Latest News

K&N's Chip Rumis Comes Out On Top In NHRA's Fastest Sportsman Door Car Class

Dec 1, 2011

2011 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Div 7 Top Sportsman Champion Chip Rumis

The ever growing nationwide popularity of both the Top Sportsman and Top Dragster classes have converted many of today's best racers to join the fun of competing in the very quick qualified categories. Ramona, California's, Chip Rumis is fortunate enough to not only compete in both classes, but do very well in them. Thanks to two final rounds and numerous other round wins during the season, Rumis recently finished the season by being crowned the 2011 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Div 7 Top Sportsman Champion, as well as the highest point earner in Top Sportsman and number two in Top Dragster for a special program from K&N Engineering offered in Division 7, the K&N Top Qualifier Series.

Chip Rumis' Top Sportsman 2005 Jerry Bickel Chevy Cobalt

While Rumis did very well in his 2011 Spitzer Top Dragster, grabbing a victory early in the season during the spring divisional event at Las Vegas where he nearly doubled up, also making it to the Top Sportsman final during the same race. It wouldn't be the only time he would visit the final at the Las Vegas facility. Rumis returned during the fall divisional event in his Top Sportsman entry and while he just missed the Wally, the Top Sportsman Championship was all his.

"Joe, my race partner called me and told me that I had led the Top Sportsman points [in division 7] all the way through the season," Rumis told with a smile. "I didn't really realize that, until he told me. I guess I kinda remember that, but I think I was like twenty-three or twenty-five points in front of the guy in second going into the last Vegas race. There were about four people who could have potentially caught me."

During the race, Rumis was not only trying to take care of business in his own rounds, but he was also paying very close attention to those other drivers that could take away his moment of glory. He got past LaFlam in round one and got a nice easy pass in round two when John Baker did not stage in time and was fouled out. But he would have to wait one more day, before he would learn his fate not only for the race, but for the championship when the race was called for the day as temperatures became too cold to continue any on-track activities.

When Monday and round three rolled around, Rumis took down Darryn O'Connor after putting together a much better reaction time and forcing O'Conner to take way too much stripe. At this point, he was now aware that three of his potential championship foes had been eliminated, only one remained and he would face him in the next round.

"I knew if I could take him [Richard Okerman] out, then the championship was mine," explained Rumis. "If he got by me, then he would have to go on to win the race to make it happen."

"The prize was the championship," he admitted. "As much as I love the K&N shootout and even winning the race itself, it was all immaterial compared to winning the championship. My frame of mind was that I was there to do business. I had worked very hard all year to get into this position and I just stayed focused."

Both drivers threw everything at each other but the kitchen sink, from killer reaction times to running dead-on their dial type numbers and when the dust settled at the stripe, the margin was a mere .0022 or seven inches. Chip Rumis has put together a .008 reaction time and a perfect 6.840 on his 6.84 dial and by doing so was the new NHRA Div 7 Top Sportsman Champion.

"It was pretty exciting not to have a bunch of blockers on my side of the fence and be able to take out the guy I needed to," he said. "That round was a pretty exciting one, it was very close. I was looking at him and back at the finish line. I kinda caught his light [driver winlight] and I didn't see it come on. I flipped back over to see if my light came on and you know, I'm throwing the parachute, running two-hundred and some miles-per-hour, trying to gather up the car. I don't see my light, I really just see a little flicker. So I get to the top [end] and I don't know who won."

"I kinda thought I won and I took my helmet off and walked up to shake his hand and he says congratulations to me," he continued. "At that point and time it was like wow, I really did it. Then getting the time slip and seeing the two-thou stripe. I have about thirty mile-per-hour on him and to see our numbers was just great, a run like that for the championship."

Rumis went on to make his second Top Sportsman divisional final of the season at Las Vegas in his 2005 Jerry Bickel Cobalt. "The rest of the day was kinda anticlimactic," he confessed. "The car spun a little in the final and I just wasn't going to be able to get there. But it was really OK, I won the championship."

