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K&N's Dalton Millican Caps 2012 with Strong Showing at Loretta Lynn's ATVMX 450A Event

1 Oct 2012

The smart money rides on Millican to regain his position at the head of the class in 2013

A quote from the 1998 comedy classic, The Big Lebowski, aptly sums up the two-edged nature of motorsports racing – "Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you." In racing sometimes parts inexplicably break, engines indiscriminately misfire, confidence gets too liberally dosed with enthusiasm and the familiar flow of success becomes elusive. Last year Dalton Millican clinched the 450A class National Championship in the AMA ATV National Series after only nine of the 11 scheduled races. Overall he started 18 races last season, and he owned 15 of those with hole-shots. This year, as it’s prone to do, the yin has temporarily swung to yang. Nonetheless, with a racer as skilled as Millican, you can bet dollars for donuts that the pendulum will swing back, and that bear will once more be a regular part of his diet.

Last season Dalton Millican had 18 starts, 15 were hole-shots

"Loretta Lynns is our last race of the year, so it is kind of one of those deals were you are happy it’s the last race, and at the same time, sad that the season is done, when you have a year like I have had," Millican acknowledged. "2012 has been a real eye-opener and a huge learning experience. Moving up to Pro-Am was a big jump in the level of competition."

Millican and his K&N sponsored Nitro Fish ATV capped off the 2012 season on a high-note with strong top-ten finish at the biggest and final event of the year-Loretta Lynn’s Dirt Days. The property owned by the world famous Coal Miner's Daughter, Loretta Lynn, is the oldest race on the ATV national circuit and draws some of the best riders from all corners of the country. Lynn’s Dude Ranch is only 140 miles from Millican’s home in Drummonds, Tennessee, and he considers it his home track, so he was feeling good headed into the weekend. When moto 1 got underway Millican made the first turn mid-pack, he continued to battle heavy competition throughout the race and held on for an 8th place finish.

In the second moto, and his last start of the year, Millican once again found the magic to his great race starts, entering the first turn in the second spot. At the mid-way point of the race though the bear took a big bite out of his performance, Millican made a slight mistake in a corner and lost six positions. He finished the moto in the 9th spot, which gave him a 7th place overall for the weekend.

"Well, 2012 had a few positives one of them being my starts, they were good," Millican remarked. "I don't know what it is, but when I am setting behind that starting gate I am happy. I just love that moment of having the motor on the rev-limiter waiting for the gate to drop. I was also happy with my training program. I usually had faster lap times at the end of the race. That just tells me that part was good."

In regards to his short and long term goals for the rest of this season, and then looking forward towards next year, Millican says, "I am about to get my preseason training started and I have a lot of big changes that I am planning on making, and a lot more testing to do, and that should really help improve my racing for the 2013 season. I am just staying positive and ready to take on and endure whatever I may need to do to be back on top. Now that the race season is over I have a normal job and I am trying to save money, and I’m counting the days until I am setting behind the gate with the motor on the rev-limiter."

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Slate Cummings Doubles in Tulsa Winning NHRA Division 4 Super Stock and Stock

28 Sept 2012

Slate Cummings won the Super Stock and Stock crown in Tulsa, making it his second double-up weekend in two years

When the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series(LODRS) recently visited Tulsa Raceway Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma for their 2012 Central Region event, Division 4 JEGS All-stars double representative, Slate Cummings, stole the show by winning in both Super Stock and Stock for a second straight year. The K&N backed driver also accomplished that feat at the 2011 season opener in Houston. At Tulsa Raceway Cummings defeated Oklahoma hero Jared Swinehart in the Super Stock final and bested Hammond, Louisiana neighbor Jody "Cool" Simoneaux in the Stock final for his second consecutive Stock LODRS crown. Cummings earned the title in Super Stock driving his familiar Moser Engineering-backed Chevrolet Cavalier and in Stock Eliminator behind the wheel of his Moser Engineering Pontiac Firebird. After doubling up in Tulsa Cummings leads the Division 4 points in Super Stock and is second in Stock.

