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K&N 57-2571 air intake system added an estimated 53.7 horsepower to the 2007-2009 Shelby GT500

While there was some anticipation that the GT500 might be powered by a version of EcoBoost V6 under the rear hatch of the Ford GT, it appears the Blue Oval folks have gone the cubic inch route, much like Chevy and Dodge.

Word on the street is that a new 7.0L (427!) DOHC V8, code named 7X, developed initially for light truck application, will see duty in both the Shelby GT500 and the next Ford Raptor. It’s part of a $600 million investment Ford is making in the Windsor, Ontario, engine plant.

The other engine that seems to be part of the discussion is to supercharge the existing 5.0L V8. Dodge added 220 horsepower to the 392ci motor to create the Hellcat so it’s a viable path.

Little else is known about the new Shelby GT500. One can take some clues from both its current competitors as well as the last generation Shelby GT500. Horsepower can be expected to be in the range of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at 650 horsepower and the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat at 707 horsepower. It’s likely that Ford will ignore the Challenger SRT Demon as it’s specifically designed for drag racing only and not all-around performance like the GT500.

From a chassis standpoint, expect a carryover of the existing Mustang four-wheel independent suspension with some heavy tuning to make it instantly track-ready. Likewise, wheels and tires will likely go to 20 inches, which provides for more room for larger rotors and calipers. Exotic pad and rotor materials have been rumored.

All these likelihoods have been on the minds of K&N engineers. They’ve been assessing the engine bay of a Mustang GT to determine the impact of a 7.0L V8, a supercharged 5.0L, or even a twin-turbo V6. Why? Buyers of the Shelby GT500 will want to track the cars as soon as possible, and being enthusiasts will want an immediate edge against other cars and other Shelby GT500 as well.

So K&N is standing by to begin the development process for a replacement filter, cold air intake system, oil filter, or even a cabin air filter regardless of which engine is selected. And don’t forget that K&N developed the 57-2571 performance air intake system that demonstrated in chassis dynamometer tests that it added an estimated 53.7 horsepower to the rear wheels of 2007-2009 Ford Mustang Shelby models. We’re not saying that you can expect 50 additional HP out of the 2018 GT500, but only time will tell!

Luckily, companies have started to realize the importance of these filters and have begun making better filters to replace the OE paper versions to help clean the air we breathe. One of those companies is K&N Engineering. K&N has been in business since 1969 and they know a thing or two about automotive air filtration. Their new washable and reusable cabin air filters are a breath of fresh air (literally). Having made washable and reusable replacement engine air filters for decades, K&N making cabin air filters is a no-brainer.

K&N’s cabin air filters are made of an innovative synthetic filtration media sandwiched between two layers of epoxy coated aluminum for rigidity and durability. The filter is also surrounded by a urethane frame for an OE level of fitment. K&N test fits each filter to ensure it will fit comfortably in the stock cabin air filter housing. The K&N cabin air filters go beyond just a dry synthetic media. The media is coated in a biodegradable formula that adds an electrostatic charge to the filter. This helps to grab and hold on to particles as they pass through the filter so you don’t breathe them in. These particles include mold, mildew, fungus, allergens, bacteria, spores, and other debris that might make its way into the cabin of your car.

So if you haven’t checked your cabin air filter in a while, it might be worth it to invest in a K&N washable and reusable cabin air filter. You don’t know what kinds of things you could be breathing in every time you take your car for a drive. Check out knfilters.com for more information on this new line of filters. While you are there you can see everything they make for your car or any other vehicle you own.

Kevin Harvick won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma Raceway

Harvick won the Carneros 200 at Sonoma Raceway, holding off K&N Pro Series West regular Will Rodgers. It was the seventh career win for Harvick in the K&N Pro Series West. He won the 1998 NASCAR Winston West championship, the predecessor of the K&N Pro Series West, and the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

“It always feels good to win no matter what it is,” said Harvick, who raced late models at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, California, before moving up the NASCAR ladder. “The main objective was to come have fun, shine a little light on the series and shine a little light on how much talent is in the series. This particular series did a lot for me and to come back and be a part of it, see the health of it and see the young guys racing was the main objective.”

Kevin Harvick won his seventh NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma Raceway

“It’s always fun to race in front of your home state fans,” Harvick said. “It’s been a long time since I raced in this particular series here, so it was a fun weekend.”

Rodgers, a 22-year-old rookie from Murrieta, California, won the pole and led for the first 26 laps of the race. His second-place finish was his best showing in 14 career K&N Pro Series West races.

“For some funny reason, I had a feeling as far back as four weeks ago that it was going to be me and Kevin coming into turn 11 on the last lap," Rodgers said after the race on Saturday. "And sure enough, there we were. He ran a really good race, I learned a lot from him. We were able to lead some laps there in the beginning. It doesn't feel too bad to finish second today."

