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At the X Games Harley-Davidson Flat-Track event Cory Texter will ride the number 65, his father Randy Texter’s number, Racing Unlimited Kawasaki EX650

The AMA Grand National Championship racing series has a long and illustrious history fueled by early rivalries between the Harley-Davidson Motor Company and the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company. Flat track racing is the oldest form of motorcycle racing and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company remains highly involved in the sport. Harley is currently the title sponsor of the Harley-Davidson Grand National Championship 1 (GNC1) series. K&N is also deeply rooted in motorcycle racing. Before the invention of the World’s Best Air Filter, K&N sold motorcycles, motorcycle accessories, and supported a large K&N factory race team. K&N supported some of motorcycle racing’s finest including Johnny Issics, Ralph White, Stevie Nichols, and even a three-time world motorcycle grand prix champion, “King” Kenny Roberts.

These days the GNC1 field has become more diverse with serious contenders riding Harley XR750, Kawasaki Ninja EX650, Ducati, KTM, Suzuki and for 2015 Yamaha powered twin-cylinder motorcycles. These racers must embody both intelligence and guts as they race around flat dirt oval tracks, sometimes longer than a mile, bar to bar at speeds up to 130 mph on the straightaway. Also new for 2015 is the inclusion of Harley-Davidson Flat-Track racing in the popular ESPN-fueled X Games festival of extreme sports. Also setting a precedent in X Games competition are the Texter siblings who hail from Pennsylvania. Cory Texter, age 27, and Shayna Texter, age 24, will soon be the first brother and sister tandem to be invited to the X Games in any event in its 20-year history. “There’s no other brother and sister in the world that went to X Games together. For us being the first in history, it’s definitely cool and something special that we’ll treasure forever,” said Shayna Texter.

While the Texters were born into a racing family they didn’t always have aspirations of professional racing careers on their mind. It wasn’t until 2004 when the duo began entering flat track racing with the support of their father Randy Texter. The Texter siblings soon discovered they had a talent for pitching motorcycles into flat dirt corners and began to win races. Cory turned pro in 2007 and Shayna soon followed. It wasn’t always easy for these two young racers after losing their father in 2010 due to complications from his battle with cancer. Both Cory and Shayna struggled for a while following the death of their father. The two had to lean on one another more than ever before in 2011. Cory took a year off of racing to support his sister Shayna who became the first female in AMA history to win a GNC2 Pro Singles main event in 2011.

Shayna Texter will be aboard the number 52 Crosley Radio Kawasaki EX650 at the X Games Harley-Davidson Flat-Track event

“Shayna winning Knoxville put us on the map as a family and kick started our careers,” said Cory. Cory took on the marketing aspect of their careers while Shayna picked up a wrench and took a hands-on approach with her motorcycles. “I enjoy it a lot. I almost enjoy working on them sometimes more than I enjoy riding them,” joked Shayna Texter. Although flat-track racing is the oldest form of motorcycle racing, the sport doesn’t enjoy the fame and bright lights of other forms of motorcycle competition, like Supercross. All that could begin to change come Thursday May 4th in Austin, Texas when flat track racing is thrust in front of thousands of extreme sports fanatics. “If you told me five years ago that we would be in the X Games I would have laughed at you. It’s never been on the radar,” said Cory. “It’s a really big deal. The X Games are something everyone knows. If I tell someone I race flat-track, they often don’t know what it is. It goes in one ear and out the other.”

The first ever Harley-Davidson Flat-Track racing event of the X Games will take place Thursday May 4th at 8:30 PM. 24 invite-only flat track racers will race bar to bar on a 3/8 mile course in Austin, Texas. Different for the X Games will be the motocross-style starting gate instead of the AMA Pro Flat Track style start of gridded rows. The 24 invitees will be thinned down to a 12-person main event. At the X Games Cory Texter will ride the number 65, Randy Texter’s number, Racing Unlimited Kawasaki EX650. Shayna will be aboard the number 52 Crosley Radio Kawasaki EX650. All things aside, once the Texter siblings line up at the starting gate it will be like any other race. They will be determined to be faster than the entire field including each other. “We’re friends, we’re colleagues, we’re teammates, and we’re rivals. We’re quite the combination,” said Cory.

