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Greg Ventura Triumphant in Pomona - Brings Home Super Gas Victory for Team K&N

Feb 20, 2012

Greg Ventura's NHRA Super Gas 1966 Chevy Nova

Garden Grove, California's Greg Ventura whittled his way through a weekend of not only tough competitors, but some tough weather conditions to kick his 2012 season off in style as he drove his 1966 Chevy Nova all the way to acquire the very first NHRA Super Gas Wally during the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals in Pomona.

The Material Lifecycle Analyst for K&N Engineering has been competing with his Nova since 1999 and for the 2012 season its 565ci BBC is once again equipped with all the latest filtration products from K&N Engineering.

"The weekend was kind of unnerving, because every day was so different," confessed Ventura. "The first two days of the event were seventy-five degrees and warm out and then the next two days were just raining on-and-off and terrible. It was all so diverse [weather/track conditions] and you just have to really be on your game and know your car to be able to preserve through a weekend like this."

After making two time run sessions on Thursday and one on Friday, Ventura made his way through round one of eliminations Friday evening, before having to wait until later on Sunday to get back on a very different track. "It's the Winternationals and for this event, the weather kind of has a history of doing this," explained Ventura of the very long delay between rounds. "You just adapt and not let yourself get keyed up when you know you aren't going to be running. Because letting yourself get that way for no reason, just wears you out."

By the time Ventura and the rest of the Super Gas class got back out on the track, he knew to prepare for the second round a little differently than before. "You have to know that running after the pros, the track is going to be different. It's obviously not going to be as good as it is when you go out there on a Thursday morning, there's a bunch of clutch dust out there," he noted.

Ventura put together a beautiful .007 reaction time and a 9.901 to shut down Roger Kato in round two only to have to put her back away for the night and now, wait until Monday to get back into eliminations where the on-and-off mist postponed the action until later in the morning.

Unlike his second round reaction time, Ventura didn't quite get the light he was set up for during his round three matchup with Gary Mignacca. Both driver's off their game, but it would be Ventura turning on the win light again and another dead-on the index pass. "It would rain and stop and rain and stop, so you are a little caught up in your nerves and you were trying to stay up for it," he said. "If you look at that whole round, everyone seemed to kind of be caught up in that."

That wasn't the only thing Ventura "caught" over the weekend, and by Monday he was also battling one heck of a cold, all while trying to do his best to stay focused through the rounds. "It really hit me Monday morning and I was just sick as a dog," he pointed out. "The thing was, I was doing well and I thought 'what's wrong with this'. Maybe my cold and feeling the way I did kept me more grounded through it all."

His fourth round would give him a nice tune-up run as his competitor, Charlie Waggoner Jr. turned it .004 red now sending Ventura on to an extremely pivotal quarter-final round against P.J. Giacalone in his 1955 Chevy. This round would be a "two-for-one" to the winner, as there was a bye into the final up for grabs. "It's really always been the kiss of death for me, if I know that I have a shot at a bye into the final," said Ventura. "I didn't mean to look that far ahead on the ladder and I actually saw it by accident."

The quarter-final was a great example of competition at this level as Ventura cut it to just inches at the stripe for a .005 margin of victory, his .024 package to Giacalone's .029.

After taking his single into the final, and hoping it would be a chance to run the boss, Steve Williams, in an all K&N Final, it would be Jimmy Lewis that Ventura would meet up with for a shot at the very first Super Gas National Event Wally of 2012.

"I went back to my right lane and when I left, when I pulled the button, I know he has a slow sixty foot but it just seemed like he was a little further behind," reflected Ventura of the final round. "So when we got down there, I looked over and thought I got him by about three-quarters of a car. I just snugged it up as much as I could. I was actually on a .90, but ran a .92. It was just an unbelievable feeling when the win light came on."

The numbers from the time slips show it was Ventura's round to win from the hit, having nearly three hundredths of a second starting line advantage with his .026 to Lewis' .054 light.

"The car was just repeating unbelievably, I really can't explain it," he said of being able to keep the car dialed where he wanted it. "I mean, I've had days like this before, but they are so few and far between. I've won two other NHRA National events, but it's just really hard to believe that I'm a Super Gas Winternationals champion."

"It's great to be able to bring it home for K&N," he continued. "I would have really loved to have seen it be me and Steve battling it out for an all K&N final, but I'm not going to complain too much with how it worked out for me. If you look at the podium, there were a lot of K&N racers up there. Both my cars, the one I ran this weekend and my Super Street car, are always totally protected with every type of product that K&N makes for racing applications. K&N high-flow air filters, K&N oil filters and more, plus the K&N composites hood scoops. I also have to say thanks to Lucas Oil, Taylor Freezers, Race Trans and Goodyear Tires."

