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2011 Knoxville Raceway Champion Carson McCarl's American Sprint Car Series 360 Race at I-80 Speedway

19 Jul 2012

Carson McCarl has move up to the 360 class this season, and is enjoying the stiffer competition and faster speeds.

Last season, Carson McCarl earned the honor of being the youngest champion in Knoxville Raceway history in the 305 class. With that title under his belt, the young driver recently embarked upon a new venture in his racing career. Recently arriving at the I-80 Speedway, near Greenwood, Nebraska, Mcarl was geared up and ready to begin the 2012 season manning a 360 sprint car. Carson is thrilled to be competing in the 360 sprint class, and working with Gary Dean, owner of the #97 360 sprint car, he is confident that things will simply run a little smoother.

Carson McCarl had the honors of being the youngest driver to ever win a championship at Knoxville Raceway in 2011.

Arriving at the big-banked, 4/10 mile oval at I-80 Speedway, McCarl's confidence level was high, and he had no intentions of being timid. The driver had actually experienced a little action in the 360 class in January while racing at the "Tulsa Shootout". Although plagued with troubles early, the driver worked out all of the bugs and got everything going in his direction prior to the event's end. In fact, from the back of the B-Main, the driver missed out on the transfer to the A-Main by mere inches.

The young gun knew that a checkered flag was a long-shot, but fans could rest assured that there would be no "lollygagging " going on. He was at I-80 Speedway to race in the ASCS-Midwest series and he would give it his all.

Finishing second in his heat on the opening night, Carson McCarl crossed the finish line at I-80 Speedway seventeenth in the field. With the first race behind him, he returned the following night with anticipation of experiencing another bout of fierce racing. Finishing his heat in fifth position, the driver then crossed the finish line during the main in sixteenth place, one spot higher than he had earned the night before.

During the season opener, I was decent, shared the driver. "There were a lot of good cars there, and I was able to put in the show. I was also able to put a sweet slide job on Brian Brown in my heat race, so that was pretty cool."

Referring to his thoughts on racing in the 360 sprint class, McCarl said, "It's awesome! The competition is much tougher, and I love the higher speed." When asked if the experience he acquired in January will prove advantageous in 2012, he continued, "It was good to get a feel for it before going to Knoxville."

Compared to his fellow competitors, Carson McCarl is very young in the sport. Realizing the important role experience plays in one's overall success, McCarl plans to give it all he's got and improve his proficiency with every race. McCarl, being a second generation driver, has been around the racing scene his entire life, and the added experience is sure to prove beneficial. "I just try to absorb what they say, since they have more experience than me," explained Carson. "It will be very important to experience success early this season. It's important to use the momentum and have success all season."

Carson McCarl also understands the importance of his team if he plans to experience a successful 2012. "I have a great team, and they give a great car," he explained. "To be successful, we are going to have to have a good car, race hard and race smart."

As one might suspect, as a member of a racing family, McCarl learned early on how important maintenance can be. He and his crew are strong advocates of using K&N products for their filtering needs. "Maintenance is extremely important. You have to do maintenance after every race. I have been using K&N air and oil filters since I first started racing," recalled the driver. "K&N products are the best there is."

Anticipating an action packed season this year, Carson McCarl has high expectations for himself. When asked what his fans can expect, the driver's answer was short and to the point, "Exciting racing, and hopefully some wins!"

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.

United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) Racer Jason Gross Wins at Rice Lake Speedway

19 Jul 2012

There is a fine line between traction and breaking loose in Dirt Modified racing

Halfway through the 2012 season, Wisconsin's Jason Gross and his GR Motorsports team are feeling good. The dirt modified racer has already found victory lane and has run up front consistently this year, and the best has yet to come, as the team prepares to take ownership of a new car.

Jason Gross holds the checkered flag at Rice Lake Speedway in the Dirt Modified class

"The season has been real good for us so far," team representative Justin Gross said. "We picked up a win at our home track, Rice Lake Speedway, and we've managed to run well with the USMTS guys when we run with them. We are picking up a new car from David Reutimann soon and we are real excited about that too.

"We met with them earlier this year in Florida, and we are looking forward to getting some of that NASCAR engineering on the front end. That will help our program a lot."

Gross said the win at Rice Lake Speedway was the best moment of the season so far, noting that Jason had to drive through the field from the 8th starting position on a fast, dry track. Those tricky track conditions have also hurt the team, and several others in Wisconsin and Minnesota as unpredictable weather has constantly changed the tracks.

"Last Saturday, for instance, it was a real nice day. The car was good in the heat race, really fast. So we made our changes for the feature and in the middle of the race before us, it just started pouring rain. The track took an hour to dry, got real tacky and we ended up finishing in eighth after starting tenth. You pretty much finish where you start.

