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Team Major Payne Pulling Experiences Success

20 Jun 2011

Major Payne Pulling's 2005 Ford Ranger

Jonathon Payne, and team Major Payne Pulling, are gearing up for the remainder of the season with anticipation that they continue experiencing success. With 28 more races scheduled before the season ends in late September, Jonathon and his team are leading the points race in the Battle of the Bluegrass Pulling Series.

Jonathon is quick to give his team credit and say that they play an important role in his success.

Jonathon earned a first place spot on June 3rd at Danville Kentucky.

Competing at the same venue on the following night, Jonathon and his 2005 Ford Ranger, equipped with a 485 cubic-inch big block ended the night in third place. The week prior, his team traveled to Georgetown, where Jonathon finished in 8th place.

"At Danville, I won by a fraction of a foot," stated Jonathon. It is common to have from six to ten trucks within feet of each other.

Interestingly, of the mix, he is the only driver using a Ford. "I pull the only ford, so at times I have as many as twenty Chevys to pull against," he said. "These trucks give all they got every time they go down the track."

Jonathon and his team are leading the points race in the Battle of the Bluegrass Pulling Series.

When asked how his truck had been performing this season, he continued, "My Major Payne Ford is doing what I need it to."

According to Payne, there are many variables which can lend to one's success. "On June 8th, the track was very loose," shared Payne. "June 4th, I had a little too high of gear." When asked the determining factors for his success on the night of June third, Jonathon said, "The track was sticky, and I had the right gear in." As do all drivers, Jonathon Payne and his team have their favorite tracks. According to him, The Danville track is consistently well maintained and holds up to the rigors of racing.

Aware that his truck must be mechanically sound to carry him and the sled to the finish line, Jonathon trusts and uses K&N Filters. "When asked why he depends on these filters, he explained, "K&N Filters provide the highest quality oil filters and air filters. Pulling tracks are dusty, with chunks of dirt flying everywhere. Air and oil filters are extremely important. My pulling truck needs a very high volume of air and oil to keep it running strong, and K&N products have performed great for years. According to Payne, he also uses K&N Filters on his tow vehicle as well.

Jonathon was quick to give his team credit and say that they play an important role in his success. Working together since 1998, one would suspect that each member is well acquainted with Jonathon and their fellow members. Jonathon stressed that they are always there when it comes time to prepare for and load up after pulls.

Competing in pulls for the past 12 years, Jonathon Payne understands just what it takes to pull off a successful season. He has an acute understanding that without choosing the right gear, one's success will be slim to none. That said, he is confident that the key to finishing strong during 2011, he must be prepared for an array of problems that might arise and choose the proper gears.

Since racing in Danville Kentucky, Jonathon Payne and his team traveled to Brandenburg Kentucky on June 11, where he completed the pull in first place. Judging from his most recent race, Jonathon is still experiencing success. "I plan on committing my team to the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League,"

Jonathon stated during a recent interview. "I would like to thank our fans and hope we put on an exciting show. Without the fans, there would be no pulls."

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.

Allen Johnson Wraps Up Qualifying for '11 K&N Horsepower Challenge on High Note in Bristol

20 Jun 2011

K&N Horsepower Challenge Champion Allen Johnson

It was quite a lot of shuffling at the top during the four sessions of Pro Stock qualifying during the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway and the final chance for drivers to secure their position in the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge.

Allen Johnson's Mopar Dodge Avenger

The teams were just coming off very good air conditions, especially for the naturally aspirated cars at the last NHRA event in Englishtown, but for Bristol they were going to have to dig into their data and go back to some higher altitude settings. During the first session on Friday, Rodger Brogdon sailed to the top of the heap, posting a 6.696 and managed to be the only team to make it into the sixties during the hot late afternoon session, where the adjusted altitude was well over four thousand feet.

Brogdon would only enjoy his position for a few short hours because when the teams hit the track for session two, many teams were able to take advantage of late evening conditions, where the track had cooled nearly thirty degrees and there was just a little more 'air' for the tuners to work with. K&N's Mike Edwards was able to capitalize the most during the session to move past Brodgon when he posted a 6.679 and took over the number one spot.

Edwards would hold on to the number one spot through the heat of the third session on Saturday. A rain delay postponed the fourth and final session until much later in the day and also brought in cooler, although still quite moist, conditions.

Sitting almost like a tiger in the shadows ready to pounce, local favorite and former K&N Horsepower Challenge Champion, Allen Johnson had been steadily making runs "A to B" and sitting at number three, seemed poised to take over the top spot, should conditions come his way.

"We pretty much just hoped it would quit raining," said Johnson, when asked his thoughts about the last qualifying session. "We were hoping the sun would hang in there and it all worked right toward us. So we got after it a little bit and [laughs] showed off a little."

During the final session, Johnson and Edwards made the final pair of Pro Stock an exciting one. While Edwards bettered his earlier effort, it was all for not when Johnson stole away his thunder, along with the number one spot for Sunday's eliminations, by a whole hundredth of a second. And in NHRA Pro Stock, a hundredth is more like a mile.

