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K&N's Dan Fletcher Adds to His Ever Growing NHRA National Event Win Tally at Brainerd

Dan Fletcher's latest NHRA National event win made it number seventy-eight of his career and an even forty in Super Stock.
Dan Fletcher's latest NHRA National event win made it number seventy-eight of his career and an even forty in Super Stock.
If you like spouting off statistics while hanging out at the water cooler, then Dan Fletcher's professional sportsman drag racing career will give you plenty to talk about and to keep up with from one race to the next. Fletcher's latest NHRA National event win, at Brainerd International Raceway for the 31st Annual Lucas Oil Nationals, made it number seventy-eight of his career and now an even forty in Super Stock. The numbers don't stop there for the K&N standout from the state of New York. The facility has been quite a producer for Fletcher over the years and his latest feat made it six wins and three of those in the Super Stock category.

How about more outstanding numbers? In addition to Super Stock, Fletcher competes in several different NHRA categories including Stock Eliminator, Competition Eliminator and sometimes you'll even see him behind the wheel of a long skinny car running in the 8.90 Super Comp index class. While he's had over a handful of victories this season, he's now notched another three NHRA National Event wins in Super Stock alone and in acquiring his most recent, there were a lot of numbers that stacked up nicely in Fletcher's column.
Drag Racing's Dan Fletcher wins Super Stock at Brainerd International Raceway in the 31st Annual Lucas Oil Nationals
Drag Racing's Dan Fletcher wins Super Stock at Brainerd International Raceway in the 31st Annual Lucas Oil Nationals


When it came to Super Stock qualifying, Fletcher points out that while his ultimate position may have been good in the end, it wasn't really where he had tried to place himself. "I made one strategic error," he admitted. "I don't have a good motor in my car right now and it was supposed to be done this week so I could have it for Indy, but it won't be and therefore qualifying for Super Stock in Indy may be a chore. But the error I made in qualifying is that there was another ‘I-automatic' [SS/IA] car there and had I known that, I could have been in a different class."

"I kinda screwed up my scouting report, if you will," he continued. "So going into the last session, I'm sitting there with my iPad on my lap and a qualifying sheet and all my numbers I have written down from everyone and at that point I was quite sure that I wanted to hold it wide open, so it should put me on the opposite side of the ladder from this other same class car, but if I was wrong by one car, then I would have had him first round. I lost my guts at the last second and hit the brakes, because I knew whether I was right or wrong by a few spots that I would at least be away from him for several rounds."

A meeting with the same class car would have turned into a heads-up run for Fletcher and not something he was comfortable doing with the current motor he had in his 1969 K&N Chevy Camaro.

All a numbers game, Fletcher confessed that he could have "got greedy" to try to get exactly where he had hoped to on the sheet for race day, but that it all worked out well in the end. "That other same class car went out early, so then I had clear sailing in a bracket race style event. I drove okay and the car ran well."

Fletcher easily first sent home Douglas Baumgardner and his SS/DA '69 Camaro with a much better light and set up for a round two pairing with David Goldie, who made Fletcher work for it at the stripe after getting a .018 starting line advantage. By now the multi-time champion was on a roll and next lined his brightly painted K&N Camaro up to take on Brent Mandery in round three. This time Fletcher took a large chunk at the tree and turned it into a win light to earn the scheduled bye in the quarter finals.

Where he made not have been super pleased with his qualifying position at the start of eliminations, things were really starting to fall into place for Fletcher and in the semifinal round his competition, A. J. Covert seemed to have a major malfunction in the other lane and went .140 red, allowing Fletcher to take a free lap down the quarter into the Super Stock championship round.

Ron Roddel would be waiting to take on Fletcher for the Super Stock Wally and in a good example of the "first or worst" rule, Fletcher would come out on the winning side all thanks to being the quicker dialed car and getting to leave the line second. Roddel with his '02 Grand Am was dialed a 10.79 and would get the handicap start to Fletcher's 10.43 dial. Both driver's kicked on the red-light by the slightest of margins, but since Roddel left first, only his red-light [-.003] would show on the tree and the win light on in Fletcher's lane.

