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Michael Swift celebrates third place finish at 2016 Snowshoe GNCC in West Virginia

“We have a personal trainer who sets up a routine that some of our UTV/ATV racers follow,” explained Swift. “We have certain days of the week when they practice driving, but during the week we also focus on hydration and food intake. Our drivers also walk the entire course a day before an event. A UTV/ATV course ranges from 10-miles to 12-miles long and a UTV course ranges from 4-miles to 6-miles long. People don’t understand how much goes into cross country racing.” With nine drivers and 25 to 30 staff, it takes a lot to keep the team in prime condition to race.

Team History

Team UXC Racing was created as a factory team in 2006.

“In the beginning, we raced for a BRP factory team called Warnert Racing out of Minnesota,” explained Swift. “We raced for them for eight years until it was disbanded and we went out as our own team for BRP in 2012. At that time we had only two drivers. In 2014, we signed with Polaris and we started racing Polaris RZR UTVs and Polaris Ace and Scrambler ATVs and we’ve been racing for Polaris ever since.”

Kevin Trantham competes in the 2017 Unadilla GNCC in New York

Later, as the team’s popularity continued to grow, they received correspondence from drivers from all over the country who wanted to race in a GNCC event on one of the team’s machines. So they started taking on some drivers. Once they raced in a few events they wanted to stay around and continue with UXC because of their reputation and to be part of the family.

As a result, Team UXC Racing now has nine drivers, but only three of them – Swift, Trantham, and Jesse Straham - drive directly for Polaris. Team UXC Racing sponsors the other drivers, who fund themselves with a little help from the team.

Between 2012 and 2017 the team has won 11 National Championships, one Best In The Desert Championship, one SCORE Championship, and an Ironman and first place finish in the 2013 Baja 1000.

Team UXC Racing chalked up some major achievements in the 2016 season that included a second place finish for Trantham in the Snowshoe GNCC, a win for Trantham in the Cannonball GNCC, and a first place finish for Swift and second place finish for Trantham at the Wild Boar GNCC.

Nic Snyckers competes for Team UXC Racing at the 2017 Unadilla GNCC in New York

“I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t work, train or ride. The doctors didn’t release me from treatment and my cast wasn’t removed until one week before the start of the first round of races for the 2017 season,” said Swift.

2017 Season

Team UXC Racing has competed in 10 races so far this year and has four more events left.

“Halloween weekend is the final round of the year,” said Swift.

To no one’s surprise, they experienced a slow start this year.

“I started out finishing sixth and seventh for the first couple of rounds until I was able to work my way back to the lower end of the podium as of just before summer break,” said Swift. “We recently got back from Iowa with a win and I have finished on the podium and won one race so far this year. I am just now getting back to feeling 100 percent again.”

The Iowa event resulted in a third place for Trantham, a second place finish and second place result in the Ironman for Becky Widdicombe, who was racing a Polaris Ace 900 XC, and wins in the Pro 4x4 ATV 10 hour race for Swift and Trantham. Josh Day and Jeff Wright partnered to finish third in the 30+ class.

Two Days To Prepare For Next Race

Swift pointed out that it takes the team two days to prepare for a race.

Michael Swift and Kevin Trantham finish 1-2 in 2016 Wild Boar GNCC in Palataka, Florida

1. We pressure wash with the machine off

2. We pull the plastic and wash again

3. We put the machine on a jack, pull the wheels and tires and wash again

“We then bring the machines back into the shop and pull the wheels and tires back off, then do a four-point inspection that includes checking the frame for cracks, checking the brakes, checking the oil levels, and checking the hose connections. We replace the belts and other parts that need it and we check the tires and tire balls. We then put the machines back together and road test them for 30 minutes to an hour. The vehicles are then re-washed and then loaded onto trailers for transportation to the next race.”

The team includes two part-time employees Cameron Griffin and Brian McCarty, who wash the ATVs and do minor mechanicals. Swift does most of the mechanical maintenance and repairs.

The Offseason

You may think that once the offseason arrives, the team members take a vacation. Nothing can be further from the truth. In fact, according to Swift, the offseason is actually busier than the racing season.

“We are negotiating and re-signing sponsorship contracts, we get new machines in from Polaris, and we spend the winter building new race vehicles,” said Swift. “We build three to four ATVs (Ace and Scrambler vehicles) and four RZRs from scratch. We also go south to Florida to ride, train, and test parts.”

Team UXC Racing also does research and development projects for most of their sponsors. For example, they helped design an exhaust system for Big Gun, assisted with some changes to the Polaris Scrambler ATV, helped build a completely new suspension for the Scrambler and Ace ATVs and for the RZR UTV, and helped build a complete suspension system for the Ace ATV.

Sponsors

Polaris is the team’s major sponsor. K&N has been sponsoring them for four years.

