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Andy Forsberg Enjoys A Busy Weekend of Racing at Placerville Speedway

11 Nov 2013

Andy Forsberg recently earned the title of 360 champion in the Wing-Sprint Class

Andy Forsberg and his team had already cinched the championship when he rolled into Placerville Speedway. One would suspect that his standing in the points race lent to a sense of relief. However, it was the final 360 (class) event of the season, and the competitive nature that drove him to earning the championship, lent to a desire to chalk up one more victory.

"It's always nice, not having to worry about points," ensured Forsberg. "Final point nights are usually about positions, and where the other racer is compared to you. Qualifying, heats and the main event is aways stressful. You have to be worried about finishing good, making the inversion and starting the main," he continued. "Usually, if aware I'm not going to get a win, I just focus on a good finish. This night, we just got out there and raced with no worries."

Referring to his mindset, going into the race, the driver said, "I don't think I‘m one of those drivers who changes much of anything. I always go out on the track to set quick time, finish in the top four in my heat to transfer directly into the main. Then I race for the win. And like I said," he reiterated, "If I can't get the win, I race to get the best possible finish."

After qualifying second quickest, Forsberg managed to finish fourth in his heat, earning an eighth place start in the main event. He was definitely in a position where he could work his way to the front of the pack by the race's end. But bad luck reared its ugly head in the first lap, when he lost a rear brake caliper causing a yellow flag.

Going into Placerville, Andy Forsberg had already cinched the points needed to win the 2014 championship

The crew worked their magic, had the line plugged, and had Forsberg back on the track in a jiffy. But the delay sent the driver to the back of the field, and he would eventually be forced to pit one more time for final repairs.

Becoming a champion certainly wasn't a derivative of a willingness to throw the towel, and Andy Forsberg was committed to getting back out there and battling for position. When the checkered flag deemed the race over, he had managed to work himself from 18th to eighth place.

Forsberg and his team headed to Calistoga, California, the next day, eager to participate in the Louie Vermeil Classic, at the Calistoga Speedway. This promised to be an interesting and exciting event for the driver and his crew.

They would be competing in night two of the USAC non-winged show. Not only would he be disassembling the wing from his car, but he was prepared to run his 360 in the 410 class race. But there was 360 bonus money at stake, and the driver was more than willing to give it a shot.

"The 360 verses 410 issues didn't bother me," he explained. "Horsepower becomes less important when you take the wing off of your sprint car, and we were the 12th quickest qualifier out of 24 cars. So I knew we had the speed to be competitive, and go after the 360 bonus money.

"Getting the car set up was most important," he recalled. We don't run many non-winged races and that was the first night for the 7c car with the wing off. So there was as always is a bit of a guesstimating factor. the goal is to get as much traction without getting the non-wing cars too tight."

Upon finishing fourth in his heat, Forsberg started the main event 12th in the field. Having not raced at this venue the night prior, the driver was sort of behind the eight-ball, as his competitors who had already experienced the track the day before had gotten the feel of it. In turn, they would benefit from more accurate setups.

Andy Forsberg recently raced his 360 winged sprint car in the 410 race at a USAC Non-winged event at Calistoga speedway

Forsberg fought a valiant battle, but at the 30-lap event's end, he crossed the finish line in 13th place. "We missed the setup big time," he recalled. "The car was way to loose." Referring to a fellow 360 racer, he explained, "Bradley Terrell finished sixth. He had run Calistoga the night before, when I was racing at Placerville. So I think his group had learned a lot about the track conditions, and how it was going to change for the main event. I know we learned a lot of tricks that we would have done differently if we had another night. Terrell got the job done."

When asked if satisfied with the outcome of the race, Forsberg said, "Yes and no. a 13th place finish was obviously not what we went went there to get, but it was the first time all year without a wing; the first time ever for thePT Shocks 7c car. We were decent and rolled the car on the trailer in one piece. and that's always important."

As the 2013 season winds to an end, Andy Forsberg and his crew are already anticipating 2014. The driver's record speaks for itself, and one can rest assured that he has full intentions of successfully defending his championship title.

He is also acutely aware that success will depend a great deal upon keeping his cars in optimal running condition. In turn, he depends up K&N products to ensure the internal components of his engine remain contaminant free.

"We're real big believers that you win races at the shop," he explained. We use K&N oil filters, filter oil and filter cleaning solution. It's a huge part of our engine program. K&N products keep everything clean and flowing strong."

Looking to the future, Andy Forsberg concluded, "I would guess our 2014 plans will be similar to what we did in 2013. We are just waiting for next season's schedule to come out in January."