One autographed K&N Pro Series mini Bell replica helmet will be given away through K&N’s official Twitter feed twitter.com/knfilters after all 28 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East & West races

Scott Heckert proved he can master an oval just as well as a road-course by leading all 150 laps of the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 race at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina

Scott Heckert, a 21-year-old from Ridgefield, Connecticut, earned his third NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 at Bowman Gray Stadium. Heckert's two previous wins came last season on road-courses: New York's Watkins Glen International and Virginia International Raceway. This time however, Heckert flat out dominated on the flat quarter-mile oval track of Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Scott Heckert was quickest in practice, won the Coors Light Pole Award and led all 150 laps of the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 race. Scott Heckert proved he can master an oval just as well as a road-course, and was able to do it on one of the most historic tracks in NASCAR.

Scott Heckert's HScott Motorsports With Justin Marks teammates Dalton Sargeant and JJ Haley finished second and third, respectively. Heckert finished .579 seconds in front of Sargeant, driving one of the oldest cars in the HScott Motorsports fleet. It is a 2004 chassis that was previously driven to victory lane by such past Mike Greci-led drivers as Trevor Bayne and Ryan Truex. Greci is currently the team manager for the HScott Motorsports team.

Jay Beasley led three NASCAR Drive For Diversity drivers in the top 10 with his fourth-place finish. Gray Gaulding completed the top five. Championship points leader William Byron was involved in a spin and finished 15th. His lead, after five of 14 races is still 13 points over Austin Hill, who finished 14th, and 17 points over Kyle Benjamin. With his win, Scott Heckert moved up to fourth in points, one behind Benjamin and nine in front of Gaulding in fifth.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to the track on Saturday, June 20 with the Visit Hampton 175 at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia.

With the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 race win, Scott Heckert moved up to fourth in K&N Pro Series East points, one behind Kyle Benjamin and nine in front of Gray Gaulding in fifth

Scott Heckert was quickest in practice at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina winning the 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Lite

Download the standard screen version of the K&N June 2015 calendar page featuring exquisite examples of Italian super car design matched with ultra-premium Lexani Wheels

K&N’s June 2015 calendar page features some of the most exquisite examples of Italian super car design matched with ultra-premium Lexani Wheels. Featured In the foreground on the left of the June 2015 K&N calendar page is a Ferrari 458 Italia. The Ferrari 458 Italia, is powered by a 4,499 cc V8 engine of the "Ferrari/Maserati" F136 engine family and was designed to be Ferrari's sportiest V8-engined car. One example of the 458 Italia is shown here in giallo, Italian for yellow, paint and matched with Lexani Concave Series CSS-15 wheels with a custom yellow and black finish.

Download the wide screen version of the K&N June 2015 calendar page featuring exquisite examples of Italian super car design matched with ultra-premium Lexani Wheels

Behind the 458 Italia is Ferrari’s then flagship 2-seater model, the 599 Fiarano. The 6.0L V12 engine produces a maximum of 612 HP, making the 599 Fiarano the most powerful series production Ferrari road car of the time. It was also, at the time of its introduction, one of the few engines whose output exceeded 100 HP per liter of displacement without any sort of forced-induction. Like the 458 Italia, this yellow 599 Fiorano rolls on Lexani Concave Series CSS-15 wheels with a custom yellow and black finish.

Of course the image wouldn’t be complete without the talented models Miss Mariah Bevacqua and Miss Summer Sabers. Mariah Bevacqua, on the left, is a Ventura County, California native who, in addition to modeling, works as a creative director for an online clothing company. Summer Sabers, on the right, hails from the former Soviet eastern-European nation of Ukraine. Summer has modeled for Hot Rod Magazine, Super Street Bike magazine, and of course the 2015 K&N calendar. Special thanks go out to the folks at A1 Grit Company, who allowed us to use their site as the backdrop of the June 2015 calendar page.

