Latest News | Read Our Blog

K&N and KC's Fireworks Displays and Extreme Stunt and Monster Truck Shows Team

30.06.2011

The Thunda got its start as a bronco horse for the Rugby League team, the Brisbane Broncos.

It seems only fitting that only days before the 4th of July we report that the Australian based, KC's Fireworks Displays Aust Pty Ltd, has joined forces with Riverside, California based K&N Engineering. Their unique agreement will feature K&N products on all KC's vehicles in shows across three continents for the next year.

KC's Fireworks Outback Thunda will once again fly the K&N flag when it competes in the Paul Shafer Motorsports Monster challenge.

For over 20 years, KC's Fireworks have put together fireworks displays, or a variety of other forms of entertainment, for their global customers. To date they have produced over 2000 fireworks oriented shows around the world. Over the last two decades their shows have grown from world-class fireworks displays and a compelling multimedia "Water Screen Spectacular," to now include stunts and monster trucks.

In Australia KC's has already kicked-off a brand new 12 date "Hell Raisers of Insanity Extreme Stunt and Monster Truck Show" tour that officially started in Darwin on June 11. The show features car stunts by Florida based Chris Morena, motorcycle stunts by the legend himself Doug Danger, a brand new Jet Quad built by USA's Tim Arfons, Roly Poly Cars and trucks, and Drago the transformer dragon.

Drago, we are told, transforms into a towering giant dragon, dino-like, winged fire-breathing monster, capable of delivering an atomic blast with his breath, and it has terrorizing laser piercing eyes. The Drago experience is a sixteen-minute show and is geared at the younger children's market. Kids that have seen it around the world seem to love it.

The monster sized fireworks shows will also launch a new style of monster truck action shows featuring Thrillmaster, Taz and Scooby Monster trucks. The Monster trucks will compete in a special race series, as well as a trick show and the normal freestyle.

At the same time, plans are well under way with Thailand based promoter, Myke Brown, to launch a "World Monster Truck Racing Series" in Central Asia in mid September. This show will feature four monster trucks and all of them will be running brand new K&N products.

And of course, there are the fireworks and laser light show, Freestyle FMX, Jet Cars and a full support show. KC's owner, Clive Featherby, will head the Australian side and USA drivers Dan Patrick, Bobby Holman and Paul Shafer, are all expected to appear during the tour.

Completing the totally terrific trifecta, KC's favourite baby, the brand new Outback Thunda truck that now lives full time in Westville, Indiana, will once again fly the K&N flag when it competes in the Paul Shafer Motorsports Monster Challenge at Dupage county fair on July 30.

The Outback Thunda originated in 2003, after spending two years being a bronco horse for a Brisbane based Rugby League team, the Brisbane Broncos. After travelling to the USA to promote a number of shows on the east coast, Featherby concluded that his vision had always included a more significant venture into what he terms, "the big world of America," hence a more overall Aussie name was needed, something with the outback mentioned. At the time Thunderstruck was playing everywhere, so Featherby came up with "Outback Thunda" and from there an Australian Monster truck star was born.

The Monster Challenge at Dupage will also feature the likes of the legend Monster Patrol and Ballistic Monster trucks and many more, in a full on side-by-side racing and freestyle Inter-Nations shootout.

Featherby says "I'm very grateful for the K&N support and I hope all forthcoming productions and shows worldwide this year will be great promotions for K&N Air Filters."

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.

Kyle Denmyer Earns First Animal 340 Win of the 2011 Season

29.06.2011

The 15-year-old kart racer already has ten years of racing experience and seven championships.

For seven time kart champion Kyle Denmyer, any stretch without a win is way too long. The Joppa, Maryland racer competes in the non-restricted Briggs 340 and Animal 340 classes, and last week at Hunterstown Speedway, Denmyer at last put it all together for his first win of the 2011 season. Last season in his inaugural year competing in the adult classes, Denmyer became the Briggs and Stratton 340 Champion on the same track.

Kyle Denmyer got his first Animal 340 win last weekend at Hunterstown Speedway.

In the Animal 340 class Denmyer started the heat race in seventh position, but he wasted little time moving to the front, and went on to win his heat. Then, starting on the pole in the feature, Denmyer had a sluggish start, but was patient and he was back out front within five laps and pulling away from the field. Denmyer stretched his lead and put his K&N sponsored No. 38 kart in victory lane.