Johnson's 6.668 pass also earned him another one hundred seventy five points for the final qualifier of the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge, plus the $3,000 event qualifier bonus and solidified his number two spot for the $50,000 shootout to take place in Norwalk in a matter of days.

While the competition is quite fierce among the Pro Stock competitors, many of them enjoy the chance to get in a little razzing and Mike Edwards did so just after the drivers exited the cars at the top end.

"He said 'You stole my K&N money'," Johnson explained the friendly top end ribbing between he and Edwards. "You know I did that at the end of the year last year about four times in a row, so I told him to look forward to more of that."

Johnson is quite proud of the K&N Horsepower Challenge Championship ring he wears earned and continues to tease other drivers such as Jason Line and Greg Anderson, "I always walk up to the both of them and lay my hand over their shoulder [the hand with ring], but I would really like to have another one of those. K&N is great for doing this Horsepower Challenge and they are great for doing the extra qualifying money. You just can't beat them."

Jason Line held onto the number one seed position, by the skin of his teeth and the smallest margin possible a mere five points over Allen Johnson.

"This year it's really tightened up lately," Johnson said of his fellow competitors and qualifiers in the Horsepower Challenge. "You know just here lately, any one of six, eight, ten cars that could win the race."

Johnson stresses how much he is looking forward to the shootout to be held at Summit Racing Motorsports Park in less than a week, "You are just really going to have to be on your game. I just really take it all as a challenge. You are racing against the best of the best and I'm one of them, you know and I try to step my game up there and really get serious about it."

"I just thank K&N for all of this, they are just the best," added Johnson.

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.

Video - K&N Air Intake Install for 2005-2007 Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500 6.6L Diesel

17 Jun 2011

Air Intake Installation for 2005-2007 Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500 6.6L Diesel Models with Round Air Filter
K&N has designed a performance air intake system 57-3057 for the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500HD and 3500 6.6L diesel models equipped with a round air filter. K&N dynamometer tests show an estimated 22.09 horsepower gain at 2860 RPM with use of this K&N air intake modification. K&N tests multiple vehicles for each air intake system it makes to ensure a consistent horsepower and torque gain. This video demonstrates the steps needed to install a power gaining K&N air intake into 2005 through 2007 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500 6.6L diesel models equipped with a round air filter.

Air Intake Installation for 2005-2007 Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500 6.6L Diesel Models with Round Air Filter

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 David Rampy Rides on to Double Up Victory at NHRA National Event at Englishtown

16 Jun 2011

David Rampy adds two more NHRA Wally's to his growing collection.

There just seems to be no slowing down the winning pace of sportsman racer David Rampy, no matter what class or what track. Just months after celebrating his 75th career NHRA National event win, Rampy added two more Wally's to his mind-boggling collection winning in both Super Stock and Competition Eliminator during the 42nd Annual NHRA SuperNationals.

David Rampy wins Super Stock and Competition Eliminator at NHRA SuperNationals

"It was pretty fast there," Rampy notes of Comp Eliminator qualifying sessions. "We were trying to position ourselves on the ladder and every session just got faster and faster. We wound up twelfth and I thought, well I would have rather been a little higher, but that's not a bad spot."

Rampy felt based on where he landed on the Comp ladder, and his potential upcoming pairings, that it might be a difficult race to win. "You know what looks one way on paper, isn't always the way things shake out," he said. "If you keep up with the averages, number eight in a thirty-two car field is just a good place, to me, to be. That way for the first two rounds, you are running the slower cars and you go along chances are then you will run guys that are more used up [CIC penalty]."

David Rampy's Comp eliminator 1932 Bantam roadster

Over in Super Stock, Rampy is not quite as concerned as to where he qualifies. "Wherever it winds up, that's where it is. Unless, there are cars there that, you know somebody in my class who may be a lot fasters than I am [same class, heads up runs] and try to move around in the field to get away from them."

Once Rampy made it through his first round competitor, Carl Miller who broke around mid-track, it was pretty smooth sailing for him right to his ninety-ninth NHRA Comp Eliminator final.

"Second round the guy [Dave Hughes] red-lighted against me," he reflected on his Comp Eliminator rounds. "Now he was used up, so I think that puts the pressure on you to try and hit the tree. Third round was the same thing. The guy had lost a lot of index and he red-lighted. Then in fourth round the guy also red-lighted. Now in the final, I had to run Anthony Bertozzi, which is normally a really tough competitor. But when he went to set the trans brake, something happened. I didn't get to talk to Anthony, but I did talk to the guy who owns the car, Vinny Barone. The trans brake didn't hold to start with and he rolled in and put out the top bulb but he never left the starting line."

"It just turned out where, you don't make a mistake and you just can't lose the race," he said of his weekend in Comp. "I didn't feel like I did anything spectacular, they made all the mistakes and I was just in the right spot where they made them at."

With things going as well as they were for Rampy in Comp Eliminator, it really took any pressure off and allowed him to concentrate even more in his K&N Super Stock entry. "You know this is what we live for and that's the opportunity to go rounds and win in two cars. They run us so fast, as the rounds go, that you really don't have time to think about it. With things in the Comp car just clicking, it allowed me to go up there in the Super Stock car and not be so concerned about the other side of the deal."

