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Kyle Larson & Paul Silva Team Up to Win Thunderbowl Raceway's 20th Trophy Cup Title

Dec 2, 2013

In arguably the most memorable finish in the history of the event, Kyle Larson held on in the Silva Motorsport car to win the race and the overall Trophy Cup title

Kyle Larson, the 21-year-old Earnhardt Ganassi Racing development driver, and newly crowned 2013 Rookie of the Year in the Nationwide Series, teamed up with Paul Silva to win the coveted Trophy Cup. Both Larson and Silva have longed to add this particular title to their illustrious resumes. And now Thunderbowl Raceway's 20th Trophy Cup, along with Larson and Silva, will forever be linked together in racing history. Larson, from Elk Grove, California, drove the K&N sponsored Silva Motorsports No. 57x Winged Sprint from a second to last place start in the fifty lap "A" Main event, through the highly completive twenty-four car field, to claim both the race and the overall event title in thrilling fashion.

The 2013 Rookie of the Year in the Nationwide Series, Kyle Larson, teamed up with Paul Silva to win Thunderbowl Raceway's 20th Trophy Cup

"I can't thank Paul Silva enough for the opportunity to drive his car, and come out and finally win this thing," Larson said. "He's never won it as a car owner and crew chief, and I've always seemed to have bad luck, so I'm just really happy for everyone involved."

"Winning the Trophy Cup is a huge deal for my team and me," Silva added. "As a car owner it has been a race that has eluded me for so many years, and to win it in its 20th year is pretty special. The idea that the event is philanthropic, and is doing so much for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, adds even more luster to it. Being such a tough format and having such stiff competition really makes it a marquee event nationwide, and to finally have the trophy in my shop is a great feeling."

The prestigious Trophy Cup brings the best sprint car drivers to Tulare, California each year, and it always delivers with some of the most exhilarating racing of the season. And right down to the wire, the 20th running of the event clearly made good, and exceeded all expectations. When the yellow flag came out for the final time on the 47th lap, it set up quite possibly the most memorable finish in the history of the event.

Once back under green, Larson hounded the race leader ,Brad Sweet, and as the white flag flew he slid in for the lead in the first set of turns, but Sweet was able to turn back down under him and hold the advantage. Drag racing into the final two corners, Larson stayed high with a full head of steam as Sweet went to the bottom, and as they came off the last corner they made contact. Larson got into the wall, but he stayed in the throttle and willed himself across the finish line in first, claiming both the race and the Trophy Cup title.

"It was an exciting last lap," Larson remarked, "we made contact in the final corner, and I just stayed in the gas hoping I could hang on, and it worked out."

Kyle Larson and Paul Silva teamed up for a number of important wins during 2013

Silva's take on the dramatic battle to finish line was, "With the Trophy Cup being such a big race, you have two races going on, not just the physical race, but you also have the Trophy Cup points chase going on. With Brad Sweet out of contention for the overall Trophy Cup title, he was doing what he could to win the race, and Kyle was trying to win both the race and the Trophy Cup. The two of them went at it pretty hard for a few laps and Brad was trying to block another slide-job, but Kyle had a huge run on the top, and it really wasn't malicious. Fortunately Kyle was able to keep his foot in it, and somehow limp across the finish line."

"There is no question that Kyle is a tremendous talent, who can do some pretty special things behind the wheel of any type of race car. And with him being from California, like myself, and growing up racing in front of me, it was really a no brainer to give him a shot in my car when he was available," Silva explains as to how their partnership came to be. "We've now built a pretty close friendship, and when his schedule and my schedule allow, we try to race together at some big events."

The duo's last triumph together was the World of Outlaws feature event at Antioch Speedway back in September. However, what makes the Trophy Cup win even more significant is that there's no telling when Kyle Larson will have an opportunity to race sprints again, as all his focus will certainly be on NASCAR in 2014.

"I am currently in the process of getting ready for 2014," Paul Silva said, "but I have to thank everyone at K&N for the awesome support they provided in 2013."

Silva Motorsports 2013 season by the numbers: Races-22, Wins-6, Top-5's-15-, Top 10's-17

Related K&N News Articles about the Thunderbowl Raceway: Andy Gregg Talks About His Current Season and Looking Forward to The Trophy Cup Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway; Sprint Car Driver Jonathan Allard Eager for World of Outlaws at Thunderbowl Raceway; Terry McCarl Takes Fourth Place at Thunderbowl Raceway; Jason Meyers Makes History at World of Outlaw's Then Wins at Thunderbowl Raceway

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Jessica Clark Qualifies 3rd & Earns 1st Top10 in Lucas Oil Modified Series' Topless 100

Dec 2, 2013

In her first season of Lucas Oil Modified Racing Jessica Clark has earned the respect she was looking for

Jessica Clark had six long weeks to wait and prepare for the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series presented by Loan Mart, Topless 100, hosted at the infamous I-10 Speedway in Blythe, California. And the team's first top-10 finish was well worth the wait. The quarter-mile paved oval is bullring shaped and its tightly wound nature makes passing difficult at best. To get ready for the challenging event Jessica Clark Racing executed some astute out-of-the-box thinking.

