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NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Driver Brett Moffitt Wins at Greenville Pickens Speedway

04.04.2011

Michael Waltrip Racings' Brett Moffitt

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Brett Moffitt is with a new team, but the results haven't changed.

Brett Moffitt wins the season opening Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150

Moffitt won the season opening Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina on Saturday night. He became the first driver in five years to win the race from pole to finish.

"Being able to lead from green to checkered is just awesome," Moffitt said. "To be able to start the season like that is a amazing. Hopefully we never look back."

Moffitt won the 2010 season finale at Dover International Speedway in Delaware with Joe Gibbs Racing. He switched teams in the off-season, joining Michael Waltrip Racing for 2011 and taking over the car of Ryan Truex, who won the past two K&N Pro Series East championships. Truex moved up to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, leaving his team in the K&N Pro Series East in need of a driver.

Brett Moffitt wins the season opening at Greenville Pickens Speedway

Moffitt wasted no time in producing for his new team. He won the pole and was challenged only once for the lead in the race. Coleman Pressley made a move to the front on lap 136, but a caution flag came out when Derek Ramstrom spun out in turn 1.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Brett Moffitt

"When he got inside of me, that kind of got me nervous," Moffitt said. "Luckily, I just kept hitting my marks and didn't worry about him. Kept doing our thing and ended up on top. It was amazing."

On the ensuing restart, Moffitt pulled away and won by a margin of 0.624 seconds over Pressley.

"I really pushed hard under restarts," Pressley said. "I think we gave Brett more of a run for his money on the outside than anyone else did. That might have been a little bit of experience too. I probably used up a little bit too much too fast. I should have waited until about three to go, it might have been a different outcome. It's easy to say could have, should have, would have."

Rookie Alex Bowman was third, followed by rookie 15-year-old Chase Elliott and Matt DiBenedetto. Elliott is the youngest driver to start a K&N Pro Series East race. He started 26th and made up 22 spots during the race.

Darrell Wallace Jr., who won the K&N Pro Series East season opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway last year, finished sixth after starting on the front row with Moffitt.

There were 22 rookies in the 32-car field. Five rookies finished in the top 10.

The next K&N Pro Series East race is the South Boston 150 at South Boston Speedway in Virginia on April 16.

"I thought we put ourselves in a good position," Pressley said. "There at one time I thought we had the lead from Brett. Caution and restarts didn't fall our way. For the first time out with this X Team Racing, we'll take it and go South Boston and go for the win."

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.

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Pro 2 Series' Stronghold Motorsports Takes Podium

04.04.2011

Jeremy McGrath on the Podium.

When the 2011 season began, Southern California's Stronghold Motorsports knew they had multiple teams capable of competing for championships in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. They didn't know how long it would take for those teams to emerge as contenders. But at the season opening event in Chandler, Arizona, Strongholds two Pro 2 trucks made everyone take notice.

Stronghold Motorsports' Jeremy McGrath in Pro 2 truck

After struggling in Saturdays opening round, teammates Rob Naughton and Jeremy McGrath surged to the front of the pack and pulled away, giving Stronghold their first ever sweep in the Pro 2 class. "We made a gear and tire change that helped," said Naughton, who captured his first ever Pro 2 win. "But more than anything, the mental change I made as a driver helped me really push the truck to its limit and maximize its potential."

Naughton ran his fastest lap time on the 19th circuit. It was a 20 lap race. The 2010 Pro 2 Rookie of the Year said the win has already given the team confidence it can win the championship. "We expect to continue to race up front and win races. It was awesome for the entire team. They put in a ton of work, and to have both trucks podium was very special and the best way for us as drivers to say ‘thank you' to our crew."

Rob Naughton getting some air in his Pro 2 truck.

McGrath, the 7-time AMA Supercross Champion, and the man responsible for putting Supercross on the map in the U.S.A., was happy to bring home the second place trophy in his debut weekend with Stronghold. "I didn't have a great starting position so I had to fight my way to second. Once I got there, me and Rob battled really close. I was able to get side-by-side with him, but I couldn't make it stick. I'm just happy we were first and second on the podium. The team deserved it."