"I got tremendously lucky in the final with my opponent three thou red and I'm two thou red right behind him," said Fletcher. "Even though I knew I won I wasn't sure if they had given away the Perfectly Strange award yet [for running right on your dial], so I went ahead and drive it on through and then when I got down there tried to drop my three hundredths at the stripe to see if I could run dead-on [laughs]."

"For whatever reason that I can't really put my finger on, I have been very successful at that facility and Brainerd has treated me very well," he added. "Last year it was my Stock Eliminator car that I did very well with during the year. This year it seems to be the Super Stock car, since I picked up three National wins, so far."

With many events yet to go for the 2012 season, the K&N racer hopes to reach the next milestone on his list before the year closes out and that would be to reach eighty career NHRA National Event wins. His next chance to add to his total will be the U.S. Nationals just outside of Indianapolis over Labor Day weekend.

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.

Understanding the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and How it Affects You

Did you know it's illegal for a dealer to deny your warranty coverage simply because you had routine maintenance or repairs performed by someone else, or installed aftermarket parts deemed acceptable by your state's particular legislation?
Did you know it's illegal for a dealer to deny your warranty coverage simply because you had routine maintenance or repairs performed by someone else, or installed aftermarket parts deemed acceptable by your state's particular legislation?
Let's see a show of hands from anyone that's ever shopped diligently to get the best possible deal on a car, only to discover that the dealer-only "routine maintenance" plan would be more than your car payments, and easily double what it would cost to have it done somewhere else.

After investing bucket loads of your hard earned chips on that new dream ride you absolutely want to pamper it by keeping up with routine maintenance and repairs. Or, perhaps you installed a K&N air intake on your car because it simply makes your new car run even better. But, can a dealer refuse to honor the warranty that came with your new car if someone else does the routine maintenance, repairs or installations?
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act requires manufacturers and sellers of consumer products to provide consumers with detailed information about warranty coverage.
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act requires manufacturers and sellers of consumer products to provide consumers with detailed information about warranty coverage.


The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), our nation's consumer protection agency, says no. In fact, it's illegal for a dealer to deny your warranty coverage simply because you had routine maintenance or repairs performed by someone else, or installed aftermarket parts deemed acceptable by your state's particular legislation. Now let's see a show of hands for everyone that's been paying full-pop for an oil change and tire rotation because they didn't know that.

You have rights, feel free to exercise them. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act was sponsored by Senator Warren G. Magnuson and U.S. Representative, John E. Moss and Senator Frank Moss. Enacted in 1975, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is the federal law that governs consumer product warranties. The Act requires manufacturers and sellers of consumer products to provide consumers with detailed information about warranty coverage. In addition, it affects both the rights of consumers and the obligations of warrantor's underwritten warranties.

In a nutshell, by passing the Act, Congress wanted to ensure that consumers would be able to get complete information regarding warranty terms and conditions up front. By providing consumers with a way of understanding what warranty coverage is offered on a product before they make a purchase, the Act gives us a way to know what to expect if something goes amuck. Which when you think about it, only helps to increase overall customer satisfaction. By its very definition then the Act also promotes healthy, productive competition.

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act also reinforces existing incentives for dealerships and companies to perform their warranty obligations in a timely and thorough manner and to resolve any disputes with a minimum of shenanigans and expense to consumers. As a result, the Act makes it easier for consumers to pursue a remedy for breach of warranty in the courts, while also creating a framework for companies to set up procedures for resolving said disputes inexpensively and informally, and without the need to even go to court. For more on the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act visit the Federal Trade Commission website.

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.