Related K&N News Articles about Placerville Speedway: Andy Gregg Wins Wing 360 Sprint Car Race at Placerville Speedway in Northern California; Pacific Sprint Car Division Race Win at Placerville Speedway for K&N Sponsored Racer; K&N's Jonathan Allard is Bumped into Second Place at Placerville Speedway

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Joe Sylvester Jumps Into The Record Books

11 Nov 2013

Joe Sylvester understands the importance of keeping his rig in optimal working condition, and in turn, is a strong advocate of using K&N products for his filtering needs

Try to imagine yourself climbing into the cab of Joe Sylvester's truck. And I do mean climb, as 66" tires combined with 26" shocks lend to an overall vehicle height of 10-feet. The perspective would be much different from what the average person is accustomed to.

However, one could safely say that Sylvester is probably not the "average person." In fact, not only does he feel at home in this monstrous rig, but he savors the opportunity to approach ramps at high rates of speeds, and soar incredible distances through the air.

"I've been jumping since I learned to ride a bicycle," recalled the Ohio native. "Ever since I was a little kid, it was just something I enjoyed. The feeling of flying through the air, whether it's on a bike, a pair of skis, an ATV or a truck, is a tremendous sense of freedom and adrenaline."

With age and experience came much longer and more complicated stunts. In fact, Sylvester set a world record with a 208-feet jump in 2010 - a proud moment in his racing career. But records are made to be broken and Sylvester's aspirations lent to little time to bathe in his accomplishment.

Joe Sylvester recently set a new world record, jumping a staggering 237-feet

The driver recently devised another stunt that would exceed his previous performance. Rolling into Columbus, Ohio, he was prepared to dazzle the fans with a jump that would clear a staggering 237-feet.

As the engine roared and anticipation thickened the air, Joe Sylvester hit the ramp at the optimal speed. Fans were mesmerized as his truck soared over a tractor trailer. The crowd bellowed with approval upon a safe landing and cheering intensified when they learned he had set a new world record.

When asked what he found most exciting about the jump, Sylvester answered, "The adrenaline rush and the satisfaction of knowing had just accomplished something that no one else had ever done. It was a feeling of accomplishment."

As one might suspect, countless hours of preparation are imperative for a stunt of this magnitude to go without a hitch. "Physically, I train in the gym five days a week," explained Sylvester. "I've been into physical fitness since I was around 12-years old. I have found that whether I am in my pro-light race truck, on my mountain bike, or in a monster truck, being physical fit makes a big difference in my performances.

"I don't do much to prepare mentally.," shared the driver. "I guess it's just part of me. It's what I do and who I am; a bit of modern-day daredevil, you might say. All of my efforts and thoughts go into making sure the truck is 100% ready for the jump, and my ramp is built properly.

"As with any other motorsport," Sylvester continued, "it takes a solid team working together to win races, and in this case, set world records. My crew all pitched in to make sure the truck was ready, and I was safe. Maintenance is very important. When a monster truck is flying 35-feet off of the ground at 85 miles-per-hour, equipment failure is simply not an option."

Mindful that keeping the internal components of his engine contaminant free is one of the key elements of dependability and performance, Joe Sylvester is a strong advocate of using K&N products for his filtering needs.

"I've been using K&N products since I was in my teens - from street and mud trucks to racing ATVs and dirt bikes," recalled the driver. "In the monster truck, we use K&N air, fuel and oil filters. We also use a K&N air filter on my transporter. Simply put... Their the best filter in the world. I wouldn't use anything else."

Although Joe Sylvester currently holds the world record, that's no indication he's ready to hang it up. "I've always said I want to jump 300-feet," he explained. "So I started thinking about the next jump almost immediately after the last two. Like I said, I'm all about pushing my limits."

Related K&N News Articles about Joe Sylvester: Joe Sylvester Wins the Young Guns Shootout and a Spot in Monster Jam World Finals; Joe Sylvester with His Bad Habit Monster Truck Break World Record Jump

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Mike Edwards Scores Fifth NHRA Title of 2013

11 Nov 2013

Mike Edward and his Camaro were recently unstoppable at the Brainerd International Raceway

Mike Edwards had already proved his driving skills during the 2013 season, prior to his recent arrival at the Brainerd International Raceway, in Brainerd, Minnesota. He had already earned four NHRA Pro-Stock titles this season, and sported an impressive resume, with 38 career wins.

In spite of a record any driver would find satisfying, Edwards showed up at this event with something to prove. For some reason, he had never managed to pull off a victory at Brainerd, and it was due time for change.