McGrath was approached by Scott Bailey to drive Stronghold's Pro 4 truck in 2010. The opportunity arose for the two-wheel superstar to move into the team's second Pro 2 truck, and McGrath saw an opportunity to form the best team in the division. So far, the move has paid off, but McGrath knows they still have work to do.

Rob Naughton on the Podium with his first ever Pro 2 Win.

"We only have two rounds of racing under this new truck, and I'm seeing a lot of these tracks for the first time, so I know the learning curve is going to be steep. I know we have the package to get a championship, but the talent in the field is unbelievable."

Naughton added "I know I can win every race, but with guys like (Brian) Deegan and Jeremy, it's going to be difficult to stay on top."

Both drivers applauded K&N's industry leading filters for keeping their motors working at optimum levels.

"K&N obviously makes the best filter on the market. When you are racing 900 horsepower motors that are the best money can buy, using any other filter is just not an option," Naughton said.

McGrath added "Our Roush Fenway motors make amazing horsepower and are running through dirt and rocks while flying through the air at more than 80 miles an hour. I don't think there are any harsher conditions in racing, and because of that, K&N is the only brand of filters this team will ever use."

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.

K&N's Sheldon Gecker Switches It Up for a Top Dragster Win at IHRA Nitro Jam in Tucson

04.04.2011

Second race of the season for Gecker and a Top Dragster Win! Photo by IHRA Communications/IHRA.com.

One is a little more used to seeing Surprise, Arizona's Sheldon Gecker running his dragster in the 8.90 index classes, but during IHRA's very first Arizona Nitro Jam held at Southwestern International Raceway just outside of Tucson, Gecker was "top bulb" racing for the first time since 1994.

Sheldon Gecker steps away from his normal 8.90 class to try his hand at bracket racing in Top Dragster for the first time at a recent IHRA event. Photo by IHRA Communications/IHRA.com.

Gecker had been planning on attending the NHRA Division event the same weekend in Las Vegas, but at the last minute it was suggested to him to stay a little closer to home and compete at the Nitro Jam.

"I was kind of surprised at the quality of cars there and how many rounds we needed to go," said Gecker. "Running Top Dragster I had to get used to the different tree again, something I haven't done for seventeen years."

K&N Sponsored Drag Racer Sheldon Gecker. Photo by IHRA Communications/IHRA.com.

Gecker, who had only been to one other event so far for the 2011 season, made only minor adjustments to his 2010 Tom Yancer dragster to run the class, all while paying very special attention to not make any unnecessary changes to his starting line procedure as a driver.

"I just simplified it and lowered the [rpm] chip so it wouldn't be an issue," said Gecker of the difference between pro and sportsman tree racing. "I didn't force myself to think about anything different than I normally do."

After two rounds of qualifying, Gecker found him himself smack in the middle of the field and was ready for eliminations in front a fairly large crowd.

"I spent the first couple of rounds just getting used to the quickness of the tree," he pointed out. "Unlike NHRA, you get staged and that top light was on right now. The car was extremely consistent and worked very well, actually better than I expected. It was going 7.60's in the air we had and normally it's a 7.20 or 7.30 car [flat out]. I think all but one round, we were within a hundredth of where we thought we would be."

Gecker did a great job of taking what he has learned from numerous years in Super Class racing, where so many races come down to inches at the stripe, and parlayed that into several round wins by having a very dialable car to drive the stripe, even though he may not have always had the starting line advantage.

"By the time we got to the final, we had the toughest guy in the local area Chuck Hawk, Jr.", said Gecker. "It's always nice to beat somebody like that, he's a top quality racer and a good guy."