Lydden Hill Race Circuit Hosts Round 4 of the Maxxis British Drift Championship

Overcooking your line at Lydden Hill put cars smack in the gravel pits.
Overcooking your line at Lydden Hill put cars smack in the gravel pits.
Family sedans unhurriedly journeying along the rolling bucolic British coastline, tracing the scenery heavy, iconic White Cliffs of Dover is an everyday occurrence. The cliffs spread east and west from the town of Dover in the county of Kent. The unnerving scream of tires belligerently rejecting traction and the roar of 10,000 united horsepower demanding attention at the same time - not so much a regular thing around these parts.
The practice sessions are always a fan favorite as drivers work out where they will take their lines, sometimes overcooking it.
The practice sessions are always a fan favorite as drivers work out where they will take their lines, sometimes overcooking it.


Kent is home to Lydden Hill Race Circuit, and at exactly one mile (1.6 km) around it claims the title of shortest road racing circuit in the UK, making it ideally suited for Round 4 of the British Drift Championship. The BDC did not race at Lydden in 2011, so this time expectations were extra high, and once again no one was left dissatisfied.

With each passing round the exhilaration has been ratcheted ever higher for emotionally invested spectators, while the pressure for the drivers is reaching the boiling point. After a year's break from Lydden Hill on the BDC event calendar, all the Maxxis British Drift Championship staff and K&N supported drivers were eager to revisit the challenging Kent circuit. It's a tricky, take no prisoners course, featuring cavernous gravel traps waiting to swallow up those who dare to stray off the line. Drivers only solace is to remain totally focused, not just in the moment, but in the exacting split second. Spectators soak up all the action from the hill. For a lucky few it was a local event, while others journeyed from all over Europe to attend this must-see event.
A drifters-eye view of the action.
A drifters-eye view of the action.


The two day event started with practice sessions on Saturday August 1, followed by qualification which is always the real make or break affair, as it trims the field down from 32 to 16 in each class. Round 4 also saw an influx of European talent which proved to be an instant hit with the spectators, and added even more incentive for the all drivers to dial it up yet one more notch.
Racing will go down to the final round before a clear champion in any of the three classes is decided.
Racing will go down to the final round before a clear champion in any of the three classes is decided.


Following all the thrills and spills of qualifying it became clear that many drivers had markedly improved throughout this season. Right across the board in every class competitors are separated by only few points, leaving the Championship wide open for anyone to grab. Which only further proves just how intense the competition and the depth of skill within each class of the Maxxis British Drift Championship have truly become. Every single point needs to be earned because nobody is giving up anything.

Sunday was the finals for those who qualified, and once again the sun was shining on the hill as the drivers lined up in their quest for glory. Drivers had been briefed on what was expected and they delivered on all counts! Some of the most committed entries anyone has see this year were witnessed on the first corner at huge pace, it made for a spectacle that was acknowledged by the crowd with a symphony of air-horns.
Team Japspeed won the Constructor's Cup at Lydden Hill.
Team Japspeed won the Constructor's Cup at Lydden Hill.


Lydden Hill offered up some more surprise results from some of the strong, name brand, contenders as they bowed out of the contest early. While it also proved to kick-start the season for some others, as they gained their best result of 2012. Unpredictability and sheer racing fickleness continue to propel the BDC forward as more frantic fans become obsessed to see what happens next.

After an exhilarating day of twin drifting the judges had worked through the pack and picked their winners for the customary champagne spraying on the podium. The weekend's Hard Charger award was presented to Bradley Wallbank. The Constructor's Cup was collected by Team Japspeed. The breakdown for the top-three in each class is as follows.

Semi Professional:
1st - Jay White
2nd - Lewis Cracknell
3rd - Lee Barry

Professional:
1st - Kevins Corsius
2nd - Paul Cheshire
3rd - James Fuller

Super Professional:
1st - Paul Smith
2nd - Shane Lynch
3rd - Barry Leonard

There's everything to drive for as the Maxxis British Drift Championship continues onwards to Round 5 at Silverstone for Trax on September 5th, in front of an anticipated crowd of over 16,000 spectators.

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.