“We worked with K&N filters in the past when we were part of Warnert Racing,” said Swift. “However, the sponsorship lapsed and we got involved with K&N again four years ago. We use their air filters on all our machines, oil filters on the Ace and RZR and pre-filters on all three machines. We also use K&N air filter lube that goes around the air filter air box to ensure a good seal and stops dust from getting into the box. The pre-filters shed off the dust, mud, and water to protect the air filters.

Team UXC Racing takes the checkered flag at the 2016 Cannonball GNCC in Sparta, Georgia

The K&N air filters are washable and reusable. So Team UXC Racing also uses the K&N filter cleaner after every race.

“We clean the filters and rotate them out so we always have an inventory of clean filters ready to go,” continued Swift. “We wash them and let them air dry.”

Mason Law (#20) is a rising talent in the competitive and important Superstock 1000 class

The goal of the K&N-sponsored race team has always been to “promote young riders through to title glory.” That mission has been realized in spades. Recently, K&N had a chat with Gladwin about the current state of GR Motosport.

A Directional Shift

Winning is the ultimate goal in racing. Winning in the most visible and desirable classes has to be a major focus of modern team ownership. After all, race teams are funded by companies that want to boost sales based on success on the racetrack. With that in mind, Gladwin made some directional shifts for the current race season.

Liam Delves is a raw talent in the Motostar/Moto3 class

In addition to the Superstock 1000 class, GR Motosport also competes in British Superbike and the Motostar/Moto3 racing classes. Here is an inside look at how the season is unfolding in all of the GR Motosport classes.

Superstock 1000

Tommy Bridewell (left) was welcomed to the GR Motosport Team by Brent Gladwin (right)

Law has proven to be up to the challenge of the new classification. His steep success curve has pleased Gladwin and has drawn the attention of the European racing community.

“Shocking the establishment, Mason won his 3rd race at Oulton,” said Gladwin. “(He) has gone on to take 3 more podiums and lap records, so things are really looking good for the future here.”

Law currently sits in the 5th spot overall in the Superstock 1000 class.

Superbike

While Superstock has emerged as the most corporately significant class for marketing, the Superbike class has always held a special cachet in racing. Superbike in Britain, as is the case in America, attracts some of the sport’s biggest stars. Both bike and rider selections were major considerations for GR Motosport going into the season.

Treacherous track conditions cost Tommy Bridewell a podium in Silverstone

Early in the season, Bridewell did prove to be consistent. However, Gladwin was looking for more finishes near the front of the pack.

“While Tommy has, until this last weekend, scored points for the team in every race, he has not finished regularly where the team considered possible - top-ten,” Gladwin said. “At Cadwell, he turned this around showing our true potential battling for 4th and taking two great top-tens. He repeated this at Silverstone although succumbing to the hideous weather crashing out of a certain podium.”

Motostar/Moto3

The Motostar/Moto3 series is low on engine displacement but high on racing entertainment. This year’s hopes for GR Motosport are placed on the shoulders of 16-year-old Liam Delves, a talented but inexperienced racer.

GR Motosport trusts K&N filters like the KA-1016 for the Kawasaki ZX10R

Sponsorship

“As you can see from our partners list, we love to be associated with companies who are market leaders in their field,” said Gladwin. “We know that K&N is the best in their field, giving us the best filter protection and performance in both air and oil flow. K&N also sits well alongside WD-40 who has long been a market leader.”

K&N is proud to be a part of a progressive and visionary race team like GR Motosport. If you ride the latest version of the Kawasaki ZX10R like the GR Motosport Superbike Team, K&N’s KA-1016 is the air filter for you.

Fonzie may not be real, but his Triumph and leather jacket certainly are in the Happy Days display

As its name would indicate, the San Diego Automotive Museum houses some amazing cars and trucks. However, motorcycle enthusiasts will be glad to hear that there is an equally fascinating motorcycle section in the facility.

The museum serves as a home for dozens of vintage and historically significant motorcycles, and it displays the moto-gems in a creative and visitor-friendly way. Simply put, the museum’s curators have a great eye for the aesthetic.

The Thematic Displays

A Steve McQueen Honda Elsinore and Husqvarna 400 are creatively displayed

Steve McQueen was known as the ‘King of Cool’ in large part because of the actor’s love of racing and speed. He was a star of the quintessential motorcycle movie 'On Any Sunday' which is played on a video loop in the display dedicated to his motorcycles.

McQueen’s motorcycle collection was legendary and two fantastic examples are on display in the museum. A vintage McQueen-owned Honda Elsinore motocross bike is shown in all of its industry-changing glory. Even more amazing is the 1970 Husqvarna 400 that was owned by McQueen. There is even evidence that the bike is the one the actor is seen riding in a racing clip in the 1971 film.

