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K&N Sponsored Holmes Motorsports 2010 Glen Helen Pro-Buggy Class Champion

17.12.2010

Pro-Buggy Racer John Holmes

The Lucas Oil Regional Off Road Racing Series has been very successful with their efforts to unite the burgeoning short course off-road racing series throughout the country under one umbrella. The flagship series in the organization are the Arizona Short Course Championship based in Phoenix, Arizona, the Glen Helen Short Course Off Road Racing Series based in San Bernardino, California, and the traveling General Tire TROPHYLITE Series.

Baja 1000 Champion John Holmes

John Holmes, the K&N sponsored Pro-Buggy racer and Baja 1000 champion is a huge fan of the Glen Helen Short Course venue, and with good reason, the Riverside, California racer is the reigning 2010 Glen Helen Pro-Buggy Class Champion.

"The win this season was a hard fight right up to the final race," said Holmes. "We had several great drivers competing this year, some of which came from the pro series, and battling with them was so much fun, not just for me, but for all the fans."

Reigning 2010 Glen Helen Pro-Buggy Class Champion John Holmes

The Lucas Oil Regional Off-Road Series is a new and exciting form of off-road racing, designed purposely to be a family-friendly. And, round seven of the Glen Helen Short Course Off-Road Racing Series delivered, with a little something for every off-road racing enthusiast, with classes ranging from UTVs and two-wheel drive trucks to 1600cc and larger Baja Buggies to Trophy Trucks.

The regional contestants competed on the same short course that the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series raced on back in August.

"Yeah, they both run on the same track, and it is a great new track this year," adds Holmes.

Located in the pristine hills of Devore, just north of San Bernardino, California, Glen Helen Raceway Park is located in the Glen Helen Regional Parks and Recreation Area, only minutes from legendary Route 66.

In the Pro Buggy Unlimited Class, driving his number 915 buggy, Holmes faced some strong competition from Phil Bollman and Myan Spaccarelli, as well as the rest of the talented field, but at the checker it was Holmes that took the championship.

"The biggest contributor to our winning has to be these new shocks we put on the car - it just seems to drive like a whole different car," commented Holmes.

After winning round six on the same track Holmes said he was pleasantly surprised that simply bolting on some new front Fox Shocks could make such a significant improvement. "We knocked off almost a full second and a half from my original times," remarked Holmes after that race.

Holmes said that the entire team felt terrific about winning the championship and ending the season on a high note. "I had a terrible flip early in the season that luckily did no damage to the car. I had some healing to do though, but I'm fine now."

Holmes was chasing down first place in an early round event and made a move to pass, his right front wheel caught some soft dirt and it turned his car sideways right before he was about to hit a six-foot jump. The car did two complete flips and landed back on all four wheels, never touching the roll cage. "It knocked the wind out of me and I thought the car was damaged," said Holmes. Remarkably there wasn't a scratch on the car, the only damage was to Holmes.

Next season Holmes plans on running only in the Lucas Oil Off-Road races close to home, which definitely includes Glen Helen, and depending on race finances he may head out to the Las Vegas events as well. "Due to the expense we are unable to run the whole series at this time, but we do want to be set up and ready," said Holmes

"Thanks to everyone involved, we were able to put together a solid season. I especially like to thank my family and friends that came out to support our team. And of course thanks to K&N and all my other sponsors for all their support."

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USAC Open Wheel Midget Racer Cory Kruseman

17.12.2010

USAC Midget Driver Cory Kruseman

Racing is a sport that requires more dedication than most. All racers know this, or at least the successful ones do. So it should come as no surprise that dedication is a word often associated with one of the most successful midget and sprint car racers on the west coast, Cory Kruseman.

Cory Kruseman in the 2-Seater Midget

The Ventura, CA native is one of the most popular open wheel drivers in the history of the sport, and has garnered national accolades for his talent. The 2010 season was status quo for Kruseman, who captured 9 wins in 40 starts. His season was highlighted by a preliminary night win at the Chili Bowl, as well as a win at the Dick Vermeil classic, and a start in the prestigious Turkey Night Grand Prix on Thanksgiving.

"We ran the whole season with our own team this year, which was great," said Kruseman, who has won multiple Most Popular Driver awards. "I think the biggest thing for our team this year was learning the asphalt. We spent our entire career on dirt, which is way different."

Kruseman pursued the USAC Western States Midgets championship in 2010. He finished second in that battle, just behind champion Alex Shutte. Kruseman also finished fourth in the USAC CRA Sprint Car points. Kruseman built a new team from the ground up after a disappointing 2009, which was highlighted by missing the A Main at the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, OK. The new midget team took off with the help of sponsors K&N Filters, Lucas Oil and Sander Engineering.

"I think our preliminary win at the Chili Bowl was a huge statement, the moment of the year for us," Kruseman added.