National TV Host Kathy Fisher Puts K&N Dragster Into Final During IHRA Event in Michigan

The K&N 63-3073 Air Intake on Fisher's 2010 Corvette not only helped in the fuel mileage department, but gave the car a whole lot of additional easy bolt on horsepower.
The K&N 63-3073 Air Intake on Fisher's 2010 Corvette not only helped in the fuel mileage department, but gave the car a whole lot of additional easy bolt on horsepower.
After very successfully competing in the same hard tail dragster for eight seasons, K&N's Kathy Fisher acquired a brand new 2012 American Race Cars dragster in May of this year, and with only a handful of outings for the new combination Fisher took the car known as "Lil' Vixen" to its first final round during the IHRA Pro-Am held at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan, where she took home the runner-up honors in the 8.90 Quick Rod index class.
Fisher's K&N 100-8512 2nd Gen Carbon Scoop beautifully painted to match her 2012 K&N American dragster.
Fisher's K&N 100-8512 2nd Gen Carbon Scoop beautifully painted to match her 2012 K&N American dragster.


As with many a new combination, there are nearly always a handful of ‘bugs' to work out, as was the case with Fisher's new ride. "It was just little things here and there, nothing major and things you wouldn't learn about until you actually put the car on the track," she pointed out. "We never got to take the car and test it anywhere before we took it to her first event, which was the NHRA Div. 3 event in Norwalk back in May. Plus with the way my work schedule has been this season, we've only had it out five weekends and when all of those are NHRA or IHRA races, there hasn't been a lot of opportunity to test or get used to the car."

One would think going from a dragster to another dragster would be a simple switch and Fisher points out that while it would seem that way on paper, there were several factors that took a little getting used to. "This new car is simply a Cadillac with all the best equipment," explained the co-host of the upcoming Fox Sports Net national TV series, Performance TV. "While I felt I should have been able to hop right in and pick up where I left off in my old car, well it just didn't work out that way for one reason or another. Racing has so much to do with consistency and I was certainly to the point in my old car, which was the only one I raced week in and week out for the last eight years, where I wasn't thinking about what I was doing when it came to staging and how the brakes felt or the tranny brake button and even playing the top end. All these things have a completely different feel to them in the new car, right down to a much shorter throw on the throttle pedal."
K&N's Fisher takes her very first round win in brand new American dragster and turns it into its first final.
K&N's Fisher takes her very first round win in brand new American dragster and turns it into its first final.


During her first four outings with the new K&N American dragster, Lima, Ohio's Fisher had only been able to take the car down the full quarter-mile just over ten laps, and as the team made its plans for their most recent event in Martin, Michigan, she had full intentions of taking part in a rare test session that the track was offering on the Friday afternoon before the main event.
K&N's Kathy Fisher, who when not behind the wheel of her dragster, can be found in front of the TV camera on various automotive series on Fox Sports Net national.
K&N's Kathy Fisher, who when not behind the wheel of her dragster, can be found in front of the TV camera on various automotive series on Fox Sports Net national.


"I wanted and needed some seat time since by now, the only reason this car hasn't gone rounds is me and my lack of time getting myself dialed in," she admitted. "Beside the fact I hadn't been down the track since the national event at Norwalk, six weeks prior, I just thought it was a good idea to get some hits at the tree and see what kind of numbers I could put up. After the heat we have had during every outing, we were going to be running in temperatures twenty and even thirty plus degrees cooler than all season. Even if this wasn't still a very new ride, I think I still would have wanted some laps."

"I was also going to be running our '10 K&N Corvette for the first time in a year and was all set to test both cars, since I don't normally foot brake race," she continued. "Mother Nature had plans of her own and Friday was a complete washout. It rained and rained and we couldn't even get the cars out of the trailer until first thing Saturday morning, and by then it was crunch time with all hands on deck to get everything out, the pit set up and all three cars ready."
 Kathy Fisher's brand new 2012 K&N American Race Cars Dragster makes its way to its first final round in just five short outings.
Kathy Fisher's brand new 2012 K&N American Race Cars Dragster makes its way to its first final round in just five short outings.