"Part of our normal car maintenance prior to each race involves straightening out any panels that may have been bent from the previous race and replacing any bumpers that are too bent out of shape to fix. This time we did the opposite!" Clark remarked "We put all of our bent door and quarter panels on the car, along with semi-smashed bumpers for the race in Blythe. We knew that they would only be further damaged in the 100 lapper, because I-10 Speedway is one of the most difficult tracks we travel to."

Jessica Clark qualified 3rd at the Topless 100 and she finished the Main in 6th place

Clark, a 19-year-old rookie in the Lucas Oil Modified Series, made it clear she's intent on earning the respect of her fellow competitors, and by all measures, he's succeeded big-time. Based on her lap times during practice her crew wasn't even certain he would qualify in the top-10, but Clark was merely taking some extra time to get her line down, which proved to be yet another savvy move that paid dividends.

"I wasn't that worried," Clark said, "I knew I would drive the car at 102% in qualifying." And the talented young K&N driver made good on that forecast. "When I rolled back into the pits after qualifying, I felt as if I had overdriven the car. I asked my dad where he thought I qualified, but he didn't have a clue. Then I saw my mom running through the pits with a big smile on her face. 'You're in 3rd!' she exclaimed. What a great feeling that was!"

Jessica Clark followed up the Blythe race with another top-10 finish at Havasu 95 Speedway

Clark lined up for the Topless 100 Main in 6th position, along on the outside. "The inside line is preferred at this track since there is no grip on the high line, so I had my work cut out for me right from the start," she said. The race ended up having minimum of seven cautions and three red flags, yet Clark managed to stay out in front of the mayhem, and by lap 50 she was running in a solid 5th place, and had even moved into 4th place at one point. Ninety grueling minutes after the race started, wearing a helmet-wide grin, Clark crossed the finish line in 6th place. She and the team had finally earned that confidence boosting top-10 finish they had been looking for.

"It felt great to finish in 6th place especially at a track like the I-10 Speedway," declared Clark. "I think what felt even better however, was qualifying 3rd for that race. I was able to show everyone that I didn't just get lucky in the feature. I earned my spot by qualifying well. I am so proud of my team and their efforts. I travel to races with my dad, mom, and one other crew member (usually my friend Zac) and the four of us work extremely hard all race weekend. None of us have ever wrenched on a Modified before this season so I am very happy with how quickly we all learned and progressed. We have high hopes for next season."

The Lucas Oil Modified Series generally goes with "Cone" restarts, but with racing being a spectator sport, a decision was made that double-file restarts in Blythe might add even more excitement. It was in that scenario that keeping on the old panels and bumpers proved to be a wise decision for Jessica Clark Racing.

"The double file restarts were 100% for the crowd," Clark confirmed. "And they (fans) got to see more than enough crashes, and unfortunately, it caused a very long race. It didn't affect me because I qualified well enough to get a starting position up front. Things started to get a bit messy from the 5th row back on the restarts though, because the outside line is nonexistent. I made a couple attempts to gain positions on the restarts by choosing the high line, but it never helped because I didn't have enough traction out there."

Riding the momentum from her results at the Blythe event, in her next race at Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Clark finished with another 10th place.

"I was really excited for that race because it's a very ‘racey' track," said Clark. "By that I mean that the track has more than one line. But for some sad reason though, the high line disappeared after about 20 laps in to the 75 lapper. That is when I found myself stuck behind some pretty slow cars. They added a little curb to the inside of the track so that the drivers couldn't put their tires in the dirt (mainly on the exit of 4), and this detail made it very hard to pass, because slower cars would suck down to that curb and never give up an inch. I used to like to make my passes there by hanging one or both of my left side tires in the dirt, and then drag race the other car down the front straight. But I couldn't do that this time. I may have turned a couple of the slower driver's panels into ‘old panels,' but I didn't wreck anyone, and I got our team one more top-10 finish!"