"It was a very accomplished year," said Rumis, who runs both his cars with just the help of his wife, Jean. "I also finished number five in my Top Dragster. I am so blessed, I really couldn't ask for more."

With the Top Sportsman season finished, Rumis entered his car in a Comp Eliminator class for the NHRA National at Pomona, where he admits he had a lot of fun and has already been working with his engine builder, Steve Schmidt on a new combination to take on a few more Comp events in 2012.

"Winning this championship had a lot to do with all of the support that I have," he added. "K&N has just been awesome. Their scoops helped me pick up mile-per-hour and the new K&N scoop that I will be putting on for next year is expected to pick up even more and that's just huge to be able to pick up like that. I thank Schmidt for the fantastic motors and Jim Hughes on the tranny and converter combinations plus LAT Racing Oil in both my motors and transmissions. Of course, everything that I have is protected by K&N filters and I just wouldn't have it any other way. Nothing but the best if you hope to have a chance to win."

Congratulations to Chip Rumis on his very first NHRA Championship from K&N Engineering!

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.

K&N's Jody Lang Caps Season with National Event Super Stock Wally & Stock Division Title

Dec 1, 2011

NHRA Super Stock Win for Jody Lang

2011 panned out to be another very exciting year for K&N's Jody Lang, who over the course of the season put together an incredible six NHRA National Event victories that were evenly split between his Stock and Super Stock entries. The final win for the Puyallup, Washington resident came in Super Stock during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, California. Along the way, Lang also collected the 2011 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 6 Stock Championship to add to his ever growing list of accolades.

Jody Lang during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals

A pair of those NHRA National wins came at the same event when Lang doubled up in both his Stock category 1981 Malibu Wagon and in his Super Stock 1981 Malibu during the Seattle race. Although Lang had doubled up once before a few years prior in Las Vegas, he still revels in how big an accomplishment like that really is. "It's really crazy," he admitted. "I mean there are some races you don't go any rounds at all and to win both classes with that many people [friends and family] there is pretty incredible, actually to even think about."

Many racers who get the opportunity to go deep into rounds in two cars reflect how chaotic things become between rounds and Lang shares the sentiment. "When you have two cars going like that, it's kind of easy to get confused," he confessed. "Not as to which is which, but numbers and your dial-ins and stuff like that. You really have to take a moment and pay attention to putting the correct dial on the correct car."

While all the wins during 2011 were very important to Lang, it was the Seattle double that meant the most to him. "Seattle is my home track, so I have a lot more friends and family who attend or can attend that event than say a Pomona race," he explained. "So to be able to not only win one class, but both and share that experience with everyone was absolutely fantastic."

For the Pomona event, Lang was pleased at where he ended up on the qualifying ladder, especially in Super Stock. "I think a lot of times, where you end up and who you end up racing is very important," he said. "You know you are not going to make a perfect run, every run. I don't want to say it's destiny how you are qualified, but it's just how it works sometimes. You don't make a great run, but you are able to sneak by that round. Especially when you see ten other guys that round that would have been able to beat you that round, but you were the one that ended up winning. Like Alan Reinhart says, it's a right place, right time kind of a sport."

While he was ultimately happy with where he landed in qualifying, because he feels it put him on the right track to the win, he had been shooting for a particular spot and just wasn't able to make it happen. "Well I had been shooting for one of the quadrants, which I'm pretty sure, we had sixty-five cars and that means there is a single every round of the race," he said. "And my little quadrant didn't have one. So, not one bye to be had where I ended up, but obviously it worked out just fine for me not having a chance at any singles."

Where Lang didn't have any planned single runs for the Pomona event, he did get several lucky rounds when his competition went red. "There were three of the seven rounds where they went red," he said.

In addition to going rounds in his Super Stock entry, he was also doing well in early rounds of Stock. Sunday evening however, the situation got a little bit hairy. "I almost missed the round," he admitted of the third round of Stock Eliminator. "They said they were going to have a round of Super Gas in-between, but between all the traffic leaving and all the festivities for the pros, there wasn't enough time for Super Gas to get up there. So they call Stock and I'm up there running in the other class. I almost missed it and at least I was able to run it. I was within just a minute or two of missing out on the whole run, which would have been heartbreaking, even though I ended up just missing the tree with a .003 red."

