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K&N Engineering Car and Driver Ready for X Games Rally

Aug 1, 2006

Dreams do come true when you have the hard work and skill to back it up. Former Mitsubishi USA driver Lauchlin O’Sullivan and co-driver Scott Putnam’s podium finish at Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR) earned O’ Sullivan a chance to compete at the first X Games Rally.

“I finished third overall against a host of top-tier competitors battling flat out for just two qualifying positions at the X Games,” said O’Sullivan. “Going into the X Games is incredible. It is a huge deal for me.”

The two fastest drivers in northern Pennsylvania who had not already been invited to compete earned an automatic invitation to the X Games at this rally. It was one of the strongest fields assembled in the history of STPR, something racers were willing to fight for. SRT USA drivers Travis Pastrana and Ken Block took 2nd overall, but were already invited to the X Games. Their finish at this event did not affect their X Games participation.

“The race was intense,” said O’Sullivan. “The car could be geared to go faster but in this race I’m looking for low end power and torque.” The race is a rally enthusiast’s dream come true. It consists of twists and turns, fast straights and deep water crossing. “It’s the extreme radical sport, it’s down and dirty,” said O’Sullivan. “There is a 40 to 50 percent attrition rate. We keep the car on the road most of the time and finished 25 of 28 events over the last 3 years.”

O’Sullivan said they had differential trouble during the STPR Pennsylvania Rally and had to change the transmission mid-event. “We would have taken 2nd but had to stop,” he said. “The gear box would not have lasted another stage in the 10 stage event.”

O’Sullivan is also a stunt car driver for television commercials and the movie industry. He kept his racing hat in the ring and always finished on the podium over the past six years. “I needed a car for the X Games,” he said. “With the help of K&N Engineering and borrowing money from family and friends I now have a car.”

Sullivan will be driving a K&N Subaru in the X Games. “I can’t wait to see the K&N car,” he said. “Even before we were sponsored by K&N I used K&N Filters. You can’t beat the performance and K&N Filters keep the dust and dirt out of the engine.”

The first part of the race will be in the Angeles National Forest. The second leg will be at the Home Depot Center near Los Angeles, California. O’Sullivan, is waiting for the big race. “Stunt driving is the best job in the world, but only when I’m not racing,” he said. “Racing is the best job in the world.”

Follow Lauchlin O'Sullivan's progress throughout the racing season at the K&N news site. 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.

The Ultimate Street Car Challenge Begins at K&N

Aug 1, 2006

The sights and sounds of street cars filled the K&N Engineering garage and parking lot in Riverside, California. Engines roared and the smell of exhaust was in the air as dozens of car owners, crews and spectators watched the beginning of the Ultimate Street Car Challenge.

USCC Challenge at K&N

K&N Engineering has the best facility to test cars for the USCC put on by Sport Compact Car Magazine,” said Sport Compact Car Editor Edward Loh. “It’s an annual event for us at K&N.”

The series of challenges determines the best street car in North America. Tests are conducted to determine peak and overall engine power, skidpad g-force, brake stopping distance, emissions, fuel economy, quarter mile acceleration, drive comfort, engineering and a raw display of power.

For part one, entrants test at K&N’s Riverside facility. Cars were tested one after another on K&N’s dynos. Vehicles at the K&N site included Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Honda, Mazda, Lotus, Acura and Volkswagen.

K&N hosts USCC

The Los Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale, California hosts part two of the event. “The winner of 15 tests gets a trophy,” said Loh. “The best street car in American also gets to be on two issues of Sport Compact Car Magazine. All the cars in the challenge will be on the October cover, and the winner gets a solo shot on the November cover. Most important, the winner gets bragging rights.”

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 Engineering GoodSport Racing Evolution Leads USTCC

Jul 27, 2006

Dave Brown took the seventh round of the United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) race at Portland International Raceway on July 23rd. Brown, driving the K&N Engineering/GoodSport Racing/ Evolution started the race on the front row with Curt Simmons at the pole position.

“The first three laps were very exciting,” said David Bongiovanni of GoodSport Racing. “The 4-wheel-drive on the car allowed Dave to get the lead. Curt and Dale Sievwright traded second and third place for 30 laps. They were at our back door but never able to pass.”

K&N Engineering GoodSport Racing Evolution

Toward the last leg of the 30 minute race the tires started to go. “We had enough of a gap to win the race,” said Bongiovanni. “If it lasted just a little longer we would not have won.”

It was a great race weekend for GoodSport Racing partners Brown and Bongiovanni. “We left for Portland on Friday and made it just in time to get the car out of the trailer for the qualifying session on Saturday,” said Bongiovanni. “The car ran great. We experimented with the Robispec Suspension Stack and Works of San Francisco, California tuned the engine.”

Brown placed 2nd in the qualifying round and was happy to be on the front row. “This allows us to take advantage of the 4-wheel-drive,” said Bongiovanni. “We are very excited about our results in our first full season of racing. Currently we lead with 70 points and hope to win the USTCC Championship.”