Kevin Harvick led the final 23 laps of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma Raceway

Gilliland holds an 11-point lead over Chris Eggleston in the K&N Pro Series West standings. Eggleston was 10th in the K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma.

The next K&N Pro Series race is at Iowa Speedway. It is a combined race for the K&N Pro Series East and West drivers and teams.

Fuller Moto's Street Tracker has the stance and performance of a full flat tracker (Photo Nick Rico)

“Instantly this project got me excited,” Fuller said. “This was going to be our first real race chassis! A lot of the same techniques and skills used for our small production runs of frames that we have created over the years came into play. We were getting our chance to break into racing and it was up to us now to build it to the level that these bikes could withstand 130 mph around a track and go for the win.”

The project got its start when David Lloyd, crew chief and co-owner of Lloyd Brothers Motorsports, came to Fuller with the idea of teaming up on the build. Lloyd knew what design elements and tweaks he wanted in the bike and he knew that Fuller Moto had the design and fabrication experience to bring the race bike to fruition. The racing knowledge-base that Lloyd possessed and the bike building expertise of Fuller came together in a kind of high-octane perfect storm.

World Champion Racer Johnny Lewis walked away from the Street Tracker impressed (Photo Nick Rico)

After the two companies had their meeting of the minds, the initial groundwork stage took some time.

“The full development process took about six weeks,” said Fuller. “The beginning set-up took the longest because we made a new JIG filtering system and new neck fixture.”

Fuller knew that Lloyd Brothers Motorsports would be ordering multiple frames, so the fabrication setup would have to be up to the task of duplicating the process in a streamlined and very accurate way. That fact proved inspirational for Fuller.

That's a K&N filter providing performance and protection for the Street Tracker (Photo Nick Rico)

Fuller’s revelation brought another exciting facet to his already intriguing project. When the competition frames were complete and proving to be very successful for Lloyd Brothers in the American Flat Track (AFT) series, Fuller turned his full attention to the Street Tracker.

“As Lloyd Brothers Racing Team began winning more places in the AFT Series with their updated bikes, we got to work building the first Limited Edition Series Pro Street Tracker,” said Fuller.

The mission was clear. “It was very important to me that this bike perform beautifully both on the track and on the street,” Fuller said.

Fuller decided to make subtle but important tweaks to the race frame geometry in its metamorphosis to a street-worthy machine. The real-world ergonomics of the Street Tracker were enhanced with a +3-degree rake, a 1-inch stretch, and swing-arm modifications to slightly lengthen the wheelbase. The ergonomic modifications did not hamper the cutting edge handling of the Street Tracker; they simply made the bike more suitable for street duty.

Not only did Fuller want the bike to perform like the race version, he also wanted to retain the race-inspired look. He incorporated the same fiberglass as used on the race bike bodywork, but he trimmed it down a bit for a more tailored appearance.

Think of the Street Tracker as a competition bike with lights (Photo Nick Rico)

To test how well the Street Tracker would perform in the dirt, Fuller turned to World Champion Racer Johnny Lewis. Lewis has raced for Lloyd Brothers in the past and now runs a flat track training school.

“Riding the Ducati Street Tracker, which matched the geometry of the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati I have raced in the past, was unique being that it felt like I was literally on my race bike with head light and electric start,” reported Lewis. “I didn’t expect to be backing a street bike into a corner on a 1/4 mile oval dirt track by the second lap. The fit and feel of the bike is spot on for a street performance motorcycle, providing a handling experience capable of taking off the head lights and going racing at a top level.”

Clearly Fuller’s Street Tracker is as close to a competition flat track racer as you will find in a street legal platform. “It is about the only street tracker you can buy that has direct lineage from a race bike,” said Fuller. “It is the real deal.”

Of course, Fuller’s first-of-the-series #1 Street Tracker breathes clean and easy trough a K&N pod air filter. For all of your filtration needs check out K&N’s easy-to-navigate online search tool.

Downtown Sturgis becomes a rolling bike show during the rally

Over the rally's 77 years, the magnetic draw of rumbling engines, diminished inhibitions, and moto-centric fun has attracted millions of bikers to the land of huge stone president’s faces and enticingly winding roads. Let’s take a look at the legacy and continued growth of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The Beginning

The year was 1938 and Clarence "Pappy" Hoel, owner of a Sturgis Indian motorcycle shop and his fellow members of the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club had an idea. Why not stage a motorcycle event in the area? The Black Hills Motor Classic, as it was labeled at the time, was born. The rest, as they say, is motorcycling history.