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.

Off With A Bang - Jason Line Widens Lead in K&N Horsepower Challenge During NHRA Season Opener

Feb 20, 2012

Jason Line's Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GXP

With already five number one qualifiers under his belt for the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge, Pro Stock standout Jason Line made his early season statement by grabbing his sixth pole for the current Challenge, and the maximum points available, during the 52nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California.

Jason Line's 6.534 pass was the quickest Pro Stock pass of the entire event.

K&N's Mike Edwards picked up where he left off at the end of 2011 and led the Pro Stock field after the first session on Thursday by posting a 6.545. A comfortable seventy-eight degrees and low humidity for the teams during session number one, the event started off with a near-perfect weather forecast that over the course of the event, quickly changed directions and made each qualifying session more important than the last.

Just one session planned for the professional teams during Friday's activities and like the day before, the weather was conducive to some great on-track action. Edwards made another good run [6.571], but this time around there were numerous teams all within just a few thousandths of a second of his proverbial pole position. Both Ronnie Humphrey and Allen Johnson laid down 6.548 runs and Jason Line a tick behind with his much improved 6.550.

When teams came back on Saturday, the weather situation had started to play not so nice. While there were two more attempts scheduled for the day, only one would be made thanks to an early in the day rain delay and when the teams did get on the track, they were greeted with much different conditions than the two days prior, including a track temp that was nearly thirty degrees cooler. Many teams struggled to just to match their numbers from earlier sessions, but Jason Line managed to blister his previous efforts in what would not only catapult him to number one, but his 6.534 would also remain the quickest Pro Stock pass of the entire event.

"The right lane at Pomona is normally a little trickier to navigate," Line pointed out. "When we were running that particular session, I really didn't feel like we would be able to go to the number one spot, but we did. We were able to make a great run and it was actually kind of a nice surprise. That's why at times, lane choice ends up being a really big deal at certain places and I feel like Pomona is one of them.

"We kind of started off a little slow and struggled some making nice runs all weekend," explained Line. "The track was a little tricky but it was really a great way to start the year, that's for sure. It's a really big deal anytime you can qualify number one. When you do so right out of the gate, you set the tone for the season and you will actually change the way people race you. Having a performance advantage is a big-big deal and it won't help you every time, but there are certainly times when it does."

With the latest number one qualifier, Line now moves to a full one hundred-five points ahead of Mike Edwards who sits at number two in the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge point standings with 2,170 points and just a mere five points behind at number three, is Line's teammate and former 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge Champion, Greg Anderson.

"I said I was going to win the Challenge last year and unfortunately it didn't work out for me," Line said of the biggest single payday event in all of NHRA Pro Stock and its $50,000 check to the winner. "I'm hoping that this will be my time to win it and believe me, I am putting as much effort as possible to put that to bed and win it. Winning the K&N Horsepower Challenge is bigger than any other race we have a shot at winning and I hope that everyone at K&N knows just how much all of us in Pro Stock appreciate the opportunity to have such an elite race for our class."

"I've actually started a wall at my house in the garage where I have all of my K&N number one qualifier plaques," he added with a smile. "I've got a pretty big wall, so I'm trying to fill it up."

With no chance to rest, many of the pro teams left Pomona to spend a few days at "The Strip" at LVMS testing before heading to race two on the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle tour at Firebird International Raceway, just outside Phoenix, Arizona and the NHRA Arizona Nationals, February 17-19.

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.

Alexander Motorsports Takes 3rd in Debut Race at the 2012 BITD Parker 425

Feb 20, 2012

The ICON Vehicle Dynamics shocks made the car handle much better and actually smoothed a lot of the bumps out according to Alexander.

The residents of Parker, Arizona were pleased as punch in welcoming the estimated 2000 plus fans that visited their town last weekend. The Best in the Desert (BITD) series Bluewater Resort & Casino Parker 425 made a huge impact on the area's economy, as race fans looking to get a close look at big time racing machines, poured in for the "Downtown Experience" before the start of the race. Early estimates indicate that not only were there more fans than at the last year's race, race entries were up as well.

(Left to right) Gavin Ferguson and Steve Alexander chilling on their new official KC HiLiTES race vehicle.

