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K&N's Brad Burton Nails Stock NHRA Winternationals Victory

Feb 21, 2012

2012 NHRA Winternationals Stock Eliminator Champion Brad Burton

Much like many teams competing on the NHRA sportsman circuit, the Burton Racing Team from Kirkland, Washington consists of more than one generation of drivers. Father Scott and son Brad, not only compete at NHRA National and Divisional events together, but sometimes against each other in the very competitive Stock Eliminator class. Both with successes under their belts, during the 52nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals it would be the younger Burton claiming the Stock Wally and setting 2012 up to be another exciting season for the father-son duo.

Stock Eliminator 1972 Formula Firebird

Burton qualified his K&N equipped 455ci 1972 Formula Firebird, that he has been racing for the last five years, all the way up at number five in a stout field of seventy-two entries.

"Typical Pomona, you looked at the weather on Wednesday and when they are calling for a zero chance of rain for the entire weekend and at that point, you like your odds," he reflected on the changes to the weekend. "So we get in all our passes [qualifying sessions] on Thursday and we didn't get to run first round until Friday evening or so, and I knew I was going to have a heads up race. But my dad builds really good motors, so I felt good about the match up."

Burton easily quashed any hopes his competitor, Steve Kathary, may have had of getting by the E/SA heads up race in round one when he flat outran Kathary's 1972 Mustang by over a whopping two tenths of a second and on to round two.

The zero chance of rain, so many had looked forward to, quickly became a one-hundred percent chance as weather conditions over the southern California track took a turn from mild, sunny and dry to the polar opposite, causing numerous schedule changes for the remainder of the event. Burton would not get back to the action with his K&N Firebird until almost forty-eight hours later, approximately 5:40pm, Sunday evening.

"It was all kind of iffy for me," he said of running round two. "I work and have a brand new job, so I had planned on leaving Sunday night. It started getting down to the crunch time, while I hate to have that attitude, but you think, well that's great if I win second round, but then I will have to be here tomorrow. If I lose, OK I guess I get to go home and go back to work on-time and not have to play hooky."

"I don't know what it is, but sometimes I almost do better when I have that 'don't care' attitude," he continued. "You just go up there and perform and don't think about it. It probably wasn't until after third round on Monday that I told myself, ok I needed to start to get into the other attitude."

After waiting even more to get on-track activities started on Monday, due to some additional on-and-off showers, just as the first pair of Stock Eliminator made their way down the track to get things back underway, the rain came again. Burton and Kyle Rizzoli were next pair up, but would have to wait nearly two and a half hours before they could get on the track to determine their fate.

"Kyle is a tough competitor and he's beat me before," said Burton. "So when I pushed through that round I started feeling pretty confident in both the car and my driving. Now I knew we should be able to start getting our rounds much closer together, unlike the last few when if you got by the round, you pretty much had to throw out all your data and start all over again by the time you ran one or two days later."

"I was certainly starting to look ahead at the rest of the ladder," he admitted. "You may have an idea of how [upcoming racer matchups] go about things and because of that, possibility change the way you prepare for different opponents. I'm always watching the ladder and even as early as round one, I had already noticed the opportunity to have a bye into the final on my side. I'm not focusing that far ahead, just subconsciously keeping an eye out on it."

It would be another two hours before round four and the weather was really making it interesting, for racers still in competition, deciding what number to put on their windshields. "The wind was just gusting up and down and it's just no fun getting down there and not being able to run your number," noted Burton. "So I was doing a lot of holding and just playing with the brake and the throttle, all while hoping that I had the light to be able to get it done."

Burton and his fourth round opponent, John Gray left with almost identical reaction times, but it would be Burton who would come out on top in a very close race, just .01 margin at the finish line, setting the Washington resident up for a shot at the bye into the final, that he had been eyeing since eliminations first started late on Friday.

You've got to go green if you want to move on and while in Burton's case, it may have been a little greener than he had been shooting for with his .054 reaction time in the quarterfinals, he was quickly shown the win light in his lane, after Bobby DeArmond turned it just .001 red, and giving Burton a free pass into the Stock Eliminator championship round. "It was just a great feeling to look up shortly after launching and see that win light all the way down the track," he said. "Knowing right there I was going to the final, well it was really an unbelievable feeling."