With the early curfew at the Pomona facility, Lang would have to wait until Monday morning to finish the rounds in Super Stock. "I would have rather to have kept going and I think anybody who is still in like that would just want to keep going," he said. "I drive pretty good at night, but looking back I was actually getting pretty lucky there. So I guess the break helped me get my lights back to where they needed to be. That definitely helped me in the semi-final with my win over Jimmy DeFrank."

"I was a little tardy in the final, but I still wasn't late," he pointed out. "But, I guess I got away with that one because Abe [Loewen] left a little early there."

For the most part being the slower car and leaving first, Lang quickly saw his win light come on shortly after launching when Loewen turned it .008 red, and let her coast on across the stripe to take the final 2011 NHRA National Event Super Stock Victory and the special 60th Anniversary pewter Wally.

Both Lang's 1981 Malibu's did very well for him during the 2011 season and while he couldn't grab a win at Pomona in Stock, he had already secured his sixth division championship. His stellar season also included finishing number nine in the NHRA Super Stock national standings and a mere three points kept Lang from a national title in Stock, where he still landed at a very impressive number two in the country.

Lang's winning philosophy includes being very particular in his selection of the parts and products that he chooses to use on both of his championship Malibu cars. "It's all about consistency and reliability," he explained. "There are guys that buy used stuff and that might be OK for guys who run a couple of races a year, but if you really want to go up there and not worry about something breaking, you have got to start with the best you can get your hands on."

Some of those "best you can get your hands on" products for Lang come from K&N Engineering. "I absolutely love them," he expressed. "I started using the oil filters a few years ago and they are so easy to work with and take off. Same with the air filters, you don't have to worry about dust or small rocks getting into your motor, it just makes it really nice when you know you are protecting all the best parts you can get, with the best filters you can get and that's K&N."

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.

Jimmy DeFrank Captures 2011 NHRA Div 7 Super Stock Title Along With Las Vegas Victory

Dec 1, 2011

2011 NHRA LODRS Div 7 Super Stock Champion Jimmy DeFrank

Some seasons, championships are won by pure domination and others by a driver or team's constant persistence throughout the year. The latter would be true for Jimmy DeFrank who was recently crowned as the 2011 NHRA LODRS Div 7 Super Stock Champion after what he refers to as somewhat of a struggle during the course of the year.

Jimmy DeFrank's NHRA Super Stock Chevy Cobalt

DeFrank, who hails from Chatsworth, California, notes that he wishes the 2010 Cobalt that he competes with in SS/BS had been set up all season, as they had it for the final division event in Las Vegas. "During the season we kept changing things and trying to make performance improvements," he pointed out. "And we were struggling to try to win rounds and win races. For the last race in Vegas, we put the car back to a set up that we are familiar with, which is also a set up that we have won a national championship with in 2009 and the very first race out, going back to that set-up we won the event. We really learned our lesson there and that taught us a lot."

Over the season, DeFrank had several Super Stock final round appearances on both the national and divisional scene including the WinterNationals, the SportsNationals event in Fontana and during the spring division event in Las Vegas - all runner-up finishes and he was looking to finish the job before the season came to a close.

He is certainly no stranger to the championship podium. DeFrank currently owns three NHRA National Championships and with his latest accomplishment in 2011, he has now acquired a total of nine championships on the divisional level. "We were just so excited to win the championship," he said. "When you start racing, you just don't think about that stuff. When we look back now and think, 'Wow, that makes our ninth', it is pretty amazing."

In addition to his Super Stock ride, Jimmy also very successfully wheels a 1969 Chevy Camaro in Stock. "We didn't race that car very much during 2011, since we were really focusing primarily on Super Stock," he admitted. "But for all the more than we had it out, we had some good races and final rounds in that car, too. Next year we are going to try to race both classes on a fulltime basis."