The final round in Top Dragster was an absolute squeaker at the stripe with both Hawk and Gecker having identical .009 reaction times, it made for some tough games at the top end. Both drivers gave it their best shot trying to only take what amount of stripe they needed for the win, each knocking off a little mile-per-hour in their effort. With just .002 separating them, [nine inches] as they crossed the stripe, it was Gecker who came up with the win and the IHRA 40th Anniversary Special Edition Ironman.

"It wasn't like we had a lot of easy runs," said Gecker of his rounds. "We had one red-light when I needed it and we had a really tough final. It was actually a pretty neat experience."

As a very successful veteran in the sport, Gecker points out that he couldn't make wins possible without the products he uses. "There are very few vendors anymore where you can truly depend on the consistent quality of their products and you don't have to worry about a thing with K&N. We have been very successfully using their oil filters for many-many years. We also use their high-flow air intake on our F150 and something really neat noticed is how the K&N cone air filter works on the dragster."

"We actually learned something with that," he continued talking about the K&N dragster scoop air filter. "We found out that when we ran the car without it, it actually slowed down. When we use it, it straightens the air out and makes the car run better."

Gecker will work on adding to his recent success in his Lopersspeed.com/Hughes Performance/K&N dragster, only for his next event he'll be back in his familiar Super Comp class for the NHRA National Event in Las Vegas.

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.

Rob Curtis Racing Becomes K&N Backed Winner's Circle Motorsports

01.04.2011

Then newly formed Winner's Circle Motorsports, LLC, plans on traveling and racing more in 2011 than they have in past years. Photo Jim Balentine.

We said it before and it really can't be overstated, grassroots, family racing is the foundation of all racing. It's accessible and every bit as significant to rural America as so many other inaccessible pastimes. It binds families from one generation to another. It's so often the farm league that feeds into other levels of racing. And it allows someone like Rob Curtis from Greenville, Pennsylvania, to live and pursue his dreams. On the Rob Curtis Racing website, soon to become the Winner's Circle Motorsports site, it succinctly says "It takes a group of dedicated friends and family to make any race team a complete success."

Driver and team owner Rob Curtis says that winning the 2009 Sharon Speedway Modified title is definitely the high point of his race career thus far.

Rob Curtis' first racecar was a 1988 Troyer. He's competed in both the West Penn Modifieds and the Big Block Modifieds. His favorite track is Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio.

"Our team captured the 2009 Sharon Speedway Modified Title, and that is definitely the high point thus far," said Marcie Barlow, wearing her Media Relations hat. Marcie is also one of the Winner's Circle Motorsports team owners, along with Larry Riffe and Rob Curtis.

"We have two Troyer Chassis'. One is powered by an HRE Big Block and the second is a Small Block Modified," continued Barlow. "In 2011 we have decided to begin the racing season with the Small Block car and we will be competing at Mercer Raceway Park in Mercer, Pennsylvania, beginning Saturday, April 16th."

"In addition, we are hoping to compete at the two Modified Specials to be held at the Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Pennsylvania. The first will be held on Sunday, May 29th and the second is scheduled for August 12th."

The team's other goals for 2011 include a little more traveling than they have in the past. "Our driver, Rob Curtis, began his racing career at Mercer Raceway Park (Mercer, Pennsylvania)," explains Barlow, "And with the changes in the management that took place at the facility in 2010, we are looking forward to returning to Small Block competition there."

The new owner Bob Altman, has implemented several improvements at the facility and team Winner's Circle Motorsports, LLC, is looking forward to making MRP their Saturday night home in 2011. In addition the team is looking to compete in their first Race of Champions event July 21st at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania.

"We are looking forward to a successful 2011 racing season and greatly appreciate the assistance K&N Performance has provided our team the past several years," remarked Barlow. "Bob Harris and the entire staff of K&N are always friendly and looking to provide as much assistance as possible."

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.

Shea Holbrook Thinks Outside-the-Racecar to Get it Done at St. Petersburg

31.03.2011

Shea Racing's No.67 Honda Civic Si, K&N Filters, Lucas Oil car is expected to be back running in time for the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Photo by Kamran Malik.

