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Shannon Moham Once Again Dominates MRA Motorcycle Racing with His Win At Pikes Peak

Oct 24, 2013

After winnig nine championships in 2012, Shannon Moham is excited to have completed another successful season

In what is starting to look like a yearly trend, Shannon Moham once again dominated MRA motorcycle racing this year, wrapping up eight championships at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

After winning nine championships in 2012 and enduring the birth of their second child, Shannon and his wife, Segren, who doubles as his crew chief, were understandable excited to have completed another successful season.

"Wow, where do I begin?" Moham asked. "It's been an amazing experience that has been absolutely life changing. After winning nine in 2012, I never thought I would have this opportunity again."

Shannon Moham has won the Clubman Championship for the fourth straight year

The Castle, Colo., native won 41 of the 57 races he entered in this year; he finished on the podium in all but four events, while setting numerous track records along the way. Moham said winning the premier MRA class, Race of the Rockies GTU, for a second consecutive year was the highlight of the season.

"I swore to my wife that I was going to take it easy this year, but it looks like that didn't happen," Moham said while laughing. "Racing elite, fast guys in our club, I am incredibly happy to have won that class championship for the second year in a row."

Moham also won the Clubman Championship for the fourth straight year. That award goes to the highest point gatherer in the club. Moham said he was surprised that he was able to win that award yet again, given the fact that he planned on lessening his racing load this year.

"I'll say it again, it's not something I think I will be able to pull off next year," Moham said of the Clubman Championship. "But I'm sure going to give it a shot next year, just don't tell my wife."

Shannon Moham wrapping up eight championships at Pikes Peak Internationa

Given all of Moham's racing, it's fair to wonder if the events ever become taxing on him or his family.

"That' an interesting way to look at it," he said. "I find it kinda funny. I don't even think about the number of races that I run in a weekend. I know that might sound crazy, but I don't. My wife certainly does, but not me."

"We are a two-person race team, and I couldn't do this without my wife. I'm sure if you would've asked her seven years ago if she would be able to swap out an R6 motor in less than an hour, she probably would've looked at you like you were out of your mind. And yet, here we are."

Shannon Moham had an interesting start in motorcycle racing. When he graduated from the Air Force Academy, his father bought him a 1996 CBR 900. It was Moham's first street bike, and as you might expect, he started riding in the streets, probably a little too wildly.

"I realized that riding on the street was going to get me into trouble or hurt," he said. "I watched a local club race and thought ‘I am faster than those guys, so I decided to take it to the track. I never did a track day, I just started racing. I guess the rest is history."

Despite all of his success at the MRA level, Moham has yet to consider a full-time racing job. When asked about possibly joining the AMA ranks, Moham referenced his family, although he did point to some opportunities in the future.

"I would love to race with the AMA, but it is truly expensive and there is a lot of travel. Seeing that a lot of the races are on the East Coast, I just don't see it as a priority in my life right now," Moham said. "We are looking forward to possibly racing in Utah with the AMA guys in 2014. We are proud to say that we raced in the support class at the World Super Bike even in 2010 at Miller Motorsports Park and we also raced with the AMA here in Colorado when they last raced here.

"We started racing in Utah when Miller opened, and we look forward to seeing some great friends and maybe racing with them again next year."

Shannon Moham talked a lot about his relationship with K&N Filters over the years.

"I cannot say enough wonderful things about K&N and I am honored to be sponsored by this amazing company," he said. "One of the greatest things about K&N is their oil filter. I find that not only do they provide great filtration, but also it's awesome to be able to safety wire the oil filter to the bike. I also run K&N on my R6. In addition, my wife and I run K&N Filters in our power stroke diesel Ford Excursion and in our Hummer H3. We are definitely a K&N family and can't thank them enough for the support they've given us over the years."

