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When it comes to customizing, Ren Jenson is no rookie. He has built the following cars in his 30 year build history. Ranging from a 1968 rs/ss Camaro, a 1965 El Camino that was placed in the GM Museum, several 1955-1957 Bel Air's and a 1941 Willys and several have won major trophies or have set High Sales records at auction. So with this being said…what's the next "Ultimate" Build? Ren then decided he wanted to build the ultimate and his choice was a 1955 Chevy Bel Air Convertible.
Custom 1955 Chevy Bel Air by Ren Jenson
When building his "Ultimate" Build Ren knows there are no holds barred. Starting out he knew that he wanted Horsepower, Handling and enough shine to make any car enthusiasts jaw to drop.
When it comes to Running gear, Ren chose to mate the modern power of a corvette with the body and styling of the 1955 Bel Air. Once the suspension and motor from the corvette were in place and the beautiful Black and White paint were in place, "Ebony and Ivory" still didn't have the look that was desired... So what did Ren do? He stripped the entire under carriage and sent it out to be either chrome plated or powder coated. Once complete, the under carriage had close to $52,000 in chrome plating and powder coating, now the car was seriously coming together but the interior still needed to be done…What style would complete this build? Well Ren chose to keep it simple and stay within the era of the 55 but he chose Ivory as his choice in leather.
Ren Jenson Built Bel Air at SEMA 2012
Once the interior was finished the only thing left was a set of wheels that would not only fit the body of the 55 but also mate up with the corvette under carriage, this was no easy task. Asanti Wheels was called upon for their precise build specs and soon the choice was made and the Asanti wheels bolted up with no problem.
Show Cars Inc. featured Ren Jenson's Bel Air at SEMA
Unfortunately Ren Jenson Passed away towards the end of the build and his family decided the best way to celebrate his life would be to have his last build on Display at SEMA 2012, that is when they contacted Show Cars Inc. to get the vehicle placed. Within days the vehicle was placed and Ren's final build was to debut at SEMA 2012.
When we asked Ren's family why he chose K&N as his filter of choice, they explained that "Ren chose only the best and when it comes to Filters K&N was the only choice" in his opinion.
Since Ren's passing the car has won many awards and in July 2013 the car will be published in the Publisher Choice Ad in the Dupont Registry Magazine and will be the featured vehicle in their booth at Barret-Jackson Reno Auction.
RIP Ren Jenson you and your building Skills will be missed!
SEMA featured 1955 Chevy Bel Air
Ren Jenson's SEMA Bel Air
Custom Chevy Bel Air at 2012 SEMA
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Air Filter
Custom wheels on Jenson's Chevy Bel Air
Ren Jenson's Bel Air with K&N Air Filter
Related K&N News Articles about the Chevy Bel Air: K&N's 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air at K&N on Car Collector Appreciation Day; Divine1Customs Featured 1956 Chevy Bel Air and 1967 Lincoln Continental at the 2010 SEMA Show
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East racer Ben Kennedy wins NASCAR Hall of Fame 150
The driver with one of the longest NASCAR lineages won at one of the tracks with the longest NASCAR history in the K&N Pro Series East.
Ben Kennedy, the great grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., won the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 at Bowman Gray Stadium, a track with more than 60 years of NASCAR history.
Ben Kennedy gets the inside position on a late restart in NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 K&N Pro Series East race
"This is phenomenal," the 21-year-old Kennedy said. "To get our first win the other week in Pensacola then to come here to Bowman Gray Stadium and win in front of 17,000 fans, you couldn't ask for anything more."
Kennedy won his second NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race of the season and of his career at Bowman Gray Stadium. He won the K&N Pro Series East race at Five Flags Speedway in Florida in April. He also won a Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series race in France in 2012.
"Man, this is just awesome," Kennedy said. "I've got to thank BK Racing and absolutely everyone that made this possible to win here at Bowman Gray Stadium. I'm speechless over that."
Kennedy took the lead from pole winner Brett Moffitt on lap 124. Moffitt, the leader in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings, needed a battery change in the last half of the race and it cost him the lead. He pitted to replace his car's battery and returned to the race to finish in 13th place.
Dylan Kwasniewski finished in second place to record his second top five of the season. He won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener at Bristol Motor Speedway, but has finished outside the top 10 in two of the past four races.
Ben Kennedy taking it easy at Bowman Gray Stadium
"I definitely think we were in contention for that win, but Ben did a great job," Kwasniewski said. "I wanted to race him clean. On this track it's really hard to pass somebody clean. I wanted to keep it clean, make sure he had a good race at the end."
Brandon Gdovic finished third at Bowman Gray Stadium, his third top five in five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races. He is in second place in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings, four points behind Moffitt.
"Ended up third. I wanted to come out of here with a top five," Gdovic said. "That was the best-case scenario. Brett finished behind us. Ryan (Gifford) finished behind us. We are right there in points. It was a perfect night."
