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Stellar Performance for Casey Currie at Glen Helen Raceway in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

Sep 20, 2013

Cassie Currie is in the mix for the LOORS series Championship title during the 2013 season.

Qualifying fourth in round nine of the LOORS at Glen Helen Raceway, Casey Currie went into the remainder of the event with confidence on his side.

"This had been an eventful year," recalled Currie. We've had great weekends, and we've had the lowest of low weekends. My team and race truck have been awesome. We have just run into some bad luck on the track. There are a lot of race trucks out there now.

Casey Currie recently took a second place in round ten of the LOORS series at Glen Helen Raceway.

"My confidence is good right now," he continued. We've been doing a lot of work and testing, and I feel we always hit the truck faster every time." When asked what he considered the key to success at this particular event at Glen Helen Raceway, he explained, "Preparation on the truck and for myself. Qualifying fourth was a good start.That put us near the front and in a position to attack early."

At the drop of the green flag, the driver wasted no time positioning himself in the front of the pack. Starting in the seventh position, he quickly worked his way into the top five. The remainder of the race consisted of a heated race between Currie, Brian Deegan and Sheldon Creed, a bout that lent to a great experience for the fans. The driver eventually took the lead from his two competitors and earned a fourth place finish upon crossing the finish line.

With a well performing truck and a good team, Cassie Currie stresses the importance of a little luck during the remainder of the season.

After qualifying third for round ten, the driver had earned a top five starting position in the feature. Currie put his nose to the grindstone immediately upon the waving of the green flag. Let up was not in his vocabulary on this particular night. In turn the driver had already muscled his way into a podium spot by lap five.

Fighting for the second place position, he once again found himself dueling with fellow driver and pro-lite points leader, Brian Deegan. And again, the crowd came to their feet to cheer, as the two drivers exchanged positions several times throughout the remainder of the race.

With intentions of doing nothing other than taking the position, Currie eventually pulled away from his competitor and held on to the number two spot until the checkered flag deemed the event over. In turn, Casey Currie had managed to put himself back in the running for the Pro-lite crown.

"Glen Helen [Raceway] at night is awesome," recalled Currie. "The dirt is great, the racing is tight and the crowd loves it." Referring to the stiff competition at this particular event, he continued, "I would prefer a runaway, because it's a lot less stressful. But it's always fun - getting in a heated battle and having to use all of my years of racing."

Although Casey Currie has proved his driving skills throughout his tenure as a driver, he is also acutely aware that his team plays a huge role in his overall success. "The team is everything," he ensured. "Without a good team, I am nothing.

"My team builds the trucks and we do all of the work in house. So when we win, it's a huge accomplishment. And when we lose, we learn how to be better. I've had the same team for five years. I have a new fabricator, but even he has been with me for two years."

Experience has also taught Currie and his team that nothing supersedes a stringent maintenance program. That in mind, they are strong advocates of using K&N products to keep the internal components of their engines contaminant free.

"Prep on the race truck is huge," stated the driver. "You can win all kinds of races, but if you DNF from bad prep, you will never become a champion. I use K&N air filters. They give the truck the most horsepower and give the engine the freshest air. I've been using their filters my entire life. Even when I was riding moto, I used their filters."

With the championship title within his grips, Casey Currie is anticipating stellar performances throughout the remainder of the season. "I love the challenges,on the track and off the track," he stressed. "I love to market and love making companies grow in the sport of off road."

When asked the key to success throughout the remainder of the season, Casey Currie said, "Good luck is what we need. The truck is fast right now." In conclusion, the driver promised the fans, "For the remainder of 2013, you can see me at the Lucas races, Monster energy Supercross, off road Expo, Sema Show and the Baja 1000."

