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Jeg Coughlin Finds His Way Back to the NHRA Pro Stock Pole in Houston

20 mai 2013

Jeg Coughlin became the K&N Horsepower Challenge $3,000 bonus check winner for the NHRA SpringNationals

For the first time since 2010, multi-time K&N Horsepower Challenge champ Jeg Coughlin secured the NHRA Pro Stock pole during the 26th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas. Coughlin became only the second driver of the 2013 season to start race day at the top and grab the low qualifier bonus check from K&N Engineering, as K&N’s Mike Edwards had a stranglehold on the top spot during the first five events of the year.

K&N Horsepower Challenge champ Jeg Coughlin secured the NHRA Pro Stock pole during 26th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals

During the first qualifying session on Friday, it would be Shane Gray and his 2013 Camaro grabbing the provisional pole with a 6.570. K&N’s Mike Edwards, who has been the one to beat during qualifying to this point of the season, made a very uncharacteristic lap and shut off early when his 2013 Camaro shook early in the run and slowed to only a 7.507. In an earlier pair, Coughlin opened his qualifying attempts with a solid 6.604 to jump into the top half of the ladder at number six.

Friday’s second session proved to be an extra important one, as weather would wash any further qualifying the following day. Mike Edwards found a little more of his power and in the opening pair bounced all the way up from the bottom to number two with a 6.572, but it would be Jeg Coughlin who would be hard to stop in more ways than one.

After soaring up to the number one spot by a mere one-thousandth of a second with a 6.569 at 211.20, Coughlin also nearly sailed into the sand trap at the far end of race track after a parachute malfunction. The multi-time NHRA champion was on and off of the brakes in his Dodge Avenger and managed to stop the car just mere inches from getting into the marbles.

Jeg Couighlin marked the 18th Pro Stock pole of his stellar career after his win at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas

“You have to really be ready for anything,” Coughlin said following a masterful driving job. “But I honestly wasn’t ready for that one. Our parachutes always work and work well, and this run was really fantastic but my attention was quickly stolen. Fortunately this is a long shutdown area. It also is a seasoned shutdown area and has a lot of bumps.

“I had to be careful and not lock it up. I didn’t want to slide too much in slowing from 211 to 180 to 160 to 150. Once it gets slower you can slide a bit but you always have to be mindful you have someone in the lane next to you. The last thing I wanted to do was tangle up two of these things.”

Luckily for Coughlin, damage to his Pro Stock entry was minimal and he mentioned that his team would swap out the front tires just as a precautionary measure before Saturday’s qualifying runs.

At this point, Coughlin had managed to stop the freight train of Mike Edwards and if nothing else, at least slow his momentum.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Coughlin admitted following Friday’s activities, when asked how important it was to curb the point leader’s charge. “Mike has had the pole at the first five events and I’m sure if he has anything to say about it, he’s coming for this number one position tomorrow. And to be honest, he has a good chance of doing it.”

Come Saturday, the persistent rain washed out most of Pro Stock qualifying and that left Jeg Coughlin Jr as the number one qualifier as well as the K&N Horsepower Challenge $3,000 bonus check winner for the NHRA SpringNationals, helping to boost his point total for the 2014 Challenge.

His latest feat marked the 18th Pro Stock pole of his stellar career, and now the second at Houston. This was also the first time first time Coughlin held the top spot since joining up with Allen Johnson.

“It speaks volumes as to where our team has come from this year,” he said of his qualifying performance. “We owe a lot of credit to J&J Racing and Allen Johnson, Roy Johnson and the whole family. When we decided to put a two car team together literally with one team and we’ve been fortunate to be able to do that and communicate extremely well. Between he [Allen Johnson] and I and Vincent Nobile, we’ve made a great threat thus far in the ’13 season. To get our first pole in a couple of seasons is fantastic.”

Even if the rains had stayed away, the air conditions were very sticky compared to the previous day, but Coughlin still felt there could have been some juggling of names on the ladder. “I think there was a shout at it,” he said when asked if teams could have improved. “As well as Mike [Edwards] has been running, I think there was definitely a 6.56 out there, probably not much more than that and we were hoping to come back out and run a solid 6.57, unless we just absolutely killed it. We had made some changes to fine tune the car from yesterday.”