"As a team, we knew we had the car to win the event, explained Mike Edwards Motorsports Publicity manager, John Miller. "We just had to make good runs on Sunday, and maybe get a little "racing magic. We were coming off the Western Swing, and it was the last race carrying the K&N colors on the Chevy Camaro. So we wanted to go out with a bang and give them a Pro Stock victory.

Mike Edwards is a strong advocate of maintenance, and depends upon K&N products to keep the internal components of his race car engine contaminant free

Mike had never reached the final at the track," he continued, "and had competed at Brainerd every year since 1996, minus one season, when he took the year off as a driver.

"It's a great facility on the NHRA tour. The lakes and trees lend to one of the coolest settings we go to. For some reason, we never had a winning combination. It was nothing the track threw at us, we just never figured it out until this year."

And figure it out they did, as Mike Edwards and his Chevy Camaro proved unstoppable at the recent event, in spite of the hard knocks that often come with the sport. After suffering through ignition issues while qualifying, Mike Edwards and his crew hastily put their noses to the grindstone and made the needed changes prior to eliminations.

Although there were a few competitors who would likely prove "the man to beat," Edwards and his team went into the event knowing that each and every driver was capable of earning the victory title. That in mind, they focused on one competitor at a time.

Mike Edwards started his run from the number four position. Although this was his second lowest starting position throughout the entire 2013 campaign, that certainly didn't deter his pursuit for the championship.

Edwards immediately took out Greg Stanfield, positioning him in the following round with Allen Johnson. Scoring a mere five-thousandths faster than the competitor who was second on the overall points race, Edwards posted a 6.630 and a near perfect 0.007 reaction time to inch his way past Vincent Nobile, and earn a much deserved spot in the final against Vieri Gaines.

Not only was Edwards on the verge of putting his lack of success at this particular venue behind him, but it was also a first in the sense that he had never had the opportunity to meet up with this driver in a final.

The air grew saturated with anticipation, as the Christmas tree deemed the race underway. And when the roaring engines returned to an idle, Mike Edwards had earned the victory.

"It was huge to win at Brainerd," ensured the team's publicity manager. "When you go to the same place year after year with no success, you begin to dread the next year when that event rolls around. To get a win, we can return in 2014 knowing we have conquered that hill, and maybe can start a long winning streak.

"Winning any race is always huge," he continued. "But Brainerd was even bigger. It gave us the momentum that helped carry us to a win at the U.S. Nationals. It put us in a position at the start of the playoffs, that if we did not excel, we had a buffer. Thus, it has helped keep us in the title chase with a couple of races left."

Mike Edwards and his team are acutely aware that consistent success depends a great deal upon their engine's ability to operate at its optimal performance. that in mind, they depend upon K&N products to ensure the internal components of their engines remain contaminant free. The team uses a K&N hood scoop air system and oil filters on their race car and use K&N products on their support vehicles as well.

"K&N is the best product on the market," he ensured. "We have used K&N filters as long as I can remember, and they always perform flawlessly. It is great to be associated with such a company that strives for perfection in all they do. That is clear in the product they produce and the reputation they carry throughout the automotive industry.

Looking to the future, Mike Edwards' game plan is plain and simple. "We just have to be consistent and fast. Those are the two main ingredients of success. As a driver, I have to leave on time and do my job. We will come out and do our best, and make everyone proud to be part of Mike Edwards Motorsports."

Related K&N News Articles about the Brainerd International Raceway: NASCAR K&N Pro Series West's Michael Self Wins NAPA Know How 125 at Brainerd International Raceway; Jason Line Marks 20th Career NHRA Pro Stock Pole at Brainerd International Raceway; Two Comp Eliminator Finals for David Rampy at NHRA Nationals at the Brainerd International Raceway & Div 3 in Bowling Green; Michael Self Wins the K&N Pro Series West Race at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota

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Nicole Viscovich Shows Off Her Custom 2013 Dodge Dart - Project Black Widow

11 Nov 2013

Project Black Widow by Nicole Viscovich

For all of you who thought that car customizing was only something for guys, then think twice. There has been a growing trend of female custom car builders and designers in the last few years in the custom car building scene. One thing any vehicle customizer needs to have is attention to detail, and the owner of Project Black Widow Nicole Viscovich seems to have this in her blood.