"Staying on top of (the mechanical aspect) is one thing, but dealing with the weather up here is a big thing. The track also gets really rough because the clay can't hold the moisture, so you're left with a choice of trying to go fast and tearing your car up, or just riding around."

Gross and his team are looking forward to taking the new car to the next USMTS race in August at Rice Lake. After running around in a car that was down on power and still almost grabbing a top-5 finish, Gross said they are excited for a chance to "see how we match up."

Gross said GR Motorsports is thankful for the help K&N provides the team, giving them a chance to be competitive every weekend.

"We've been with K&N for almost a decade. Our engine builder praises my dad every year when it comes time to get the motor refreshed. He tells him 'I don't know what you're doing but this is the cleanest motor I've seen,' and I am one hundred percent sure it is because of the K&N Filters.

"In the past, you could wipe your finger in the carburetor and there was dust in it. With the K&N Filter, we have never had dirt in the carburetor. Having dirt in your motor can be catastrophic. A lost of people overlook the oil filter as well, it plays just as big a part in keeping our motors clean."

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.

2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Ford Mustang GT Gets Simple-to-Install Horsepower with K&N Air Intake

13 Jul 2012

K&N Air Intake Installed on a 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0L

Dyno Chart for the 69-3527TP air intake system

It is said among the automotive community that the older a car is the harder it is to re-create it without losing the things that made it great. The Mustang is one of the greatest classics among the motoring world and in one of the most acclaimed moves in history, Ford decided to revive the 5.0 liter Coyote engine.

K&N Air Intake System for the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Ford Mustang GT 5.0L V8

2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0L V8

This engine is a completely new design. It shares essentially no parts with the old 4.6 liter modular engine and it was designed with high horsepower performance in mind. These attributes all add up to an excellently performing machine and a worthy powerplant for the name "Mustang." But if you want just a little bit more you can always count on K&N to deliver with a Typhoon performance air intake system.

K&N's 69-3527TP air intake produced an estimated 19.5 horsepower and 20.8 lb-ft of torque at 5100 rpm when tested on the K&N dynamometer. The 69-3527TP accomplishes this additional horsepower through the use of an optimized air intake tube, high-flow filter and an enclosed air box that uses a snorkel to feed cooler outside air from around the sides of the radiator. These components work in perfect harmony to help minimize intake restriction and deliver cooler air to the motor in an easier manner. Not only will this air intake add performance but it provides outstanding engine protection and it looks great under the hood with its carbon fiber lid and chrome like tube finish. Additionally, this Ford Mustang air intake system is very easy to install and requires only basic hand tools.

This cold air intake system has been thoroughly tested and is designed specifically for the new 5.0L Mustang. It is guaranteed to deliver horsepower and does not require any additional modifications be made to the vehicle. The 69-3527TP intake system is a beneficiary of K&N's 40-plus years of engineering experience and performance-based construction. And of course, the entire air intake system is covered by K&N's Million Mile Limited Warranty.

Part number 69-3527TP was designed to fit the following Ford Mustang models:

2014 Ford Mustang GT 5.0L V8
2013 Ford Mustang GT 5.0L V8
2012 Ford Mustang GT 5.0L V8
2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0L V8

See K&N's full list of Ford Mustang Air Intakes on KNFilters.com. 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.

Stronghold Motorsports Brushes Off Adversary and Remains Focused on LOORRS Championships

13 Jul 2012

Pressed into last minute double duty, Stronghold Motorsports off road racing prodigy, RJ Anderson made his impressive Pro2 debut at Miller Motorsports Park.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Surely Charles Dickens wasn't writing about the paradox of short course racing, yet those 12 words succinctly capture Stronghold Motorsports Round 5 and 6 performance at Surprise, Arizona's Speedworld Off Road Park.

Two frames after this picture was taken Jeremy and his Pro2 lay in a heap on the track as stunned fans feared for his safety.

The best in this case was 19-year-old off road racing prodigy, RJ Anderson's absolute dusting of the competition. The weekend sweep of both rounds gave Anderson four victories on the season and helped him extend his lead in the chase for the championship in the ProLite division. The worst was clearly not good, and in the split-seconds that it was going down in front of stunned, slack-jawed fans; it appeared as though it might be a truly wicked crash. The star of this YouTube, "This is short course" racing moment, was none other than seven-time Supercross Champion, Jeremy McGrath.

With only a few laps remaining, and a three-way skirmish for second place underway, McGrath entered a blind turn just before the largest tabletop jump on the track. Forced to hold his position, McGrath could only watch as the No.17 and 10 vehicles directly in front of him collided, slowing traffic dramatically. For an instant it appeared McGrath was about to pull-off a spectacular move, flying through the air over the tabletop and over the collision. This being short course racing though, where anything can happen and usually does, the No.17 zigged when it should have zagged, accelerating into the blind side of the landing. McGrath's 4,000 pound truck had nowhere to go but smack-dab on top of the No.17 truck under full momentum. McGrath's Pro2 launched off the roof of No.17 and into a stunning crash that resulted in cataclysmic damage to his truck.

