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K&N Re-Signs Colton Haaker to Race the 2012 WORCS and GEICO Endurocross Series

5 Apr 2012

Colton Haaker's Kawasaki powered machine.

Endurance and fitness are essential for professional athletes, and the intense world of motocross can often bring weaknesses in one's personal fitness to the forefront. That's why Southern California native Colton Haaker has taken to a new sport to keep him fit- mountain biking. And so far, the challenge is helping him in his professional world as well.

Haaker is fresh off a career-best 7th place finish in the Pro category at the WORCS event in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and has consistently run up near the front this season. "The mountain biking has been awesome," Haaker said. "They're good events, great competition and some awesome cross training for my motorcycle competitions."

Haaker is running in a local series in Fontana, California, where he has improved his finishes nearly every time out. He said the events give him a much-needed reprieve from the daily grind of motorcycle racing. "It has been great to ride and race the mountain bike and break up my pattern between my motocross and endurocross riding," Haaker said. "It keeps everything fresh and fun."

Haaker is coming off a career-best WORCS finish at Lake Havasu City.

Haaker is enjoying the 2012 season so far. The WORCS hasn't always been easy, but he's keeping it fun and is learning each time out. He said he hasn't had that 'wow' moment yet, but he also hasn't had a terrible moment either. "All of the moments have been pretty good, but the best moment will be when I win a race," Haaker said.

Haaker is especially looking forward to the start of the endurocross season on May 4th at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. He thinks the extra stamina he is getting from mountain biking will give him an added advantage that his opponents won't have. Most importantly though, Haaker said he is finally truly enjoying his sport. "I am expecting to race and learn and grow in every aspect that I can this year. I want to keep improving and growing. I haven't enjoyed riding and racing as much as I have this year, so I think that's one thing I have going for me."

Haaker said the support he gets from K&N's line of high quality filters is essential in allowing him to focus on racing and not worry about his bike's reliability. "K&N's products are great. They have been easy to maintain and the reliability has always been there in all of my motorcycles. I have to put a lot of trust in an air filter company to run them in my bikes and K&N has definitely earned my trust."

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.

Freestyle Motocross Rider Destin Cantrell Shows New Kawasaki KX450F and Fresh Tricks in 2012

5 Apr 2012

Cantrell has made a name for himself with his gravity-defying whips.

When you're competing in a sport where disaster looms at the end of every jump, the equipment you use can be just as important as your own abilities. So Destin Cantrell, one of the rising stars of freestyle motocross, made the switch to a new bike in 2012, a Kawasaki KX450F.

Cantrell practicing a Cliffhanger at his Southern California training grounds.

"I switched ultimately to get on an all-around better bike," Cantrell said. "To me the Kawasaki is a lot better and just suits me perfectly. I was on a Yamaha for a while, so it was good to make a switch and get on a new bike for the New Year."

Cantrell is hoping the switch in bikes will help elevate him to an elite level of freestyle and ultimately lead to an invite to the X-Games and the Dew Tour; both events are considered the pinnacle of freestyle motocross. After a solid 2011, capped by a strong showing at the Dew Tour's Best Whip competition, Cantrell thinks he can take his signature trick and talents to the top of the sport, but he still needs to master one last move.

"Whips are by far my favorite trick," Cantrell said. "It's not something too many people can do really big, so it's cool to be able to. As most people know, I just need to get the flips down, and those will come when the time is right."

When the flips do come, look out. Cantrell has been mastering the whip and other freestyle tricks since he was 15, when he got his first taste of dirt bike competition without racing. "Racing was definitely my first passion," Cantrell said. "But when I got to try freestyle for the first time at fifteen, I loved it. Obviously I've stuck with it. I just enjoy freestyle more then going to the track everyday and putting motors in. A lot of my friends are racers and I have so much respect for them because it's so much hard work and the training is insane."

Cantrell is looking forward to the summer months and the opportunity to start showcasing his new ride, and K&N will be right there with him. "I love K&N products, they are amazing," Cantrell said. "The filters really give my bike more power, and on top of that they are just so easy to clean. I also use the cleaner on my tires and it just works wonders. I just have to thank K&N for sticking with me through my career, and also a big thanks to Johnny Jump and my family and other sponsors as well."

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.

Jon Henry Racing LTD and Their New Rocket Ready to Blastoff Into 2012

30 Mar 2012

The Jon Henry Racing LTD team entered the 2012 with a full head of steam after a highly successful 2011 season.

Sometimes just knowing you're ready to run with the big dogs is all you get, and often that's plenty good enough to spark a highly success year. Third-generation racer Jon Henry and his Ada, Ohio team opened the 2012 season in promising style, even though their car may not have seen it that way.