In addition to the K&N American dragster that Kathy drives, her husband also competes with his own K&N/Ohio Crankshaft dragster in the super quick Top Dragster category.

Although Fisher didn't get the opportunity to test either of her entries, come Saturday morning it would seem that both she and the K&N dragster were ready for the first round of eliminations of the weekend's first race later in the day. Fisher posted an 8.920 and 8.896 in her two time runs.
(Left to Right) Crewman Shane Colley, Driver Kathy Fisher, Husband and Teammate Kevin Fisher and 1 yr old Mekoh, celebrate the IHRA Quick Rod final for the K&N Engineering ride in Martin, MI
(Left to Right) Crewman Shane Colley, Driver Kathy Fisher, Husband and Teammate Kevin Fisher and 1 yr old Mekoh, celebrate the IHRA Quick Rod final for the K&N Engineering ride in Martin, MI


"I was very pleased with running those kind of numbers right out of the trailer with the air being so much different than anything else this season," she said. "It was just my time in the delay for the tree that had me concerned going into first round. I am able to stage this new car so much better and more consistent than ever before. With only two hits going into first round, I thought I might be seeing the tree better and I would get more comfortable. Well, I should have trusted myself and put more time in. I went .013 red in round one. Based on the huge number I had in for delay, I know at that point no one would have been able to convince me to put so much more time in. I wouldn't have believed it, so that would have been my own hard head, but when it comes down to it, numbers don't lie."

With only just a few passes in the new car where she got a chance to play the top end so far this season, after turning on the red-light in round one, she decided to make the most of it. "I thought ok, let's at least see if I had the car set up on the number and went ahead and ripped the throttle what I thought I needed to based on what number I should have been set up on. Although I went red and lost, I was pretty happy to put an 8.905 up on the board. I knew I had something to work with for Sunday's race."
Fisher's K&N Corvette trading the curves of the highways for the quarter-mile where it can let it all hang out for some fun time slips.
Fisher's K&N Corvette trading the curves of the highways for the quarter-mile where it can let it all hang out for some fun time slips.


Fisher also competed in the team's K&N 2010 Corvette, which is completely stock, minus its K&N AirCharger kit, Borla Exhaust and Dragon Racing Fuels Unleaded Concentrate in the tank. "Man, I wish I could have made some laps Friday for testing and I think that sort of hurt me come round one," she explained. "Sure, going rounds would have been great, but what I had that car there for was really just a little fun and to get some time slips. With the additions we have made to it between the K&N and the exhaust, she gets 31 MPG and her best time last year was a 12.44 in the quarter. I wanted to try some runs with and without the traction control, but with just two time runs, I left it on. She ran two 12.57's last year at this same track and first pass this year was a 12.570, I was about to say she was my new permanent race car with those kind of numbers, but first round the traction control got me and really bogged her down on the line."
Taking a trip back to her foot braking days, Kathy Fisher steps out of her K&N dragster for a few laps in the family coupe and some mid-12 sec runs.
Taking a trip back to her foot braking days, Kathy Fisher steps out of her K&N dragster for a few laps in the family coupe and some mid-12 sec runs.


"So, I think I'll stick with my real race car," she joked.

When Sunday rolled around, officials first had several rounds to finish from the race the evening before. All classes were scheduled for one time run and then head directly into eliminations for the second division event of the weekend.

"For this race it was just our Pro-Am cars, both dragsters," she remarked. "Boy as the day went on I was very thankful for that, we had two very happy dragsters and one seriously unhappy golf cart. Kevin's car has water in the block, but doesn't have a radiator or water pump. We have to push him everywhere and go pick him up at the top end. Well, after trying everything on the cart it was completely out of commission. Even though we had an awesome spot and were pitted as the 2nd rig from the rear of the staging lanes, we were still almost at the eighth mile mark. We managed just fine for our one time run, but after that it got completely nutty. After we both won first round to the point where I had to stay back at the trailer when Kevin went up to make his runs and our poor crew guy, Shane, was literally killing himself running back and forth from the head of staging."