It came in mighty handy for Shea Holbrook to have her karmic pool filled to the brim last weekend at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Florida. Shea, now in her second season of professional racing with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Pro Racing World Challenge Series, redefined what it means to have fan support. For years now Shea has used her high visibility racing profile to tirelessly support charitable causes close to her heart, such as the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. So, when she needed a little help from her friends and fans, it flowed back to her in an overwhelming fashion.

Shea Holbrook's biggest fans, the Gilbert girls, Erica, Lacie, Alyee and Rhea.

In race one Shea had a terrific start, moving from thirteenth to eleventh by the first turn. Then a few laps later she made another great move in turn one, passing two cars and rolling into seventh place. That same lap though she got caught up in a wreck, a big wreck, which ended her race. Way too much front damage to her car, it looked as though there was no way she would be getting back on the track.

"I thought of something really out of left field, and completely out of my character," said Shea. "I hustled walking the paddock, making phone calls, and posting on Facebook and Twitter asking for help! Still, at this point we were not racing. Phone calls were taking too long and things all of a sudden became very complicated. Nick Chorley, a Shea Racing crew member and I were walking the paddock thinking, and the idea of fan support all of a sudden dawned on me. I figured, this is my home race, and we have some of the best Shea Racing fans here in St. Petersburg."

Shea was passing cars in bunches and running in seventh place in the first race at St. Pete before a wreck ended her race. Photo by Michael Ball.

Shea and her team owner dad, Jeff, came up with the idea of running with the Compass 360 Racing team because they knew they had a spare car, but not just any racecar, a Honda Civic Si, much like the one she was accustomed to driving. With that she could be in a position to finish in the top-ten and in the points.

"I was confident in my driving ability and also the cars. Thinking out-of-the-racecar really came about when we needed to find funds to actually get into this car," remarked Shea.

To get back on the race track Shea needed funding to continue in round two of the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Starting the season off without earning any points just wasn't an option for her.

"Last year I met wonderful fans that continue to follow and support our racing and charity efforts. One family in particular stood out, the Gilberts. I remember meeting all four Gilbert girls vividly. There they were again this year, just like they told me they would be. We exchanged hugs and I checked in with them after every session. They're down-home, good people. When the idea of fan support came about I immediately thought of the Gilbert Girls. I found Mr. Gilbert and nervously asked a question no driver wants to ask, and it went a little something like this… 'I have the opportunity to get back into the seat, but I do not have the funding to do so, so I'm turning to fans for help to have the race of my life. Can you help?'"

"Mr. Gilbert smiled and gave me a hug and said, 'Can you put Gilbert Girls on the side of the car?' And so we went racing. It just so happens that one of our partners is a graphics company. I called up VisionX Graphics and they had someone in the shop making a vinyl immediately."

"Both races were unbelievable," continued Shea. "We had great launches at the start of both races and were able to gain positions. The most important thing to remember when racing on streets courses is, hit your marks, and race intelligently. We had great communication over the radio and stoppers were very beneficial."

"I'm not going to lie, all I was thinking about in race two was bringing that car back in one piece. I couldn't believe how comfortable I felt in a car I'd never raced. Once I took her around one lap I felt at home again. So yes, I felt a lot of pressure to bring that car back untouched. But our new No. 67 Honda Civic Si, K&N Filters, Lucas Oil, MYPLUGGZ.com and now Gilbert Girls was rockin' and nothing was stopping us!"

Shea started the second race in sixteenth and worked her way into an eighth place finish. Currently she's preparing herself for a run at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 15-17, which rocks through the streets of Long Beach, California.

"Oh yes, our thought process has changed for Long Beach," said Shea. "There's a chance we'll get our Honda back on track, but we're preparing and speaking with a few Honda teams as well. We're excited about Long Beach and ready for podium finishes powered by K&N filters and Lucas Oil!"

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.