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CUSCO USA Showcases Their Products and a K&N Intake on a 2012 Subaru STi at SEMA 2011

12 janv. 2012

Cusco's 2012 Subaru Impreza STi showcased every product they have to offer at the SEMA Show.

Cusco's 2012 Subaru Impreza WRX STi showcased every product they have to offer at the SEMA Show.

SEMA is all about showing off the world's greatest automotive products. A mixture of performance parts, wheels, tires, and tools are displayed during the event while approximately 100,000 people stroll around in amazement. It is also a great place to meet with manufactures such as CUSCO USA Inc. K&N had the opportunity to check out their sweet 2012 Subaru WRX STi show vehicle and catch up with Steve Enomoto of CUSCO USA Inc.

2011 SEMA featured 2012 Subaru Impreza WRX STi by CUSCO USA Inc.

Here is what Steve had to say about CUSCO USA: "CUSCO is a manufacturer of street-legal and professional automobile racing products including coil-over suspension kits, suspension components, limited-slip differentials (LSD), clutch systems and body/suspension add-on parts such as strut/under braces and roll cages." They offer pretty much everything to make your import handle like a dream. If you need any performance drivetrain or suspension products for your import vehicle, take a look at what CUSCO has to offer. The company began manufacturing parts specifically for Rally vehicles out of Japan in 1977 and now caters to the US market.

The CUSCO STi displayed just about every aftermarket product the company offers. Four CUSCO employees had the task of building the show vehicle in time for SEMA. Not to mention the vehicle had to be driven to SEMA from Orange County. Steve said, "We did it to prove it was a streetable machine."

2012 Subaru Impreza WRX STi in the CUSCO USA Inc. Booth at SEMA.

The STi came equipped with a long list of CUSCO suspension, chassis, engine, drivetrain, and even interior accessory components specific to the 2012 Subaru Impreza WRX STi. Steve made a valid point by saying, "Aftermarket automotive products are much more appealing to the consumer when they are visible instead of inside a glass case or photographs." Physically seeing performance products on a vehicle gives consumers the ultimate understanding of how products fit and look. One such product that not only fits and looks great on the CUSCO Subaru STi is the 69-8005TWR K&N Typhoon™ intake system they installed.

Seeing K&N intake system on the CUSCO Subaru Impreza WRX STI also allowed the consumer to assess the quality of the product. Steve mentioned that, "Everyone knows that K&N is the most reliable and the best choice for air intake/filtration system in the entire world." Knowing that you are using a product you can trust is quite satisfying.

Cusco USA has been attending SEMA for last three years now and there main goal is to improve their presence in the US market. So if you are interested in what they have to offer check out their website.

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 Luke Bogacki Ends 2011 on a Sweet Note With a Pair of $5K Wins at PBIR

10 janv. 2012

A pair of $5,000 wins at Palm Beach International Raceway 5-Day Bracket Championships was the season ending high note Bogacki was looking for.

Now that 2011 is finally behind us we can talk smack about it. Based primarily on observation and feedback, for many, last year was more about survival and adaptation to change than it was about major strides forward. There were as always exceptions, but muddling-on was a preeminent theme for most. Ending the year on a high-note became the coveted brass-ring, a way to restore order heading into 2012. For K&N's Luke Bogacki the sweet taste of positivity came in the form of a pair of $5,000 wins at Palm Beach International Raceway 5-Day Bracket Championships.

"It was a nice shot in the arm and created some much needed momentum going into the offseason. 2011 wasn't one of my better years on the race track, but ending on a high note was great to end with the season on such a positive," said Bogacki.

Bogacki kicked off the weekend with a $5,000 win in the 1/8th mile event behind the wheel of his familiar ThisIsBracketRacing.com backed American Race Cars dragster. After winning the opening round with a .014 reaction time, Bogacki put on a starting line clinic, posting reaction times ranging from .000 to .008 in the remaining seven rounds to earn the victory. His win was highlighted by back-to-back .006 packages in rounds 3 and 4, and a .002 package in the semi-final round. In the final, he used another great .001 reaction time to take the advantage over Gene Drogan and slowed to a 4.596 on his 4.58 dial to take the victory by .010 of a second.

Luke Bogacki staged and waiting for the green.

After a blown engine in round 3 that his crew replaced in a Herculean effort, and a rain delay, when the action finally resumed Bogacki picked up right where he'd left off, rolling through the opening four rounds of competition with reaction times varying from .003 to .009. When eliminations resumed, Bogacki posted a .002 package to dispose of good friend Jason Lynch in the quarterfinal round. He then used another pair of strong reaction times (.009 and .010) to defeat a red-lighting Mike Ledford in the semi-final round and red-hot Jesse Alberts in the final stanza.