After Tulsa Cummings leads the Division 4 points in Super Stock and he holds second place in Stock

Cummings came into the Tulsa event carrying the hot hand after his Stock Eliminator victory at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana, which was a hometown LODRS event for the local champion. Cummings continued his Stock eliminator winning streak in Tulsa, taking out Gary Emmons, Darrell Erwin, and Billy Lynn to earn a single into the semi-final round. There, he knocked off Dean Oliver to setup an all-Moser Engineering final round alongside teammate Simoneaux. Simoneaux ended the drama early with a foul-start, handing Cummings the victory.

Handling double duty like a true champ the two-fisted racer was also working his way through the Super Stock field as well. Cummings opened eliminations with a win over 2011 top-ten finisher David Bogner. He then advanced through rounds two and three with victories over Division 5 standouts Mark Jenkins and Mike Town. After a quarter final bye run, Cummings dispensed of Justin Jenkins to advance to his second final round of the day. There, he used a slight .015 to .026 starting line advantage over Jared Swinehart to win a double breakout affair: 9.308 (9.34 dial) to 9.596 (9.63 dial).

"It's always a good feeling to win," commented Cummings. "But I always laugh and say that I'm never satisfied; you come to the track to win, and I normally drive two cars. So when I win in one, I say that I'm not satisfied because I lost one of them. This weekend I didn't lose, so I don't really know what to say!"

The double victories strengthened Cummings's 2012 title hopes. A top five finisher in the NHRA Stock Eliminator standings in each of the last two seasons, Cummings has moved into third place in the 2012 NHRA national standings. The victory also moved Cummings into the 2nd spot in the NHRA Division 4 Stock Eliminator points chase. Cummings' Super Stock success pushes him atop the NHRA Division 4 standings, and into the 13th spot in the NHRA Lucas Oil national standings.

After Tulsa the Moser Engineering-backed Cummings Motorsports Team headed north to Joliet, Illinois for the NHRA Route 66 Nationals. Cummings will once again compete in both Super Stock and Stock at the Joliet event; in addition he also has the opportunity to once again represent the NHRA South Central Division in the prestigious JEGS All-Stars competition. During this elite shootout, Cummings will attempt to defend his JEGS All-Stars Super Stock title. Cummings moves into rarified air as he is one of only three drivers to have earned a berth in the All-Stars shootout in two categories – Stock and Super Stock.

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BMW, Husqvarna and Sherco Motorcycles Have Premium Oil Filter Option with K&N

25 Sept 2012

Replacement Air Filter for BMW, Huaqvarns, and Sherco motorcycles

Replacement Air Filter for BMW, Huaqvarna, and Sherco motorcycles

BMW, Huskvarna and Sherco don't seem to have a lot in common at first glance, but as it turns out, they are quite similar when it comes to a replacement oil filter. These bikes can expect to see the worst that trail riding can offer. In those circumstances you want to ensure that your engine is well protected from the harmful contaminants that cause premature engine wear. The Sherco SM 4.5i (2004-2013), Sherco SE 5.1i (2004-2013), the BMW G450X (2009-2012) and several Husqvarna motorcycle models (below) can certainly benefit from a premium engine oil filter like part number KN-611.

The KN-611 oil filter is a drop-in cartridge type filter that was designed to fit in the existing factory housing. It captures 99% of harmful contaminants while providing excellent oil flow to your engine. High filter flow rates are important in racing vehicles where heavier grade oil is used and the oil is pumped much faster than in a standard vehicle. This oil filter works well with standard or synthetic motor oil, so no matter which type of oil you prefer, you can trust K&N's KN-611 oil filter to protect your engine. Part number KN-611 is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship.

Oil filter KN-611 will fit the following Husqvarna, Sherco and BMW motorcycles:

2013 SHERCO SE 5.1I F 500
2013 SHERCO SE 4.5I F 450
2013 SHERCO SE 3.0I F 300
2013 SHERCO SE 2.5I F 250
2012 SHERCO SE 5.1I F 500
2012 SHERCO SE 4.5I F 450
2012 SHERCO SE 3.0I F 300
2012 SHERCO SE 2.5I F 250
2012 HUSQVARNA TE511 511
2012 HUSQVARNA TE449 449
2012 HUSQVARNA TC449 449
2012 BMW G450X 450
2011 SHERCO SE 5.1I F 500
2011 SHERCO SE 4.5I F 450
2011 SHERCO SE 3.0I F 300
2011 SHERCO SE 2.5I F 250
2011 HUSQVARNA TE511 511
2011 HUSQVARNA TE449 449
2011 HUSQVARNA TC449 449
2011 HUSQVARNA SMR511 511
2011 BMW G450X 450
2010 SHERCO SX 2.5I F 250
2010 SHERCO SM 5.1I F 500
2010 SHERCO SM 4.5I F 450
2010 SHERCO SE 5.1I F 500
2010 SHERCO SE 4.5I F 450
2010 SHERCO SE 3.0I F 300
2010 SHERCO SE 2.5I F 250
2010 HUSQVARNA SMR510 510
2010 HUSQVARNA SMR450 450
2010 BMW G450X 450
2009 SHERCO SM 5.1I F 500
2009 SHERCO SM 4.5I F 450
2009 SHERCO SE 5.1I F 500
2009 SHERCO SE 4.5I F 450
2009 SHERCO SE 2.5I F 250
2009 BMW G450X 450
2008 SHERCO SM 5.1I F 500
2008 SHERCO SM 4.5I F 450
2008 SHERCO SE 5.1I F 500
2008 SHERCO SE 4.5I F 450
2008 SHERCO SE 2.5I F 250
2007 SHERCO SM 5.1I F 500
2007 SHERCO SM 4.5I F 450
2007 SHERCO SE 5.1I F 500
2007 SHERCO SE 4.5I F 450
2006 SHERCO SM 5.1I F 500
2006 SHERCO SM 4.5I F 450
2006 SHERCO SE 5.1I F 500
2006 SHERCO SE 4.5I F 450
2005 SHERCO SM 5.1I F 500
2005 SHERCO SM 4.5I F 450
2005 SHERCO SE 5.1I F 500
2005 SHERCO SE 4.5I F 450
2004 SHERCO SM 5.1I F 500
2004 SHERCO SM 4.5I F 450
2004 SHERCO SE 5.1I F 500
2004 SHERCO SE 4.5I F 450

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.

360 Knoxville Nationals K&N Sponsored Sprint Car Racers Flood the Field at Iowa Raceway

19 Sept 2012

Missouri native, Brian Brown, is responsible for the number 21, 360 sprint car

Legacy is not a word that is thrown around too lightly, but in the instance of this year's Knoxville Nationals 360, it seems rather appropriate. Five top-tier K&N Filters-sponsored competitors gathered at the 111-year-old Knoxville, Iowa venue-only 45 minutes from the state capital of Des Moines. Knoxville Raceway is the third largest outdoor stadium in Iowa and famous for being the "Sprint Car Capital of the World." The group consisting of Jason Johnson, Jonathan Allard, Brian Brown, Shane Stewart and Kraig Kinser made the best out of deep-field starts, neck-and-neck competition and tough conditions to earn their places in the 22nd Annual 360 Knoxville Nationals.

Qualifying for the 360 Nationals was held on Thursday and Friday evening as the Arnold Motor Supply 360 Nationals championship finale was to begin Saturday night. Jason Johnson and the Stenhouse Jr. Racing/HM Racing/JJR team were ready to go against some of the best sprint car drivers in the nation.

Johnson's qualifying round didn't see much in the way of place advancement, but it did earn him a spot in the main event on Saturday. Johnson throttled his Roush Yates Ford-powered Maxim through a field of 52 cars to achieve two of the quickest time trial laps despite the dry, slowing track surface. Johnson defended his spot and jumped at any opportunity to move forward, landing him in the Top 10.

Shane Stewart pulled out his 4th victory in Knoxville driving the number 77, 360 Sprint car

Making it into Saturday's final, Johnson moved up nine spots, coming in with a solid 11th place finish, but not without earning it first. The Eunice, Louisiana native worked around the track hunting for open lanes to exploit, continuing past the competition occasionally using the high side when possible.

Jonathan Allard, the Chico, California native, had hoped for better this weekend. Opening with a rough start, Allard and the Williams Motorsports team fought off the 52 car field for 37th place. A 10th place finish in his heat and a following win landed him a deep spot in the B Main. Unfortunately, Allard was tangled up in an opening lap wreck that forced him into the pits.