Steve Alexander and his Alexander Motorsports team debuted their new look at the Parker 425 as one of the official KC HiLiTES race vehicles. Alexander and co-pilot, Gavin Ferguson, started the race second out of five in Class 5000. The team suffered a 20-minute set back during the second lap due to a nut coming loose on the lower link pin. Once the crew from Las Vegas Dissemination identified and rectified the problem Alexander and Gavin continued to chase the leaders.

At the end of the second lap Alexander was so impressed with the handling of the car he made the decision to stay in the car and drive the last lap. With the sun setting and visibility down to zero they clipped a rock with the rear tire suffering their only flat for the entire race. Just under 10 hours and 425 miles later the brand new Bill Shapley racing engine, which never missed a beat, no matter how deep the washes or silt got, crossed the finish line in third place. "The 2332cc power-plant, protected by K&N had plenty of torque to get the job done," remarked Alexander.

The K&N protected Bill Shapley racing engine, proved to have plenty of torque to get the job done at the Parker 425.

You obviously enjoyed the feel of your new vehicle, as you made the decision to drive the last lap, what is the most significant difference in handling as you see it?
"To start, the ICON Vehicle Dynamics shocks made the car handle much better and actually smoothed a lot of the bumps out. We also changed up our Mickey Thompson tires from a 31" tire in the front to a 33". Between the two, the car was so much more enjoyable to drive."

Is there one moment of the race that stands out?
"The only thing that comes to mind as a highlight is when Robby Gordon's helicopter got in front of us and flew backwards to let us know that Robby was coming up on us. We were able to get out of the way without either one of us losing any speed." (Gordon went on to win the race).

Even after a nut came loose on the lower link pin, and an excessively long tire change, Alexander still managed to land on the podium in third place.

Are there any lessons you learned in 2011 that you would like to change or improve on during this season?
"Being that the Class 5s weakest point is the front arm, we are in the process now of developing a new front arm design for the car and plan on debuting this for the Silver State 300 in May 2012."

How much did the flat tire slow you down?
"Normally it only takes about 4 to 5 minutes to change a tire but due to some very ambitious older spectators/course workers and a very old floor jack it cost us about 15 minutes. I just didn't have the heart to tell them we can just do it ourselves, but it was the last lap, and we were only 15 miles from start/finish, and I really think it made their day to know they did their part to help a racer."

When and where do you race next?
"BITD Mint 400 on March 24th, 2012."

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.

Drag Racing Legends and Historians John and Don Ewald

Feb 20, 2012

Don Ewald's Mastercar dragster

We did it for love. It's a line that many athletes from sports yesteryear have uttered. But for drag racing legends and historians John and Don Ewald, the phrase takes a whole new meaning. The brother's website, www.wediditforlove.com, is the Internet's ultimate visual encyclopedia for drag racing enthusiasts.

John Ewald's John Buttera built BankAmericar dragster

The brother's involvement in drag racing dates back to the sports glory days in Southern California, at places like Lion's Drag Strip. Don got John interested at a car show, and the two would embark on a journey that continues today.

"Don got to be the hero driver and my roll with the dragster was financial and publicity," John said. "After going regularly to Lions with the car club I started shooting photos of our members cars, this led to CJ "Pappy" Hart offering me the position of track photographer."

That's where John's career took off. As the Internet began to explode in popularity, John and Don decided to start a website, a place that could become a meeting ground for legends and fans to come together and share stories and memories. The site started in 1998, and has since added more than 180,000 photos. While membership to the site has struggled in the down economy, We Did It For Love remains a popular meeting ground for racers.

Over the last decade, nostalgia racing began to make a meteoric ascent in popularity, and the Ewald brothers decided it would be a good chance to get back to working on cars as well. They have since restored three cacklefest cars, cars built to fired up at exhibitions and put on display.

"The last one I restored was Gary Ritter's Blood, Sweat & Nitro," John said. "This full bodied car was built in 1968 by Jim Davis and is the only surviving car of its type. Gary won several races at his home track of Freemont Drag Strip in it."

Ewald added this car to his collection that includes the BankAmericar and Mastercar. Blood, Sweat & Nitro has been on display at the NHRA Museum in Pomona, Calif. and is for sale.

When asked about the people who have meant the most to the brothers over the years, they both rattled off lists of drag racing legends that could hardly be rivaled.

"John Buttera built us the best car we've ever had, the BankAmericar," Don said. "Working with Keith Black (of Greer-Black-Prudhomme dragster fame) for six years was invaluable. C.J. "Pappy" Hart, who gave me a job, or in other words let me volunteer, when I was first starting in racing. There are so many that come to mind that I've been lucky enough to know in my 45 years in racing."