The Evel Knievel Stratocycle and all if its strangeness are on display in San Diego

The Classic Motorcycles

The backbone of the San Diego Automotive Museum’s motorcycle collection rests in the dozens of rare, vintage motorcycles that grace its floor. Some of the examples wear the patina of time, while others are meticulously restored.

Marquees from America, Europe, and Asia grace the historically-significant display. While photos do not do the scintillating bikes justice, scroll down to peruse a small sampling of what you can see at the museum.

Of course, anywhere great motorcycles are found, K&N is likely there as well, so look for the vintage racer that breathes through K&N filters.

This 1971 BSA A70 750cc flat track race bike wears K&N pod filters

The 1950 Vincent Series C Rapide is part of the iconic British line of speedsters

This British 1958 Ariel has the beautiful 'square four' engine configuration

The mellow yellow 1947 Indian Chief puts those famous fenders on full display

Classic Italian style is embodied in this 1928 Moto Guzzi Falcon

The 1938 Harley-Davidson has the legendary Knucklehead V-twin

The museum holds rare moto-treasures in every corner

Fantastic bikes in creative displays are to be found in the SD Automotive Museum

Monica's 2015 F-350 is definitely the perfect attention grabbing rolling billboard

The truck is used as a daily driver, her business vehicle, and to tote a Polaris RZR UTV for off-road riding with the family. It has helped promote her business and has made her somewhat of a celebrity in the greater Las Vegas area as well as all of Nevada. She really does turn heads when people see her climb out of the cab of that big truck wearing a dress and high heels. There is a reason why she calls the truck “Big Sexy.”

She also volunteered that she meets prospective clients at car shows and having the truck helps her build confidence with custom car owners.

“I have special knowledge and experience on how to help guide clients who own custom vehicles when inquiring about insurance and the repair process during a claim,” she said.

Holds Special Knowledge On Heavy Duty Trucks

She got interested in big heavy-duty trucks growing up in Big Sky Country in Dillon, Montana.

“I grew up in big trucks,” said Monica. “My parents owned trucks living in the Big Sky Country and when my husband Damon and I first met, one of the first vehicles I owned was a Ford F-150. My first Super Duty was a 2001 Ford F-250 with a standard transmission that I bought about 10 years ago when I opened my insurance business.”

That first heavy-duty truck served as a canvas for a plethora of custom enhancements.

“My husband and I did quite a bit of aftermarket customization to it and put a full vehicle wrap on it to help market my business,” Monica continued. “It did wonderful things for my business. So we decided to build another truck that would be even bigger and more eye catching.”

She sold the 2001 Ford F-250 and contacted a Ford dealership and told them she wanted a new and improved Super Duty. The dealership ordered her a 2015 Ford F-350 straight off the Ford assembly line built to her specifications and it was delivered in May 2014.

“I wanted to maximize my business opportunity and I knew I wasn’t going to purchase something small. I wanted something big and bold that would make a statement. Most of my local competition and colleagues drive your average sedans or a small SUV. I wanted something that stood out.”

She never considered any other brand of truck except a Ford. That’s because she enjoyed owning a Ford F-150 and Ford F-250. She also explained that she is impressed with the truck’s power and she likes the size of the cab on the F-350.

“The Ford cab is very comfortable and appealing, which makes it the best,” she said.

Upon delivery, she knew she would be fulfilling her vision of her customized dream truck. Her wish list included many upgrades that would require the expertise of several shops and vendors.

She found the shops that could help her build her dream truck through contacts from her business.

“I work with a lot of body shops and a lot of aftermarket shops because of my business and my clients. It was helpful knowing people in the industry. One of my contacts is with Sudden Impact, who has a wonderful working relationship with me. They have helped repair many of my client’s vehicles that have been customized. The shop owner got me in touch with another local company called 4 The Truck and they did the majority of the labor-intensive work.”

She and her husband chose the products installed on the truck. They selected products from familiar top-rated companies that they had great past experiences with. For example, the truck includes the K&N HP-4005 oil filter as well as a K&N 63-2582 air intake system.

Monica Gubler with her custom 2015 Ford F-350 also known as "Big Sexy"

“One of my best contacts works with my client Best In The Desert, the largest off-road racing association in the U.S. They have a great relationship with Ford and have a lot of knowledge about the Ford Super Duty and the many different aftermarket products available. They were a great influence on the products that we selected,” said Monica.

Another influence that was a great resource on products and manufacturers was the founder of Silver State Classic Racing, which is an Open Road Rally Event that closes 90 miles of Nevada State Route 318 between Lund and Hiko, Nevada.

And then there was SEMA

“SEMA 2014 opened up a lot of doors for us, too,” noted Damon. “Once we had a spot reserved in the SEMA show, many aftermarket manufacturers jumped on board and offered their products and assistance. They wanted their products displayed on the truck, especially after they saw the magnitude of what we were building. What they saw was not only bolt-on products but a lot of one of a kind truly custom systems like the overload air bag system, which is 100-percent custom; and front bumper and matching roof rack."