Burton took his earned competition single in the semifinals and ran it through just enough to get his thousand foot numbers, not only saving wear on the car but also keeping what he could really run flat-out, a closely guarded secret.

"I pretty much stuck with what I had been doing on all the earlier rounds and had been dialing off my thousand foot numbers and there was no reason to give anyone any more data than they needed," explained Burton. "I wanted to make sure I could get there in the final, and the wind went from again, being calm to picking up and I think that's what hurt Don [Keen] in the final."

Dialing his K&N 1972 Firebird lower than he had all weekend, Burton took a slight starting line advantage over Keen and turned it into a .0088 margin of victory, to become the 2012 NHRA Winternationals Stock Eliminator Champion.

With just a couple of days to regroup, after the late Monday event finish, the newly minted National Event Champ and his father have a quick turnaround to get to the next event on their 2012 schedule, the NHRA Arizona Nationals, just outside of Phoenix. Burton notes that using the K&N products that they do on both team cars, really cuts down on the amount of between event maintenance because they know how much protection the K&N air and oil filters are providing for their sensitive naturally aspirated combinations.

"You know, over the years we had run other brands of oil filters, for example," he eagerly pointed out. "Once we switched the cars over to the K&N Wrench-Off filters, wow first of all, they by far the sturdiest oil filters we have ever seen. They are easy to take off, where other filters many times would just collapse and then you have a mess, Just in my car after adding the K&N air filter, I found that my car has been more consistent, like it took care of air turbulence and not only straightened out the air, but I also picked up E.T. All that, plus I have to mention, K&N is really protecting our engines, because when we took them apart over the winter, everything just looked superb."

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.

Greg Ventura Triumphant in Pomona - Brings Home Super Gas Victory for Team K&N

Feb 20, 2012

Greg Ventura's NHRA Super Gas 1966 Chevy Nova

Garden Grove, California's Greg Ventura whittled his way through a weekend of not only tough competitors, but some tough weather conditions to kick his 2012 season off in style as he drove his 1966 Chevy Nova all the way to acquire the very first NHRA Super Gas Wally during the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals in Pomona.

The Material Lifecycle Analyst for K&N Engineering has been competing with his Nova since 1999 and for the 2012 season its 565ci BBC is once again equipped with all the latest filtration products from K&N Engineering.

"The weekend was kind of unnerving, because every day was so different," confessed Ventura. "The first two days of the event were seventy-five degrees and warm out and then the next two days were just raining on-and-off and terrible. It was all so diverse [weather/track conditions] and you just have to really be on your game and know your car to be able to preserve through a weekend like this."

After making two time run sessions on Thursday and one on Friday, Ventura made his way through round one of eliminations Friday evening, before having to wait until later on Sunday to get back on a very different track. "It's the Winternationals and for this event, the weather kind of has a history of doing this," explained Ventura of the very long delay between rounds. "You just adapt and not let yourself get keyed up when you know you aren't going to be running. Because letting yourself get that way for no reason, just wears you out."

By the time Ventura and the rest of the Super Gas class got back out on the track, he knew to prepare for the second round a little differently than before. "You have to know that running after the pros, the track is going to be different. It's obviously not going to be as good as it is when you go out there on a Thursday morning, there's a bunch of clutch dust out there," he noted.

Ventura put together a beautiful .007 reaction time and a 9.901 to shut down Roger Kato in round two only to have to put her back away for the night and now, wait until Monday to get back into eliminations where the on-and-off mist postponed the action until later in the morning.

Unlike his second round reaction time, Ventura didn't quite get the light he was set up for during his round three matchup with Gary Mignacca. Both driver's off their game, but it would be Ventura turning on the win light again and another dead-on the index pass. "It would rain and stop and rain and stop, so you are a little caught up in your nerves and you were trying to stay up for it," he said. "If you look at that whole round, everyone seemed to kind of be caught up in that."