Additional K&N calendar desktop wallpaper images are available to download on the Free K&N Racing Wallpaper for Computer Desktops page. Printed versions of the K&N calendar are available for purchase on KNFilters.com.

Mike Swift and fellow UXC/Polaris Factory Racing rider Kevin Trantham started the GNCC round 7 Pro 4x4 race 4th and 5th off the line heading into the woods for a two hour battle

Starting the 3rd lap of GNCC round 7, K&N filters supported Pro 4x4 racer Mike Swift hit a tree stump hidden in a rock section causing him to fall back into 4th place

K&N air filters sponsored Team UXC/Polaris Factory Racing rider Michael Swift won the Pro 4x4 class and the overall win out of 260 riders at round 7 of the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series in Masontown, Virginia. Mike Swift and fellow UXC/Polaris Factory Racing rider Kevin Trantham started the Pro 4x4 race 4th and 5th off the line heading into the woods for a two hour battle. Swift worked his way into the 2nd place position by mid race, while #202 Kevin Trantham encountered a radiator problem after passing through a rock section.

Starting the 3rd lap of GNCC round 7, K&N filters supported Pro 4x4 racer Mike Swift hit a tree stump hidden in a rock section causing him to fall back into 4th place. However, just before the start of the last lap, Swift made a charge to close the gap and catch the leaders. By mile marker three Swift was able to make a pass on the leader and take over the Pro 4x4 class lead aboard the K&N equipped Polaris Scrambler 850. Swift was able to hold the lead and put over a 20 second gap between him and 2nd place, giving the K&N sponsored Polaris Factory Racing Team another Pro Class Victory.

“What a day! My Polaris Scrambler 850 worked excellent and took the punishment through the rocks and allowed me to make a comeback for another win. I am so proud of our team and thankful for all the products our sponsors build,” stated Swift. K&N air filters supported Team UXC rider Don Higbee finished with another strong podium taking 3rd in the 40+ 4x4 class. Nic Snyckers also brought home a podium finish with a 3rd place in the 4x4 C class. Marc Sparato claimed an impressive 2nd place finish in the UTV class in the K&N equipped Polaris Ace single seat, while teammate Josh Copeland grabbed a 4th. Michael Swift brought home a 3rd place finish in the XC2 Pro Sport Class.

Swift was able to pass for the lead and put over a 20 second gap between him and 2nd place, giving the K&N sponsored Polaris Factory Racing Team another Pro Class Victory

Team UXC / Polaris Factory Racing has announced that the K&N sponsored team will be heading to the world's most prestigious off road race, the 2016 Dakar Rally January 3-16, 2016

The K&N sponsored Team UXC/Polaris Factory Racing team will head to GNCC Round 8 in Millfield, Ohio on June 6th in the ATV and UTV series. Additionally, Team UXC / Polaris Factory Racing has announced that the K&N sponsored team will be heading to the world's most prestigious off road race, the 2016 Dakar Rally. The 2016 Dakar race will take place across the countries of Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina January 3-16, 2016. The 2016 Dakar Rally will span 5,000 kilometers over 13 grueling days of off road racing. Team UXC racer Don Higbee will be the rider for 2016 with Team UXC's Michael Swift completing the build and prep of the 2015 Polaris Scrambler 850 EPS race bike. Team UXC will also join Higbee providing mechanic and race support during the event.

Greg Ventura relies on K&N, Lucas Oil, Taylor Freezers, Carroll Shelby Goodyear, RaceTrans, Autometer, Aeromotive, Edelbrock, Total Seal Piston Rings, T&D Rocker Arms and Brodix

Greg Ventura, a Material Lifecycle Analyst for K&N air filters, has been drag racing for over 22 years. Having been born into a drag racing family, Greg practically grew up at the drag strip. Greg’s father, Al Ventura, was a well-known figure in the local Southern California drag racing scene. Sadly, Al Ventura lost his battle to cancer in 2012 and his son Greg continues to struggle with the loss. “My father was my best friend, and without his leadership and being the great example he was, I wouldn’t be racing today,” said Greg Ventura.

