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Sometimes a driver just has a special or a favorite track to compete at and after the 2011 NHRA GatorNationals one could be sure that for Rodger Brogdon, driver of The Racers Edge Pontiac GTO, Gainesville Raceway is right at the top.
The Racers Edge Pontiac GTO and Rodger Brogdon
"A lot of people don't know it, but this is the first national event I ever went to when I started drag racing - probably 1984," said Brogdon a former sportsman competitor who has competed in both Super Stock and Competition Eliminator classes.
Brogdon, who had been looking for his first Pro Stock career number one qualifier, took full advantage of the fantastic cool-dry air during Friday's first qualifying session. It was the type of air that the crew chiefs for the naturally aspirated Pro Stock cars dream about and Brogdon's team wasn't the only one who laid down some mighty nice numbers during the session.
During that first session, K&N's Mike Edwards laid down a 6.496 at 213.47 and for only a brief moment enjoyed having posted the quickest and fastest pass in NHRA Pro Stock history, but in the very next pair, Brogdon's team had something just a little bit better.
"We knew when the weekend started that Friday's weather was going to provide all of us with ample opportunity to run some very stout numbers. With cool, dry air and a rising barometer everyone in the category was salivating at the opportunities," he reflected. "The media was all abuzz wondering who was going to run the first 6.4 second run in Pro Stock history, and I'll guarantee you my name never came up. Mike Edwards made his lap right in front of us in that opening session and certainly surprised no one when he went 6.496. When we went 6.495 right behind him, I just knew that someone behind us would run a 6.48 and honestly I was surprised when it didn't happen."
It continued to be quite an exciting day of qualifying for Brogdon and his team as they managed to back up their efforts in session number one to clinch the NHRA National Pro Stock E.T. record in the process, just missing out on grabbing the MPH record as well. Brogdon had tied Erica Enders for the National Speed record, but in this case, Erica had the tie-breaker.
On Saturday the teams continued to push the envelope in the outstanding air conditions and get their final tune-ups in place for Sunday's eliminations.
Brogdon continued to hang near the top of the pack in each session also gaining important championship bonus points by posting the third quickest pass in session three and the quickest in the fourth and final session on Saturday. Doing so, Brogdon became the fifty-fifth driver in NHRA history to qualify number one in Pro Stock and in National ET record style.
"To run the laps we did this weekend and get our first #1 qualifying spot is a testament to the guys on our team. We busted our butts testing this week in Bradenton and brought what we learned there to the race this weekend. The runs we made yesterday & today averaged out to a 6.504, and that is truly incredible when you consider the national record coming into this weekend was 6.509. When we break down and review our runs the 6.495 was a good run, but actually our run today was even better, because the 6.516 we ran in the final session corrected to a 6.481," he said.
"To my guys THAT was our run of the weekend," he added.
In addition to the $3,000 number one qualifier bonus Brogdon and his The Racers Edge team picked up during the GatorNationals, their efforts also moved them closer to the all-important top seven in the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge, now sitting just twenty-five points behind Shane Gray.
The top seven in the point standings, along with a fan voted eighth Pro Stock driver, will vie for the largest single payday in NHRA Pro Stock and the $50,000 check for the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge Champion.
"We really appreciate the support K&N gives to the Pro Stock class with the Horsepower Challenge. Letting the fans vote last year made it even more interesting and gave several of the teams the opportunity to become quite creative in their solicitation of the fan vote," noted Brogdon, who campaigned quite heavily for the 2010 fan vote but secured his spot in the shootout by earning enough points on his own and a shot at the crown.
One can only guess that when Brogdon first took to the historic Gainesville Raceway some twenty-seven years ago in Super Stock for his first ever NHRA National Event, he could have only dreamed of the record-setting weekend he would have in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class come 2011.
The teams have two weeks off before their next event unfolds at The Strip at LVMS and the Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals, April 1-3.
Alyssa new ride for 2011 is Dominator chassis powered by a 270cc stroked big-bore Honda engine.
