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The K&N Horsepower Challenge, a race-within-a-race, brings the top 7 Pro Stock drivers together for a three-round shootout offering nothing but glory and a $50,000 paycheck. The drivers have accumulated points since the previous K&N Horsepower Challenge and the top 7 in points lock in a spot to compete, then the 8th driver is voted in by the fans.

The Fans have spoken and they want to see Vincent Nobile, the driver of the Mountain View Tire Chevy Camaro, in the 8th spot.

The top 8 Pro Stock drivers get ready to face off in the K&N HPC in 2017

Vincent Nobile vs. Bo Butner

• Vincent was the youngest K&N Horsepower Challenge Champion back in 2012, then he went on to win the main event, as well
• Bo Butner is just coming off his best season as the 2017 Pro Stock Champion, which helped him get to the No. 1 Qualifier position in the K&N Horsepower Challenge

Greg Anderson vs. Erica Enders

Vincent Nobile takes the 8th spot in the HPC being voted in as the fan-favorite

• Greg has won the K&N Horsepower Challenge the past two years and has 6 titles overall
• Erica won back-to-back K&N Horsepower Challenge titles starting in 2014, where both years she doubled-up by winning the event title, as well

Jason Line vs. Jeg Coughlin

• Jason has been close to winning the K&N Horsepower Challenge, but has never hoisted the trophy
• Jeg Coughlin clearly knows how to rally his fans, as he has won the K&N Horsepower Challenge Fan Vote 3 times and won the event in 2009

Drew Skillman vs. Tanner Gray

Greg Anderson celebrates his record 6th K&N HPC win in 2017

• Drew and Tanner were 4th and 5th in the K&N Horsepower Challenge standings
• Tanner Gray won the DENSO NHRA Nationals last season

Tune in to see which driver comes out on top! K&N Horsepower Challenge rounds are scheduled for noon, 2:40 and 3:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 7.

Greg Anderson defeated Bo Butner in the final round of the K&N Horsepower Challenge in Las Vegas on Saturday managing to hoist the trophy for the 3rd year in a row and 7th time in his career. Anderson recorded a 6.731-second elapsed time and a top speed of 205.47 mph against his teammate Butner who had a foul start costing him the race. That mistake not only cost Butner the race, but also the $50,000 check that found itself in the hands of Greg Anderson once again.

Greg Anderson celebrates his 7th win of the K&N Horsepower Challenge

Before facing off against Bo Butner, Greg Anderson edged out both Erica Enders and Jeg Coughlin to reach the final round. He also found time during his eventful day to join the rest of the drivers as they signed autographs for fans at the K&N truck and trailer. The fans were definitely out in full force on Saturday with NHRA announcing they had sold out the event.

K&N drivers meet fans and sign autographs at the K&N display trailer

“It’s the most exciting race of the year for me.” said Butner before the event.

K&N Horsepower Challenge logo

Butner had a 115-point lead over Anderson heading into the K&N Horsepower Challenge, a six-race series that started in Las Vegas in October. The top-seven drivers in the K&N Horsepower Challenge earned spots in the final event at the NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas. Fans voted Vincent Nobile into the eighth spot after the Gatornationals in Florida on March 17.

The 8 drivers for the K&N Horsepower Challenge are introduced to the fans at LVMS

Greg Anderson performs his pre-race burnout in the final run of the K&N HPC

The K&N semi is a centerpiece of the Mint 400 contingency

Mint 400 organizers made sure race fans had a wide variety of activities to enjoy, both at the Las Vegas pre-race contingency and also the actual race through the desert west of Sin City. In the end, K&N-sponsored racer Bryce Menzies topped the Mint 400 podium. Here is a look at the epic event.

Mint 400 Contingency

Las Vegas’ historic Freemont Street was once again the epicenter of the Mint 400 contingency event. The downtown area was a frenzy of activity. Vendors displayed their newest performance products, race teams competed in pit crew challenges, and fans rubbed elbows with racers and got up close and personal with exotic race machines.

Freemont Street rumbles with activity during the Mint contingency

There was not a more conspicuous presence at the Freemont Street contingency than K&N. The massive and instantly-recognizable K&N logo graced the company semi-truck directly adjacent to the Mint 400 contingency stage. Race fans lined up to see new performance products like the K&N 63-1141 AirCharger air intake system for the Can-Am X3. K&N representatives handed out logo hats, socks, shirts, and other exciting swag.

K&N sponsored racers gathered to meet fans, take photos, and sign autographs

RJ Anderson, Katie Vernola, and Mitch Guthrie Jr. All in all, the Mint 400 contingency was a huge success as Freemont Street was literally (albeit temporarily) renamed ‘Mint 400 Blvd.’

Mint 400 Race Day

The full day of racing starts before sunrise in the Nevada desert

Waves of UTVs, trick trucks, jeeps, and even VW Beetles made their way to the starting line in front of masses of enthusiastic race fans. The starting time for the first waves of racers was set for 6 AM, with the second session scheduled at midday.

Media and race team helicopters chopped in the sky above the Nevada desert as the race set out onto one of the most brutal courses in off-road racing.