“Since my dad passed I have struggled a bit with issues with the car and psychologically as a driver. When you’re racing you have to be 100% focused. I’ve gone a few rounds but ultimately I was eliminated due to a bad light or lack of focus,” said Ventura. Greg relied heavily on Al’s experience since the beginning of his drag racing career. With his father’s guidance Greg built his first race car out of a rough Chevy II Nova originally intended to be his daily driver after he was actually old enough to get a driver’s license. Greg said, “My father was my engine builder and did the majority of the mechanics work on our cars. Since he left us, there was quite a big learning curve with the engine and other areas of the car.”

Greg Ventura, a Material Lifecycle Analyst for K&N air filters, has been drag racing for over 22 years but he hit a dry spell after his father Al Ventura lost his battle to cancer in 2012

Luckily Greg has been able to lean upon fellow racers with several of those racers also filling prominent positions in K&N air filters’ research and development departments. One such K&N employee/drag racer who has lent a hand to Ventura on more than one occasion is Kevin McClelland who serves as K&N’s Director of OEM business. In a manner of speaking, Kevin comes from drag racing royalty as many people refer to his father Dave McClelland as “The Voice of NHRA.” “I have leaned on Kevin for a lot of engine building advice, and I know I’ve worn him out with questions at times. But Kevin has been a really big help getting me pointed in the right direction,” said Ventura.

Ventura recently entered a Division 7 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, California. NHRA division 7 covers a large geographical area and consisting of California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. At this particular race there were 74 entries, which resulted in seven rounds of eliminations for the Super Gas class that Greg Ventura competes in. Ventura made quick work of rounds one through four taking out competitors from around the region. However, going into round 5 Ventura knew things were going to get a little tricky. There were still two K&N employees, Steve Williams and Kevin McClelland, as well as one of Greg’s good friends, left in the Super Gas competition and Ventura knew he’d eventually go toe to toe with one of them.

K&N Employee, and longtime drag racer, Greg Ventura earned an emotional win at Auto Club Dragway and dedicated the win to his father and racing mentor Al Ventura

As luck would have it Greg Ventura found himself lined up against his friend and mentor Kevin McClelland in the Super Gas quarter-finals. As Ventura prepared to stage against McClelland at the starting line disaster struck as Ventura’s battery was completely dead and the car would not start. Kevin, as any good friend would, agreed to wait while Ventura got his car jump started. Following that round it was Greg Ventura who got the win and a straight shot into the final round of eliminations. “I know Kevin wasn’t happy to lose. I don’t know any good losers. But I think he was proud to see that I held it together and the car ran well. With his assistance of course,” said Ventura.

As Greg headed to the final round of Super Gas eliminations behind the wheel of his father’s 1966 Chevy II Nova, which he and Al built together in 1998, the fact that complete focus is necessary while racing was never clearer. This time, however, it was Greg’s opponent Dave Mezier who left early with a red-light foul start essentially dropping the race trophy into Ventura’s lap. “Since my dad passed, I’ve struggled while racing. This was a great race to get this rough streak off my back and finally get a win,” said Greg. “I would like to thank K&N for their help and support of my racing efforts as well as Lucas Oil Products, Taylor Freezers, Carroll Shelby Goodyear, RaceTrans, Autometer, Aeromotive, Edelbrock, Total Seal Piston Rings, T&D Rocker Arms and Brodix for their support. I want to dedicate this win to my father Al Ventura.”

Greg Ventura’s 1966 Chevy II Nova is powered by a 565 cubic-inch Chevrolet big block engine. Greg relies on the superior airflow and superior performance of K&N filters both on the track and off. Greg uses K&N Pro Stock Hood Scoop, number 100-8506, in conjunction with K&N Hood Scoop Racing Air Filter, number 28-4210. Additionally, Greg uses K&N wrench-off premium oil filter, number HP-3002, and K&N inline billet aluminum reusable fuel filter, number 81-1005. Find K&N performance parts for your drag racer, grocery getter, or lawn mower at KNFilters.com.