Related K&N News Articles about the Lucas Oil Modified Series: Jason Patison Wins the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series LoanMart Hot August 75; Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series Racer Chris Gerchman and Series Champion Jim Mardis Battle for Points; Lucas Oil Modified Racaing Series Stock Car Racer Jessica Clark Continues to Improve Her Skills; K&N is Onboard for the 2013 Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series’ Most Competitive Year Yet

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2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Impala 3.6L Gains Estimated 11 Horsepower with K&N Air Intake 69-4526TS

Nov 22, 2013

K&N Air Intake under the hood of 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Impala 3.6L

The Chevrolet Impala is one of the best known sedans to come out of the Chevrolet camp. It has seen success as a full-sized sedan since its inception in the 1950s and the 2013 Impala 3.6 liter V6 follows suit. The 2013 and 2014 model years offers a large trunk, a comfortable ride, spacious interior, and a respectable 300 horsepower to the flywheel. So how can one improve upon this solid sedan foundation? With a guaranteed increase in horsepower from the K&N 69-4526TS Typhoon performance air intake system the Impala can get up and go when the need is there.

K&N Air Intake System for 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Impala 3.5L

K&N Air Intake System for 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Impala 3.6L

The 69-4526TS air intake system is precision engineered to increase horsepower and acceleration. It utilizes an aluminum intake tube to help streamline airflow into the engine and the tube is powder coated silver in a durable and sleek finish. This system also incorporates a heat shield into its design to help shield incoming air from heat coming off of the engine. The inlet of the tube is fitted with a K&N RF-1048 oiled cotton gauze air filter to help minimize restriction while maintaining excellent filtration efficiency. The filter is also washable and reusable so it never needs to be replaced. It can even go for up to 100,000 miles between cleanings, depending on driving conditions.

All of these top-notch design components come together in perfect harmony to create one thing - additional horsepower. On the dyno, the 69-4526TS made an estimated additional 11.7 horsepower at 6218 rpm and 8.2 pound-feet of torque at 4618rpm to the wheels.

Dyno Chart for K&N 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Impala 3.6L Air Intake 69-4526TS

The 69-4526TS is simple to install and does not require any additional modifications be made to the vehicle in order to produce additional horsepower. To top it all off, it's backed by K&N's famous Million Mile Limited Warranty.

If you're looking for a simple, stylish, and sporty performance upgrade to your 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Impala 3.6 liter V6, look no further than the K&N 69-4526TS Typhoon air intake system.

For all K&N Chevrolet Impala 3.6L air intakes visit the Air Intakes for Chevrolet Impala 3.6L page on KNFilters.com.

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Troy Coughlin Wins in Vegas Clinching the Coughlin Family's 100th NHRA Victory

Nov 19, 2013

Troy Coughlin's win in Vegas earned the Coughlin family their milestone 100th NHRA victory

"It is definitely exciting to win races in NHRA drag racing, but to win our team's 100th victory is pretty awesome to say the least!" Troy Coughlin remarked. "And for it to happen in Vegas, in the last NHRA race of the year, that makes it even better."

Coughlin, the 2012 World Champion, claimed his second victory of the 2013 season in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series at the Toyota Nationals hosted at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This was the last contest of the year for the popular 250-mph touring series. In the final, Coughlin, with a run of 5.913 seconds at 248.34 mph, took his K&N supported turbo-powered JEGS.com Chevy Corvette past Danny Rowe for the historic win.

Troy Coughlin dedicated the Vegas Wally to his younger brother, Jeg Jr

The win gave Coughlin his fourth career NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series victory, and even more significantly, it earned the Coughlin family their milestone 100th overall NHRA win. Beginning in 1990 the Coughlin family, John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr., and Troy Jr., has combined for 100 NHRA national event victories. As one of the foremost families in the sport, they have won in nine different categories, including Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Comp, Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster.

To commemorate the moment, Coughlin dedicated the Wally to his younger brother, Jeg Jr., as he earned 72 of the 100 victories. Troy signed the base of the trophy with, "To Jeg: You've paved the way to the 100th. This one's for you. Love, Troy." "I handed it to him down at the finish line," Coughlin said. "It's pretty neat. It's a proud moment for the family, and to be able to dedicate this to him, there's nothing better."

Troy Coughlin, the 2012 World Champion defended his title admirably, finishing the 2013 NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series in second place overall

"The 2013 season has been kinda up and down," Coughlin detailed, "the first four races we were either in the finals or we got eliminated in the first round. The first win in 2013 came in Charlotte. We had a fast and consistent race car. In Houston we struggled with the race car set-up on race day, and got beaten the first round by Von Smith.

"We had good success in Englishtown; we qualified well and got down to the final round, when we got beat by Mike Janis. We finished Bristol with another runner-up to Ricky Smith, not a bad weekend as well. We opened up the second half of the season at the Big Go, Indy, and got to the semi-finals, which was another really close race with Ricky Smith."