Related K&N News Articles about Casey Currie and Firebird Raceway: Casey Currie Wins at Crandon Earning 2012 Pro-Lite World Championship in TORC Series; Pro-Lite Driver Casey Currie Takes Third in LOORS Race at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix; Casey Currie Kicks Off Season With a Dominant Win at legendary Crandon Track; Casey Currie Takes the Podium at LOORRS Race at Firebird Raceway; In a 20 Year Span, Casey Currie Moves from 4 Year Old Racer to Team Owner

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Kody & Tanner Swanson Make History at USAC Silver Crown with a Sweep at Lucas Oil Raceway

Sep 20, 2013

Although racing on opposing teams, Kody and Tanner Swanson are very close and actually enjoy the competition.

Kody and Tanner Swanson recently pulled into Clermont, Indiana with anticipations of what lie in store. The brothers were both geared up and eager to compete in the USAC Silver Crown at the Lucas Oil Raceway.

Having been raised in a racing family, the Swanson brothers share a lot of common interests and have a great relationship. However, the drivers entered the event representing opposing teams. Kody would be manning the #63 car owned by DePalma Motorsports, while his brother would be driving Bowman/Canine Racing's #11 car.

Cody and Tanner Swanson recently set a new record in the world of racing, being the first two brothers to sweep a USAC Silver Crown with first and second places.

In reference to competing against his brother, Kody said, "I don't know that we talk much smack between one another, but we do have fun giving each other a hard time once in a while. It's fun to race with him, because I know he races hard and clean."

Recalling the Lucas Oil Raceway event at Clermont, Kody continued, We had a good battle for the lead for a few laps. But he was just too strong to really challenge much in this one."

Both Kody and Tanner proved their worth during the qualifying round. Hitting the track first, Tanner Swanson logged a 21.169-second lap, deeming him the fourth quickest. The last car to qualify, Kody set the bar with a 21.047-second lap, earning his second consecutive pole position.

Kody Swanson recently finished second in a USAC Silver Crown race behind his brother, Tanner.

When the waving of the green flag deemed the 100-lap race underway, Kody Swanson wasted no time taking the lead. But as could be expected, other drivers would challenge him as the race continued. In fact, 2008 series champion, Jerry Coons Jr. began to pressure Kody, and by lap 10 four cars were battling for the front position.

Tanner Swanson eventually battled his way into the second place spot, while Kody was still managing to hold the lead. This was turning out to be a show that the spectators wouldn't soon forget - two brothers going neck to neck for the top of the podium.

Kody managed to hold Tanner off during his first two attempts to pass. But in lap 15 the younger of the two drivers took one more shot at earning the first position. Driving low in turn three, Tanner managed to maneuver around Kody and never looked back.

Nearly one-half lap in front of the field by lap 50, Tanner continued to pursue the finish line. And after the race's only yellow caution, Kody muscled himself behind his brother for one more go at the lead. However, Tanner wouldn't have it and once again began distancing himself from the field. And at the waving of the checkered flag, the Swanson brothers had managed to secure the first and second place positions, setting a new record. They were the first brothers in history to "Sweep a USAC Silver Crown Race first and second."

When asked what separates the Swanson brothers from their competitors, Kody said, "Tanner and I have really done well in the Silver Crown series. They are the heaviest open-wheeled cars that USAC runs, and they run the longest races. So fuel loads change and tires wear out, making them the hardest to manage and adapt to throughout the course of the race. I think Tanner and I have been really fortunate at grasping what it takes to be competitive at the end of those longer races."

The Swanson Brothers are also acutely aware that there are elements of success, other than good driving skills, as well. In reference to the importance of the team, Kody explained, "You simply can't have success without a team behind you. I've been plenty fast driving for a lot of teams, but you won't have real success by just being fast. If your team's not able to match a commitment to success, all you're left with are DNFs and thoughts of what could have been. This year, I've really been fortunate to have met great new teams to work with, and it's been a great experience. They all want to win as bad as I do, and it shows in the way they've all prepared cars to compete."

Having been around the sport of racing since childhood, Kody and Tanner Swanson are also strong advocates of proper maintenance. That in mind, they wouldn't settle for anything but the best for their filtering needs.