Anderson left Miller Motorsports Park having extended his lead in the ProLite title chase at the halfway point of the season.

"There is always an enormous amount of contact in short course off road racing. Jeremy had been fighting hard throughout the race for position, and with Carl Renezeder and Greg Adler battling in front of him, and taking their past history into consideration, it was almost inevitable that there was going to be some contact between those two," reported Patrick Wagenbrenner, Marketing Director for Stronghold Motorsports.

"Jeremy was racing a smart race and he was looking for his opening, so when Adler and Renezeder got together for that moment, things were looking very good. Then when Carl rolled back over the tabletop as Jeremy was flying over, there was an immediate moment of 'Oh No!' as Jeremy literally flew over the jump on top of Carl and slid across the top of his roof."

"My very next thought was wondering if Jeremy was safe. It was a relief to know that he walked away from an incident like that uninjured. As a team, our thoughts then shifted to the truck itself and knowing that the crew had their work cut out for them in getting the truck ready for the next day. This is intense racing and with back to back rounds on an event weekend, you have to be on your game each day. There was an incredible amount of damage but, as we knew they would, our team did everything necessary to put the truck back on the track for the next round."

After a marathon night of repairs on McGrath's truck he was back to full-throttle for Round 6 the following day.

Undaunted by the severity of the destruction, McGrath's mechanics, joined by the entire Stronghold Motorsports crew, were up to the task of completely restoring his Pro2 truck in time for Round 6 the following day. On Sunday McGrath immediately restored order by returning to the same impressive form he displayed in Round 5, working his way into second place and pushing for the lead. But, with just two laps to go and still in second position, McGrath's truck drifted wide in a long sweeping turn and he relinquished two spots. McGrath was forced to settle for a hard fought fourth place finish.

Next up for the K&N sponsored team was Round 7 and 8 at Miller Motorsports Park in the heart of Utah's picturesque Tooele Valley. Leading the charge for Stronghold Motorsports once again was RJ Anderson, who along with his normal duties of piloting his 425 horse powered ProLite truck, was tapped to fill in for McGrath in the series marquis Pro2 division. Stepping up to the plate Anderson made an inspiring debut with a pair of top ten finishes including an impressive 6th place result in Round 7.

While his focus in the Pro2 class was to gain valuable seat time and to complete each race with a solid result, Anderson's single-minded objective was to continue along his path to the ProLite title. To that end Anderson finished 9th in Round 7 despite an incident with another driver that left him shuffled back in the pack. In Round 8, recovering from yet another incident as he was fighting for the lead, Anderson displayed his resilience and perseverance to the standing room only crowd, as he continued to brawl until the checkered flag for a third place result. In taking home his sixth Lucas Oil Off Road racing trophy, including the four wins in 2012 ProLite competition, Anderson demonstrated that he is indeed the class of the field. Also celebrating a podium result with Anderson was 2010 ProBuggy champion and Round 4 winner, Cameron Steele who finished second.

Although Anderson took some serious abuse in his welcome to Pro2 action, he remained poised enough to collect a 9th and 6th place finish.

"RJ left Miller Motorsports Park having extended his lead in the ProLite title chase at the halfway point of the season," commented Wagenbrenner. "He may be only 19, but he has been very poised and keeps his composure despite taking some hard licks on the track. Winning a short course off road championship isn't easy, especially with 25 other guys on the track that want to put themselves in the position to win at all costs."

"As for Cameron, he has always been a buggy guy and he's shown that he's extremely comfortable behind the wheel of the ProBuggy. On a tight, technical course, he fought hard for his podium at Miller. Overall RJ has been strong all season and Cameron has had some success at Glen Helen Raceway, where we are headed for Rounds 9 and 10. Jeremy has had some great races so far this season while Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg has been making tremendous strides adapting to the big horsepower of the Pro2. We anticipate having a strong showing at Glen Helen. Glen Helen is important to our team. Being in such close proximity to our Riverside, California headquarters, we will have a large number of our friends, family and sponsors in attendance. It is important to us as a team to give them something to celebrate."

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.

Video - 2011 to 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango 5.7L Air Intake Installation

13 Jul 2012

2011 to 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango 5.7L Air Intake Installation Video
K&N now has a do it yourself installation video for their 63-1563 performance air intake system. This air intake fits 2011 to 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango with 5.7 liter engines. K&N dynamometer tests show an estimated 17 horsepower gain at 4944 RPM with use of this K&N air intake add-on. The video demonstrates how simple it is to install a power gaining K&N air intake. See K&N's full list of Jeep Grand Cherokee Air Intakes and Dodge Durango Air Intakes on KNFilters.com.