Bryce Menzies

K&N-sponsored Bryce Menzies fought to his second Mint 400 victory

The ultra-close race shows just how important detail is in desert racing. One missed turn or a slow pit stop would have cost Menzies the victory. Menzies' second Mint 400 win held special significance for the racer.

“My grandfather passed away last week,” Menzies said. “He was always such a role model for me and I want to make him proud. This win is for him.”

Other K&N Notables

Katie Vernola ready to race her K&N-equipped UTV in another Mint 400

Katie Vernola tackled the rough Nevada desert course in her signature pink SxS. Experienced Baja racer Greg Adler again assaulted the Mint 400, as did the Murray Race Team and Camburg Engineering.

K&N congratulates all of our Mint 400 competitors.

High performance UTVs stage for the Mint under the Buffalo Bill's Casino roller coaster

The Las Vegas night air filled with the sounds of impact wrenches for the pit crew challenge

K&N intakes, filters, and pre filters are trusted with protection and performance on Mint 400 racers

Another beautiful desert racer equipped with K&N performance and protection

The desert trucks staging in the pre-dawn desert

Freemont Street becomes Mint 400 Blvd. for a few days in March

The Mint contingency is a circus complete with sideshow oddities like this futuristic racer

Evening entertainment draws crowds near the K&N truck

A display wall gives a timeline of the Mint 400's storied history

K&N-sponsored Murray Race Team strapped in and ready to race in Primm

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season kicked-off at Kern County Raceway Park in California on March 15th. A former K&N Pro Series West champion returned five years removed from his last title. The team that won the past three K&N Pro Series West championships opened its next chapter with new drivers and a new focus. Kevin Harvick, a hometown legend in Bakersfield and the 2015 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series Champion, gave the K&N Pro Series drivers a taste of what it’s like to race against a top-level NASCAR Champion.

It was an exciting start to the K&N Pro Series West season.

Derek Thorn won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship in 2013.

The Sunrise Ford team, owner by Bob Bruncati, is reaching into his past to try to produce a K&N Pro Series championship. Derek Thorn, who won the K&N Pro Series title in 2013, will be in one of the Sunrise Ford cars. Ryan Partridge, the runner-up in the K&N Pro Series standings in 2016, will be in the other car. Bruncati is bringing in a veteran presence to lead his team.

“I think he wants to get his program to the point where he feels like he can go out each and every week and compete for wins, do what it takes behind the scenes,” Thorn said in a NASCAR Hometracks interview. “I feel like Partridge is an extremely talented race car driver. We should be able to work through some things and get the program at Sunrise Ford to be where we want to be, to where we can go out each and every week and be confident that we can run up front.”

Thorn has five career wins in 37 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts.

Partridge is making his return to the K&N Pro Series West after taking a year off in 2017. He was third in the K&N Pro Series standings in 2015 and has won four races in his K&N Pro Series West career. He is reunited with his crew chief, Jeff Schrader. They combined in 2016 to finish in second place in the K&N Pro Series West standings.

“It feels like we are just a bunch of good ole boys working on race cars and having fun on the weekends,” Partridge said. “I think that’s really what it takes to stay relaxed, stay focused. There is zero animosity between anybody on the team. We’re all just going for a common goal. That what it feels like.”

Partridge is looking forward to working with his old crew.

“We’re talking apples to apples,” Partridge said. “As far as the chemistry of the team works that’s really important. You gotta be on the same level, same page with your crew chief.”

Bill McAnally Racing has won the past three K&N Pro Series West championships. Todd Gilliland won the titles in 2016 and 2017. Chris Eggleston won the championship in 2015 driving for McAnally. Both drivers are not with the team this year. Hailie Deegan and Cole Rouse are in. Derek Kraus, who won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year last year, is back in the team’s No. 16 car, the same one that Gilliland drove to consecutive championships.

Kraus won the season finale at Kern County Raceway Park to close out his rookie season. He was third in the K&N Pro Series West standings. His only win in 14 starts came at Kern County. He also posted nine top-five finishes in 14 starts.

Deegan, the 16-year-old daughter of X Games star Brian Deegan, is beginning her rookie campaign. But she is no stranger to racing. She has been winning off-road truck championships since she started racing when she was 8.

Rouse, an 18-year-old driver from Arkansas, had four top-five finishes in 14 K&N Pro Series West starts in 2016. Last year, he split time between racing in the ARCA Series and super late models. He was 11th in the ARCA Series race in Kentucky and 13th in the race in Kansas driving for Bill Venturini.

Derek Kraus was the rookie of the year in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2017.

He said he feels good about the direction his team is heading.

“It’s similar. We didn’t really have a permanent setup,” Vanderwal said referring to the 2017 season. “This year the main difference is we have two cars. We have a shop setup.”

He added that racing with McAnally’s team was a valuable learning experience.

“I feel like I learned a lot last year,” Vanderwal said. “I feel like I learned a lot as a driver at New Smyrna a couple of weeks ago running with a Bill McAnally car. I think we will be fast.”