"In my experience, K&N products have been the best at doing what we need them to, and we've been using them for as long as I can remember," shared Kody. "They have been the best in air filtration, and now oil. They've been something that we can rely on to help us protect our valuable investment. They are the kind of products you trust to do their job from the drop of the green flag all the way to victory lane."

As the USAC season nears its end, Kody and Tanner are already looking forward to the future. "Things will be slowing down in the midwest by the end of September, but there are more races out in California and Arizona all through November," explained Kody. "While I don't have finalized plans to race out there yet, I'm looking for a ride and hoping to make the trip."

In reference to Tanner's plans, he continued, "He will be busy on the west coast, continuing to compete in USAC's Western Midget series and the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets." In closing, Kody said, "Tanner has had a great season out there and looks to finish strong."

Related K&N News Articles about Tanner and Kody Swanson: TK Motorsports' Tanner Swanson WINS in Must See Racing Super Modified (MSRXSS) Debut; Kody Swanson and Brother Tanner Tear Up the Dirt at the Winter Dirt Games in Ocala; The Swanson Brothers Sweep One-Two in the 2011 Turkey Night Sprints Race; Kody Swanson Wins Big at Toledo Speedway Leading Every Lap of the Rollie Beale 150; Kody and Tanner Swanson finish 1st & 3rd in USAC Silver Crown at Lucas Oil Raceway; Kody and Tanner Swanson Sweep "Thursday Night Thunder" at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis

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RTR Drift Team & Vaughn Gittin Jr Gain Formula Drift Championship Points at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Sep 19, 2013

Although a transmission failure ended his run in round 5, Vaughn Gittin Jr. still made a big move forward in the overall championship points race.

Only a stone's throw from Seattle, Washington, Evergreen Speedway boasts some of the most ardent Formula Drift fans found anywhere on the circuit. And, for the second year in a row, the Pacific Northwest devotees bought up every ticket and filled every available space to witness Round 5 - "Throwdown."

K&N's Vaughn Gittin Jr. qualified in 4th place out of over 50 drivers at Evergreen Speedway.

The sold-out crowd watched as Vaughn Gittin Jr. and the RTR Drift Team qualified in 4th place out of over 50 drivers, and then cheered him on as he fought his way through Chris Jeanneret in the top 32 and Dennis Mertzanis in the top 16, to meet Formula Drift's 2011 "Rookie of the Year," Aurimas Bakchis in the Great Eight. Unfortunately the random race gods decreed Vaughn's battle would end that day with the top-8, as a broken dog-ring in the transmission refused to allow his car to remain in gear, resulting in more than one uncharacteristic mistake and ultimately costing him the battle.

Over a 1000 fans welcomed Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Ryan Tuerck to Joint Base Lewis-McChord for a much deserved day of fun and festivities.

"This was our first mechanical failure in years and while I am gutted at the result we were forced to deal with, I am very happy with our performance overall," said Gittin Jr. "I feel my team and I were flawless all weekend and we gained some very significant points towards the overall Championship. I am pumped to head to Texas next! We have a huge fan base there and I'm really glad Formula Drift has decided to have an event there. It is a brand new track, so it will be a good fun challenge to adapt to for everyone."

HPI Racing provided R/C car entertainment at Evergreen Speedway.

With his top-8 finish, Gittin Jr. moved up significantly in points, and currently sits only 21 points behind the first place leader. The day after Formula Drift round 5, Gittin Jr. and the RTR Drift Team made their way to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in order to put smiles on a lot of faces by performing drift demos and giving rides to the troops. Gittin Jr. was drifting his Monster Energy Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR, while fellow Formula Drift driver and Drift Alliance friend, Ryan Tuerck drove a Mustang RTR Spec 2. Monster Energy was hanging out as well, giving out beverages, HPI Racing provided R/C car fun, and Ford was onsite giving away t-shirts. A crowd of over 1000 came out to enjoy the festivities, and the event proved to be heartwarming success for everyone there.