Related K&N News Articles about Pikes Peak: Italy's Marco Belli and His Exclusive Zaeta Impressive Once Again at 2013 Pikes Peak; Rhys Millen Racing Returns to Pikes Peak Hill Climb to Defend Hyundai Record; K&N's Michael Coburn Breaks ATV Pikes Peak Climb Record Time for 3rd Straight Year; K&N Backed Marco Belli's 750 Zaeta Earns Third Place at 2011 Pikes Peak Hill Climb

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Malcolm Smith Discusses Autobiography Prior to Release

Oct 24, 2013

"I'm very happy and proud to have helped Malcolm Smith, both with racing and getting started in the business," said K&N Filters co-founder Norm McDonald about his lifelong friend.

"Actually, I should have called it 'The Whole Story,'" Malcolm Smith writes, "Because this is it, from my early years, to my racing career, to 'On Any Sunday,' to my various businesses and charities, to my wonderful family and friends. I've often thought about doing an autobiography, but now seems to be the right time. I've just turned 72, and I've got more perspective than ever... so here we go!

In 1971, a computer tape producer posed the question "Is it live or is it Memorex?" Billboard Magazine's Year-End Hot 100 single was "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night. The Pittsburgh Pirates ruled as World Series Champions that year, and if you were riding motorcycles, dreaming about riding, or even knew someone who did, Bruce Brown's "On Any Sunday" was your sacred movie. When it debuted to the public at the characteristically ornate Fox Theater in Westwood, California, hundreds of people waited for hours in the carnival atmosphere line that kept steadily growing outside. Then once inside, the blissfully rowdy, motorcycle savvy crowd reacted to every scene change as though it was a revival meeting. Which in a sense it was, being that it was the first honest motorcycle movie ever made. It became an instant classic right there and then.

On Any Sunday featured cinematic legend and motorsports ambassador Steve McQueen, but it was the co-star Malcolm Smith, with his super-natural two-wheel talent and modest "Aw-shucks" demeanor that stole the movie. Who will ever forget that ear-to-ear grin his helmet could barely contain. A trademark smile that beamed broader the faster he rode. At times it appeared as though he was immune to the burdensome laws of physics, as he floated ethereally across the harshest topography on earth, more times than not miles ahead of second place.

These days Norm McDonald (left) and Malcom Smith (right) still get together as often as time permits

In the off-road racing world Smith was already a celebrity, but the notoriety that followed the movie elevated him to mystical status. Born in British Columbia, Canada, but raised in Southern California, Smith was thirteen-years-old when he scraped together enough money to purchase his first motorcycle, a 1954 Lambretta scooter, which now sits in the Malcolm Smith Motorsports Museum. Smith quickly outgrew the scooter and moved on to a 1949 Matchless G80, on which he tasted his first victory. "After that first race, it was all downhill," jokes Smith about the start of his incredible racing career.

Early in his career Malcom Smith rode a Greeves, built by a British motorcycle manufacturer producing motorcycles mainly for the off-road market

In 1966 Smith celebrated his first international successes, earning a silver medal at the International Six Day Trials (ISDT) and he won the first ever Baja 1000 the very next year. Smith is in fact a six-time winner of Baja 1000 – three times on a motorcycle and three times in a car. He is a four-time winner of the Baja 500, a two-time winner of the Mint 400, and a two-time winner of the Roof of Africa Rally. As a tune-up for the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1987, he won the Rallye de l'Atlas in Morocco in an off-road buggy.

Smith was virtually unstoppable during his reign, winning eight gold medals between 1966 and 1976 in the ISDT. This was a European cross-country event considered by most to be the Olympics of motorcycling.

Recovering from a damaging motorcycle accident in 1974, Smith indulged his hankering for racing four-wheeled vehicles. He immediately jumped into one of the most notoriously challenging world class off-road events, the 22-day Paris-Dakar Rally in Northern Africa. "The most miserable piece of work an off-road racer will ever see," he remarked at the time. Smith and his navigator, Alain Fieuw, piloted their specially prepared Range Rover to a fourth-place finish – the highest ever for an American at that time.

Born with a fascination and a gift for mechanical things, interestingly one of the most accomplished off-road racers in history nearly missed his appointment with destiny, had it not been for K&N's co-founder Norm McDonald.

"I was going to college to be aircraft mechanic until 2:00 pm each day and then I went to Flabob Airport and restored old airplanes for Frank Talman until 11:00 pm," Smith reveals. "I needed the money so I could race on weekends. I raced a Matchless 600 single then."

