NHRA Stock and Super Stock Drag Racer Jody Lang
- 8 Apr 2011
Jody tells us "I've always liked cars growing up as a kid. I'd watch the occasional drag race on TV now and then. Finally in the mid 80's after going to a few local races I decided to give it a try myself." In 1985 Jody purchased his first car, a 1969 Chevelle, for bracket racing. Jody still owns his 69, but after getting experience and having some success at the local bracket races he decided it was time to step up on the NHRA divisional/national scene. In 1993 he first competed in Stock Eliminator with a 1981 Malibu station wagon. One of the memories Jody shared with K&N came from the 1997 Super Chevy Show & Race held at Pacific Raceway. Jody entered three cars; his 69 Chevelle, his friend, Dave Kirks', 67 Chevelle, and his 78 Camaro street car. He ended up winning all three classes! "It was crazy, very intense, hopping from one car to the next" he says. That kind of excitement inspired him, because most of the races he attended were spread out over a three-four day period with lots of down time between runs and he wanted more action. So in 2004 he bought a 1981 Chevy Malibu to run in the Super Stock Class in addition to his Stock Eliminator 81 Malibu wagon. As many racers are now doing, this allowed Jody two entries to compete in the races he entered. Having two cars also allows drivers to collect more data which helps them tune and dial their cars for competition. Jody tells us about the challenges of handling a two car team, "Although late in a race this can be hectic with two cars, it keeps me busy as well as doubling my chances for fun while I'm there." Jody's first big win came at the 2009 Summit Racing Nationals at Las Vegas. When we say big win, we mean BIG win as he won in both Stock and Super Stock. Jody says "It was unbelievable." Lady luck was on his side in Vegas for sure, but as we all know Jody has tons of skills to back it up! When we asked Jody why he uses K&N products in his winning race cars he tell us "I've used K&N air filters for years. Then after talking to some of the guys at K&N started running their oil filters too. The K&N air filters are a no brainer, they have great flow and are washable too. The oil filters are tough (trust me I cut them open for motor inspection purposes) and the nut on the bottom makes removal a breeze." Jody also gets help on and off the track from a team of people including girlfriend Martha Thompson, brother Toby Lang, Eric Reyes, Howard Esping, George Scott at Turbo Technology, Dick Meierhenry, the guys at Freeway Trailer Sales, Truck Town, Hoosier Tires, DG Machine and Rod Stults. With this kind of drive and team spirit we think we will see Jody and his team in the winner's circle a lot this season. 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. |