"I was really happy with my driving," said Bogacki. "To be .00 on the tree 13 out of 16 rounds, or whatever it was, is great."

Your reaction times were off the hook. Is there something in particular you do off track to hone that skill, or have you always had faster than average reflexes?

"Not really. I'm not a huge advocate of practice trees to be honest. I think it's very hard to duplicate the factors in play when you're actually at the track. When you look at it from afar, consistent reaction times really shouldn't be difficult: the goal of reacting to a light by releasing a button is a pretty simple idea. I think as racers we make it a lot harder than it has to be. The key for me at least, is a concentration and focus ritual that allows me to basically turn my brain off momentarily once I stage. At that point 'thinking' just detracts from my ability to react. It's easier said than done, and like anyone I have good days and bad. The weekend at PBIR was obviously very good. The .00 reaction times built confidence on my part and it just snowballed, a .00 light builds confidence, confidence creates more .00 lights, etc."

Looking back at 2011 what would you say were the highlights that got you pumped and what was the low point that you just had to muddle through?

Luke Bogacki has his priorities in order and keeps them at his side, his mother Ellen Bogacki, and fiancée Jessica Camden (soon to be wife: Jan 21).

"The highlight for my season wasn't a huge win, although I had a couple. In fact, it wasn't a win at all. In early August I got the chance to race my fiancée, Jessica, in the final round of Super Pro at our home track, I-57 Dragstrip in Benton, Illinois. She beat me in the final. It was just a regular weekly event at home, but it was one of my best racing memories."

"On the low point, I don't know if I can single out one particular low point in 2011. I just had a lot of parts breakage, and that took its toll on resources, confidence, and stamina. On the whole, I tore up five motors in 2011 alone."

Having said that what's your overall feeling about last season?

"As a whole, my results weren't great, but overall I feel like my program progressed and we're better for it. Plus we had a lot of fun throughout the season."

So how much are you looking forward to the 2012 season, and have you set any goals you'd care to share?

"I don't know that I've ever been more excited about an upcoming season than I am for 2012. We've been fortunate to align with several companies that believe in our effort and that has allowed us to pursue 2012 with greater resources and better equipment than ever before. I have a new '63 Corvette Roadster on the way from Charlie Stewart Race Cars, and I'll run an aggressive NHRA schedule. We'll compete for the Lucas Oil national championship in both Super Comp and Super Gas. Obviously, that's the goal coming into the season for everyone, but I'd be very satisfied with a top-ten finish in each class. A division title is a huge goal in 2012 as well."

Thanks to his weekend at PBIR, Bogacki closed his 2011 campaign with 12 victories in 20 final round appearances.

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 Sponsored Mike Mans Has a Successful 2011 Drag Racing Season

10 janv. 2012

Mike and his team in the winner's circle in Kansas.

With his parents having been into racing since the mid 70s, Mike Mans comes from a racing legacy. Having been around racing his entire life, Mike became interested in the racing lifestyle at a very young age. "I was that little kid playing in the dirt and racing toy cars on the trailer floor - it's all I ever wanted to be when I grew up," Mike said. By the age of nine, Mike began to race Jr. Dragsters; and by the age of 16, he made the transition to Super Stock.

Thirteen years later Mike continues to race Super Stock. Currently, he races a 2000 Pontiac Firebird with a 304 cubic inch Chevy engine. Mike gives credit to his father for his success and all engine work due to his strong attention to detail and a constant drive for more. "I have been very fortunate in my racing career, and I owe it all to my dad for all the work he does and the preparation he has ingrained into me," he says. This season, Mike was able to win the O'Reilly Auto Parts Nationals in Joliet, Illenois and two LODRS Divisional events. Overall, he ranked 8th nationally and 2nd divisionally making it a very successful season for Mike and his team.

Mike launching in a race at Brainerd Raceway.

Mike stated that his greatest moment this season was having his mother present for his victory at the Juliet National event. This was the first national event she had ever seen him win and her excitement meant a great deal to him. Mike's best run this season was 9.260 at the AAA Club Finals. His career best run is 9.220. In the next five years, Mike hopes to advance his career and move into the Comp Eliminator class. He believes that heads up format where building power and making the cars work on every track and in a multitude of conditions is something at which his team could be successful and excel.