"One Sunday, at Prado Park TT track, I pitted next to Norm and Kenny. I was maybe ten years younger than they were, but we got along well and started to pit together at races. They were partners in K&N motorcycles. This was before air filters. I was a good mechanic and Norm kept trying to hire me. Finally he had a serious talk with me. He said you really love motorcycles, not airplanes, and he wanted me to work for them. He said I would be service manager and I would be paid $5.00 an hour. That was good money in those days. I thought about it, and I really did love motorcycles, so I said yes. Now I still had to tell my parents I was going to be motorcycle mechanic though."

"Later, I became a partner with them, and when K&N filters got going good, I bought K&N motorcycles from them. It was around 1970 when I named it Malcolm Smith's K&N Motorcycles. Then after On Any Sunday came out, I renamed it Malcolm Smith Motorcycles. If it had not been for Norm saying I really loved motorcycles, I might be selling Airplanes."

Norm McDonald, his wife Lucy, and Malcom Smith recently posed for a picture at Malcolm Smith Motorsports

In 2009, Malcolm Smith Motorsports was named "Number One Dealer in the Country" by Dealernews Magazine. Smith had once again won gold. Married since 1984 to Joyce, the Smith's have four children, two sons and two daughters, all of whom enjoy riding motorcycles. Joyce shares the ownership responsibilities and was largely responsible for the design and layout of the new award winning dealership.

Forever moving forward, Smith's newest endeavor is Malcolm Smith Adventures, Inc., which was inspired by the countless requests for him to lead motorcyclists on tours of the Baja peninsula. With the help and advice of Joyce, he introduced "Malcolm's Seven Days of Baja." To date this annual charity event has contributed nearly $300,000 to their orphanage in Valle Trinidad in Baja, Mexico.

"When we began at El Oasis, the first children to arrive were small, ages two through four years old. Today those children are 12 and15 years old, and El Oasis is home to around 50 children," says Malcom Smith. "And we are making arrangements to fund another home for even more children, all fully funded by the Motorsport community!"

On Friday October 18, during the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legends Weekend at the Las Vegas' Green Valley Resort & Casino, it is Smith that will introduce Norm McDonald as he becomes an elite member of the Class of 2013 officially being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

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Video - 2011 to 2014 Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata 2.0L Air Intake Installation - 69-5309TS

Oct 23, 2013

2011 to 2014 Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata 2.0L Air Intake Installation - 69-5309TS
This air intake installation video features K&N 69-5309TS performance air intake modification for 2011 to 2014 Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata 2.0L. K&N's 2011 to 2014 Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata 2.0L air intake system showed an estimated gain of 7.6 horsepower at 4861 RPM when tested on the K&N dynamometer. Discover how easy it is to install power-gaining performance on your 2011 to 2014 Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata 2.0L.

K&N 69-5309TS Air Intake Installation Video for 2011, 2012 & 2013 Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata 2.0L
Visit K&N's 69-5309TS Air Intake page for more information.

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More Horsepower for 2013 to 2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo with K&N Performance Air Intake

Oct 23, 2013

K&N Air Intake under the hood of Hyundai Veloster Turbo

If you told someone ten years ago "I drive a Hyundai," they would almost immediately think of a car with lackluster horsepower, boring styling and minimal features, but with good fuel economy and affordable maintenance - the economical choice. Today though, Hyundai is different. They've matured. While still maintaining excellent fuel economy and inexpensive maintenance they now craft vehicles with impressive styling and respectable horsepower.

K&N Air Intake System for Hyundai Veloster Turbo

With a new turbocharged engine option for the 2013 model year, the 2013 Hyundai Veloster 1.6 liter turbo is all of these things Hyundai now represents. It's an avant-garde take on the "hot hatchback" with 3 actual doors (not just two doors plus the rear hatch) and aggressive styling, while still hitting the mandatory hot-hatch check boxes of sporty handling, ample cargo space, healthy horsepower, and fuel efficiency. And now, owners of the 2013 Hyundai Veloster 1.6 liter turbo can give their vehicles a guaranteed increase in horsepower and performance with the K&N 69-5312TS Typhoon performance air intake system.