With the 2014 K&N Horsepower Challenge chase just getting started three events ago in Las Vegas, Coughlin moves within ten points of current leader, Mike Edwards. Shane Gray, 2013 K&N Horsepower Challenge champ Allen Johnson and Erica Enders-Stevens wrap up the top five.

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.

Related K&N News Articles about Jeg Coughlin: For Second Consecutive Year Jeg Coughlin Dominates the K&N Horsepower Challenge Fan-Vote; NHRA Pro Stock Drivers Jeg Coughlin, Greg Anderson, Roger Brogdon and Jason Line; Jeg Coughlin Grabs First Number One NHRA Pro Stock Qualifier for the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge; 2009 K&N HP Challenge Champion Jeg Coughlin Grabs No.1 Qualifying Spot in NHRA Pro Stock;

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K&N’s Lance Coury Wins Speed & Style Gold at 2013 Summer X Games in Brazil

20 mai 2013

Coury has worked hard to belong on a short list of the world’s best, the X Games gold confirmed that the effort is paying off.

Does speed trump style or will creative flair dust simple blunt force? That’s the question the X Games Speed and Style event answers in the most ridiculously entertaining fashion. The event pits the world's fastest racers against the planet’s premier freestylers, creating the ultimate arena showdown, to decide who the fastest freestyler is. At the 2013 Summer X Games held in Foz Do Iguacu, Brazil, competing on one of the biggest courses to date – that answer was Lance Coury.

K&N’s Lance Coury tapped Speed and Style gold in his first ever X Games.

“It was a dream come true,” declared Coury. “Riding the X Games was always a career goal, and to come in and win a Gold medal was just insane! Definitely a career highlight.”

What makes it insane is that this was the Honda rider’s first ever X Games appearance. The rookie who didn’t even expect to make it to the games, proved without question that he belongs with the world’s best, as he defeated Andre Villa in front of a hugely whipped up Brazilian crowd to win the gold medal.

The Speed and Style event at the X Games is set up as a four lap race around a Supercross style track consisting of whoops, rhythm sections, and a freestyle motocross jump. “The first three laps you have to do FMX tricks which are judged for points,” Coury explains. “And the whole time you are battling another rider to progress to the final round. Each second you beat your opponent by, adds to your FMX score to decide the official winner. It’s complicated in writing but exciting to watch!”

The Canoga Park, California rider tends to draw a crowd wherever he rides.

The gold medal was also a personal validation that Coury is clearly on the right path to emulate his career role model, Travis Pastrana. >

“Pastrana is that guy who always looks like he is happy and having a good time, and how could you not respect and look up to him,” Coury asks rhetorically. “I want to have fun with whatever I am doing just like him.

The sky’s the limit for the fastest freestyler.

I want to keep progressing and push forward. There are more events in the future and the competition is always there!”

Pastrana won the Speed and Style gold in 2010, three years after the discipline was first introduced to the X Games roster.

“Heck yea I plan on defending my title!” answers Coury when asked about next year’s X Games. “Winning Gold was an awesome feeling, I want it again!”

Next up for the K&N backed rider is the X Games in Barcelona, Spain starting May 16-19.

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.

Related K&N News Articles about Lance Coury and Freestyle Motocross: Freestyle Motocross Rider Lance Coury Teams Up with K&N for 2011; Freestyle Motocross Rider Destin Cantrell Shows New Kawasaki KX450F and Fresh Tricks in 2012; K&N went to PALA raceway near Fallbrook, California to catch up with Freestyle Motocross rider Robert Haslam

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Aston Martin Celebrates FIA World Endurance Championship Bid with Double Victory at Silverstone

20 mai 2013

The four car Aston Martin Racing team exceeded expectations at Silverstone, prompting Team Principal, John Gaw, to admit that this bodes well for the team’s championship drive.

When Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford founded Aston Martin in 1913, they couldn’t have foreseen that their British made luxury sports cars would one day rule the roads, and dominate the motorsports kingdom. To celebrate the illustrious brand’s 100th Birthday, Aston Martin Racing has thrown down the gauntlet, declaring that they have it in mind to win both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

The winning No.97 Vantage GTE finished one lap ahead of their nearest rival in the GT Pro category.

After partnering with K&N earlier this year Warren Jones, Technical Partner Manager at Aston Martin Racing remarked “The partnership of these two great companies working together at the highest level of GT Racing will focus on one goal - to win!"