Rampy was absolutely killer on the tree in his Super Stock GT/HA 1989 Camaro all throughout the rounds, and had each and every opponent covered at the hit.

"The car was just real good this weekend and I felt like I was hitting the tree really good," he said. "While I don't look at the qualifying spot much in Super Stock, I actually thought for this time I couldn't have put myself in any worse spot, based on some of the guys I may have to run. I ran a lot of really good racers, but the car was really consistent and it was one of those deals where you could put a dial on it and you felt like it would go out there do what it should."

Rampy lined up against Bob Hochrun in the Super Stock final, "Not to take anything away from him, but I knew all the guys that I had run up to that point. I mean I had seen the guy before, but just didn't know any history on him. Somebody did say to me that it was his first NHRA final. Well, I left first and had a good light and then he went red and that was the end of that," he chuckled.

The win in Super Stock came first then the Comp victory giving David Rampy his 76th and 77th NHRA National Event wins and the fourth time he has doubled up during a national.

"Traditionally I have not had a lot of success there," Rampy said of Englishtown. "My very first ever Super Comp win came there and I think before this weekend I had only won twice there. Normally I don't go there a lot, but I have been over the last several years and we are trying to go to more of the races this year."

With the unprecedented success that David has found over his career, he is quick to point out that it's only possible by using nothing but the best products on his race cars and K&N is right at the top of his list. "Those guys at K&N are so great to work with and they really help me out when I need it. I use the K&N oil filters and air filters on both cars, plus the new Racing Glue products. I even have one of their scoops on my Comp Eliminator car. I even use all K&N products on my personal vehicles and my son has a K&N Air Charger Kit on his truck, we wouldn't have anything else but the best that's out there and when it comes to filters, 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.

Brian Deegan Takes First in LOORS Pro-Lite at Speedworld Off-Road Park in Arizona

16 Jun 2011

The third place finish at Speedworld Off-Road was Deegan's second podium appearance in just four career races in the Pro-2 class.

Speedworld Off-Road Park in Surprise, Arizona hosted rounds three and four of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series (LOORS) and Brian Deegan, the 2010 Lucas Oil Driver of the Year, continued to roll on with his stellar run in the 2011 series.

The K&N sponsored Deegan currently is holding firm to second place in the points in both the Pro-Lite and Pro-2 classes.

Deegan told K&N Race News, "Rounds three and four were intense. In the Pro-Lite series I fought hard for the lead on Saturday and ended up in second. On Sunday I went for it, and went all out. I led the race to a very exciting finish - it was a real battle to the end."

In Saturday's Pro-Lite race Deegan put up a valiant effort for the win in his No. 38 Ford Rockstar truck, yet in the end had to settle for second. But in the Pro-Lite on Sunday, Deegan grabbed the lead on the first lap, and immediately pulled away from the pack. After a mandatory caution a closing Chris Brandt threw a hook on Deegan's bumper refusing to let go. Deegan held on to the top spot though, clinching first in a nail-biter finish.

In Saturday's Pro-2 Race, Deegan, who started in 11th position, put together a remarkable effort, moving up through the field to finish in third before time ran out. The third place finish is Deegan's second podium appearance in just four career races in the Pro-2 class.

In a magnanimous move, Deegan offered his Pro-2 winnings to the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Chaplin.

Technical problems in qualifying placed Deegan in the back of the pack again for Sunday's Pro-2 Class main event. The K&N sponsored driver battled the field moving up to 7th position until the first of two mandatory cautions were issued. After a major pile-up caused Deegan to move back, he ultimately took his truck to the finish line in the ninth spot.

"It was a tough weekend for the Pro-2 races," Deegan said. "I had problems in qualifying and had to come from behind. In the end, I was able to salvage important points and stay in the hunt for the championship in both classes. All around, it was an intense weekend and props go out to my team who worked really hard to keep us in the championship. I am currently second in the points in both classes and I feel like I am in a good position. I have a strong chance of winning both titles this year."

Deegan explained that the biggest challenge for him between the two classes is the different lines on the track, as each class is so totally dissimilar to the other. Another aspect of racing two classes that's not addressed enough is the fitness factor required to do so.

"I train at the gym three to four days a week and I ride motocross two days a week," continued Deegan. "I also try to go to the gym to do cardio, or to the MMA gym and train with the Mulisha Fighters. I'm always training and that is how I have been since I was a little kid. Diet has also become important. I am very careful about my diet and eat organic whenever possible. Plus, with having one kidney, I need to make sure I am always properly hydrated."

The motocross legend and founder of Metal Mulisha is often dealt the "Bad boy" card, and one has to suspect that Deegan cultivates that image to his advantage, but there's another facet to this multidimensional racer that's not often on display. Deegan recently offered to donate his Pro-2 winnings to the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Chaplin.

Deegan's comments were, "I found out that the Chaplin pays his own way to come to the races and I feel it's a good thing that he is there to show his support. I felt it was the right thing to do."

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.