“We were the first at SEMA to have frenched in lights that were flush even on the custom built front bumper and grill as well as the custom built roof rack. Now you can find almost every manufacturer displaying the flush-mounted frenched in lights. You could say, we were a trendsetter,” said Damon.

They Had A Vision

Monica and Damon had a vision of what they wanted the truck to look like before they bought it. They hired KEG Media in Fort Smith, Arkansas, to create a rendering, which they used to entice manufacturers to become a build partner and to provide products as sponsors.

“KEG Media is the number one rendering firm for SEMA and is well-known in the automotive industry,” noted Damon.

“We approached companies who had the best systems for what we were trying to achieve and the products with the best overall performance,” he continued. “When we contacted the vendors for help with a custom designed product, a lot of them opened their arms to us and put me in touch with their engineering departments so that they could work directly with us on finishing the design to ensure that their product was compatible with the overall vision. The vendors were excited to be involved with our project and wanted to participate in a build of a truck that they knew would be an eye catcher at SEMA.”

Products and Sponsors

The new custom products installed onto the F-350 include:

• EBC disc rotors and pads

• 8” Fabtech front suspension system with 4 link coil over

• Dirt Logic 4.0 coil over shock absorbers

• American Force Storm 22-inch by 12-inch wheels

• Toyo Open Country 37x13.50R22 tires

• 8” Fabtech leaf with airbag rear suspension system

The engine compartment holds a K&N 63-2582 air intake system and K&N HP-4005 oil filter

• Fabtech 2.25 shock absorbers

• Hellwig sway bar

• Titan 50-gallon fuel tank

• K&N AirCharger intake system

• K&N oil filter

• MagnaFlow 5-inch exhaust

• Two XS Power D6500 batteries

• T-Rex grille

• Bushwacker flared fender

• Las Vegas Wrought Iron one-of-a-kind custom built front bumper

• ARE camper shell

• Aleatronix video system with two 9-inch DVD-TVs in the headrests

• Custom painted interior red accents

• Custom front seats with “G” stitched in headrest

• Black leather upholstery with red perforated diamond inserts and red piping

• Royal Purple Oil

Other partners included Knipex, WARN Industries, and ROGUE Racing.

The Gubler Custom 2015 Ford F-350 also totes the family and their Polaris RZRs for off-road riding

“My truck, or as I call her, ‘Big Sexy,’ is a true representation of who I am as a person. This truck is big, bad, red, powerful, tough, beautiful, sexy, and one of a kind. It is an attention grabber and I am very proud to be the operator. People often double take when they see me get out of the driver’s seat in heels, confidently driving such a large vehicle. ‘Big Sexy’ is my mobile billboard for my insurance business and chariot for my family,” concluded Monica.

The design of the RK-3948B intake matches the lines of the Harley engine perfectly

Before we get to the impressive performance and protection aspects of the RK-3948B, let’s look closer at the visual design elements. The unique shape of the intake's frame and filter compliments the lines of the V-twin engine configuration. The intake cap is finished in a subtle matte black that sits as the perfect backdrop for the three chrome accents. Simply put, the look works.

Resting behind that fine looking exterior is an engineered custom aluminum mounting system that allows an increased airflow to the throttle body. The intake has an integrated, internal-run breather system. Sandwiched between the intake mount and the cover is a K&N high-flow air filter element.

K&N's engineers have developed a mounting system that is clean and efficient

So what kind of horsepower boost can you expect from the RK-3948B? K&N’s rigorous in-house testing resulted in an estimated gain of almost 7 horsepower when the intake was installed on an otherwise stock 2017 107ci Harley-Davidson Road Glide. You can see the test protocols and the performance charts on the dyno chart link on the product details page.

That impressive power increase does not come at the expense of engine protection. The K&N filter incorporates the oil-impregnated media that has over four decades of real-world testing and proven protection. When it is time to clean that element, K&N makes a number of kits and cleaning products that make the job simple and convenient.

Everything that is needed for easy installation is included in the RK-3948B kit

The RK-3948B intake fits the models listed below. Check K&N's online application search tool for all of your filtration needs.

2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRXS ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL 107 CI - All Models
2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRX ROAD GLIDE 107 CI - All Models
2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTRU ROAD GLIDE ULTRA 107 CI - All Models
2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLRT FREEWHEELER 107 CI - All Models
2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHXS STREET GLIDE SPECIAL 107 CI - All Models
2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE 107 CI - All Models
2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTKL ULTRA LIMITED LOW 107 CI - All Models
2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTK ULTRA LIMITED 107 CI - All Models
2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUTG TRI GLIDE ULTRA 107 CI - All Models
2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC 107 CI - All Models
2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHR ROAD KING 107 CI - All Models