Every racer has their own way of approaching each event, or one may call it their style of racing. DeFrank is no different and where he qualifies on the ladder is very important to him, no matter if it's in his Stock or Super Stock Car. "We run the cars fairly conservative and that helps with their consistency," he explained. "We take the same approach with both cars and we kind of try to choose the best spot on the ladder that we can, although everyone is so good. Each year racers get better and it keeps getting tougher."

For DeFrank's final divisional event of the season, not only did he want to take care of the rounds he needed to seal the championship, but he was also looking to grab his first race win of the season and with time quickly running out, the pressure was on. "It was such a big race for us," he said. "Going into that race, we hadn't won a race all season. We had just been straggling and got off our game. Going into that race in Vegas, we were second in the divisional points, with a chance to win the division. During the summer, when things were just not going well for us, we never really thought we would have a shot at it."

Just like his entire season, even for this event things weren't going to be easy. "It rained during one of the qualifiers," he noted. "So we only had one qualifier pass for the event and needless to say, our nerves were up a little bit. We got by first round on Saturday night and all of the competitors that all had a shot at the championship, all lost first round. That was such a great break for us, because now all we had to do was win second round to close the divisional championship."

DeFrank would have to wait until Sunday morning for second round and when he made it past DeCarlo and won the championship, emotions were running high. "There was such a ease and a peace about that," he confessed. "To struggle like we did and then still win the championship, we were just so thankful and excited and after that, it just really took the pressure off."

He may have had the championship in his back pocket, but he didn't want to go out winless for the season and had some heavy hitters to get through if he wanted to make that happen. "Third round, we had one of the best racers and fellow K&N racer, Dan Fletcher," he reflected. "We were happy to get by Dan, who is so good. Anytime you can get by Dan, it's kinda like winning a race. So that kind of set the tone for the rest of the race."

Even though they were racing in the desert, it actually became too cold to continue and the race was held over until Monday. "When we came back in the morning, we kept the car set up exactly the same as we had had it for our run with Dan," said DeFrank. "One by one we went through the rounds and won the race. It was just all so big for us and such a relief to win that race and everything."

"Vegas was such a confidence booster, we didn't want the season to end," he continued. "We just wanted to keep going and go right into the WinterNationals. That win and that championship felt like such a big comeback for us after the way our summer months went."

Both DeFrank's Stock and Super Stock cars utilize K&N air and oil filters and in addition to protecting his power plants with K&N, DeFrank is also very pleased with the K&N scoop on his Super Stock Cobalt. "My dad has always had the belief that you must use the absolute best-best quality products available , because by doing so, you have much better reliability and chance to win rounds and races. K&N is the very best in any product that they sell and not only just the products, the company as a whole is just awesome. Using the highest quality products is such a big part of being successful, it really does help you win races." And for Jimmy DeFrank, not just races but many more championships.

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.

Finding the Right K&N Air Filter, Performance Air Intake or Oil Filter for Your Vehicle

Nov 30, 2011

Use your mobile device to find the correct K&N performance product to fit your vehicle.

K&N Engineering offers hundreds of premium air filters, complete intake systems and oil filter products for thousands of vehicles. Searching for the right one, is a breeze using K&N's website www.knfilters.com.

The K&N website makes it easy to find what you are looking for.

K&N offers multiple ways to search for the parts that you want for your car, truck, motorcycle or ATV; all listed in this new reference video showing the quickest way to find the best parts for your vehicles Finding the Correct K&N Part.

In this video, K&N shows you how a quick application search of your vehicle's year, make, and model can give you a listing of all available K&N parts for your car. Another simple method is to search by your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). This number is located on a few visible places on your car or truck so that you can easily search for the filters, oil filters and intake systems that K&N has engineered specifically to fit your mode of transportation.

K&N also offers a number of universal air filters designed to fit almost any custom assembly or application. These filters can all be seen by logging on to https://www.knfilters.com/universal/universal.htm.