"It felt awesome to finally get back in victory lane," Denmyer told K&N Race News, "It has been a rough start to the 2011 season. With the tough competition you have to be up on the wheel every lap, but with about 20 more races left in the season, I'm feeling pretty confident that we will have the 38 back in victory lane."

In the Flat 340 Denmyer was leading until the white flag lap, that's when he was hit in the left rear, sending him into the wall. The kart had some damage, but his team was able to get it fixed in time for the feature. Starting the feature from the back, Denmyer quickly made his way through traffic pulling off a strong third place finish.

Denmyer loves his local Gettysburg, Pennsylvania track, and his dog loves him.

Racing in the Flat 340 was a great opportunity for me," Denmyer said. "The kart is owned by, Walt and Dotty Smith, and they thought enough of me as a driver to put me in their kart. It was a learning curve since I have never raced this chassis, so we are still trying to get all the bugs worked out of it, but I think we will be in the front of the pack real soon."

The K&N sponsored driver currently is in second place in the Animal 340 and third in the Flat 340 point standings.

"Like always, the goal I set out for every year is to win the championship and to win a Burris Money Series race, but if that is not possible I would like to put the K&N Air Filters and Dart Power Racing Engines 38 in victory lane as much as possible."

Denmyer's next race is back at his local Hunterstown Speedway in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

"I race there on Saturday nights, after that there will be a Burris Money Series race on Sunday July 17, then on to Selinsgrove Speedway July 30, and Path Valley Speedway, August 14 for the PDKS (Pennsylvania Dirt Karting Series)."

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.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Driver Dylan Kwasniewski

29.06.2011

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Driver Dylan Kwasniewski

Dylan Kwasniewski caught the eye of Greg Pursley while racing at Havasu 95 Speedway in Arizona. Kwasniewski won a truck race and a late model race at the track on the same night. Pursley, the leader in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings, was a guest of the track that night.

After winning both races, Kwasniewski took photos with Pursley. They exchanged information and Pursley told Kwansniewski's mom if her son ever wanted to do some testing with his team to give him a call.

Kwasniewski finished fourth in his K&N Pro Series West debut at All American Speedway

"I would often have to go out to Lake Havasu to run some late model races just to get some experience under my belt," said the 16-year-old Kwasniewski, who is still in high school and lives in Las Vegas. "They're a about 45 minutes away from Havasu. They would often go out to the track and watch some races."

Kwasniewski's mom, Jennifer, took Pursley up on the offer and her son tested with Pursley's team, Gene Price Motorsports, in Las Vegas. Pursley and Price, who have their team based in Parker, Ariz., were so impressed after the test, they decided to add him as a second driver to their K&N Pro Series West team.

The only snag was that Kwasniewski had to wait until the second race of the West Series to make his debut. He was only 15 when the season started and not old enough to begin his NASCAR career in the touring series. NASCAR changed the age limit after the start of the West Series season to 15 years old, but it was too late for Kwasniewski.

Dylan Kwasniewski has enjoyed success on the short tracks on the NASCAR K&N Pro West Series.

It was worth the wait though. Kwasniewski finished fourth in his K&N Pro Series West debut at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., and quickly became one of the rising stars of NASCAR. He was selected as part of the Next 9 drivers by NASCAR in the K&N Pro Series West and East.

His best finish of the season came at the Bullring in Las Vegas, where he was second to Pursley. Even though it was the best result of his rookie season, Kwasniewski points to the Roseville race as his best race so far.

"I definitely want to win every single race," Kwasniewski said. "We've had some chances some to be out there. I did finish second and that was my best result, but I didn't believe that it was my best race. I had a very good chance of winning, but my teammate Greg beat me out for the first-place finish.

"Roseville was a good race. I believe probably that was our best race even though we finished fourth and it wasn't our best finish, it was good to come out in my debut in the K&N Pro Series. I got respect for the drivers. I didn't bump anybody around or take anybody out. I got a good finish. I came out with a fourth place. That was a good race because I was pretty happy that I got a top five in my first race."

Kwasniewski has enjoyed success on the short tracks on the West Series. He has run into trouble on the road courses though. He had mechanical problems, crashed and finished in 25th place in the race at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.

"We've been doing pretty well. The only race we had bad luck was at Miller," Kwasniewski said. "The alternator went bad and we fell back and got involved in a wreck, but we had a very good chance of winning that race also."

It was a similar story at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. His car stalled in turn 11 on lap 60, four laps from the end of the race, and he dropped to 26th place.