That wasn't the only thing Ventura "caught" over the weekend, and by Monday he was also battling one heck of a cold, all while trying to do his best to stay focused through the rounds. "It really hit me Monday morning and I was just sick as a dog," he pointed out. "The thing was, I was doing well and I thought 'what's wrong with this'. Maybe my cold and feeling the way I did kept me more grounded through it all."

His fourth round would give him a nice tune-up run as his competitor, Charlie Waggoner Jr. turned it .004 red now sending Ventura on to an extremely pivotal quarter-final round against P.J. Giacalone in his 1955 Chevy. This round would be a "two-for-one" to the winner, as there was a bye into the final up for grabs. "It's really always been the kiss of death for me, if I know that I have a shot at a bye into the final," said Ventura. "I didn't mean to look that far ahead on the ladder and I actually saw it by accident."

The quarter-final was a great example of competition at this level as Ventura cut it to just inches at the stripe for a .005 margin of victory, his .024 package to Giacalone's .029.

After taking his single into the final, and hoping it would be a chance to run the boss, Steve Williams, in an all K&N Final, it would be Jimmy Lewis that Ventura would meet up with for a shot at the very first Super Gas National Event Wally of 2012.

"I went back to my right lane and when I left, when I pulled the button, I know he has a slow sixty foot but it just seemed like he was a little further behind," reflected Ventura of the final round. "So when we got down there, I looked over and thought I got him by about three-quarters of a car. I just snugged it up as much as I could. I was actually on a .90, but ran a .92. It was just an unbelievable feeling when the win light came on."

The numbers from the time slips show it was Ventura's round to win from the hit, having nearly three hundredths of a second starting line advantage with his .026 to Lewis' .054 light.

"The car was just repeating unbelievably, I really can't explain it," he said of being able to keep the car dialed where he wanted it. "I mean, I've had days like this before, but they are so few and far between. I've won two other NHRA National events, but it's just really hard to believe that I'm a Super Gas Winternationals champion."

"It's great to be able to bring it home for K&N," he continued. "I would have really loved to have seen it be me and Steve battling it out for an all K&N final, but I'm not going to complain too much with how it worked out for me. If you look at the podium, there were a lot of K&N racers up there. Both my cars, the one I ran this weekend and my Super Street car, are always totally protected with every type of product that K&N makes for racing applications. K&N high-flow air filters, K&N oil filters and more, plus the K&N composites hood scoops. I also have to say thanks to Lucas Oil, Taylor Freezers, Race Trans and Goodyear Tires."

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.

Off With A Bang - Jason Line Widens Lead in K&N Horsepower Challenge During NHRA Season Opener

Feb 20, 2012

Jason Line's Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GXP

With already five number one qualifiers under his belt for the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge, Pro Stock standout Jason Line made his early season statement by grabbing his sixth pole for the current Challenge, and the maximum points available, during the 52nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California.

Jason Line's 6.534 pass was the quickest Pro Stock pass of the entire event.

K&N's Mike Edwards picked up where he left off at the end of 2011 and led the Pro Stock field after the first session on Thursday by posting a 6.545. A comfortable seventy-eight degrees and low humidity for the teams during session number one, the event started off with a near-perfect weather forecast that over the course of the event, quickly changed directions and made each qualifying session more important than the last.

Just one session planned for the professional teams during Friday's activities and like the day before, the weather was conducive to some great on-track action. Edwards made another good run [6.571], but this time around there were numerous teams all within just a few thousandths of a second of his proverbial pole position. Both Ronnie Humphrey and Allen Johnson laid down 6.548 runs and Jason Line a tick behind with his much improved 6.550.

When teams came back on Saturday, the weather situation had started to play not so nice. While there were two more attempts scheduled for the day, only one would be made thanks to an early in the day rain delay and when the teams did get on the track, they were greeted with much different conditions than the two days prior, including a track temp that was nearly thirty degrees cooler. Many teams struggled to just to match their numbers from earlier sessions, but Jason Line managed to blister his previous efforts in what would not only catapult him to number one, but his 6.534 would also remain the quickest Pro Stock pass of the entire event.