Will Rodgers, who drove one of the four entries for Jefferson Pitts Racing in the opener at Kern County, finished in fifth place in the K&N Pro Series West standings last season. He had nine top-five finishes in 14 races, won one pole and led for 26 laps in the races he entered last year.

Todd Souza was sixth in the K&N Pro Series West standings. He had two top-five finishes, a third-place at The Orange Show Speedway in California and a fourth-place at Meridian Speedway in Idaho.

Matt Levin was 11th in the K&N Pro Series West standings in 2017. He had four top-10 finishes in 14 races.

Ron Norman was 12th in the K&N Pro Series West standings in 2017. He had two top-10 finishes in 14 races.

Harvick has won the past two K&N Pro Series West races he entered, the most recent coming at Sonoma Raceway in California last year. He has a celebrated career in the K&N Pro Series. He was the runner-up to Joey Logano in the inaugural K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway in 2007.

Throughout the K&N Pro Series West opener at Kern County Raceway Park, it looked as though Harvick would continue his K&N Pro Series winning streak, however, on the last restart, Derek Kraus was able to pass Harvick on Turn 4 with a good ol’ Short Track nudge. Harvick fell back to ninth place and only had time to battle back to 4th before the checkered flag dropped. With Thorn, Rouse and Partridge finishing in the top 5, it will be exciting to see the battle between Bob Bruncati’s Sunrise Ford Team and Bill McAnally NAPA Team unfold through the 2018 K&N Pro Series West season.

The next NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will be a twin 100-lap feature at Arizona’ Tucson Speedway on May 5th.

Bob Bruncati and his Sunrise Ford racing team has assembled a championship-caliber lineup to challenge Bill McAnally Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Derek Thorn, who won the 2013 K&N Pro Series West championship driving for Sunrise Ford, is back. Ryan Partridge, who was the runner-up in the K&N Pro Series West standings in 2016, is on board for a second stint with Sunrise Ford. The two are expected to loosen the grasp McAnally and his team have on the K&N Pro Series West.

“We gotta put a wrench in the gears,” Partridge said.

Derek Thorn won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship in 2013.

Thorn and Partridge are part of Bruncati’s plan to end the McAnally dynasty.

“I never thought five years later I would be back behind the wheel and doing it again,” Thorn said. “We’re hoping to pick up where we left off five years ago. Same crew, same crew chief. I’m excited to be back as part of those guys’ team. Hopefully we can perform to the highest of our ability and compete for a championship.”

Thorn has won five races in his career in the K&N Pro Series West. He has 26 top-five finishes in 37 K&N Pro Series West races. He is reunited with crew chief Bill Sedgwick. Thorn and Sedgwick teamed up to win the K&N Pro Series West championship in 2013.

Thorn said Bruncati wants to recapture the formula that produced a championship season five years ago.

Derek Thorn will drive for Bob Bruncati's Sunrise Ford team in the K&N Pro Series West in 2018.

Bruncati is showing some vision with his team too. Trevor Huddleston, an up-and-coming late model driver at Irwindale Speedway in Southern California, will drive in select races for Sunrise Ford in the K&N Pro Series West. But the nucleus of the team will be Thorn and Partridge.

“The chemistry is there. It works, it clicks,” Partridge said. “It’s a great package all around. Me and Derek go way back racing against each other. When it comes to giving feedback, it’s nice, because he’s a driver I can trust with his input and feedback. He can be on A, B and C packages and we will be on DEF and at the end of the day we can come together. Did this work? It didn’t work, let’s try this. It really cuts our learning curve in half.”

The team was put together a little late though. The two drivers were at Irwindale Speedway testing on Feb. 26. The K&N Pro Series is introducing a new tire for the teams. Thorn said they have been playing a little catch-up in regard to the new tires.

“We have some things to learn in a fast period of time,” Thorn said. “Some of the teams in the series have had access to these tires for about a month or more. We are looking to have it for about a couple of weeks before the start of the season. I feel like we’re a little bit behind the 8-ball compared to some of these guys. We have to make up for some lost time and hopefully we can find some speed.”

For Partridge, he is reunited with his old crew chief, Jeff Schrader. The two teamed up for a runner-up season in the K&N Pro Series West in 2016. In his career, Partridge has won four K&N Pro Series West races and was third in the standings in 2015. Even though Partridge has spent a year away from the K&N Pro Series West, he said the chemistry on the team has not changed.

Ryan Partridge will drive for Bob Bruncati's Sunrise Ford team in the K&N Pro Series West in 2018.

Thorn said he has confidence in his team, but it takes a different approach to race for a championship. His team has high expectations and Thorn wants to make the most of his opportunity.

“My approach to this deal is to take it one race at a time,” Thorn said. “In the K&N Series, racing for a championship takes a different mindset. Sometimes you have a little more give and take than others. Take advantage of the great days at the race track and try to make the most of the bad days. Try to squeeze out every last point you can. When it comes down to the end of the season, the difference between winning the championship may be only a few points.”

The NASCAR K&N West season will begin at Kern County Raceway on Thursday, March 15th.