"We've had a little bit of bad luck and we could have had better finishes than what we've had, but I'm pretty happy," Kwasniewski said. "Hopefully we won't have any more bad luck, gotten that out of the way, and we can get a couple of wins in this series."

His first trip to Iowa Speedway and his first race against the drivers from the K&N Pro Series East was a memorable one. Not only was he able to test his skills against drivers from the East Series, he was able to see how different some of the teams backed by Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip operate.

"It's a lot more competition, because there's a lot more drivers," Kwasniewski said. "In the West Series, everybody's a good driver, as well as the East Series. When you clash them together and put all those guys with really good equipment - there are teams back East that have support from teams like Joe Gibbs, Waltrip Racing - we don't really have that on the West Series. The top West Series drivers are just as good as the top East Series drivers. When you put them all together into a big race when you have almost 60 cars showing up, there's a lot of competition."

One of the benefits of racing for Gene Price Motorsports is that the team has a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series program. Pursley has entered and posted some impressive results in the Truck Series. The opportunity for Kwasniewski is there to perhaps test the Truck Series waters too.

"It's awesome knowing that I could go into the Truck Series if I wanted to," Kwasniewski said. "It puts a little bit of pressure on me. Hopefully, maybe they're thinking about that. We haven't really discussed anything yet. If I do really well, get a couple wins under my belt, then they'll see the true talent in me and they'll give me the opportunity to run a couple races."

Kwasniewski said his goal is to reach the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It will be a few years before that opportunity presents itself. For the time being, he is content with honing his skills with Gene Price Motorsports and in the K&N Pro Series West.

"The team wanted me to get seat time in the car. They weren't expecting any wins out of it," Kwasniewski said. "They were expecting me to perform as well as I could. My personal goals, they didn't really know what I could do. When I tested with them I was really fast and my goal is obviously to win every single race. Every series that I go into, whether it's go-kart or the K&N Pro Series, which is a much bigger series, I'm in to win every single race."

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.

Andy Forsberg and His A&A Motorsports #92 Crew is Keeping the Track Hot

28.06.2011

Experiencing a practically flawless race, Forsberg earned his second win of 2011 at the Silver Dollar Speedway

On May 20th, Andy Forsberg and the A&A Motorsports #92 crew rolled in to Chico, California, ready to compete in a 410 points race. When the wave if the green flag deemed the race underway, Andy didn't waste any time acquiring the lead. Experiencing a practically flawless race, Forsberg earned his second win of 2011 at the Silver Dollar Speedway, and his third win of the season.

Andy Forsberg #92 gains his third win of the season.

On the following night, he and the F&F X1 team went to Placerville, California, where Andy finished 3rd in his heat race, and lined up on the outside second row for the A-Main Event. The driver fought his way to the lead in the 10th lap, a position he would hold until lap 15, when he hit the cushion a little hard causing a few difficulties and ultimately costing him the lead. By the race's end, Forsberg had managed to take the 10th spot.

As the end of May and first of June closed in, Andy Continued his rigorous schedule, racing on the 27th and was rained out on 28th. On Sunday May 29th, Andy and the F&F X1 Team rapped up the month when they took their fourth win of the this season at the California Civil War Series, at Chico.

Bailing off into June, Andy and the Forsberg # 92 Team raced at Watsonville California on June 3rd at the Taco Bravo race, and Andy and the F&F X1 made the drive to Placerville, California to compete in a regular 360 point race on the following night.

On the weekend of June 17, Andy continued to experience success. On Friday night, the driver finished the race in the 7th position, with which he was pleased. On the following night, Andy and the F&F X1 rolled in to Quincy California for the 360 Civil War Race. When the dust settled, Forsberg had pretty well dominated the competition and had logged his third Civil War victory in 2011, and his fifth win of the season.

With four wins under his belt throughout the month of May, Andy Forsberg entered June with confidence, "All three teams that I have raced for have been pretty competitive this year," shared the driver. "We know if the cars are right, we'll be a factor. When asked what he accredited to a successful May, Andy said, "We just had our ducks in a row. The F&F X1 Team that I run for, they're a top notch crew. They put a really good car on the track. They've got a good fuel guy, they've got a good setup guy, and they've got me in the car." Referring to the A&A Car that he drives in Chico on Friday nights, Andy continued, We seem to be having things going our way right now.It's been a really solid season, and it's been one of those years so far when everything just seems to be going right."