Undaunted and repaired, Allard rejoined the field and marched his way into the 10th spot ending his qualifying night in the semi. Allard was able to grab the third spot in the Main, but lingering issues forced him out of the C Main. "We laid down a horrible qualifying lap and that pretty much dictated our night," Allard groaned. "I'm glad this weekend is over. I'm hoping we can put together a much better effort for the 410 Nationals."

Brian Brown faced troubles in qualifying, but came through in the end. The Grain Valley, Missouri driver started with the 35th fastest time in qualifying on Thursday. "We had high hopes going into Knoxville to qualify well," says Brian, who went home with a career-best seventh place finish at last year's Nationals. Brian improved over the weekend with a run from seventh to fourth in his preliminary heat. "It was a tough heat," he admitted. "We were able to get up to fourth, which was the key. We just needed to get in."

With eight cars to pass in 15 laps in Saturday's B main, Brown held on until the last lap to finally take fourth. "We got to sixth pretty quick. I felt like I was the same speed as those guys in front of me. Honestly, I didn't think I was going to make it, but I was able to run two of my best laps," he beamed.

Jonathan Allard drives the K&N sponsored 360 sprinter labeled number 0

In the A main, Brian passed 16 cars to finish eighth in the non-stop 25-lap championship event. "We kept plugging away and running it as hard as it would go," Brown recounted. "We were good. I think we passed as many cars as we could in the amount of time we had. To get all the way to eighth was pretty cool."

After getting through a tough heat that only took the top three finishers, Brian ended up seventh in the main event. "There was some stuff we wanted to try in the feature," he says. "It just didn't work out. The car wasn't where we needed to be. We were lucky to finish as well as we did really."

Unlike the aforementioned Allard, Kraig Kinser lived up to his own expectations as he finished fourth in the 50-lap finale. Of course, qualifying for the main event is often a victory in itself, as the Knoxville Nationals traditionally hosts the biggest field of the year. The former winner of sprint car racing's marquee event, Kinser is the first to push himself even harder with each event.

"It was a very good Nationals for us," said Kinser. "The car felt good the whole time we were there, and I felt pretty comfortable as well. We moved forward just about every time we went on the track, and you have to be happy with that. It was a fun week over there."

The 2005 Knoxville Nationals winner maneuvered through his heats and around two-time and defending World of Outlaws champion Jason Meyers to take on Stevie Smith for the fourth spot, the two trading positions back-and-forth. After a quick fuel stop, Kinser found himself in fifth. The third-generation driver fell back a few more spots to seventh with 20 laps remaining.

The pair continued to battle for the next five laps, negotiating heavy traffic. On his last lap, Kinser took the fourth spot clinching his second career Top-Five and third Top-10 finish in the main event at the Knoxville Nationals. "I'm very happy with how our cars are feeling right now and really looking forward to the next stretch of races," he said. "We'll work on a few little things to pick some speed up where we can. All in all we have a good program right now."

Shane Stewart is all smiles today. Stewart's domination at the 360 Nationals bordered on epic. Behind the wheel of his Kick-It/Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation/A.R.T.#57, Stewart took home his third consecutive 360 Nationals crown, his fourth in the last six years. The Silva Motorsports machine was unmatched from the get-go, setting the quick time, running third in his heat race, and landing the fourth row of the feature event.

Through the event, Stewart worked the technical track, moving from the eighth spot to seventh, setting him in the front row of Saturday night's feature event. Stewart jumped out of the gate, found the sweet spot, planted his right-rear tire in the Knoxville Raceway cushion, and walked away from the rest of the crowd lap after lap.

Swooping through the lapped traffic with ease, Stewart made winning a very impressive third straight 360 Nationals crown look insultingly easy, winning with over a four second lead. "I can't say enough about this team, and this car," said Stewart. "To win with Kick-It and the Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation on this car is pretty special."