K&N covers many of the parts available for your vehicle with an industry leading 1,000,000 mile warranty making them a perfect gift for the motor enthusiast in your family or group of friends.

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.

K&N's Mike Edwards Grabs Final Pro Stock Pole of 2011 at NHRA Finals in Pomona

Nov 30, 2011

Mike Edwards grabs his third number one qualifier in a row

Mike Edwards wrapped up the regular season by adding his third number one qualifier in a row during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona, California. With the accomplishment, he and his Penhall/K&N Pontiac tightened the points between the top three drivers to only ninety-five, in the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge.

Mike Edwards during the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona

During the very first qualifying session and the only scheduled Pro Stock run on Thursday, Edwards, who had both qualified number one and won the previous event at Las Vegas, continued to show that he and his team were on to something when he thundered down the historic southern California track to the tune of a 6.520. The run also reset the track Pro Stock E.T. record and set the bar fairly high for the rest of the field. Greg Anderson landed in the provisional number two spot but with his very respectful 6.537, he would need to find a ton if he hoped to pass Edwards.

Edwards was quite pleased with his first hit at the track and even though he left the other teams well in his rearview mirror, he pointed out he thought he had more as track conditions were in his opinion the best he had seen in years. "I think I can go quicker," he said. "The whole class will go faster."

When Friday rolled along, weather conditions were similar to Thursday's session, although the adjusted altitude was over three-hundred feet to the worse and the numbers on the boards showed it. This time around it would be Greg Anderson who would post the quickest pass of the pack, [6.543] but still miles off from Edwards fifty-two. Edwards, now making a pass in the opposite lane from last session, fell off his pace a full four-hundredths of a second by only covering the quarter mile in 6.560.

Other than a few moves for several teams, the order of the field changed very little and Edwards noted that he wasn't surprised, because "conditions changed a lot. Conditions got considerably worse."

For Saturday's final two scheduled sessions, Mother Nature draped the facility with very cool and very moist air and while the first part of that equation is great for the naturally aspirated power plants that make up Pro Stock, the ladder is not so friendly and the teams did all they could to combat the much higher water grains.

Session number one of the day also had track temps nearly twenty degrees cooler than the day before. So teams weren't only making engine adjustments, they needed to be concerned with how they would get that power successfully, and safety, down to the track. Most teams did not improve and many were lucky to hang with anywhere near their numbers from previous sessions. Edwards slowed once more and this time it would be Rodger Brogdon with the quickest of the session with his 6.552.

After a rain delay or two, and yet another threatening to drop rain from the sky at any moment, the final Pro Stock qualifying session of the 2011 season was able to be completed in just the nick of time. With a track temp now below seventy degrees and even more water grains, due to the impending weather coming into the area, this session of Pro Stock was certainly not the prettiest of the weekend, as all the factors being thrown at the teams made it fairly tough.

Most teams were well off their pace from earlier in the event and nowhere near Edwards' opening session 6.520, which would remain the quickest of the weekend's qualifying and keep Edwards on the pole for Sunday. It would be his third number one in a row.

"We're hoping to finish up strong," Edwards said shortly following the final session. "We haven't run good at the last few races and we stumbled this weekend. We never really hit on anything today."

While Edwards may not have been able to win the event, his recent successes catapulted him to the number two spot in the 2011 NHRA Pro Stock Championship year-end standings, the second highest finish of his career. In regards to the 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge, Edwards' great run of number ones as of late, has helped him shorten the distance between his number three spot and current leader, Jason Line down to ninety-five points.

The K&N Horsepower Challenge chase is well into the second half of the 2012 qualifying season with eleven events remaining for teams to grab one of the elite seven spots by earning as many qualifying points at each event as they can. Again for 2012, the eighth and final position will be awarded to the team who earns the highest amount of fan votes.

The eight teams will square off for the biggest single payday in all of NHRA Pro Stock and the $50,000 championship check from K&N Engineering during the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio in July 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.

Previous Page 1 ... 504 505 506 507 508 ... 1064 Next Page