"We had a complete blast at JBLM [Joint Base Lewis-McChord]," added Gittin Jr., "We gave a ton of troops rides and put smiles on many faces. It feels good to pump the troops up!"

Next up for Vaughn Gittin Jr. and the RTR Drift Team on the Formula Drift circuit, they head to Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas September 13-14 for Round Six.

Related K&N News Articles about Vaughn Gittin Jr.: Vaughn Gittin Jr. Takes Second in North American Professional Drifting Season Opener in Long Beach; Formula Drift Driver Matt Field Challenges Vaughn Gittin Jr. at Evergreen Speedway; Vaughn Gittin Jr. Leads Formula Drift Championship After Second Win in a Row; Vaughn Gittin Jr. Earns Formula Drift Victory in "The Gauntlet" at Wall Stadium; Vaughn Gittin Jr. and RC Drift Car Spread Viral Automotive Video Fever

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Bradley Morris Wins TORC World Championship Race and Sets Crandon International Raceway Track Record

Sep 19, 2013

Bradley Morris put a beat-down on the field at Crandon International Raceway, sweeping the weekend in Pro Buggy and earning his first World Championship title.

Every Bradley Morris story we've posted lately isn't merely about him winning races, they're about ridiculous displays of utter domination by a 16-year-old. Everybody figured it was kinda cute when the K&N kid first busted onto the scene hot, reasoning that it was simply a case of being too young to realize he shouldn't be going that fast, and that it would soon pass. That's not happening though, in fact Morris continues to make a mockery of the learning curve, and he's leaving veteran champions scratching their noodles looking for answers.

The BME Motorsports team traveled from the LOORRS event in Reno straight to the World Championship in Crandon, Wisconsin.

"It's basically just me really trying to focus in on racing, and setting everything else aside to try to win races, and do the best I can at what I love," is how Morris explains his extraordinary 2013 season. "I give every race all I have and all my focus is on being the best I can be."

Every fall the Traxxas TORC Series convenes at Crandon International Raceway for their World Championship weekend. To be clear, the World Championship race is separate from the season-long TORC series championship chase, Luke Johnson won the 2013 TORC Championship, but the World Championship race was flat-out subjugated by Morris. In the Pro Buggy World Championship contest Morris battled with Johnson for the first few laps on Saturday, but once Morris got a feel for the track, he pulled away and continued to extend his lead every lap until the checkered.

Bradley Morris remarked that winning the TORC World Championship race at Crandon International Raceway was beyond description.

"It's great to see all the hard work we have put into the buggy pay off, and show everyone how fast we are and how precise we have been on the set-up of the buggy this whole year," remarked Morris. "And it's my first World Championship, so it means more to me than words can describe."

The persuasive victory earned Morris his World Championship race title and his first championship ring. Then, riding the enormous wave of momentum into Sunday's race, Morris once again pulled away from everyone else in the latter laps, winning that race as well and sweeping the weekend.

And mind you Morris isn't even a TORC series regular, his series of choice is the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, where he's currently in second place overall in Pro Buggy. Morris also left the Crandon International Raceway regulars with a little something to think about after he's gone by setting a new track record in Pro Lite.

Bradley Morris also set a new Crandon International Raceway Pro Lite track record.

"Breaking the Pro Lite track record at Crandon [Crandon International Raceway] is a huge accomplishment for me," added Morris. "Knowing that I beat so many people I look up to that have held the record before like, Jeff Kinkaid and Chad Hord that were so dominating in Pro Lite is a huge confidence boast."

In Saturday's Pro Lite race Morris managed to finish 5th after getting banged around and pushed off the track. Then on Sunday Morris had a great start coming out of turn one in second place. He clashed with the leader for a few laps and finally took the lead, until he lost his transmission with only a few turns remaining in the race, resulting in him battling for 3rd.

team had traveled to Wisconsin for the World Championship straight from Reno, Nevada after completing Rounds 11 and 12 of LOORRS. To go along with his 2nd place in that Championship Pro Buggy points chase, Morris has also now moved up to 4th overall in Pro Lite based on his showing there.