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Formula Vee Driver, Kim Madrid, Leads the Points Race in VARA

19 Sept 2012

Kim Madrid began racing Formula Vee in the VARA, Vintage Auto Racing Association, in 2004 and still runs in the series today

When the desert is mentioned, a lot of folks automatically think of an environment that although beautiful, it is plagued with cactuses, intense heat, a lack of water and venomous critters. Kim Madrid, on the other hand, fell in love with the desert at a very young age, as she likened the landscape due to the perfect habitat for dirt bike, ATV and quad riders to thrive. In fact, her passion for riding these machines in the desert eventually lent to her decision to embark upon a venture in racing competitively.

Beginning her racing career in 1997, Madrid jumped on board with the Vintage Auto Racing Association (VARA) in 2004, where she would begin a stint racing in the Formula Vee cars. To date, the driver is still running in the same class, and has performed well, to say the least. In fact, she is leading the points race thus far in the 2012 season.

"This year has been very close races," recalled Madrid. "Wins by like .019 of a second ahead of Bob Hale." When asked if there was one race this season in particular that she found of utmost importance the driver continued, "I finally won the 'Victory Lane Formula Vee Challenge' race. I have always gotten second place, but this year, I drove like a crazy woman and pulled it off. It was for over-all in the vintage class, and first in my class."

Kim Madrid is hard to miss on the track, as she drives a hot-pink car and dons a pink Mohawk

"There are four classes," she continued. FV, FV1, FV2, and FV3. I run in the largest group, FV1. Our class is a spec class, so all of the Vees (cars) are pretty much the same. My Vee is a 1972 Caldwell D-13. We all run a 1200 cubic-inch VW engine with the stock manifold, along with the original 28 PCI carburetor. The Vees may not be the fastest race cars out there, but we always put on the best show; especially my competition, Bob Hatie and my son, Chris Quinteros."

When asked what separated her from her competitors, Madrid said, "Number one is that I am a woman, and I am very competitive. I am usually a front-runner, unless something mechanical happens. Also, my Vee is Hot pink, and I wear a pink Mohawk."

Speaking of mechanical issues, not only has Kim Madrid made a name for herself in the Formula Vee world, but she also is a pretty good hand at turning wrenches. "I do most of my own mechanical work," shared Madrid. "My engine builder is Quixote-Dietmar Bauerle. He is the best. He kind of took me under his wing and taught me a lot."

With a good understanding of the mechanics of combustible engines, Kim Madrid is aware of the importance of keeping her race car perfectly maintained. That in mind, she is a strong advocate of using K&N products to keep her engine free of debris. "Maintenance is the key to having 2 DNF's in the past five years," she explained. "I am always making sure that my car is fully prepped to my ability. I use the K&N air and oil filters, along with the breather filters," continued Madrid. "K&N products are awesome; especially their air filters. One time I was racing out at Chuckwalla Raceway, and the sand was blowing so bad that you could not see twenty feet in front of you. When I removed my air filter, there was no sand or dirt in my carburetor at all."

Referring to her satisfaction with the outcome of the 2012 season thus far, Kim Madrid said, "I seem to better my times at each track, when I thought I was already at the max I could go." Looking ahead she continued, "In April, 2013, my son and I are going to be participating in the 50th birthday Party of Formula Vee. This event will be at Roebling Road in Georgia. We are going as a mother/son team (the only mother/son team scheduled to attend the event). This is a SCCA sanctioned event, and there will be over one-hundred-fifty formula Vees. Dietmar, our engine builder is going also. My son, Chris, and I will be towing the Vees back there. I am thrilled that we were even asked to participate in this event."

Kim Madrid is looking forward to participating in the upcoming 50th birthday celebration for Formula Vee

When asked what else is in store for 2013, Kim Madrid explained, "Next year I will be running with VARA as much as possible. But I will also be running a lot of featured races, being that it is the 50th anniversary of Vee."

When asked what draws her back to racing year after year, the driver said, "I love the rush! Each race is thirty-minutes or more, and it is like nothing else exists except for winning that race. It is my escape from reality! I think that since I have now earned the respect of all drivers on the track that makes me feel real good also."

In closing Kim Madrid said, "My team is my family, and if I did not have them backing me one-hundred-percent, I would never be where I am today. My husband knows how important racing is to me, and never puts restrictions on me. My fans can expect me to keep racing as long as possible and winning, or at least putting on a great show of wheel-to-wheel racing."

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.