The Jackpine Gypsies continued the steadily growing tradition until the event took a two–year hiatus during World War II. In 1944, the Classic reconvened and in 1949 the Main Street in Sturgis was briefly closed to car traffic for the first time to accommodate rally festivities. The Main Street closure, except to motorcycle traffic, is a tradition that continues to this day.

K&N is proud to sponsor the Michael Lichter presents Motorcycles as Art Exhibit at the Buffalo Chip

In 1965, the Black Hills Motor Classic expanded from a three-day event to a five-day rally. In the mid-1970s, vendors took notice of the burgeoning crowds and began setting up shop at the rally. The popularity of the event prompted a further opening of the party window. The rally grew to a 7-day event in 1975.

In 1991, the Black Hills Motor Classic officially became the Sturgis Rally and Races. What started as a gathering of a few hundred rolling souls in the 1930s, expanded to 6-digit attendance by the 1990s.

However, it was with the new millennium that the truly astronomical numbers were realized. The 60th anniversary of the rally in 2000 drew an estimated attendance of 600,000. The attendance peaked at the 75th anniversary of the rally in 2015, when well over 700,000 showed up.

Planning and Safety

Clearly, when a seemingly unwieldy number of fun-loving moto-tourists converge on a small town like Sturgis (population 7000), there will be logistical challenges. The relationship between the town and the rally population has ebbed and flowed over the years. However, the residents and officials of Sturgis understand what a financial boon that the rally brings year after year. Some estimates reflect that rally-goers spend an average of about $1000 each per visit.

Great rides in the Black Hills area are a big draw of the Sturgis Rally

While the town, Meade County, and the state of South Dakota now play a primary official role in the organization and day-to-day operations of the rally, campgrounds like the Chip work hard to ensure a smooth and safe event. Nyla Griffith, the Media and Public Relations Director at the Buffalo Chip, details how important the cooperation of the various organizational entities is to the event’s success.

“The Buffalo Chip staff works closely with Meade County and the state of South Dakota emergency services to ensure that all guests are safe and happy,” says Griffith. “But we supplement with our own fire department, trucks and equipment, EMTs, and security. Our goal is that these crews are never busy, but they are here waiting to serve just in case.”

The K&N-sponsored Super Hooligan racing will be a highlight of the Sturgis entertainment

Keeping hundreds of thousands of restless and adventurous individuals entertained is a primary goal of the town, various Sturgis Rally organizations, the local bars like the Full Throttle Saloon, and venues like the Buffalo Chip.

In addition to the beautiful riding in the Black Hills, scheduled specialty rides, burn-out competitions, and the requisite wet t-shirt contests, racing takes center stage at Sturgis. The racing legacy goes back to the very first rally when 9 riders competed in a race in town. Competition has included hill climbs, drag racing, and circuit track racing in many forms.

This year, both American Flat Track (AFT) and Super Hooligan racing will be staged at the Buffalo Chip. K&N sponsors several top AFT racers, and is a primary sponsor for the Super Hooligan racing series.

The Buffalo Chip Campground becomes the entertainment center of the Sturgis Rally

“It is an ongoing process,” Griffith told K&N. “People see how the Buffalo Chip has grown over the years, becoming the center of the rally. Our friends and industry partners want to bring their races, bike shows, and events to the Chip, and we are happy to accommodate them. Our guests love the races and events as much as they love the concerts.”

Speaking of concerts, Sturgis becomes a massive music festival during the rally. “We search all year long for the right bands, those who are on tour and have an opening on their calendar, but mostly we search for the bands that our guests are asking to see,” said Griffith. “Sometimes we get lucky and we get to present entertainment like Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, Kid Rock, or Toby Keith.”

This year, the Buffalo Chip will also feature the Michael Lichter presents Motorcycles as Art Exhibit. K&N is proud to be a major sponsor of the show that is titled “Old Iron – Young Blood.” The exhibit will display the work of the next generation of innovative bike builders.

Visit the K&N truck at Black Hills Harley-Davidson in Rapid City, South Dakota

There are certainly many ingredients that have made Sturgis the iconic annual gathering that it has become. History, location, and great planning are all factors. However, Griffith says the shared biker experience is the key to the continued growth of Sturgis.

“It has certainly come a long way,” Griffith said. “There is a real love of the industry, a passion for motorcycles, the open road, and the music that goes with (the rally), but mostly for the camaraderie so prevalent at gatherings like the Buffalo Chip’s festival.”

If you are planning to make the pilgrimage to Sturgis in 2017, stop by the K&N truck and trailer which will be on display at Black Hills Harley-Davidson in Rapid City, South Dakota. We will have the new AirCharger and Shaker intakes on display and for sale at the booth.