The first event of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship got underway at the distinguished marque’s home track, Silverstone, located in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. And making good on Jones’ forecast, Aston Martin Racing got off to a near perfect start at the Six Hours of Silverstone, earning a double victory in the ultra-competitive GT class.

Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke and Bruno Senna ran a flawless race to victory in the Pro class in their No.97 V8-powered Vantage GTE. The trio led the race from start to finish. The three drivers survived an early traction control problem, rain and relentless pressure in the first hour from both its sister No.99 Aston Martin Vantage (Paul Dalla Lana, Frederic Makowiecki and Pedro Lamy) and the No.51 AF Corse Ferrari 458. However, the British-German-Brazilian driver lineup managed to stretch out a lead they would never surrender, finishing one lap ahead of their nearest rival in the GT Pro category. The race-winning 2013-specification No.97 completed 171 laps of the 3.7-mile Silverstone circuit, amounting to a total race distance of more than 630 miles at an average speed of 108mph.

The trio of Christoffer Nygaard, Kristian Poulsen and Allan Simonsen, celebrate their GT Am win.

The second triumph came from the Danish trio of Christoffer Nygaard, Kristian Poulsen and Allan Simonsen, driving the No.95 car to victory in the GT Am.

Aston Martin Racing also earned a another podium finish with Pedro Lamy, Paul Dalla Lana and Frédéric Makowiecki, who put together an impressive performance with third place in the No.99 car in GT Pro. The trio crossed the line a single lap behind the winning No.97 machine, and within 13 seconds of the second place car after six hours of racing.

The fourth Gulf-liveried Aston Martin, the No.96 car of Jamie Campbell-Walter, Roald Goethe and Stuart Hall, finished fourth in GT Am, after being in contention for a podium finish the entire race.

While celebrating their near perfect start to Aston Martin Racing’s world championship bid, Darren Turner said: “That was an amazing result! We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season. Stefan, Bruno and myself all pushed hard throughout what was, at times, a difficult race. However, the car was prepared perfectly with a lot of hard work and the result is a great reward for everything. Praise to our chief engineer, Dan Sayers, who has done a great job with the 2013 car and given us a package that should see us have a solid season.”

Aston Martin Racing conquered the GT Pro podium with first and third place.

Making his WEC debut, Bruno Senna added: “I’m really happy to start my GT career with a win. It’s been great joining Aston Martin Racing and to get a pole position and win and go home from our first WEC race of the year with so many points for the championship is unbelievable. It was a tough race; we had to push hard while avoiding accidents, but my team did a great job. We must now keep pushing hard; the competition here is very, very strong.”

Allan Simonsen, speaking for the No.95 GT Am winning car, commented: “I’m very happy on behalf of the whole team. It was a big push to get us here and to start the season with points is fantastic. To do it on Aston Martin Racing’s home turf is even better; we couldn’t be happier.”

John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing, concluded: “Today’s outcome was better than we anticipated. We got much more than we expected out of the first race of the season; we came here aiming to score points with all four cars. This certainly bodes well for the championship.

“To do this at our home race in Aston Martin’s centenary year is extra special. I’d like to particularly thank the technicians and engineers and all others who have worked tirelessly since Shanghai to expand to this four-car effort. We look forward, as a team, to challenging for more race wins.”

The FIA World Endurance Championship resumes in Belgium next month at the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday, 4 May.

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.

K&N's Mike Edwards Sweeps NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Pro Stock - From Record to Win

18 mai 2013

NHRA racer Mike Edwards and his all-new 2013 Chevy Pro Stock Camaro

While the 2013 season may still be young, it has been quite good one already for K&N’s Mike Edwards and his all-new 2013 Chevy Pro Stock Camaro. After taking the NHRA Pro Stock pole at the first five events of the season, including the most recent NHRA event and the 4th annual Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, Edwards finally was able to put the first check in the win column for season at the race just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.

K&N’s Mike Edwards (2nd from top) at 4th annual Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals

Starting with the first event out of the gate for Edwards and his Interstate Batteries/K&N/I Am Second Camaro at Pomona, he has been laying down some fierce numbers in qualifying. He made his fist final round appearance of the season during the second event on the schedule at Phoenix, where he took runner-up honors and from there, headed across the country to reset the NHRA Pro Stock E.T. record during the GatorNationals in Gainesville, Florida with his 6.473.

