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In a blur of water Chris MacCluggage ignites his historic run at the 2013 ISJBA finals
In 1986, when Chris MacCluggage was 10-years-old, his dad took him to see his first professional watercraft race. "I want to do this as a job," MacCluggage immediately decreed. "Then my father bought me my first ski and I was hooked instantly!"
For the 2013 season Chris MacCluggage returned to his racing roots, competing aboard Sport and Stand Up Skis
Today, 29 years later, MacCluggage has claimed more podium finishes than anyone in the sports history, earning him the ambiguous acronym title G.O.A.T. - The Greatest of All Time. Already owning 15 World Championships, 15 National Championships, 3 Thailand Kings Cup, 2 Japanese and 2 European Indoor Championships, the Offshore Guadeloupe and Martinique Off Shore Championships, and being crowned the 2013 Mark Hahn Havasu 300 Champion - this season MacCluggage shifted his focus from the runabout division to Sport and Stand Up Skis, a move that took him back to his roots, as these were the race boats that he launched his career on. And the outcome - 3 more World titles in 3 days at the International Jet Sports Boating Association (ISJBA) World Finals.
Competing against the best professionals from around the globe, MacCluggage convincingly added the Pro Ski GP, Pro Ski Open and Pro Sport Class titles to his indomitable resume.
The MacCluggage's, Rachel and Chris, are expecting their second child in December
"Currently I have 18 World Championships," confirmed MacCluggage, "But, this World Finals was by far the best ever. It was the first time I had won these titles in front of my wife and son. A lot of my family members flew out from Florida for the races. It was great to perform so well in front of them. Also, with so many great people surrounding me, it made racing much easier."
Chris MacCluggage says his new K&N filters not only perform better, but they’re also more durable and look better than the filters he’s used in the past
"The common thread between all these classes," MacCluggage adds, "Is that I stand up rather than sit. The Ski GP is similar to the Ski Open, but the Ski Open class is more prestigious. The Ski open title is the most sacred in sport!
As a family man MacCluggage clearly keeps his priorities in order, and he in fact draws his strength from them. Between himself and his wife, Rachel, they have a combined total of 50 years of jet skis racing experience, knowledge which they share at their MACC Racing Training school in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where they live and train year-round. Both are multi-time National and World Champions in there respected classes.
For his defining 2013 championship season, MacCluggage has been running K&N on his skis. "The K&N filters are working out really well for me. Not only do they look better, but they perform a lot better than others I used in the past," says MacCluggage. "They are also much more durable than others on the market."
"For now there is one race coming in Havasu in February," he explains about his race calendar." There are other races I could attend this season, but we have our second child due in December, so family is first!"
Related K&N News Articles about IJSBA:IJSBA Champ Rob Flores Earns National Pro Stock Ski & Pro Ski GP Titles in Watercross National Tour; K&N's Jeremy Parr 2011 ISJBA Freestyle National Champion; Pro Freestyle Rider Jeremy Parr Leads IJSBA National Tour
2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Champion - Derek Thorn Showing off the Torphy at Phoenix International Raceway
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season finale at Phoenix International Raceway produced a couple of first-time winners.
Gray Gaulding won his first race and Derek Thorn won his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series championship.
Gaulding, a driver from Colonial Heights, Virginia, became the youngest winner of a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race. He is 15 years, 8 months and 30 days, breaking the mark set by Dylan Kwasiniewski, who won his first race when he was 16 years and 2 months.
Gray Gaulding in Phoenix International Raceway's victory lane celebrating his first win
"That's probably the hardest I've ever drove, Gaulding said. "When I got out of the car, my hands were shaking. What a good night though."
Thorn, from Lakeport, California, won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship by six points over Cameron Hayley.
Gaulding led only one lap in the race, the final lap, and battled with Cole Custer for the win. Gaulding tapped Custer, who led a race-high 49 laps of the Casino Arizona 50, sending Custer spinning out of control on the final lap at Phoenix International Raceway.
Multi-car accident at Phoenix International Raceway during the Casino Arizona 50
"I knew what I needed to do on the last lap," Gaulding said. "I was closing and closing and closing. I had to take advantage of it, no doubt about it. A few guys came over to me and said a few words. I hate having to take somebody out, but as close as it was, and as fast as we were, it was a huge battle and I knew I had to take advantage of it."
Custer, who also won the pole, slipped to sixth place after spinning out. Gaulding and Custer are regulars in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
"All those guys set the bar high for us," Thorn said. "We on the West Coast tend to be more in a bubble. Competition is what drives the sport. It keeps everybody competitive. It keeps everybody moving forward. These guys always come out and give us a rude awakening."
