Digger and Maximum are the two hottest trucks on the circuit. When they meet in an arena or stadium, you know there is going to be some fireworks. Neither Dennis nor Tom wants to be outdone by the other. They will do whatever it takes to win racing or freestyle. They both would break their trucks in half if that's what it took to outperform the other."
"It's really awesome to watch these guys in action. There's intensity in the air and you just know you're in for a real spectacle. This is one of those things you have to see in person, TV doesn't do it justice. These two guys battle it out from week to week like it is the last time they will ever be in a truck. I guess we will see what happens in Minneapolis?"
"The 199 truck - yeah, Travis Pastrona has jumped into the monster truck scene. His crew chief for years, Cam McQueen, is driving his truck, and he's doing an outstanding job. I was worried to death after watching all those videos of Travis and his friends doing really crazy stuff. I didn't know what to expect from Cam, but I've got to tell you, this guy is the real deal. He's smooth, has good throttle rhythm, and he ain't scared to get the job done. He doesn't just go all crazy; he's more methodical when he's driving. Puts on a hell of a show!"
The filter that K&N provides for the trucks was specifically designed for your application and we've heard claims that it is saving thousands of dollars in rebuild costs - talk a bit about that if you would?
"When K&N and the Monster Jam fleet got together, K&N worked very closely with our engine builder Richard Midgette. Together they came up with a custom design that's works like a champ for our application. We went through a little R&D at first, but the engineers at K&N came up with a filter that moves roughly the same amount of air, as not having a filter on at all, plus it's as tuff as nails."
"Talk about a lifesaver though, these filters get the tar beat out of them. Have you watched our shows? We put those filters through a lot and they hang in there through bumps, jumps and wicked doughnuts. If those filters were to fail, we would lose tons of money. With all the dirt that gets thrown around and tossed in the air, we need a good filter that not only is tough, but keeps the harsh elements out of our 1500hp motors."
"Talk about a cost savings too, not only do they hold up under the abuse, but all we have to do is wash 'em off, put another coat of the oil on, and they are ready for the next show."
Are there any future plans for Monster Jam that you would care to share with us?
"I think the fans are in for a real treat in 2010. We are changing our format a little in some of the smaller arenas. It's going to be a freestyle mania event. We are going to rock the house from the time the fans sit down, until it's time to leave. I cannot wait myself."
"I really like to thank K&N for their support and help, and to our other sponsors for helping us out so much. Just remember, you can buy your K&N air filter at any Advance Auto Parts."