Brown, winner of the 2005 U.S. Touring Car Driver’s Championship, and Bongiovanni, a championship winning team owner, partnered in January 2006 to form GoodSport Racing.

“Dave taught me how to race eight years ago and was my first driving instructor,” said Bongiovanni. “Dave was the only driver I trusted to conserve the hardware and get the win.”

Dave Brown in K&N Engineering GoodSport Racing Evolution

The K&N Engineering Evolution is equipped with K&N Oil and Air Filters. “K&N improves the longevity and reliability of the engine,” said Bongiovanni. “We’ve been able to extract more horsepower out of the engine with K&N. The performance of the K&N Filter is spectacular.”

GoodSport Racing is constantly pushing the envelope. “It’s all about making the opportunities happen and never giving up,” Bongiovanni said. “An effort like this takes a lot of hard work and a lot of people. Our sponsors help make everything work.”

Follow Dave Brown's progress throughout the racing season at the K&N news site. 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.

Add Estimated 7+ Horsepower to Honda Civic SI with K&N Typhoon Air Intake

Jul 26, 2006

The sport-compact Honda Civic SI made its debut at the 2005 Specialty Equipment Marketers Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas. The redesigned Coupe has a four cylinder engine and is one of the most fuel efficient cars on the market.

Honda has continuously placed a Civic Coupe in the automotive market since 1992, but the 2005 model can be tailored to the owner's style through aftermarket parts. K&N Engineering proudly displayed a highly modified 2006 at the LA Auto Show in January. K&N employees took a stock Honda and worked to build a show car, considered unique to K&N.

Typhoon Air Intake for Honda Civic SI

K&N has also released a new 69-Series Typhoon Air Intake (69-1014TS) for the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Honda Civic SI 2.0L L4, Coupe. K&N dynamometer tests show an estimated 7.01 horsepower gain @6950 RPM. "The power gain is exceptional for an engine this size," said K&N Project Technician Nestor Cabrera. "This type of gain is usually seen on a much larger engine with twice as many cylinders."

The 69-Series Typhoon Air Intake (69-1014TS) is designed for all new Honda Civic SI's equipped with Honda's high revving 2.0L inline 4 Cylinder with variable valve timing and lift with intelligence. "The Kit is designed with maximum air flow in mind and uses several unique to K&N components such as a high volume 5-inch flange, K&N High Flow Air Filter, radiused filter adapter, heat shield and CNC mandrel-bent aluminum tube," said Cabrera. "The mass air flow sensor is mounted directly on the intake tube for precision and accurate mass air flow sensor readings."

The cab forward Honda design created a few obstacles in the development of the K&N Typhoon Intake System. "To compensate for the tighter engine compartment the K&N Intake Tube was designed using very tight bends and was kept close to the engine," said Cabrera. "The heat shield was also bolted onto the intake tube. Since room was an issue we designed the Intake Kit (69-1014TS) to flow with all the other components in the engine compartment, keeping the bends very tight and designing a compact yet effective heat shield with provisions to attach the factory fresh air duct."

K&N's 2006 Honda Civic SiR on Display in Las Vegas, Nevada

There is a specially designed filter (RU-5147) for this application, said Cabrera. Although it does not use any exotic material it was designed to meet the demands of the Civic SI's engine.

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 New Typhoon Intake Produces 6+ HP for Chevy Cobalt

Jul 26, 2006

A year after its 2005 debut the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt 2.2 liter four-cylinder is one for the fastest small cars on the market. The engine is a 16-valve Ecotec four with twin counter-rotating balance shafts and electronic throttle control.

Air Intake System for Chevrolet Chevy Cobalt

Air Intake System for Chevy Cobalt

K&N Engineering has released a new 69-Series Typhoon Air Intake (69-4515TS) for the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Chevrolet (Chevy) Cobalt 2.2 liter L4. K&N dynamometer test show a 6.6 horsepower gain @ 4750 RPM for this powder coated silver intake. "The power gain is exceptional for this engine," said K&N Project Technician Nestor Cabrera. "We used a slightly larger than average filter (RU-5147) for this car to ensure that the engine would get all the air that it needs."

This 69-Series Typhoon Air Intake (69-4515TS) uses the factory mass air flow sensor installed in the tube and a special radiused filter adapter with heat shield. "The radiused adapter helps provide smooth non-turbulent air flow into the intake tube," said Cabrera. "The heat shield isolates the filter from the engine compartment keeping the air around it cooler."

The design of this vehicle played a major role in the development of this 69-Series Kit. The throttle body placement required the development of a special 90 degree silicone hose with a very tight radius. "We designed this K&N Kit (69-4515TS) so the intake tube would follow the cars natural lines," said Cabrera. "It places the air filter in the location of the stock air box."

With all K&N 69-Series Typhoon Air Intakes there is a thorough development procedure which requires the use of multiple test vehicles. "We conducted a little more testing than usual on this particular Air Intake before reaching this design," Cabrera said. "We were however, able to locate vehicles easily for this project."

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.

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