And for Fisher, there was that magic phrase she had been waiting for in her new 2012 K&N American dragster, "won first round." After appearing in several finals each season, she's the first to admit that not turning on one single win-light in the new car was starting to wear on her mind.

"Of course I've wanted to win something, a round, whatever, at every race we have attended this year, but it just wasn't meant to happen for one reason or another," she confessed. "Coming into this weekend and this very event at this track, I was beginning to wonder what in the world was wrong with me. It had been a full year since I had won a round and you know I would have even taken a lucky one, but I couldn't even seem to grab one of those."

"When that first win light finally came, I think I was so much in shock that I didn't really get that excited," she laughed.

Fisher came from .012 behind at the tree in round one of Quick Rod to outdrive her competition at the stripe and in round two, sent home Dan Seamon after grabbing a huge starting line advantage and pushing him way under the 8.90 index. That would take her on into the quarter-final round.

"At IHRA divisional races, we are not put on a ladder but they play cards, so to speak, all the way through to pair us somewhat randomly," she explained. "At this point, I pointed out to Shane that we were down to five cars and if I could make it past this round and get the best reaction time of the winners, I would have the automatic bye into the final."

Fisher not only won the round after Pat Forster turned it .002 the wrong color, but she also ripped the tree to a near perfect light with a .001 reaction time and turned her weekend from winning her first round in her new K&N American dragster to going to her first final.

"Wow, now I was excited," she exclaimed of learning she would earn the bye for the semifinals. "I had been in the left lane all day, so I took my bye in the right and ran it through the 1000' mark, just to compare numbers. I don't usually have the best lights when I run alone, so I didn't think much of my .027 light. I put a few more in the delay, because I was not going to take a chance of going red and went up for the final."

After being very close on the tree with her .015 to her opponent's .011, Fisher played a little too early and let what could have been a close round and possibly a win get away from her.

"Of course I was pretty upset with myself for not making the right decisions down track when I ran Jeremy [Mason], but my only excuse is going back to that lack of seat time," she pointed out. "In this new car, I am still learning right where my front wheels are and I had got to the point in the old car where I didn't really have to look at them anymore. Even though my new car is a hair longer in wheelbase, I sit fifteen or so inches closer to my front wheels than I was used to. One would think that would make it easier, for me I think that they [front wheels] should be out there farther than they really are, but I'm getting it."

For Fisher, making a final in only the fifth time out with the all new car is still something she is quite proud of. "That fat monkey on my shoulder is gone," she smiled. "This K&N car was built with nothing but the best and deserved to be in the final. I certainly don't plan on waiting another year to get back to another one."

Much like Fisher's previous dragster, the new car is loaded with all the best protection from K&N Engineering. "K&N has taken me to many a final and many a win over the years," she noted. "There is no other air or oil filter I would have on my race cars and that goes for our daily driver and anything else we can protect with K&N. With the new car, we also added one of the new in-line filters for my methanol line from K&N's new line product line. Air, oil, fuel, you name it, it doesn't get into my engine without going through a K&N product first and thanks to their unsurpassed protection, that's just one thing less for me to ever have to concern myself with."

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 Speedtec Racing Leads 2012 Dutch Supercar Challenge Championship

Speedtec Racing's Nico and Peter van Vliet managed two seventh places finishes at TT Circuit Assen despite some mechanical issues.
Speedtec Racing's Nico and Peter van Vliet managed two seventh places finishes at TT Circuit Assen despite some mechanical issues.
Last season Holland's Speedtec Racing team dominated the Dutch Supercar Challenge Championship with consistency, making it to the podium nine of the 16 races they competed in. Over the course of their eight weekend race schedule the K&N sponsored team finished every race, without a single DNF. Backing up a stellar championship season is one of the toughest acts to follow however, because now you become the hunted, the team everyone else is gunning for.
The ETEC-Viper driven by Robert de Graaff and Philippe Ribbens proved too fast for even the very speedy Ferrari 430 GT2.
The ETEC-Viper driven by Robert de Graaff and Philippe Ribbens proved too fast for even the very speedy Ferrari 430 GT2.