The Jon Henry Racing LTD crew traveled to Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky to be part of 33 Late Model field for the opening of their 2012 race schedule. Henry finished second in his heat race and started 4th in the feature. The racing surface was super fast, abusively demanding, and started rolling up quite a bit in the corners, which created a survival mode for racers. Henry moved up into 2nd in the feature before having to surrender on lap 17 after the vibration in his car got too severe.

Jon Henry made it into 2nd place at Florence Speedway before having to retire on lap 17.

"Well we were rolling really good until the vibration continued to get worse and worse forcing me to pull off before any major damage occurred," explained Henry. "Come to find out we had a bad u-joint from our driveshaft and it was almost to the point of slipping out. But take the good with the bad in these situations- we weren't able to finish, but we showed a lot of potential running in the top three with some heavy hitters."

Henry has every intention of keeping the momentum train rolling down his tracks after a stellar 2011 season. "Last season was an awesome year!" adds Henry. "I became a two-time Sunoco American Late Model Series Champion, I was co-Late Model Champion at the famed Eldora Speedway, I finished 3rd in the UMP national points, and won the East region for UMP. It was a very successful year!"

With their new Rocket and help from Scott Smith, plus taking some additional forward steps, Jon Henry Racing LTD feels they're ready for this season.

During the off season the team sold their 2001 Rocket that won a lot of races for them last year, including making it into the 2011 World 100. "After that I bought a brand new 2012 Rocket," said the K&N sponsored driver. "Thanks to everyone at Rocket we were able to spend three days down in Shinnston, West Virginia at Rocket Chassis to completely assembly the car from top to bottom. I also still have my 2003 Rocket that we just kicked off our 2012 season with, but I'm really looking forward to getting out that new Rocket soon."

The highly motivated and thoroughly promising team made some other key changes during the off season by hiring some very experienced part-time help. "Scott Smith, also known as ‘Schoolboy,' has been a big help to getting our program headed to the next level," said Henry. "Another big change was me personally spending some time at Accu-Force Shock Service in Millersburg, Ohio with owner Keith Berner. Keith is very sharp with shocks and with these racecars; he taught me a lot in a short amount of time and it's going to be a huge help to my performance in 2012."

"Our goal is to run in the Summer Nationals this year, which is also called the ‘Hell Tour.' It consists of 28 races in 31 days over seven different states. We will also be contending for another Eldora Speedway Championship, and hopefully we're in the mix again for another run at the UMP national championship."

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.

Ray Cook Earns Spot On Bama Bash Podium

30 Mar 2012

Ray Cook recently competed in the 'Bama Bash' an event that he has won two of the last three seasons.

Ray Cook and the D&R Motorsports team recently rolled into the Green Valley Speedway at Glencoe, Alabama with confidence on their side, as the driver had won the "Bama Bash" two of the last three years. No stranger to the venue and with previous victories under his belt, Cook and his team already had an upper hand on a portion of the field with which he was scheduled to race.

Racing in the Super-late Models class the driver was focused on making sure his car was ready, and taking the necessary steps to make any needed changes throughout the event. Evidently, prepared he was, as Cook set the fastest time in a field of twenty-nine drivers during the qualifying race on the opening night and took the victory in his heat race.

According to Cook, his car handled the track environment to perfection on the opening night of the event. That in mind, adjustments were minute in preparation of the upcoming feature to be held on the following night.

Starting from the pole position for the seventy-five lap feature, "Bama Bash" on the following day, Cook fell back to the fourth spot early on. As the event continued, the driver managed to work his way around fellow driver, Ronnie Johnson, after a restart near the middle of the event. Although the track was in good condition at the beginning of the race, the rigors of racing took their toll with each muddy lap, and the drivers eventually were practically limited to one lane. That said, Ray Cook held the third place spot and took a position on the podium beside second place driver Mike Marlar and the winner, Tim McCreadie at the night's end.

After setting the quick time during the qualifying race at the 'Bama Bash' and winning his heat, Ray Cook returned the next day to finish third in the 75-lap main event, earning a spot on the podium.

When asked if he was happy with a third place finish, Cook said, "Any time you're on the podium, it's a good thing." Referring to the key to earning the position and continued success, Cook continued, "We just have to stay prepared and keep the equipment in top-notch shape."

A race car driver of twenty-five years, Ray Cook's experience will obviously play a large role in his success as the season progresses. Although understanding that the years under his belt will prove advantageous, he is also quick to credit his team with previous and future success as well. "My team is very important," he explained. "I couldn't make it without them. There's no 'I' in team, and there's a reason for that."

Ray Cook and the D&R Motorsports team are also acutely aware of the importance of properly maintaining their race car. That in mind, K&N products are a staple when it comes to keeping the internal components of their engines free of contaminants while ensuring that they have an ample air intake and flow of oil.