"Everyone around me helps me keep humble," answers Morris as to how he remains grounded. "I know I'll never be too good to stop working on my own racecars, because when you don't know what's going on, you don't know what effect any changes will have on them, so I just try to learn as much as I can from everyone around me."

Class is back in session for Bradley Morris and the BME Motorsports team September 20th when LOORRS visits Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Related K&N News Articles about Bradley Morris and Glen Helen Raceway: K&N's Bradley Morris Caps Off a Rocky Weekend with Two Sunday Podiums at Lake Elsinore; K&N's Bradley Morris Dominates LOORRS at Glen Helen Raceway for Second Year in a Row; Bradley Morris Finishes 2012 3rd in Pro Lite & Modified Kart, 2nd in Limited Buggy; Bradley Morris Rules LOORRS Prolite Class in Rounds 9 & 10 at Glen Helen Raceway; K&N Filters Bradley Morris Becomes a Fixture on The Podium During LOORS Events

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Kevin Fisher Charges to Final for First Top Dragster Victory at Grand Bend Motorplex

Sep 19, 2013

Kevin Fisher gets his first IHRA Ironman at IHRA Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex. Photo by: BME Photography.

Perseverance prevailed for Performance by Fisher Racing's Kevin Fisher during the team's recent trip north of the border for the IHRA Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals. During the first race of the weekend, the Lima, Ohio based driver wheeled the K&N/Ohio Crankshaft/Armor Coat Top Dragster to not only his first final in the ultra-quick sportsman class, but put a period on the day's race by taking the win light in the final for his career first IHRA Ironman.

K&N/Ohio Crankshaft/Armor Coat Top Dragster takes Kevin Fisher to Victory at IHRA Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals. Photo by: BME Photography.

"This has been such a long time coming," admitted an elated Fisher. "I cannot begin to express the feeling of getting rid of that monkey and putting this Ohio Crankshaft/K&N ride where she belongs. We certainly have a race car now and have finally been able to get a better grasp of the combo that we started running last season. The work and support from all involved has ultimately provided the results we have been striving for."

Although the IHRA event at Grand Bend Motorplex was an all-run for the Top Dragster class, or a non-qualified field, Fisher's entry proved to be the quickest sportsman car on the grounds. The 547ci BBC and it's F2 Pro Charger combination opened time runs for Top Dragster with a 6.45 and would stay in the 40's throughout the event.

"There were a couple of time runs for all sportsman classes Friday evening," Fisher pointed out. "We knew that the weather conditions on Saturday were going to be so much different. It was really hot and humid Friday with temps in the mid-nineties and water grains around 125, we elected to hold off until Saturday to make any laps. It turned out to be a good decision, since we still were able to make two before eliminations and both were in the 6.40's."

Top Dragster driver Kevin Fisher grabs victory in his first final racing sportsman class at Grand Bend Motorplex. Photo by: BME Photography.

Fisher's opening round of Top Dragster would find him paired with Chris Cadle and he took his slight starting line advantage on to the stripe for 6.481 on his 6.46 dial and the first win of the day. Next he would face Kevin Knight and with a .009 to Knight's .044 at the tree, Fisher was well on his way to a second round victory even before Knight's car broke shortly past the eighth mile mark.

"As we went through the day, the track was really starting to pick up some heat," he noted. "By the time we got into the third round, the temp was up to 133 and even though the starting line was still good, it was down track where she was searching and wanting to use up more than 1320 feet. This was a run where I knew I had scrubbed some off going down track, just by the way she was moving around on me. I knew I was safe and just kept my foot in it."