A two-time winner of the Chili Bowl Nationals, a race also won by the likes of Tony Stewart, Sammy Swindell, Billy Boat and Tracy Hines, Kruseman also runs his own driving school at Ventura Raceway, his home track. The school is considered one of the top dirt open wheel schools in the country.

"The school has its pros and cons. It makes me a better driver and spokesman for our sport when I spend seven days a week on the track. But it also takes a lot away from family time, and I have the best family in the world. It can also be difficult when you go out and beat a driver who came to your school, because they might think 'Hey, why didn't you teach me that?'"

When asked to pinpoint his single greatest accomplishment, it wasn't any one of his races or championships that Kruseman pointed out. He simply answered, "Being voted the number one driver in the world by the fans."

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Jason Johnson Wins 2010 Lucas Oil ASCS National Championship presented by K&N

14.12.2010

JJR's 15th place finish was more than enough to clinch the title at the inaugural Sprint Car Super National contested at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team was assembled less than a year ago by Jason and Bobbi Johnson, their goal, lofty as it may have appeared, was to win the 2010 Lucas Oil ASCS National Championship. We are happy to report - mission accomplished.

In only their first year as a team Jason Johnson Racing earned a staggering 19 wins and the 2010 Lucas Oil ASCS National Championship presented by K&N Filters.

Jason Johnson experienced an exceedingly focused and determined season, so much so that at the inaugural Sprint Car Super National contested at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his 15th place finish in the Don Ott powered Maxim number 41 was more than enough to clinch the title, with 129 points to spare in fact.

"With developing Jason Johnson Racing as a new team for the 2010 season, one of our goals as a team was to obtain 20-25 wins within the season," remarked Johnson. "Falling just short at 19 victories, we all feel this season was a huge accomplishment with so much consistency and success leading up to capturing the 2010 ASCS National Points Championship presented by K&N Filters. To finish off our first season as the National Champs, it is a great feeling of satisfaction to know we assembled such a competitive group for our inaugural year as a race team."

While this championship is not Jason's first as a driver, he also won the crown in 2008, it is however his first as a team owner and driver.

For JJR the turning point of the season came during the Northwest Swing, that's when the team left Grays Harbor in Elma, Washington with the clean sweep, winning the 3rd Annual Fred Brownfield Memorial. It was also the race in which the team grabbed the ASCS National points lead, and never again looked back.

"It was at that point that our dream and all our focus of capturing the 2010 National title started to become a reality, and we really did not want to relinquish it as the season progressed," said the K&N sponsored Johnson. "Week in and week out, for the remainder of the 2010 season, we kept our goal within reach with consistent finishes and by capturing victories whenever the opportunity presented itself. With great team focus, we eventually turned our dream into the reality of becoming the 2010 National champs."

With the team experiencing so much success in only their first year we wondered if they had anything different planned for next season.

"Going into our second season as a professional race team at JJR, we have learned very much from our first year as a team. We plan on competing once again to defend our championship by racing with the ASCS National tour series. With the difference being that in 2011, JJR will try to compete at many other different venues across the U.S. in order to broaden our horizons of racing with many different sanctioning bodies and series along the way. This will allow JJR to be more diverse, with our on track performance and off track promotions."

Jason and Bobbi say they are extremely proud of their outcome for the JJR team, the associated sponsorship partners, and all of their JJR fans.

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Josh Bad Fast McGuire Notches Sixth Win of 2010 Season at Portsmouth

14.12.2010

Even with six wins on the season the JMR team wasn't completely satisfied, declaring that 2011 will bring even more success.

Josh McGuire and his JMR team scored their sixth Dirt Late Model feature victory of the season at Portsmouth Raceway Park in Portsmouth, Ohio. McGuire kicked off the evening by first earning the fast time honors during the qualifying session, sending a clear message that "Bad Fast" was in the house.

McGuire says he can always reenergize and refocus at Portsmouth, he considers it his home track.

The K&N sponsored Grayson, Kentucky native lived up to his nickname as he grabbed the top spot with five laps remaining, cruising to a very popular hometown hero triumph.

"It had been awhile since we have been into victory lane, so it felt really good," stated McGuire. "We have had some strong runs in the past month or so, but just haven't been able to put a complete night together for whatever reason. Maybe this win will turn our luck around a little bit and we can close out the season on a high note. I have to thank all of my family, crew, and sponsors for all of their support, as well as all of the fans!"

McGuire says he considers Portsmouth his home track, it's where he learned to race, to cut his teeth as it were. "It's always a place I can go to reenergize and refocus," he explains. "My confidence always seems to find its way back to me there, probably because it feels like home - there is that comfort level there. The track is always well maintained, very racy, and there is just a special adrenaline rush that comes with racing in front of the hometown crowd."

After the win at Portsmouth the number 41 team took off the following week from racing, opting instead to return to action at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, Mississippi, for the 16th Annual Fall Classic.