Edwards left Florida with a semi-final finish and crossed back to the west coast where he again took the top qualifying honors during the 14th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas and added more points to his growing total with another semi-final showing.

Those were all just stepping stones to the weekend he would have in Concord, North Carolina.

Rain during the first day of qualifying on Friday washed out the majority of the professional sessions, with only a good handful of Pro Stock drivers getting a look at the track, and Edwards was not one of them. The following day, Edwards came right out of the gate to blaze down the zMax Dragway quarter-mile to a 6.471 showing he was well prepared for the event, even with the shortened amount of runs.

In the final session, he would follow that up with a 6.490, the quickest of the session and all he needed to back up the 6.471 from earlier to make it the new NHRA National Pro Stock E.T. record and grab his 46th career number one qualifier.

Mike Edwards wins NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Pro Stock class

“Today was an awesome day,” Edwards said after qualifying commenced. “I never would have believed that we could be number one at the first five races. That’s so hard to do. So far, qualifying has been great, but I need to work on race day. Hopefully we can run good tomorrow.”

Now with five consecutive number one qualifiers, setting and re-setting the Pro Stock E.T. record already this season, Edwards was just lacking the icing on the cake and that was to go on to win on Sunday.

The former 2009 Pro Stock champ from Coweta, Oklahoma first faced, Frank Gugliotta, Vincent Nobile and V. Gaines in round one of the Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. It was Nobile out of the gate first, but by the 330 foot mark, Edwards had made his way past and went on to share the round win with V. Gaines.

Edwards would again face V. Gaines in the round two quad matchup along with Greg Anderson and 2013 K&N Horsepower Challenge champ, Allen Johnson. Both Gaines and Johnson turned it red, giving the instant win to Anderson and Edwards. Edwards still had plenty for the group and laid down a nice 6.482 on his way to the final round.

In an all-Camaro-final, Edwards faced Shane Gray, Erica Enders-Stevens and Greg Anderson. Edwards would use a .009 reaction time paired with 6.495 to edge out Enders-Stevens for his first win of 2013 and the 35th NHRA Pro Stock Wally of his career. In doing so, Edwards was also the first Pro Stock driver to win the Dollar General Four-Wide Nationals from the pole position and ended a dry spell that stretched back to Bristol in June of last year.

"It does feel satisfying to actually close the deal," Edwards said winning. "We've had numerous opportunities, I guess five of 'em. It does feel good to win. Anytime you can run real good and win, it feels good.”

"It was just a phenomenal day -- phenomenal weekend, really. After all the rain, we got some great weather and some great racing. It just feels good to win. It really does," said the Interstate Batteries/K&N Camaro pilot.

"We ran good, but we just were really, really conservative. I keep shooting myself in the foot on Sunday. We made a commitment that if we run really good, if we get beat it's not going to be because we squared the tires or shook the tires. We were going to get beat because something else happened, probably because of that lame-brained driver we've got," Edwards continued.

"It just feels good to go down the track every run," he said. "If you give yourself an opportunity to go to the finish line, you've got a chance to win, especially in our car."

"Just hat's off to Paul Hoskins and Dan [Cordier] and Allan [Lindsey] and all those guys. They do a tremendous job. They worked hard over the winter," he said. "Phenomenal. I don't know -- it seems like we keep getting faster and faster.”

When asked to compare this season to his 2009 title season, Edwards noted, he has gotten off to a much better start. He won five events that year, so he admitted, "wins aren't there yet. But anytime you can run good and have a chance, that's all you can ask for. Right now we're doing that. It's a long season. [We] feel good about our program, feel good about our car, and my team's coming together. One championship is awesome. Another would be great. That's a bird in the bush right now. We're just going to try to keep consistent now and try to keep the wheels on this thing."

When it comes to adding up the points, the K&N racer is quick to point out that he's "absolutely not" looking at the points at this early stage of the season.

"The first thing we do when we set out is to make the Countdown. We haven't done that yet, so we've got to keep going," Edwards explained. "It's two seasons in one. Once you get in, anything can happen in those last six [races]. It's a long season, but I like our start. I like the way our team's going. I like everything about what's happening. We've got some races to go. I hope we can get stronger."

Edwards and his team do an extensive amount of testing between events and he points out that he won’t be letting up any time in the near future.