When asked about his love for racing, Mike said it is the taste of success. "The competition and level of talent in our sport makes it so difficult to be successful, that when you are able to leave on Sunday with the trophy, it's a big reason to celebrate," he says. Outside of success, Mike also loves the behind the scene atmosphere. This includes the friendships and even the games of "corn hole" that take place after hours. He sees room for improvement as his greatest motivator. Being his own biggest critic, he always takes notes on different areas that can be improved upon and capitalizes on them. This is what has kept him going throughout his career. In order to prepare himself for a race, he has to shut down his mind and relax. Although this may sound like a simple task, this has proven to be a hurdle for Mike. Being a Mechanical Engineer he often has a lot on his mind. Mike stated, "My pre-race routine is all about staying calm and doing whatever I can to free myself from distractions."

Mike prepping for a race in the staging lanes.

Outside of racing, it is no surprise that Mike is an adrenaline junkie. He enjoys anything that involves a motor. When he was younger, he spent a lot of time riding snowmobiles and racing motocross. In recent years, he has been getting back into these activities.

Not only does Mike use K&N products in his Super Stock vehicle, but he also uses the products in all of his vehicles. In his race car he uses a K&N Wrench-Off Oil Filter as well as a custom K&N Air Filter. Off the track, he has a K&N Intake System installed in both his GMC Envoy and his Chevy 3500 Dually. Mike stated, "We use K&N products because they use quality components and have excellent quality control. Our motors run 10,000 rpms, and oil quality needs to be at its best to keep them running run after run. And since we started running a K&N Air Filter two years ago, we have noticed a significant improvement in the lifespan of our piston rings and hone finish on our blocks. They are second to none."

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.

2010 to 2013 Kia Forte Owners Gain an Estimated 7 Horsepower with K&N Intake

9 janv. 2012

Dyno Chart for 69-5307TTK Typhoon intake system.

One bonus about a sport compact vehicle is the great fuel efficiency. Most sport compact vehicles can achieve 30 plus miles per gallon but they sacrifice horsepower while doing it. The ideal sport compact vehicle would combine the two but that's hard to find.

One way to help a sport compact vehicle get more power is with a K&N air intake system. K&N has been producing performance air filters for over 40 years. These filters reduce restriction so your vehicle doesn't have to work as hard to bring in air. In addition to the filter K&N air intakes are also designed to reduce air restriction. K&N part number 69-5307TTK is specifically designed for several 2010 to 2013 Kia Forte models. It has a heat shield that helps direct cooler outside air into the engine. Cool air and low restriction can result in added power and this air intake system has been tested and shown to increase power. K&N testing on 2010 Kia Forte models with 2.0 liter engines has shown an estimated power gain of 7.4 horsepower at 5501 RPM.

K&N's 69-5307TTK air intake can be used for up to 100,000 before the air filter needs servicing, depending on driving conditions. When it gets dirty you can simply clean it, re-oil it, and replace it for another round of use. K&N air intake systems provide outstanding protection and they come with K&N's Million Mile Limited Warranty so they will most likely last longer than your Kia Forte.

K&N Air Intake System for 2010 to 2013 Kia Forte 2.0L and 2.4L.

K&N's 69-5307TTK intake kit comes complete with:

- Washable and reusable high flow K&N air filter
- Free-flowing mandrel-bent aluminum intake tube with a black powder coated finish
- Steel heat shield
- Hardware for assembly
- Step by step installation instruction sheet

K&N's video 2010 to 2013 Kia Forte 2.0L and Forte Koop 2.4L Air Intake Installation will show you just how easy it is to add power and performance to your Kia Forte or Chevy Cruze.

K&N Air Intake 69-5307TTK fits the following Kia Forte models:

2013 Kia Forte5 2.0L L4
2013 Kia Forte Koup 2.4L L4
2013 Kia Forte 2.0L L4
2012 Kia Forte Koup 2.4L L4
2012 Kia Forte 2.0L L4
2011 Kia Forte Koup 2.4L L4
2011 Kia Forte 2.0L L4
2010 Kia Forte Koup 2.4L L4
2010 Kia Forte 2.0L L4

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.

Duane LaFleur Builds on Positives Heading into 2012 With His K&N '67 Camaro Roadster

5 janv. 2012

For me and every vehicle I race or drive, there is only one choice and that's K&N filters.

Racers that are considered to be good drivers never stop learning, reaching for more and for the most part, never dwell on the negatives. One such racer is Clarence Center, New York's Duane LaFleur and as he heads into his sixteenth year of competition. He continues to look for the positives from each of his events during the season to use as building blocks for the year ahead.