"We did a lot of testing before we got to the final race in Las Vegas, and we had a lot of good success there and ended up winning the race, and moving up to number two in the world points, a pretty good year overall!"

November the 13 through the 17th the Coughlin family will be competing in their last race of the season at the renowned Streetcar Super Nationals in Las Vegas. "It should be pretty exciting!" Coughlin adds.

Related K&N News Articles about the Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Burton Racing Ends Up with a Father-Son Duel in the Finals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Bud Kaeding Wins a Thrilling "Sin City Showdown" at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Kyle LeDuc Experiences Success At Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Short Course Off-Road Racer Mitch Guthrie at Las Vegas Motor Speedway LOORRS Event

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Michael Lewis' 2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship Season Closes With a Top-10

Nov 19, 2013

For Michael Lewis the last race of the season started under a yellow flag so the 28 car field could adequately spread the water around the track first

Racecar drivers are nothing, if not mentally tough. Their ability to compartmentalize sits atop a very specific set of skills, because losing focus for even half a heartbeat at triple-digit speeds is far more catastrophic than merely fumbling the ball. This year, in a tumultuous season both on and off the track, Southern California's Michael Lewis proved to everyone paying attention that he's a poster-boy for American true grit.

"Yeah it has definitely been an interesting year," Lewis reflects. "Not where I wanted to end up, because last year I won a race, and I was generally around the top-5. It's hard to accept sometimes that the results aren't there, but I kept strong and tried to get the best out of the situation. Every lap I went as hard as I know how to drive, so that was positive."

Despite the challenging conditions at Hockenheim Lewis managed to get up to P8 and was fighting to get into the top-5

Despite the challenging conditions at Hockenheim Michael Lewis managed to get up to P8 and was fighting to get into the top-5

The 10th and final round of the 2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship visited Hockenheim, Germany, and Lewis was determined to finish the last race of the season on a high note. Although the weather would once again prove demanding at best, with a torrential rainstorm depositing standing water on the track, and the race starting under the yellow flag, and the Safety Car leading the pack of 28 drivers for a few laps to spread the water around the track – the dude did abide. Laguna Beach, California's native son held tough to finish with his 8th top-10 finish of the season.

The K&N sponsored driver Michael Lewis left Vallelunga with another top-10

"I mean, considering where I started back in 18th, it was a pretty good result," said Lewis. "I was even up to P8 fighting to get into the top-5, but with so much rain, each corner people were flying off and crashing, so I brought the car back home for a top-10."

Adding to the noteworthiness of this 8th place season ending finish is that Hockenheim is where Lewis crashed during qualifying earlier in the season.

"It didn't do anything," Lewis affirms about the violet impact which was recorded at 21G's. "That's an honest response. For a day or two after the crash I was still feeling the effects of my concussion, but I got right back where I left off at the next race in the A1 ring."

For the most part though, the ups where every bit as significant as the downs during 2013 for the young K&N sponsored driver.

"In terms of a highlight, I remember rolling out to Silverstone and being P2 in practice after not being in the car for five months," Lewis recalls, "that was pretty cool. Also there were some races like Vallelunga, Nürburgring, Hockenheim and Norisring where I was super fast in the races and got some good results."

Regardless of what the 2013 season threw at Lewis, his focus remained on the job at hand

Regardless of what the 2013 season threw at Michael Lewis, his focus remained on the job at hand

Lewis was in fact very good in every race and always in the battle all season long, and with the finicky nature of racing being what it is, the same amount of focus and effort will statistically produce even greater results next season.

"For 2014 we have some exciting new plans and I hope to share them with everyone as soon as possible" Lewis teases. "Until then we will have to wait."

On the subject of living half his year abroad Lewis says, "Living in Europe has always been pretty special. Mainly because of the great quality of food, and just being in a place that is massively different than America. I will always miss the food of Italy (where I had an apartment). Right now I am back in California preparing for 2014."

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank K&N Motorsports for the coverage of my 2013 European Racing experiences. It has been fun to share them with all of my fans and it was an honor to represent a brand such as K&N Motorsports this year, and since 2010. That's a four-year partnership. Pretty cool! All the best, and keep on the lookout for what I will be doing this upcoming 2014 season on my Facebook page.

Related K&N News Articles about FIA Formula 3: Michael Lewis on the Ups and Downs of 2013 and the FIA Formula 3 Masters at Zandvoort; Michael Lewis is Back to Full Speed in the 2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship; Michael Lewis Stays with PREMA Powerteam to Compete In FIA Formula 3 Euro Series Championship

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