"Whynot did not go as expected, we did struggle, but we were in a new car, and still feeling our way through the changes and establishing a baseline. We got behind early in the weekend, but by the end of the weekend, we had almost dug ourselves out," said McGuire.

"That put us better prepared for the next week at Magnolia Motor Speedway, where we had a much better performance. No we didn't end on the high note we wanted - a racer is never really satisfied. Although we ended with six wins this year, we did struggle. The entire year was bit unsettling, it was a transition year to try to figure where we stood, and where we wanted to go. But that it is what winter time is for, it is a reset button, time to forget about last year and move on to making 2011 successful."

"Winter is a time to take things a part, look over the car with a fine tooth comb, rebuild and get to yourself back on track. I plan to search out some new opportunities, work on building some new partnerships for our team, and to 'reboot!' Race season comes quickly, so there really is not much time for resting - but you can work at a little slower pace than a normal race week."

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Andrea Tomba Wins Back-to-Back Class 8 Open Championships

14.12.2010

The ProBaja championship series consists of seven races, a mix of desert and short course - last year Tomba won six of those races and finished third once.

As he did this year, K&N sponsored Andrea Tomba will once again honor the number 800 on his truck for 2011, by winning the ProBaja Class Championship for the second consecutive year.

Despite contesting this year's championship in a new truck, ATRacing still managed to make it two in a row.

"This was a tougher season for us than last year," said Tomba. "Last year was pretty much as perfect a season as you could wish for, the truck ran perfectly, without a single problem."

In 2009, Andrea Tomba Racing (ATR) won the championship in commanding fashion, with six victories, and third place finish. They sold that truck though, and at the beginning of this season they began racing a new Ford Explorer.

Tomba says he feels the presence of his entire family and crew along with him when he races.

"Although it is a great truck, a new truck will always have teething problems, and we had our share of those this season," commented Tomba. "Overcoming them was a challenge, as was dealing with some freak problems that lead to a blown motor, and at another time three blown shocks. So, all-in-all, it made this year's Championship win feel even better!"

ATRacing declares they have every intention making it three in a row in 2011.

The Southern Baja Series, aka ProBaja, has proved that it's a force to be reckoned with during the last few years. By all accounts these are great races and very well organized, and as a result the number of participants in races is growing exponentially. Races generally run in the area between Cabo San Lucas and Loreto. Most racers admit that pre-running the visually stunning Baja Peninsula makes any journey worth the effort.

Generally, there are around 150 vehicles per race, with approximately 15 very strong Trophy Trucks, about 15 Class 1, and ten Class 8 Open vehicles. Over 100,000 fans spread out along the desert to cheer on racers. And over 10,000 spectators pack in to view the short course races. The championship is a mix of desert and short course races, with seven races total.

"It is also great to see more and more international drivers coming down to participate. For the Dos Mares race in May 2011," adds Tomba. "It runs 500 kilometers, leaving La Paz up a spectacular but challenging route up the Sea of Cortez, before cutting across the Peninsula and driving south along the last Baja 1000 section, from Cuidad de Constitucion to La Paz." Many top racers use this venue as a warm-up before the Baja 1000.

"The only moment that I would rather forget about this year was a DNF in the Coyote 300," remarked Tomba, "the first DNF in two years, and it was from an avoidable electrical problem."

"As for highlights... wow, there are so many. Probably the most memorable race was the Circuito Bronco Short Course, where we came in second, but it was a battle from the start, to a nerve wrecking near photo finish. It was what wheel to wheel racing is all about, 10 laps of adrenaline overdose, not only for us in the truck, but for all the spectators too. However, as in any racing, I think that the real highlight is coming in safe after every race, and to see the faces of family, crew and sponsors who really make it all possible. When you get out of the truck, filthy and tired, and you get a hug from them, you see them smiling from the heart, those are the moments that make me think - wow - all these people are sitting in the truck with me when I am racing!"

About the 2011 season Tomba says, "Of course we plan to make it three in a row! I would be very happy if we could do that, especially as the competition in Class 8 is going to get even better, with quite a few new trucks coming on to the scene. We are hoping to have the trucks dialed in better now, and to be able to start the season at 100 percent."

"The team is always working hard on improving what we have, and we are fortunate that we have support from some of the best brands in the industry. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to be able to discount some of the biggest threats in off-road racing, thanks to our sponsors continuing efforts to be industry leaders. In the last decade that we have run K&N Filters, we have not once had to stop due to filter problems, even when our races have run in what seems like unending miles of the finest silt you can imagine."

"More than anything, we would like to win a hat trick, as a way to show our appreciation to our sponsors and to our team. For over a decade now it is our sponsors that have helped to keep us on top. We can't express how much we appreciate their continuing support, especially through these tough economic times. ATRacing really just feels like one huge family."

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