2011 was full of exciting moments for LaFleur and his K&N sponsored 1967 Camaro Roadster, with one of the more notable ones happening for him during the NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. "The Englishtown national event was one of the highlights of my season, where I went to the semi-finals before getting beat by Mike Sawyer," said LaFleur. "The car had a little malfunction that round, but instead of making a negative out of that race, it really was a positive for me because it was a good outing and I feel like I did very well there. I went four rounds at Maple Grove's points race, I left there went to Englishtown and made it to the semi-finals and that was all good," he added. "So those were the highlights of my season."

Every racer has an event or facility that they look forward to on their schedule every season and for LaFleur it would be the NHRA Div 3 event in late August, capped off with a trip to Indy. "Yeah, I really look forward to going to the Bowling Green-U.S. Nationals swing each year," he admitted. "The divisional race prior to Indy really brings a lot of folks out that I wouldn't normally get to race with. I really enjoy seeing the racers at Bowling Green because they come from all over the country on their way to the U.S. Nationals. I've made it to the semi-finals at Indy for the U.S. Nationals and if I'm able to win a big one [NHRA National Event], that's the one I want to win," he continued. "I strive to make that one every year and it's kinda like my ultimate goal- to win Indy."

New York's Duane LaFleur heads into his sixteenth year of competition.

There are some competitors that race just to race while there are others who look to count every point they can obtain over the season, with obtaining a championship as their goal. "I approach each season as not really chasing the points," LaFleur explained of his annual strategy. "I let the points lay where they are and if I need to chase it at the end of the year, I will. I usually try to do six to seven points races a year as well as six to eight national events."

"I enjoy running division 3 events. The people are great and it's a lot of fun and the tracks are nice, but I'm just not a points chaser," he continued. "After I put my schedule together and I go out there and [later in the year] if I'm doing well, that's different. The only time I ever went out there and really chased something was two seasons ago when I was just four points behind Connolly for the JEGS All-Stars, so I had to chase it. I had to go to extra races, ones that even rained out and then I had to go back. I just don't like to be forced to going to a place and if I say that I'm going to chase the points and then go somewhere and it rains out, then I'm obligated to go back. But if I should do well during my schedule, I will go chase it. Really, I don't need to have a certain number on my car at the end of the year. That part just isn't that important to me."

Folks who are familiar with LaFleur from racing or from his work at Jiffy-Tite may find it hard to believe that he considers himself as a fairly quiet kinda guy. "I'm actually a pretty laid back person," he pointed out, "a quiet, family-type individual. I say that because when folks see me at the races or tradeshows or working the midway, I talk a hundred miles-a-minute and I never shut up. When I'm home, I'm an outdoors type of person. I don't like to be around a lot of people. It's just me and my quiet time."

Although LaFleur always has a very busy schedule, certain times of the year put him into maximum overdrive and he's looking forward to taking a breather. "You finish up the race season, then you have three trade shows that you work, plus the holidays tossed in and all the follow up from the shows on top of trying to get the team ready for the next race season. It's fairly hectic," he confessed, "but there won't be much of a break when we will start our race season very soon."

I enjoy running division 3 events. The people are great and it's a lot of fun and the tracks are nice.

"We are busy trying to get everything ready for our February/March outing," he explained. "We are going down south to run the four races which include three NHRA Div 2 races at Orlando, Gainesville and SGMP and a national event at the GatorNationals. So we don't have much time to get everything torn apart, rebuilt and ready to go again. We only make what we call our 'southern swing' every other year, and this is our year to do it. We will be continuing to claim division 3 and we are just getting started early this year."

While LaFleur's race schedule may change a little from one season to the next, how he prepares and maintains his race operation stays consistent right down to the K&N filters that you will always find on his Camaro Roadster. "For me and every vehicle I race or drive, there is only one choice and that's K&N filters," said LaFleur. "The product works. It does exactly what they say it's supposed to do and the results I have had over the years speaks for the extremely high quality K&N puts into everything they manufacture. K&N puts a lot into their R&D, whether it's for a new air or oil filter for a daily driver to the line of filters that are available for motorsports. The wrench-off oil filters, for example, are fantastic inside and out. You get the assurance and comfort of knowing that your engine's oil is being filtered by the world's best filter along with the ease of removing the filter when it's time to change it without a big mess or crushed filter."

"I'm really looking forward to the 2012 season and representing K&N," he added. "I thoroughly enjoy working with a company like K&N who are constantly listening to the racers, working with them to develop products that are not only protecting their large investments but helping to keeping them out there round after round. We all know the harsh conditions that we racers put our power plants through, but with the many ways that the K&N products protect from air filter to oil filters; it's one less thing that we just don't have to worry about."

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.