Cole Custer wins the Pole in the Casino Arizona 50 at Phoenix International Raceway
There were only two caution periods in the race. The first was a red flag on the opening lap because of multi-car crash. The race resumed on lap 5.
Rookie Jesse Little finished in second place, followed by Hayley in third. David Mayhew was fourth and Brandon McReynolds was fifth.
Thorn entered the season finale with a 16-point lead over Greg Pursley in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings. Thorn finished in 15th place in the race at Cole Custer wins the Pole in the Casino Arizona 50 at Phoenix International Raceway. Hayley's third-place finish cut the lead to six points, but not enough to catch Thorn.
"This championship is by far an all-time high," Thorn said. "Hopefully it's not the end of my career. At the same time, I've been trying to cherish every moment. Racing itself is tough right now. It's tough for any kid."
Pursley, the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion, finished in third place in the final series standings. Michael Self, who was ninth in the race at Cole Custer wins the Pole in the Casino Arizona 50 at Phoenix International Raceway, came in fourth place in the West Series standings. Rookie Dylan Lupton was fifth in the final series standings.
Greg Pursley chasing No. 21 Michael Self in the closing laps
Greg Pursley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield and put himself in contention to win the series championship.
Pursley won his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West leading fifth race of the season. It was the 18th NASCAR K&N Pro Series West win of his career.
It also put him in second place in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings with one race to go.
Celebrating his 5th win of the season - No. 26 Greg Pursley
Pursley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship in 2011. He trails Derek Thorn by 16 points with the season finale Casino Arizona 50 at Phoenix International Raceway coming up on Nov. 9.
Pursley was able to cut into Thorn's lead at Bakersfield. Thorn finished in sixth place despite starting on the front row and leading the first lap of the race.
"I'll tell you what, lapped traffic was very interesting here," Pursley said. "I split a couple cars a couple times. It was hairy a few times, but everybody did a great job. It's a great series to run."
Pursley battled Michael Self over the last 30 laps of the race. There were only four cautions for 24 laps in the inaugural NAPA Auto Parts 150. The last caution period proved to benefit Pursley, but he didn't exactly want to see the race interrupted.
"I didn't want to see it and I did," said Pursley, driver of the No. 26 Ford for Gene Price Motorsports. "I knew we were good on the outside there and I knew once I got a good start and could get away from him that he'd have to chase me back down. Fortunately it worked out for us and we came home with a win here."
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Has returneds to Bakersfield, CA as the NAPA Auto Parts 150
Cameron Hayley was also able to cut into Thorn's lead a little. He was fifth in the race at Bakersfield and trails Thorn by 18 points in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings.
Pursley started the race on the second row, behind Thorn and Gray Gaulding, the pole winner. Gaulding, from Colonial Heights, Va., is the youngest driver to win a pole in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. He is 15 years, 8 months and 16 days. He is also the youngest driver to win a pole in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
Gaulding passed Thorn for the lead on lap 2 and was out front for the next 54 laps. Pursley and Gaulding battled for the lead until lap 63 when Pursley took over for good.
Winner of the 21 Means 21 Pole Award - Gary Gaulding
He led the final 89 laps of the race and won by 0.178 seconds over Self.
"We were so free on restarts, scary free," Self said. "We dropped back a couple positions there a couple of times. It took us a good five or six laps for us to go. Thankfully this was a long-run race. We were able to catch back up to him a couple of times. Those last 20 laps were probably the hardest laps I've ever logged there."
Gaulding's car cut a tire and he crashed into the wall on lap 112. He finished in 21st place.
Eric Holmes was third, followed by David Mayhew in fourth.
"I was hoping Michael and Eric would mix it up a bit and give us a shot at it" Holmes said. "I'm really proud of the NAPA team. Kinda struggled all year long and we got it turned around here at the end of the year. We got some really fast NAPA Toyotas right now."
Dylan Kwasniewski and Geoff Lee, Road Atlanta's track president, in Victory lane
Dylan Kwasniewski won the race and the championship, becoming the first driver to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR K&N Pro Series West titles in consecutive years.
Number 98 - Dylan Kwasniewski leading wire-to-wire pulls off a win
"I knew my dad would have wanted me to do it," Kwasniewski said. "He was the one who started it. He told somebody that my son is going to become a NASCAR champion one day. Now I can say I am a back-to-back champion."
Dylan Kwasniewski and Brett Moffitt entered the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season finale at Road Atlanta in Georgia separated by five points in the championship standings.
Dylan Kwasniewski celebrating with his team at Road Atlanta in Victory Lane
Kwasniewski won six races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, the most since Brad Leighton won six races in 1999. Ricky Craven holds the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East record with 10 wins in one season in 1991.