Kenzie Ruston was fourth followed by Jesse Little in fifth. Mackena Bell came in sixth. Ruston and Bell became the first two women drivers to finish in the top 10 in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race.
With his second place finish, Kwasniewski moved up to third in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings. He is seven points behind Moffitt.
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"I'm always looking for the win and I'm always ashamed to not go out there with the win," Kwasniewski said. "Second's great. It was a good points day for us. We lost a lot of points these last couple of races. We bounced back good. Unfortunately we didn't get the win. It was a great race and I'm glad the 96 team did a great job."
Kennedy is in fourth place in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings, eight points behind Moffitt.
The next race is the Casey's General Stores 150 at Iowa Speedway for drivers and teams from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West on June 7.
Related K&N News Articles about Ben Kennedy and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East:NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Driver Ryan Gifford Wins Blue Ox 100 at Richmond International Raceway; Ben Kennedy Wins First NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Race of His Career at Five Flags Speedway; Cameron Hayley Wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race in UNOH Battle of the Beach at Daytona International; Cale Conley Wins First NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Race at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio
K&N Pro Series West racer Michael Self wins at Brainerd International Raceway in NAPA Know How 125
Michael Self won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota for the second year in a row on a day when the contenders ran into tire troubles and fell back.
Self's car cut a tire on the last lap of the race. He stayed out on the 2.5-mile road course and maneuvered his car to his fourth career K&N Pro Series West win.
Michael Self and Derek Thorn at the NAPA Know How 125 at Brainerd International Raceway
"Those last 17 laps, it just went like crazy and I never looked back," Self said. "Coming down the backstretch, that last lap, that tire went and that had to be the most nerve racking thing in my entire life. I couldn't believe it."
Self started on the outside of the second row and passed Cameron Hayley for the lead on lap 35 of the NAPA Know How 125. Self was out front for the final 16 laps of the race.
He has won four of the past 13 K&N Pro Series West races starting with the race at Brainerd in 2012. He was the top finishing driver from the West Series at the K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway and won the 2012 season finale at Phoenix International Raceway.
Self's win at Brainerd on May 25 was his first of the 2013 season. His experience at the track was beneficial in repeating as the race winner.
Derek Thorn took 2nd after leading the most laps in the NAPA Know How 125
"You got to be smooth. You got to conserve your equipment," Self said. "That's what kept us there at the end, being smooth, not missing shifts. Whatever happened to the tire happens. We made it long enough to make it happen."
Andrew Ranger won the pole and was challenging Self for the lead on the last lap. But Ranger cut a tire and spun out. He finished in 10th place.
Derek Thorn started on the front row with Ranger. He led a race-high 24 laps, taking the lead from Ranger on the first lap and holding it for 16 laps before giving way to Hayley.
Thorn and Hayley battled for the lead during the middle of the race while Self waited patiently to make his move.
Thorn tried to chase down Self on the final lap, but crossed the finish line 0.952 seconds behind Self.
"We were pretty steady. We started off at a really slow pace and kind of kept it there," Self said. "There were a couple times that 24 car (Hayley) got way out front. He looked like he was gone. These races, anything can happen. Fifteen laps here is a ton. You got plenty of time."
Celebration begins for Michael Self after winning the K&N Pro Series race at Brainerd International
Thorn remains the leader in the K&N Pro Series West standings after three races. He is eight points ahead of Halyey.
Greg Pursley, who finished third at Brainerd, is third in the K&N Pro Series West standings, nine points behind Thorn.
Self moved up to fourth place in the K&N Pro Series West standings and is 15 points out of first place. He has two top-five finishes, including the win at Brainerd, in the three K&N Pro Series West races.
"The last lap was definitely the nerve-racking one," Self said. "It was like life flashing before my eyes."
Rookie Dylan Lupton was fourth in the race at Brainerd followed by Hayley in fifth.
The next race is the Casey's General Store 150 at Iowa Speedway on June 7. It is the first of two combination races for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and East.
Related K&N News Articles about Michael Self and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West:Michael Self Wins the K&N Pro Series West Race at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota; Greg Pursley Wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Season Opener at Phoenix International Raceway; Cameron Hayley Wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race in UNOH Battle of the Beach at Daytona International; K&N NASCAR Pro Series West Season Comes to a Close with Dylan Kwasniewski on Top
Printed Materials Product Manager, Jeremy Templeman takes 3rd in Southern California Flat Track Association Series at Perris Raceway
Being a motorsport racing buff and working for K&N is like being a line-cook and working for the Food Channel, before you know it you're a full-blown chef. Take graphic designer, upgraded to Printed Materials Product Manager, Jeremy Templeman.
"I've been riding motorcycles since I was three-and-half, but I didn't start doing any kind of racing until around the time I began working at K&N in 2004," reported Templeman.
Since working at K&N Templeman has sampled a variety of motorsport flavors and experiences, he's raced off-road Grand Prix motorcycle events, Hare Scrambles in the desert, even a 24-hour race as part of a six member team riding a 50cc Honda two-stroke motorcycle. That event was held on the Willow Springs Kart Track as part of the M1GP race series.