"The right lane at Pomona is normally a little trickier to navigate," Line pointed out. "When we were running that particular session, I really didn't feel like we would be able to go to the number one spot, but we did. We were able to make a great run and it was actually kind of a nice surprise. That's why at times, lane choice ends up being a really big deal at certain places and I feel like Pomona is one of them.

"We kind of started off a little slow and struggled some making nice runs all weekend," explained Line. "The track was a little tricky but it was really a great way to start the year, that's for sure. It's a really big deal anytime you can qualify number one. When you do so right out of the gate, you set the tone for the season and you will actually change the way people race you. Having a performance advantage is a big-big deal and it won't help you every time, but there are certainly times when it does."

With the latest number one qualifier, Line now moves to a full one hundred-five points ahead of Mike Edwards who sits at number two in the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge point standings with 2,170 points and just a mere five points behind at number three, is Line's teammate and former 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge Champion, Greg Anderson.

"I said I was going to win the Challenge last year and unfortunately it didn't work out for me," Line said of the biggest single payday event in all of NHRA Pro Stock and its $50,000 check to the winner. "I'm hoping that this will be my time to win it and believe me, I am putting as much effort as possible to put that to bed and win it. Winning the K&N Horsepower Challenge is bigger than any other race we have a shot at winning and I hope that everyone at K&N knows just how much all of us in Pro Stock appreciate the opportunity to have such an elite race for our class."

"I've actually started a wall at my house in the garage where I have all of my K&N number one qualifier plaques," he added with a smile. "I've got a pretty big wall, so I'm trying to fill it up."

With no chance to rest, many of the pro teams left Pomona to spend a few days at "The Strip" at LVMS testing before heading to race two on the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle tour at Firebird International Raceway, just outside Phoenix, Arizona and the NHRA Arizona Nationals, February 17-19.

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.

Alexander Motorsports Takes 3rd in Debut Race at the 2012 BITD Parker 425

Feb 20, 2012

The ICON Vehicle Dynamics shocks made the car handle much better and actually smoothed a lot of the bumps out according to Alexander.

The residents of Parker, Arizona were pleased as punch in welcoming the estimated 2000 plus fans that visited their town last weekend. The Best in the Desert (BITD) series Bluewater Resort & Casino Parker 425 made a huge impact on the area's economy, as race fans looking to get a close look at big time racing machines, poured in for the "Downtown Experience" before the start of the race. Early estimates indicate that not only were there more fans than at the last year's race, race entries were up as well.

(Left to right) Gavin Ferguson and Steve Alexander chilling on their new official KC HiLiTES race vehicle.

Steve Alexander and his Alexander Motorsports team debuted their new look at the Parker 425 as one of the official KC HiLiTES race vehicles. Alexander and co-pilot, Gavin Ferguson, started the race second out of five in Class 5000. The team suffered a 20-minute set back during the second lap due to a nut coming loose on the lower link pin. Once the crew from Las Vegas Dissemination identified and rectified the problem Alexander and Gavin continued to chase the leaders.

At the end of the second lap Alexander was so impressed with the handling of the car he made the decision to stay in the car and drive the last lap. With the sun setting and visibility down to zero they clipped a rock with the rear tire suffering their only flat for the entire race. Just under 10 hours and 425 miles later the brand new Bill Shapley racing engine, which never missed a beat, no matter how deep the washes or silt got, crossed the finish line in third place. "The 2332cc power-plant, protected by K&N had plenty of torque to get the job done," remarked Alexander.

The K&N protected Bill Shapley racing engine, proved to have plenty of torque to get the job done at the Parker 425.

You obviously enjoyed the feel of your new vehicle, as you made the decision to drive the last lap, what is the most significant difference in handling as you see it?
"To start, the ICON Vehicle Dynamics shocks made the car handle much better and actually smoothed a lot of the bumps out. We also changed up our Mickey Thompson tires from a 31" tire in the front to a 33". Between the two, the car was so much more enjoyable to drive."

Is there one moment of the race that stands out?
"The only thing that comes to mind as a highlight is when Robby Gordon's helicopter got in front of us and flew backwards to let us know that Robby was coming up on us. We were able to get out of the way without either one of us losing any speed." (Gordon went on to win the race).