John echoed Don's sentiments on Hart. "I would have to agree with Don and put Pappy Hart at the top of my list. He gave me the opportunity to be the Lion's Drag Strip photographer, which set up my successful career. Pappy also was a great teacher in the way he brought out the best in everyone. He taught us values, sportsmanship, fairness and patriotism."

For the Ewald brothers, Auto Club Raceway at Famoso has now become their home away from home. The historic March Meet and the California Hot Rod Reunion are can't miss events that allow the brothers to get together with their racing friends and share great moments.

"For us, the Hot Rod Reunion is the one event we'd have to be dead to miss," John said. "It is truly a reunion intertwined with a race. The reunion has reunited hundreds of old friendships as teams for racing and cacklefest. Sadly each year it is the last time we see some of our old friends as time takes it toll."

K&N Filters is proud to have partnered with the Ewald's restored cackle cars. When asked why they choose to be affilitated with K&N, John had an easy answer.

"Simply every product K&N makes is the best way to get the most out of our engines while protecting those expensive parts from damage. We proudly display the K&N logo."

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.

TUF Racing's Jeff Gibson Nabs AMA Arenacross Series Points Lead in Madison

Feb 16, 2012

With one race remaining TUF Racing is in second place overall in the AMA Arenacross Series. Photo by smugmug.com.

Rivalries in sports are pure money. They're the gold standard for drawing fans by creating drama. The 2012 AMA Arenacross series has a dandy growing with each round like a snowball rolling down mountain. As with most good rivalries they originate organically, they're not contrived, and the combatants often share the same skill sets.

Jeff Gibson retaliated in Madison by taking the hole-shot and leading the main event from green to checkered flag. Photo by smugmug.com.

For TUF Racing's Jeff Gibson things heated up in Madison, Wisconsin at the Alliant Energy Center. Gibson started off great on Friday night easily winning his heat race. However, the controversy began in the dash-for-cash event as Tyler Bower intentionally knocked down Gibson on the last lap going for fourth place. Being that this race only pays the winner that came off as a total bone-head move.

"I have no problem with aggressive racing, that's what Arenacross is all about. I do have a problem when a rider is intentionally trying to hurt another rider, TUF Racing's team manager Dave Antolak told K&N. "The AMA has warned, fined and taken away points from Bowers and since then there have been no other incidents. So I would have to say the AMA did a great job in dealing with this situation. The sad part is Tyler is a very talented rider he doesn't need to resort to such behavior to win.

Gibson retaliated in the main event in the most significant possible way, he grabbed a massive hole-shot, then led every lap before taking the checkered. Saturday night started out as a carbon copy of the first night with Gibson easily winning his heat. Only then he won the dash-for-cash too. Gibson donated those winnings to a local teen center. Bowers was not allowed to participate in the dash as a punishment for his shenanigans in Friday's race. In the Saturday's main Gibson slid out halfway through the race going for third place. He got up and managed to finish fifth. Although that was a little disappointing for TUF Racing, they did make up 16 points on the leader and took over the points lead.

We spoke with Antolak again after round nine in Lexington, Kentucky at Rupp Arena. "Kentucky didn't quite go as well as we would have liked. Jeff was sick, but he still pulled the hole-shot in the main event and led for over half the race before it caught up to him and he dropped back to 3rd at the end. We also think we found a problem with Cole's (Siebler) suspension that we have already corrected and we are going into Fresno like we do every week expecting to win."

We asked Antolak how team's spirit and focus was at that point. "Not a lot changes in the TUF Racing camp whether we win or lose. We have had the same mechanics for the last 8 years in ,Andy Brannon and Tracin Seng, and it doesn't matter if their rider is in the championship hunt or not. They love to go racing and have the best bikes on the track and they work their butts off to do that."

"We have two riders in Jeff Gibson and Cole Siebler that are not only great riders, but are also great people to work with. As long as everyone is giving 100% effort the spirits are always high. This is our 16th year in the Arenacross series and we have had a lot of success, but if it was easy to win all the time it really wouldn't mean as much. Being in second just motivates us to keep trying harder.

Antolak's Round 10 Fresno, California prediction proved to be prophetic, as Jeff Gibson held off Bower to take home his third victory of the 2012 season at Fresno's Save Mart Center. With that win Gibson has now closed in on Bower's points lead going into the last race at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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