"M1GP is dedicated to racing mini motorcycles," said Templeman. "I spent several years focusing on racing mountain bikes, and road cycles too. That's where I encountered burn out from training, traveling, and the expenses involved."
At the beginning of 2013 Templeman honed his focus to flat track racing. He enrolled in a training course in northern California and went old-school, riding small displacement bikes on small tracks in an attempt to perfect his technique.
"I'm learning that a lot of what I was taught in this school isn't how people ride modern "DTX" bikes. DTX bikes are motocross bikes converted to dirt track, as opposed to the more traditional "framers". Framers are custom built frames/engine combinations for the purpose of racing flat track. So far I'm planning to stick to racing at Perris because it's close and doesn't involve hours of travel or overnight stays. The next closest series has a couple of events at Willow Springs. But that's a few hours away. Northern California is a hot bed of flat track racing as well as other parts of the country. But I've found that traveling to race is an easy way to over spend and burn yourself out." Been there, done that, adds Templeman.
In round 4 of the Southern California Flat Track Association series contested at his home track Perris Raceway in Perris, California, Templeman's diligence paid off with a 3rd place in the Open Novice class main event. And it doesn't make any difference whether you've been racing for three months or thirty years, finally getting it done tastes real sweet.
"I started from the pole position because I took the hole-shot and led my entire heat race to take a win. The heat race decides your start position in the main event. I settled into 4th place in the main event going into turn-three for the first time. With about two-and-a-half laps to go, the third place rider crashed, and the officials threw out the red flag. With only two laps remaining they restarted the race single file, with the person who crashed going to the back. I restarted in third and protected my position through the checkered flag."
Templeman missed the first round of the SCFTA series because his bike wasn't ready, admitting that he's still going through a rookie learning curve. Round 1 was on Saturday and round two the following day. "I took 5th place in round 2 on Sunday because someone crashed and I moved up a position," he said candidly. "I took 5th place in round 3, but at least I earned it. It was a race long battle between me and another racer for 5th and 6th position. I got him in a tight drag race to the finish line."
"Round 5 was two weekends ago. I finished 6th because of a near crash that sent me back to last, or near last place, and I spent the rest of the race trying to regain positions. I passed a few guys, but I was stuck behind two racers battling for 5th. I couldn't get around them either in, or outside." Spoken like a full-blown racer.
Another sure indication that Templeman continues to move closer towards the racing light is the way he's sharing the love with his son, who is exactly the same age Templeman was when he started. Zach started just two weeks ago, racing the 50cc beginner class on his CRF50F (with training wheels).
"Round 5 was his first race," said the proud dad. "He had a blast and finished last, but there were only three kids in his class, so he got third. He's little, so the concept of finishing last is beyond him, and he thought he won. He had a blast."
Related K&N News Articles about Jeremy Templeman: K&N’s Jeremy Templeman Wins the 2013 SCFTA Open Novice Championship
Honda NC700X, NC700S & Integra Replacement K&N Air Filter Front
A huge part of the overall motorcycle experience has always been shifting; it's how riders complete the connection between the road, the bike, and themselves. Now imagine removing the boot-scaring, click, stomp that is shifting and replacing it with effortless acceleration and instantaneous response as you flick through the gears like the paddle shifters on an F1 racecar. Named one of Cycle World's "10 Best Bikes for 2012" in its first year, the 2013 Honda NC700X continues to explore new territory few motorcycle manufacturers have gone before.
K&N Replacement Air Filter Back for Honda NC700X, NC700S & Integra
The NC700X is available in two versions; one features a conventional six-speed, manual-clutch transmission, and the other features Honda's exclusive Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). With the DCT option you can choose between a manual or automatic setting, allowing one machine to run as an effortless daily commuter or a nimble Adventure Touring Bike. The DCT option also comes with linked anti-lock brakes.
Honda took the NC700X platform still one step further by creating the Integra maxi-scooter, a hybrid motorcycle-scooter using the same 670cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine and offering the DCT transmission option on the Integra as well. The engine produces tons of torque and plenty of power for easy two-up cruising. And now with K&N's HA-7012 high-flow, reusable air filter, you can increase both horsepower and torque on any version of the NC700X, by simply upgrading the existing air filter. Simple being the operative word, because the K&N HA-7012 high performance air filter is designed to slide directly into the OE air filter assembly, without the need of any modifications.
The specially pleated material on the HA-7012 air filter provides a large filtration area that continues to provide excellent filtration for long service intervals. Depending on your driving environment, servicing intervals can go up to 50,000 miles before maintenance is necessary. When cleaning is finally needed, that too is as effortless as following the four easy steps on a K&N Recharger Kit (part no. 99-5050).
This will be the last air filter you'll ever need to buy for your Honda NC700X or Integra - you have K&N's celebrated Million Mile Limited Warranty backing that claim.