Even after a nut came loose on the lower link pin, and an excessively long tire change, Alexander still managed to land on the podium in third place.

Are there any lessons you learned in 2011 that you would like to change or improve on during this season?
"Being that the Class 5s weakest point is the front arm, we are in the process now of developing a new front arm design for the car and plan on debuting this for the Silver State 300 in May 2012."

How much did the flat tire slow you down?
"Normally it only takes about 4 to 5 minutes to change a tire but due to some very ambitious older spectators/course workers and a very old floor jack it cost us about 15 minutes. I just didn't have the heart to tell them we can just do it ourselves, but it was the last lap, and we were only 15 miles from start/finish, and I really think it made their day to know they did their part to help a racer."

When and where do you race next?
"BITD Mint 400 on March 24th, 2012."

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.

Drag Racing Legends and Historians John and Don Ewald

Feb 20, 2012

Don Ewald's Mastercar dragster

We did it for love. It's a line that many athletes from sports yesteryear have uttered. But for drag racing legends and historians John and Don Ewald, the phrase takes a whole new meaning. The brother's website, www.wediditforlove.com, is the Internet's ultimate visual encyclopedia for drag racing enthusiasts.

John Ewald's John Buttera built BankAmericar dragster

The brother's involvement in drag racing dates back to the sports glory days in Southern California, at places like Lion's Drag Strip. Don got John interested at a car show, and the two would embark on a journey that continues today.

"Don got to be the hero driver and my roll with the dragster was financial and publicity," John said. "After going regularly to Lions with the car club I started shooting photos of our members cars, this led to CJ "Pappy" Hart offering me the position of track photographer."

That's where John's career took off. As the Internet began to explode in popularity, John and Don decided to start a website, a place that could become a meeting ground for legends and fans to come together and share stories and memories. The site started in 1998, and has since added more than 180,000 photos. While membership to the site has struggled in the down economy, We Did It For Love remains a popular meeting ground for racers.

Over the last decade, nostalgia racing began to make a meteoric ascent in popularity, and the Ewald brothers decided it would be a good chance to get back to working on cars as well. They have since restored three cacklefest cars, cars built to fired up at exhibitions and put on display.

"The last one I restored was Gary Ritter's Blood, Sweat & Nitro," John said. "This full bodied car was built in 1968 by Jim Davis and is the only surviving car of its type. Gary won several races at his home track of Freemont Drag Strip in it."

Ewald added this car to his collection that includes the BankAmericar and Mastercar. Blood, Sweat & Nitro has been on display at the NHRA Museum in Pomona, Calif. and is for sale.

When asked about the people who have meant the most to the brothers over the years, they both rattled off lists of drag racing legends that could hardly be rivaled.

"John Buttera built us the best car we've ever had, the BankAmericar," Don said. "Working with Keith Black (of Greer-Black-Prudhomme dragster fame) for six years was invaluable. C.J. "Pappy" Hart, who gave me a job, or in other words let me volunteer, when I was first starting in racing. There are so many that come to mind that I've been lucky enough to know in my 45 years in racing."

John echoed Don's sentiments on Hart. "I would have to agree with Don and put Pappy Hart at the top of my list. He gave me the opportunity to be the Lion's Drag Strip photographer, which set up my successful career. Pappy also was a great teacher in the way he brought out the best in everyone. He taught us values, sportsmanship, fairness and patriotism."

For the Ewald brothers, Auto Club Raceway at Famoso has now become their home away from home. The historic March Meet and the California Hot Rod Reunion are can't miss events that allow the brothers to get together with their racing friends and share great moments.

"For us, the Hot Rod Reunion is the one event we'd have to be dead to miss," John said. "It is truly a reunion intertwined with a race. The reunion has reunited hundreds of old friendships as teams for racing and cacklefest. Sadly each year it is the last time we see some of our old friends as time takes it toll."

K&N Filters is proud to have partnered with the Ewald's restored cackle cars. When asked why they choose to be affilitated with K&N, John had an easy answer.

"Simply every product K&N makes is the best way to get the most out of our engines while protecting those expensive parts from damage. We proudly display the K&N logo."

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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