In 2011 Speedtec Racing ran two cars in the Dutch Supercar Challenge, a Dodge Viper driven by Robert de Graaff and Philippe Ribbens, and a new BMW Z4 piloted by the team owner's sons, Nico and Peter van Vliet. In 2012 the team has added a second BMW driven by Leo Van der Eijk and Helmert Van der Slik.

So far in 2012 Speedtec Racing has been grinding it out with every race and managing to stay in close in the overall championship points tally. But, after their double race victory during the Gamma Racing Day at TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, Robert de Graaff and Philippe Ribbens driving the ETEC-Viper have now regained their rightful place, leading in the Championship of the Super GT-Division of the Supercar Challenge. At Circuit Assen the dynamic duo once again asserted the same sort of dominance over the field as they had last year, winning the race on Saturday and Sunday, and setting the fastest laps on both days.
The BMW Zilhouette driven by Leo Van der Eijk and Helmert Van der Slik earned their first victory with the Speedtec Racing team at TT Circuit Assen.
The BMW Zilhouette driven by Leo Van der Eijk and Helmert Van der Slik earned their first victory with the Speedtec Racing team at TT Circuit Assen.


The two Viper pilots announced their intention early in the weekend by posting a best lap time of 1:39.020 to earn the pole position for the first race. At the start of the race on Saturday de Graaff got caught up and dropped back into third place, but was he was able to grab the number two spot by the second lap, right behind the Ferrari 430 GT2 driven by the race leader Bert Mercure Beaune.
To the victors, Robert de Graaff and Philippe Ribbens, go the spoils.
To the victors, Robert de Graaff and Philippe Ribbens, go the spoils.


"Bert was really fast around the whole track and it was not easy to find a place to overtake him," commented de Graaff. "Everyone talks about how fast the Ferrari's can be and I can tell you they really are fast, especially in the curves and during braking. This is a very strong car. My only option was to find a better line going into the turns so I could find more speed coming out of it."

In his attempts to find the faster line de Graaff inadvertently bumped into Mercure Beaune going into a turn. For the incident de Graaff was given a drive-through penalty. After the drive-through de Graaff was back in fourth place, but he wasted no time in working his way back into second place, and pressuring the Ferrari driver all the way to the scheduled pit stop for the driver trade off.
Speedtec Racing and Speedtec Motorsports share the same garage.
Speedtec Racing and Speedtec Motorsports share the same garage.


Philippe Ribbens took over the controls of the Viper for the second half of the race, and because their pit crew was more efficient, the Viper exited the pits just ahead of the Ferrari. "For the first few laps I was really pumped up and I pushed a little," admitted Ribbens. "But my lead was up to 25 seconds so I was able to calm down and drive smoother." Ribbens drove the Viper to a very convincing victory. It was the first win for Robert de Graaff and Philippe Ribbens in 2012.

As a result of their win on Saturday the ETEC-Viper once more started on the pole for the race on Sunday. Philippe Ribbens raced first in this contest. He immediately took the lead and held on to it until the driver change. Filled with confidence when he took over the controls de Graaff took the lead and he continued to stretch it all the way to the checkered flag. With the points earned from the two wins and from setting fast lap both days, the Speedtec Racing team now takes championship lead going into the next race at Circuit Park Zandvoort on the weekend of August 26.

The BMW Zilhouette driven by Leo Van der Eijk and Helmert Van der Slik also was able to notch the very first victory and a third place finish with the Speedtec Zilhouette team during the Gamma Racing Day at TT Circuit Assen. The team of Nico and Peter van Vliet survived mechanical problems, yet managed to finish strong with two seventh place tallies. The two Speedtec Racing Zilhouette BMW's will next race at the 24 Hours of Zolder on the weekend of September 8.

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.