Again Fisher left the starting line with a slight advantage over his competitor, Tom Orr and with a 6.495 on a 6.48 to Orr's 6.872 on a 6.89 breakout, Fisher was headed to the Top Dragster semi-finals.

"There was a small moment of excitement in the staging lanes prior to that run," he added. "I was already strapped in and ready to go when I hear some commotion from behind me. They said the coil mount had broken and it was only partially attached. I surprised we didn't see that earlier, but they threw a quick zip tie on it and it was just enough to barely make it through that pass. We were able to get what we needed to fix it thanks to Dave Elrod and be ready for the semi's."

Continuing his streak of better reaction times, Fisher launched to a nice .014 advantage over Melanie Simmons-Salemi, catching her well before the stripe for that exact margin of victory. Fisher was now headed to his first Top Dragster final where he would face Ron Biondo.

"They called all of the finalists up to the lanes, since we were supposed to run right after Top Fuel," he explained. "Well, a fuel altered or something completely oiled the track and we were all up there hanging around for quite some time. The sun was starting to go down behind the tower and the track temp was really coming down. Shortly before they started back up again, we checked and it was down to 94. I knew it should really pick my sixty foot back up again and just hoped I was putting the right number on the car. We already had runner-up and that wasn't what we were there for. It was time to go for it and get the job done."

Now 9:30pm and three hours after the Top Dragster semi-final round, Fisher lined his Ohio Crankshaft/K&N ride up for his first true shot at the Ironman. Dialing down to a 6.45 for the final, he kept up his string of better reaction times after Biondo left with a .036 light to his .028. He easily tracked Biondo down and dumped to a 6.508 for his first ever IHRA Pro-Am victory.

"I told Ron before the final, when we were all hanging in the staging lanes during the clean-up, that I owed him one after Pittsburgh," Fisher said jokingly. "I had run him in both races there earlier this year, one where I messed up and the other the car just couldn't get there. Needless to say, I felt like the odds should at least be in my favor."

"I am so thrilled to have accomplished this for all who have been involved and behind this car," said Fisher. "It has really been quite a joint effort and making the switch from trying to run the nitrous alcohol and gas set up to the Pro Charger was a fantastic move for this car. Sure, we know we still have a few items that we are working on to iron out, but for all the fantastic people, companies and their top-notch products, this was for them. First, it's such a great privilege to have been able to work on this project with Stan & Scott Ray and the entire crew at Ohio Crankshaft."

"The custom K&N filter that Jere Wall deigned and fabricated just for our combination is nothing short of fantastic and really helped us get this thing dialed in compared to last season," Fisher stressed. "That filter is in addition to many of the small breather type K&N filters on various tanks on the car and the K&N billet reusable oil filter. We are still huge fans of the Wrench-off K&N Oil Filters that we used on both cars for many years, but this new reusable filter is nothing short of awesome when it comes to quick changes and the conveniences it offers."

"I can't begin convey how happy I am to be able to get this win for everyone involved," he added. "What a great team of people and companies we are privileged to work with."

Fisher's road to his first Top Dragster victory at Grand Bend Motorplex will be featured on an upcoming episode of the team's online reality show, "Married With Dragsters", now in its third season.

"Canada races have always been good to our team for some reason," Fisher added. "We don't get a chance to race up here every season, but this was our team's fourth final up here and three of those coming right here at Grand Bend Motorplex. The Canadian fans are just something else and we really appreciate them coming out and supporting this event each year. It's always a great time and to get my first win here will always be memorable."

Related K&N News Articles about Kevin Fisher and Fisher Racing: Right to the Top for Kevin Fisher's Top Dragster with Special Engineered K&N Filter; National TV Host Kathy Fisher Puts K&N Dragster Into Final During IHRA Event in Michigan; Flashy Debut for Kathy Fisher's New K&N Engineering Dragster - Fans Join Celebration at Norwalk; K&N Engineering Expands Partnership with NHRA/IHRA Racer and TV Personality Kathy Fisher

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