"We test all the time. We tested Monday and Tuesday before we came here, at home in Tulsa. This class, these guys, they're blood-hungry. They don't stop for nothin'. You'd better not look back -- they'll run smooth over you. We've got to keep our heads to the grindstone, keep working away."

While Edwards may not be counting the points, he and his Interstate Battery/K&N Filters Chevy Camaro have earned their way to the top of the NHRA Pro Stock standings with their current eight-four point lead over defending Pro Stock champion, Allen Johnson. The teams will do battle again back to the dual lane tracks, starting with the O'Reilly Springnationals at Royal Purple Raceway at Baytown, Texas, just outside of Houston.

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.

Related K&N News Articles about Mike Edwards: NHRA Pro Stock Champ Mike Edwards Sports K&N Colors at Last Two Western Swing Races; K&N's Mike Edwards Holeshots His Way to NHRA GatorNational Pro Stock Wally; K&N's Mike Edwards Grabs Final Pro Stock Pole of 2011 at NHRA Finals in Pomona; K&N's Mike Edwards Claims Fourth NHRA Pro Stock Pole of 2011 in the Arizona Heat;

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NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Driver Ryan Gifford Wins Blue Ox 100 at Richmond International Raceway

18 mai 2013

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East racer Ryan Gifford

It took Ryan Gifford more than three years and some time racing in the dirt to win his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race.

Gifford took the lead from Cole Custer on lap 78 and won the Blue Ox 100 at Richmond International Raceway in Virginia, the fourth race in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Ryan Gifford won the Blue Ox 100 race at Richmond International Raceway.

"This is something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life," Gifford said. "To come here after four years being in the series, coming up short so many times, to be able to go out and do this is just awesome. I want to celebrate it and make it a memory I'll be able to tell my children."

Gifford won his first race in 44 career starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

He qualified 11th and had to work his way through the field to take the lead. Gray Gaulding won the pole and became the youngest NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver to win a pole, breaking the mark held by Chase Elliott. Gaulding is 15 years, 2 months and 15 days.

Gaulding led the first 53 laps of the race before making contact with Corey LaJoie. Both drivers, the top two qualifiers in the race, did not return.

Custer took the lead from Gaulding on lap 54 and was out front for 24 laps. Gifford passed Custer for the lead and held it for the final 23 laps of the race at Richmond International Raceway.

Ryan Gifford celebrating his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race win at Richmond International Raceway

"I think this one was good, but I think there's many more to come," Gifford said. "I think now we got the ball rolling, I feel like there are a 1,000 pounds lifted off my shoulders to go out and get this first win. Now we can go out there and hopefully click them off."

Brandon Gdovic passed Custer and finished in second place. After the race, he said he was happy to see Gifford finally win a race.

"I know he's been wanting one so bad," Gdovic said. "He's been in the series longer than I have. It's great to see him in Victory Lane. The win probably helps the crew more than the driver. It reflects all the work they put into the car. When the car runs wells, they did their job right."

Gdovic started seventh and like Gifford had to work his through the field to reach the front.

"The car was definitely right tonight," Gdovic said. "I think we had the car to beat. Unfortunately came up one short there. My guys put in so much work to get this new car out here. Obviously they did it right."

Custer, a rookie making his fourth start in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, finished third, but triggered a crash at the end of the race.

"I wish we could have won it," Custer said. "I feel bad about stacking up the cars behind me."

Brett Moffitt, the leader in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings after four races, was sixth. Gifford moved into second place in the K&N Pro Series East standings, seven points behind Moffitt.

Mackenna Bell, Gifford's teammate, was fifth. For the first time in the 26-year history of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, a woman driver has finished in the top five in three races in a row. Kenzie Ruston finished in the top five at Greenville Pickens Speedway and Five Flags Speedway. Bell made it three in a row with a fifth-place finish at Richmond International Raceway.

The next race on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule is the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina on June 1.

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.

Related K&N News Articles about NASCAR K&N Pro Series East: Ben Kennedy Wins First NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Race of His Career at Five Flags Speedway; Dylan Kwasniewski Wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Season Opener at Bristol Motor Speedway; NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Racer Gray Gaulding Gears up for 2013 Race Season; Corey LaJoie Wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Race at Greenville Pickens Speedway;

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