The amazing work shows in the detail, from the lights, to the custom stereo, to the exterior, to the performance and to the interior of Project Black Widow

Nicole purchased her 2013 Dodge Dart Rallye just 13 days before SEMA, and within that time she was able to secure a spot for her ride as a booth vehicle. Some of the customizations that she was able to accomplish in those short 13 days included an interior swap to a Katzkin leather kit, full audio system consisting of two 12" subwofferss from DC Audio, upgraded brake System and custom 19" wheels wrapped in Vredestein rubber. Even with all of these customizations performed, Nicole wasn't satisfied with the overall exterior and with only a few days left before SEMA a new Paint job was out of the books. So Nicole decided to wrap the Dart with red vinyl on top, kept the bottom factory black and used a dual silver stripe to break up the 2 tone color scheme.

Project Black Widow Showing Off

While at SEMA 2012 Nicole and her husband Jess met with K&N and decided to hand the car over to K&N after SEMA to allow them to use the car to design a new Intake system for the newly released Dodge Dart with the 1.4L turbo motor. According to Nicole, "The outcome has been amazing. The product looks, displays, and performs way better than I expected. I am very happy we were able to work together". The finished K&N air intake system that was designed off of Nicole's car is part # 69-2548TS

The two-tone exterior finish of Project Black Widow is something to see

So far this year Nicole and her Project Black Widow have attended over 20 shows and placed at half. Not bad for a car built by a woman, with a woman's touch! Now that SEMA 2013 is rolling around we are back in the grind to get the DART ready with a new look for SEMA 2013 and next year show season.

So for all of the guys that think the automotive scene is just for men, they might want to rethink their opinions because there are builders out there like Nicole Viscovich that have the what it takes to build top notch vehicles that not only look good, but perform very well and take home trophies.

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K&N's Vaughn Gittin Jr. Awarded Formula Drift Ace Driver of the Decade

6 Nov 2013

K&N’s Vaughn Gittin Jr. was awarded Formula Drift's "Ace Driver of the Decade" - Picture by Larry Chen

There are no short cuts for certain, particularly momentous motorsport tributes, some simply require extraordinary consistency, and time. Case in point the "Ace Driver of the Decade" award bestowed on Vaughn Gittin Jr. at the 10th anniversary gathering of Formula Drift. The honor acknowledges that the K&N driver has run all 10 seasons of Formula Drift and collected the most tandem victories of any driver in the series. It is a huge accomplishment for the 2010 Champion and the RTR Drift Team.

For the second year in a row K&N's Vaughn Gittin Jr. and the RTR Drift Team finished the 2013 FD season as the "highest qualifier" - Picture by Larry Chen

"I was very shocked and extremely excited when my name was called to receive this award from Formula Drift," Gittin admitted. "Knowing that I am the winningest driver in Formula Drift history is just mind blowing, especially considering the talent in the series. I really can't think of a better achievement. I feel the same sense of success and pride that I did winning the championship in 2010!"

Gittin's extraordinary reign of steadiness also spotlighted him as the "highest qualifier" in 2013. Which simply means that overall, throughout the season, his average qualifying position was higher than any other driver. This is the second consecutive year that Gittin has finished the season as the highest qualifying driver. The RTR Drift Team capped off the 10th season of Formula Drift in 5th place overall, which is yet another immeasurable triumph for the first year team owner.

"Being that it was my first year as a team owner, it was definitely a year of learning," Gittin said. "I am very grateful to have an awesome team that chooses to support me and because of them the transition was very seamless. There are a few minor things we aim to improve on, but overall, we are where we need to be!"

K&N's Vaughn Gittin Jr. and the RTR Drift Team is looking forward to the 2014 season and have some exciting things planned - Picture by Larry Chen

The curtain may have been drawn on the 10th Formula Drift season for Gittin and the RTR Drift team, but their year is far from over. Gittin still has a number of drifting exhibitions left on the calendar, as well as the last round of the World Drift Series in China in December. He has already won two events in that series and leads the points chase heading into the final round.

"The 2013 Formula Drift season proved to be a very interesting one for us,"Vaughn Gittin Jr. adds." Overall I feel that it has been a successful year and I could not be happier with ASD Motorsports', the RTR Drift Team's, and my performance throughout the season. I am very grateful for all of my incredible partners and the fans that offer us unconditional support year-after-year. We are already looking forward to 2014 and have some pretty exciting things planned, all of which should result in increased success on and off the track."

Related K&N News Articles about Vaughn Gittin Jr.: Drifting’s International Ambassador Vaughn Gittin Jr. Wins World Drift Series Event in China; RTR Drift Team & Vaughn Gittin Jr. Gain Formula Drift Championship Points at Joint Base Lewis-McChord; Vaughn Gittin Jr. Takes Second in North American Professional Drifting Season Opener in Long Beach; Vaughn Gittin Jr. Leads Formula Drift Championship After Second Win in a Row

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