It was the first K&N Pro Series East championship for Turner Scott Motorsports, which made its debut in the series in 2013.
Dylan Kwasniewski and George Silbermann, NASCAR's Vice President, in the Victory Land at Road Atlanta
Kwasniewski easily won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship when Moffitt fell out of contention with a transmission problem on lap 6. Moffitt finished a distant 24th and Kwasniewski won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship by 33 points.
Kwasniewski had two poor finishes in the previous two races. He was 24th at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and was 29th at the race at Dover International Speedway in Delaware.
Car owner Harry Scott of Turner-Scott Motorsports with Dylan Kwasniewski in the Victory Lane
Those two races allowed Moffitt to close the gap on Kwasniewski in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings.
Dylan Kwasniewski and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship trophy
"It just shows that he never quits," said Mardy Lindley, Dylan Kwasniewski's crew chief. "We never gave up. It was just a great day today. It just showed how our season went. In the beginning it was up and down. When it was up, it was really up."
Moffitt moved within striking distance of Kwasniewski for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship in the last race of the season. But Moffitt's car conked out early in the race leaving little drama in the championship race.
Number 97, Jesse Little, received the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors
"We were coming into this last race with two horrible races," Kwasniewski said. "It could have been either way. We bounced back. We knew that we had the championship locked in. We knew that we had the car to beat."
The 18-year-old Kwasniewski is the third youngest driver to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship. Joey Logano and Ryan Truex won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East title when they were 17.
"I went into this race, just like the last race at Phoenix, knowing that I was the one to beat at this race," Kwasniewski said. "I was the one that they were going to be chasing. I just had to have that mentality, it's not a cocky mentality, it's just a confident one that you know you can go out there and win every single weekend. That's what I did."
Qualifying for the Road Atlanta 115 was rained out. The starting grid was set by championship points. Kwasniewski started on the pole alongside Moffitt.
Dylan Kwasniewski led every lap of the race. Daniel Suarez was second, with Bryan Ortiz in third.
Related K&N News Articles about the Road Atlanta Racetrack:
Torrential Rain Forced Officials to Halt Petit Le Mans on Road Atlanta Circuit; Daytona SportBike Race One Series at Road Atlanta in the books for Rider Chaz Davies
K&N Air Intake under the hood of Dodge Ram 3500 Pickups
In the land of turbo-diesel motors for pickup trucks, Cummins motors are the elder statesmen, but that doesn't mean they're outdated by any means. The 6.7 liter inline-6 cylinder powerplant in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 models produces a respectable 350 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque to the flywheel and benefits from the inherent balance of a straight-6 motor. Large amounts of horsepower and torque are the name of the game with these diesel pickup trucks and now, owners of 2007-2009 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 6.7 liter diesel trucks can have an increase in horsepower, torque, and performance with the K&N 71-1557 Blackhawk Induction™ air intake system.
K&N Air Intake System for Dodge Ram 2500 & 3500 Pickups
The 71-1557 air intake utilizes an aluminum intake tube to help increase airflow to the turbo. A black powdercoating finish is applied to the tube to give the system a sleek look under the hood. The tube comes with a welded K&N engraved plate for just a touch of shine. The tube is also designed to accommodate the factory filter minder gauge if your truck has one. A lot of heat is generated under the hood, especially from the big turbocharger, so the 71-1557 comes with a heat shield to help keep inlet air temperatures cooler. A Black K&N RU-5177HBK air filter is fitted to the inlet of the intake tube, helping to provide excellent filtration efficiency without sacrificing airflow. The filter employs K&N's Dryflow synthetic filter media which doesn't require any oil. It's washable and reusable and can go for up to 100,000 miles between cleanings, depending on driving conditions.
Dyno Chart for K&N Dodge Ram 2500 & 3500 Pickups Air Intake 71-1557
The proof of performance is on the dyno. The 71-1557 air intake produced an estimated 9.2 horsepower at 2950rpm and 19.1 pound-feet of torque at 2250rpm to the wheels. That's a noticeable gain in performance that will help your Cummins-powered Ram get up and go more quickly and easily.
The 71-1557 Blackhawk Induction air intake system maintains all necessary factory connections and can easily be installed in about 90 minutes using basic hand tools and the provided step-by-step instructions. It's also backed by K&N's Million Mile Limited Warranty, giving customers the confidence that they're intake system is a worth-while investment.
Whether your Ram Cummins diesel is a faithful workhorse, weekend toy-tower, around town truck or show pony, the 71-1557 Blackhawk Induction air intake system is one upgrade that will provide a noticeable increase in performance while looking great under the hood.