When asked the key to success, Andy was quick to mention starting positions. "There are some drivers who if you start behind them, you're probably not going to catch them. I feel the same about myself. If you put me on the front row, even though I've got a couple of guys behind me who I'm concerned about, if I do my job, I'm not too concerned that they're going to get by me. The same goes for them. Put them on the front row, and I'm probably not going to get by them. We just have to keep on keeping on. What we've been doing has been working so we just need to stay on course."

Andy Forsberg and his Teams try to avoid traveling too far from home, and race predominantly in northern California, within in the neighborhood of four hours of their homes. According to Andy, his favorite track is Placerville. "It's a pretty small track and is a high-bank track compared to the other ones around here," he explained.

When asked about the performance of the car's he been driving this season, Andy said, "everything has been going real good. We use K&N air filters, oil filters and the cleaning solutions. My dad drove since 1968, and I'm a second generation driver," he continued. "The technology has chanced a little bit with filters, but if you look back at my dad's cars, it was always K&N air filters on there." I would like to thank our sponsors and fans," shared Andy. "I appreciate everything they do. My crew and my sponsors are also my friends and family. Without them none of this would be possible. We're all in this thing together."

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.

Josh McGuire Starts the Late Model Season Off With a Bang at Portsmouth Raceway Park

28.06.2011

During the A-Main, Josh McGuire took the lead in the sixteenth, and continued to lead the pack throughout the remainder of the 35 lap race.

The Josh McGuire Racing Team started the 2011 season off with a bang on June 11, at Portsmouth Raceway Park, at Portsmouth Kentucky. Laying down the second quickest lap during the qualifying race on that particular Saturday night, Josh then finished the dash in fourth place. During the A-Main, the driver took the lead in the sixteenth, and continued to lead the pack throughout the remainder of the 35 lap race.

Josh McGuire Layed down the second quickest lap during the qualifying race and then finished the dash in fourth place.

As one might suspect, after finishing second during the qualifying session, and 4th in the dash, Josh's confidence level was up prior to the beginning of the A-Main. "My confidence level was high," explained the driver. "Portsmouth Raceway Park is our favorite track. It is about an hour from our garage and is considered as our hometown track. The track is well maintained, very family friendly, and always puts on a good show."

When asked the key to holding the lead, he said, "Smooth, consistent laps helped. The track had been under water most of the year due to all the heavy rains on our area this spring, so there were some holes to dodge.

Being on the lead really helped us miss the holes and gain ground on the others. The track (personnel) did a good job working the track throughout the night, trying to keep everyone safe and prevent a lot of equipment from being torn up."

Josh McGuire plans are to compete in 45 to sixty races during the 2011 season.

Although Josh managed to hold on to the lead after pulling in front, according to the driver, the race was by no means a runaway. "In the final laps, the second place car of RJ Conely was really closing in on me," shared McGuire. "We were able to hold on to the win by a couple of car lengths. The first win of the season is always the momentum building block we hope to step on and ride out the rest of the season," Josh explained. "It felt great."

When asked the key to continuing their success throughout the remainder of the season, Josh stated, "We must maintain our equipment at a top-notch level, which is easily done using K&N quality products, such as their air filters, pre-chargers and oil filters." Referring to K&N products, he continued, "They are the best. We've tried other filters throughout our years of racing, and none have given us the engine durability and reliability like K&N. Weekly maintenance in dirt track racing is so important to finishing races and making sure your season ends on a high note. We must control the amount of dirt and sand that enters the engine, so we can extend the engine's life. And that is just what K&N Filters allows us to do" According to Josh McGuire, another important key to his success is his team.

Josh McGuire plans are to compete in 45 to sixty races during the 2011 season, which will come to an end in mid November. Although they have experienced their share of rainouts during the early part of the season, the driver anticipates less rainy days throughout the summer and fall months and is looking forward to competing on the races scheduled in the months to come.

The race car driver of ten years looks most forward to lining up against his fellow competitors on smooth and racy tracks, but is also acutely aware that the conditions on dirt tracks change as consistently as the wind. That said, he stressed the importance of learning to adjust regardless of track conditions.

When asked his thoughts about his fans and sponsors, Josh was quick to praise them. "We are so very grateful that we are able to do this for a profession," he stated. "Without race fans, none of us would be able to do this." In conclusion, Josh McGuire said, "Thank you."

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.