"K&N has definitely played a role in our success," shared the driver. "We have been using K&N since 1996, and I've never had a problem with anything they make. We don't have to worry about their performance, which lends to the opportunity to focus on other issues. We use their oil filters, air filters, pre-filters, and cleaners. I think they have the best products on the market."

Ray Cook and team D&R Motorsports are anxious to travel to various tracks throughout the country in the weeks to come and test their racing skills and #53 Masters Built Dirt Late-Model race car against fellow drivers. When asked what fans can expect from Ray Cook Racing in 2012 he said, "More of the same. We will be competitive week in and week out. We will strive to race in a professional manner and hope that performance does most of our talking for us."

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.

Are K&N Air Filters Worth It?

30 Mar 2012

Are K&N reusable air filters worth every copper filled nickel?

Spoiler alert - K&N reusable air filters are without a doubt worth every copper filled nickel. The scrutiny that their value is even up for debate becomes increasingly more absurd when you understand the facts.

As a writer for K&N I’ve interviewed hundreds of racers around the world and from every conceivable motorsport. Be it the undisputed Drift Racing Champion of Ukraine, the Mud Nationals mud racing champion, Italian Grand Prix Rookie of the Year Champion, Baja 500 and 1000 champions, monster trucks and snowmobiles, X Games gold, Peaks Pike winners, motocross champions and beyond – every single one credits K&N filters for being a part of their success. I’ve even written stories about K&N filters stopping bolts, bugs and rocks from getting sucked into engines. Are they worth it some may ask? Are you kidding me I retort?

I don’t shop much for birthday presents, especially not for old friends that say “you shouldn’t have bought me anything,” but then would sulk if I don’t. So this year I got my friend Mike Tuohy a K&N air filter for his 2008 Ford F-150. Seriously, it was the only way to stop him from constantly asking for one. I also feel pretty strong about my gift selection being that it’s something he’ll actually use.

Installing the K&N filter into my F-150 was as easy undoing two clips, removing the old filter, dropping in new filter and sliding it back in place.

Installing the K&N filter into the F-150 was as easy undoing two clips, removing the old filter, dropping in new filter and sliding it back in place.

Purchasing a one-time use replacement also makes nothing but common sense. Mike’s Ford dealer claims he should change his air filter every 15,000 miles at a cost of 40 bucks a pop. The Ford manual says change the air filter at 30K, with an average DIY replacement cost of $25.00 for a paper filter. However, check any F-150 online forum and realistically most drivers change their air filters between 15,000 and 20,000 miles.

The K&N high-flow air filter Mike installed cost about $45.00 and took him about 5-minutes to replace, with the first couple of minutes wasted looking for his car keys. Applying some rudimentary ciphering, and using the 20,000 mile filter change timetable, Mike will have already saved money from his K&N filter after only two scheduled air filter changes. Then 10,000 miles later, after a normal 50,000 miles of driving, he can simply wash his cotton gauze K&N reusable filter and slide it back in place for another 50k. In fact he could probably drive more than three F-150 trucks into the ground before he’d ever have to buy another air filter. How is that possible you ask? Because his K&N air filter comes with a Million Mile limited warranty.

Some people have a tough time fathoming an air filter can go up to 50,000 miles between cleaning intervals, or will last for up to 1,000,000 miles, but since 1969 K&N has built a reputation as the world’s foremost leader in high-flow air filter and high-flow air intake system technology. Millions of drivers have made the one-time filter purchase, and when they immediately noticed the improvements in horsepower and acceleration, they told a million more people. Generally positive recommendations among friends are reserved for good movies and restaurants, yet once he installed his K&N air filter, it was like an automotive epiphany, and Mike just couldn’t help from telling the next person.

I had nearly the same experience last year, only days after installing a K&N air intake system on my wife’s Honda Element, I found myself texting friends about it. I even had an answer for the question “yeah, but what about my warranty?” If a dealership hasn’t done their homework and gives you a hard time, K&N provides a phone number the dealership can call, and they will resolve the issue so you won’t have to.

Such a simple act of vehicular kindness can have you standing out like the smartest guy at the auto parts store. Even if you don’t know the difference between a crankshaft and a muffler-bearing, it’s easy to understand that K&N air filters are engineered with quality materials and a design for virtually unrestricted air flow while maintaining filtration levels that allow your engine to run long and healthy.

Think about it, if K&N were purely looking to make money wouldn’t single use filters every 20,000 miles make more sense. The secret to their success lies in the long-term achievement of their filters, and the people that use them. If winning racers around the globe swear by K&N filters, they’re plenty good enough for our vehicles. Besides, it really is the gift that keeps giving. A million miles is a long interval between sales, and a very long time for Mike to dwell on how to out-present me on my birthday.

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.