When last we caught up with K&N sponsored Alyssa Riker she was a 13-year-old 7th grader dominating the banked dirt oval tracks in the West End Quarter Midget Racing Association in her Senior Honda 120. The Milford, New Jersey teenager is now 15, and in 2010 she had one of Alyssa Riker Racing best seasons ever, winning the Modified Class Championship with 12 feature wins - very nearly a clean sweep. Last season she also competed in the 160 heavy class, where she took another three wins and many top-three finishes.
Alyssa Riker and her dad Jamie say they have been installing K&N air filters on their cars for over 22 years because they give them a consistent edge on the track every time.
"Both cars were fast and a contender every week," her dad Jamie told us. "Coming from the back of the pack was a delight to watch, seeing Alyssa pass one, if not two cars, a lap was incredible. This is Alyssa Riker's 7th year racing Quarter Midgets.
Alyssa Riker began racing in the beginner 3.5 horsepower cars at the age of eight, and in 2010 she raced in the Modified Class with 18 plus horsepower cars.
"Quarter Midgets has been a great place for Alyssa to start her racing career," continued Jamie. "We would love to still race a couple races here and there, but the way these tracks are set up, you must be a member and be part of the weekly club for work details and weekly duties. We are not able to make that commitment anymore with the economy tightening the budgets, and the micro tracks also race Saturday nights."
Last season Alyssa Riker Racing won the Modified Class Championship with 12 feature wins.
Jamie says he feels the 2011 racing season will bring new and exciting challenges for Riker Racing.
"A 270 micro is her next car of choice. We were able to obtain a Dominator chassis powered by a 270cc stroked big-bore Honda power plant, these cars are faster and are able to be raced all over the country."
Carrying a checkered flag for her victory lap is a comfortable position for the 15-year-old teenager Alyssa Riker, one she plans on repeating again in 2011 in her new winged 270.
For the past couple of years, during her off season, Alyssa Riker and her family have attended the Special Olympics race in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It's an indoor race scheduled in November of each year and somewhere between 150 and 200 cars show up. To keep herself alert and on her toes, Alyssa Riker also plays basketball on her freshman and JV high school teams, and according to Jamie, the teams win a lot.
"For 2011 we plan on attending a couple of Pennsylvania dirt tracks, Borgers Speedway, Hamlin, Greenwood Valley to name a few," says Jamie. "My goal is for her to get comfortable driving, shifting, and recognizing how a winged 270 drives, compared to a Quarter Midget. Finishing all the entered races comes first, and then by season's end, possibly having a heat or feature win under her belt wouldn't be inconceivable."
And in closing Jamie adds, "Our K&N air filters continue to be consistently great. They give us added performance and excellent filtration on the track. We have been installing K&N products for over 22 years. They always fit the first time with no modifying or cutting."
Unlike most Division 1 racers that are just finishing the final touches on their hot rods to begin their 2011 season in the coming weeks, New York resident Peter Biondo has been hitting the trail hard for the last month and a half and racking up quite the collection of hardware and tons of points in the process.
NHRA GatorNationals at the Gainesville Raceway
Biondo has already posted three NHRA division wins, two in Super Gas and one in Super Stock, along with a division semi-final finish in Super Stock and that was just in his first two events of the season.
Recently Biondo competed in his first NHRA National event of the 2011 season at the historic Gainesville Raceway for the NHRA GatorNationals, where he once again entered in both Super Gas and Super Stock.
He was keeping pace in the rounds with both entries until an extremely close four-thousandths of a second loss in the third round, ended his weekend in Super Gas.
Not the case in Super Stock, as Biondo and his K&N Filter equipped GT/DA 2000 Firebird slashed through the rounds, winning many of them on Biondo's stout reaction times along with his excellent judgment of the ever changing weather conditions.
After Biondo made it through his first round and a broke single in round two, when Bo Kenney was unable to make the call, he had a whopping eight-hundredths of a second starting line advantage over his third round opponent, Jerry Silveus and easily took the round win.