The 69-5312TS is expert engineered to increase horsepower and acceleration, utilizing a mandrel-bent aluminum intake tube to streamline airflow into the turbocharger. The RU-4990 conical air filter on the inlet is oversized to help minimize restriction while still providing excellent air filtration and protection. The filter is also washable and reusable and can go for up to 100,000 miles between cleanings depending on driving conditions. The 69-5312TS comes with a unique two-piece heat shield to protect incoming air from heat under the hood and the system maintains all necessary factory connections. The high-quality finish on the tube doesn't just look fantastic either- it's a durable finish that will maintain its sheen for years and years to come.

Dyno Chart for K&N Hyundai Veloster Turbo Air Intake 69-5312TS

The fit and finish of the 69-5312TS air intake are only half the story though. The other half is the robust power gain. On the dyno, the 69-5312TS produced an estimated additional 12.9 horsepower at 4547 rpm and 16.2 pound feet of torque at 3523 rpm over the stock air intake. Those are substantial gains, especially for a smaller 1.6 liter engine.

Like all K&N 69-series Typhoon performance air intake systems, the 69-5312TS is backed by K&N's famous Million Mile Limited Warranty. It can be installed in approximately 90 minutes with the provided step-by-step instructions and basic hand tools, and does not require any additional modifications to the vehicle in order to provide an increase in horsepower and acceleration.

The 2013 Hyundai Veloster 1.6 liter turbo delivers on Hyundai's modern motifs in spades - fuel efficient, affordable, stylish and powerful. It's a respectable and exciting vehicle that definitely shakes up the hot hatchback market, and with the help of the K&N 69-5312TS performance air intake system, owners can take their Veloster to the next level of excitement.

Performance air intake 69-5312TS is guaranteed to increase horsepower on the Hyundai Veloster Turbo listed below:
2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo 1.6L L4
2015 Hyundai Veloster Turbo 1.6L L4
2014 Hyundai Veloster Turbo 1.6L L4
2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo 1.6L L4

For all K&N Hyundai Veloster (both NA and Turbo) air intakes visit the Air Intakes for Hyundai Veloster page on KNFilters.com.

Realted news story: 2011, 2012 & 2013 Hyundai Veloster Gets More Horsepower from High Performance Air Intake System

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Bobcat Loader, Excavator and Tractor Models Get Reusable Performance Air Filter Option

Oct 23, 2013

K&N's Air Filter for Bobcat Models

The K&N E-4974 washable and reusable air filter is available for numerous Bobcat loader, excavator and tractor models. This air filter is constructed with K&N’s Hybrid media which is a non-woven synthetic material that is designed to be used dry and without air filter oil. Each high flow Hybrid air filter features lofted three-dimensional material which provides excellent filtration and large dust holding capacities.

The E-4974 performance air filter will protect your Bobcat engine, and your wallet, as you will no longer need to replace it repeatedly as you would with a disposable air filter. Since the E-4974 air filter is washable and reusable, when it does become dirty enough to need cleaning, it is very easy to clean using K&N Synthetic Air Filter Cleaner (99-0624). Simply remove the air filter from the Original Equipment (OE) housing and carefully shake off any loose dirt and debris, spray the cleaner on the air filter and let it soak for 10 minutes, then rinse the air filter out until the water runs clean. The K&N E-4974 air filter can be conveniently cleaned with low-pressure power washers, pressure sprayers or hose nozzles. Once dry simply reinstall the air filter and you are good to go.

The K&N E-4974 air filter comes with a one year limited warranty. K&N air filter E-4974 provides low restriction and outstanding engine protection to the Bobcat models listed below.

Bobcat T320
Bobcat T300
Bobcat T250
Bobcat T190
Bobcat T180
Bobcat S330
Bobcat S300
Bobcat S220
Bobcat S205
Bobcat S185
Bobcat S160
Bobcat A300

To see all K&N Bobcat air filters visit the Air Filters for Bobcat models page on KNFilters.com.

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