Peter Biondo entered in both Super Gas and Super Stock
"Yeah, they gave me a bunch of room," he explained of his later Super Stock rounds and his competitors reaction times. "Artie Martel was driving pretty good for a while sitting in the thirties and I thought for sure he would step it up a little against me and he went the other way. [Robert] Carpenter was killing the tree before we ran, obviously with internet we can see what everyone is doing and what you are up against. When he got up against me, he missed it a little and went forty-something. I just don't know why, but they were going the other way against me and it was really working out in my favor."
The weather over the three day period of eliminations was ever changing.
"There was a lot of moving with the shoe polish," he noted of the different racing conditions. "I was dialed anywhere from a 9.56 round one on Friday morning to a 9.72 in the final on Sunday afternoon. There was quote the weather variance and it's like anything else, you just have to pay attention, do your homework and be aware of the variables and adjust accordingly."
"We woke up Friday morning for round one and it was 38 degrees with a 10-15 MPH tailwind and by the time we run the final on Sunday, it's 76 degrees and 8 MPH crosswind," he added.
Just like many of his previous rounds, Biondo's final round challenger gave him all the room he needed to easily take the stripe, remaining safe on his dial all while forcing Merrill Schrimscher to breakout in his first NHRA National Event final.
It was far from a first National Event win for Biondo at the NHRA GatorNationals and with this victory he has now notched an impressive six wins at the historic event, five of them coming in Super Stock.
Biondo's weekend was even more memorable since both he and his brother Sal shared the winner's circle after Sal sewed up a fantastic showing in Comp Eliminator, marking the fourth time the two have won NHRA National Events at the same time.
After a month and a half of racing mayhem for the champion racer, Biondo will take a short break in the action to attend to his family business at home. Plans for the next stop on his schedule are for the 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.
With only a few races in the books for his season, he already sits at the top of both the NHRA National and Division 1 point standings in Super Stock and Super Gas, with plans to even do a little Super Comp racing in the months to come.
"I just ordered a brand new dragster and I'm really excited to get the new K&N 2nd Generation Composite scoop (PN 100-8512) that I ordered for it," he smiled. "I have heard a ton of great things about it and the fantastic performance results that others have seen by using it and I wouldn't want anything else for my new car."
"It's just a natural fit for the new dragster to have as many K&N products that I can outfit it with," he continued. "All the cars I compete and win with have K&N air and oil filters protecting them. My engine builder is even using their whole new line of Racing Glue products [www.racingglue.com] and when you think how many passes I have already made this season in a short amount of time, their quality speaks for itself for everything they make."
In 2010, the team's first year on the France Promosport 600 circuit, they managed to finish all seven races, with a season high seventh place coming at 24 hours of Le Mans.
Racer and owner of the French Sigma MBR team, Yohann Suard, says his goals for the 2011 race season are simple - to be happy, to win a race or two, even though he understands that will be difficult, and to continue to surround himself with people that share his passion.
Team Sigma MBR competes on Kawasaki ZX6R's, and for 2011 they will be sponsored by K&N.
Team Sigma is made up of volunteers and racing enthusiasts, the mechanic for example, Aldric Mercier, has a day-job working in commercial heating. Suard says that most importantly the team is highly motivated, as they all share the same passion for racing and all share a prevailing sense of good humor. Winning is of course paramount, but it needn't happen without having fun, according to how Suard sees it.
Including Suard, team Sigma consists of three racers riding Kawasaki ZX6R's, the other two riders are Erwan Quellet and Michel Noel. As a team they compete in the Championship of France Promosport 600, a series which includes seven races. In 2010, the team's first official full season of competition, they crossed the finish line in all seven races, with their best finish being a very respectable seventh place at the 24 hours of Le Mans.
About Le Mans Suard says, "It's nearly mystical. Its 24 hours of racing at breakneck pace. And it requires detailed race strategy, precise teamwork, intense mental and physical preparation, as well as technical mastery, to be successful."
More than ten nations, including the official teams of the largest manufacturers, show up for their shot at mastering the endurance race benchmark, and to perhaps claim the coveted trophy, for team Sigma to make that kind of showing is therefore rather significant.
Suard says he has had a love for motorcycles for as far back as he can remember, and he started riding when he was 14. Making team Sigma a real contender is the beginnings of a dream come true for him, the other part of that dream now is winning.
"In 2010, I found the atmosphere in the circuit paddock and with our team exhilarating, I want more," said Suard. "There are people like Erwan Quellet who is really great with winning, and others like Michel Noel who finds pleasure in competing, and I'm a little of both, so that atmosphere of passion will be revived this season."
Suard says he bought a K&N air filter in 2001 for his Suzuki SVS650, "And today it is still on the bike and it still works just as well. K&N is a guarantee of quality and I like that." Which is why when Suard went looking for sponsorship he immediately contacted K&N first.
"With my team I am surrounded by friends and racers that share my passion for the sport. We are all focused on being organized, reducing costs and together building a structure that approximates a professional team, even if it remains on amateur status because of a lack of budget."
Team Sigma MBR kicks off their season in the beginning of April in the south of France on the Nogaro circuit.
Adding support and team firepower will be Jerry's son Aaron.
Contrary to any initial impressions, Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports is not the title of the latest 3D adventure flick. They are in fact a Salt Lake City, Utah, based team that presently competes in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series, and the drivers and crew say they are pumped and ready for 2011.
The number 23 truck will continue to be piloted by patriarch team owner Jerry Daugherty.
For this season the entries consist of the Pro-4 Unlimited number 23 truck driven by team co-owner Jerry Daugherty, and the number Pro-4 Unlimited number 24 driven by Aaron Daugherty. Formerly known as Daugherty Racing, the Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports team has been competing together for the past five years, and for 2011 they now add K&N to their family of sponsors.
"Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports is extremely proud to be a K&N affiliated team," commented Christie Daugherty, the other co-owner and team manager.
"As an organization, we hold great pride and a high level of importance in our structure building, and in maintaining valuable quality relationships. We are therefore proud to have built this type of relationship with the K&N Engineering Company. We believe that the products offered by K&N are far superior to others in the marketplace, and we feel that these products give the Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports Pro-4 Unlimited trucks a definite advantage on the track."
The Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports father and son team should prove to be formidable to any and all track opponents.
Jerry Daugherty is a veteran short course driver with over 35 years of experience under his helmet. During those years Jerry has placed and won in many varied off-road events, including Crandon, Riverside, the Baja 500 and 1000 and Pikes Peak, to name but a few. After an 18 year respite, Jerry decided to get back behind the wheel in 2005.
"All through the years Jerry has continued to run and build a highly consistent and reputable team that continues to expand and grow," notes Christie.
With two Pro-4 entries and supportive new sponsors, the team plans on flying to victory many times this year.
The 2011 season will be driver Aaron Daugherty's rookie year in the Pro-4 Unlimited class. Aaron has been gaining experience competing in the Pro-Lite class for the past several years. Aaron says he is ready to get behind the wheel and onto the track with his dad.
"Aaron is certain to be a competitive force for the coming years, and he definitely will assist in leading our team to great finishes and future growth," adds Christie.
The rest of the Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports team is comprised of Crew Chief, Jesse Lewis, and the crew of Todd Salazar, Trad Ronfeldt, Dustin Pence and Gary Logan.
The 2010 season ended with Jerry in eighth place in the point standings. "Although a top-ten finish is great," continues Christie, "Jerry is seriously looking to put the Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports Pro-4 number 23 on the podium, and to complete the 2011 season even closer to the top. The team has made major adjustments and changes, and we are excited to see the results on the track. Now with two Pro-4 entries, great sponsors, a well motivated and highly qualified crew, 2011 should prove to be an exciting and successful season for us."
The Live Fast Play Dirty Motorsports organization has also just completed a Pro-2, two-seat show truck, which will be making many appearances throughout the 2011 season. Speaking about the reality off-road thrill ride Christie says, "Sponsors and fans alike will have the opportunity of experiencing a little of what it is like to take a ride in one of these amazing trucks. We love to become involved with our partners and supporters, and we will look to expand on this in the future as well."
