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Gold tastes so good for Turcotte at the Aspen, Colorado X Games (photo X Games)

Turcotte was born into the competitive snowmobile culture and the sport has become the life work and the driving force for the racer.

“Snowmobiling for me has been a lifelong passion,” Turcotte says. “It’s been something that I was just kind of born and raised doing. My dad raced snowmobiles for many years as I was a young kid and owned a snowmobile dealership. I just kind of naturally evolved into the athlete that I am now.”

Veteran snowmobiler Brett Turcotte wins the X Games Speed and Style event

“I took a couple year hiatus there once I retired from snowcross racing,” he says. “Now I’m back full-swing as a freestyle athlete.”

Clearly, that shift to freestyle was a fantastic career decision for Turcotte. With a few previous medals under his belt in the discipline, the gold in the 2018 X Games is a crown jewel in the racer’s helmet.

"I just busted my butt to get here," Turcotte said after the finals. "I'm speechless. All this time and effort and dragging the family across the world.”

Turcotte has a healthy set of long-term goals in his cross hairs. He wants to develop his own business over the next decade. This will enable him to share his knowledge and mentor aspiring racers. He also wants to give back to the sport that has served as his lifeblood for years.

“(I’d like to) grow the sport. I grew up in the snowmobile industry and I don’t want to see that go away. I’d like to open up some doors for some up-and-coming riders.”

Brett Turcotte has found new life in competitive freestyle

Team K&N from Burton Art & Tech in Salem, Virginia hard at work on their Small Block Chevy

Now while this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, teams of high school students from across the country competed in the 2017 Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (HROT) Engine Challenge, disassembling and then rebuilding an engine from running engine to bare block to running motor in as little as 17 minutes.

The program is simultaneously educating and empowering students as they compete. The competition is designed to provide students access and experience in the automotive industry by way of a team-building challenge.

HROT has been growing steadily since its inception in 2008. In a nutshell, the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge is a timed competition where teams of five high-school students go head to head to disassemble and reassemble a small-block Chevy 350. During the competition rounds, each five-student team is presented with a Chevrolet small-block engine. The team is tasked with disassembling the engine down to its camshaft.

When the disassembly has been completed, a judge verifies that the work had been done correctly. After receiving approval from the judge, the team reassembles the engine back to its original and completed form. The process is timed, and the teams with the best scores advance to the next round.

The 2017 competition features 158 teams, with a total of 790 students. Teams compete at 15 nationwide events that are held throughout the country. The teams that win the various qualifying events go on to participate in the dual championship finals. The final two events take place at the SEMA Show, in Las Vegas, and conclude at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show.

Scoring is a composite of three parts. First, the average time to assemble the engine for each of the three times the teams competed. Second, the penalty minutes added for mistakes made during disassembly and reassembly, and the third part is a 50-question written test on component and tool identification along with general engine and rules knowledge.

2017 was the tenth year of Hot Rodders of Tomorrow competition

The Elite Eight pits the top four SEMA Show seeds against the top four PRI Trade Show seeds.

Two teams were entered by the Burton Center for Arts & Tech in Salem, Virginia, and both reached the Elite Eight. Team Two is sponsored by K&N Filters and took on the name Team K&N. At the PRI Trade Show, Team K&N finished in fourth place with an average time of 20:59. Its companion Burton Center Team One, now Team Meziere, won the PRI qualifier with a best average time of 17:51.

In the National Championship, only three seconds separated the first- and second-place teams, and just 17 seconds between first and third place. But in the end, Team Fel-Pro from the Tulsa Technology Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, came out on top with an average time of 17:06.0, with Burton Center for Arts & Tech Team Meziere in second at 17:09.0. Team K&N from Burton finished an impressive sixth overall at 19:45.3.

Team K&N was comprised of instructor Steven Hoback and students Carter Lawrence, Ethan Muncy, Mackenzie Powell, Allen Slaydon, and Landon Wood.

What’s equally impressive is that the top 15 teams all completed their tear-down and reassembly in 30 minutes or less.

Each student earned scholarship opportunities ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 from Ohio Technical College, School of Automotive Machinists & Technology, and Universal Technical Institute. That scholarship money doubly helps the industry by giving young people with an automotive passion a chance to get a higher education. It also allows them to be that much more educated should they enter automotive careers.

Congraulations to Ethan, Mackenzie, Allen, Carter, and Landon for their 6th place finish

For more information about either of these programs, check out the HotRoddersofTomorrow website.

K&N Engineering would like to offer our congratulations to all participants in the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow competition, and to the HROT crew for their expert coordination and management of the events.

K&N Pro Series driver Julia Landauer, at Tucson Speedway, was seventh in the 2017 standings

The K&N Pro Series West season starts on March 15 at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, California. The series returns to Kern County for the season finale on Oct. 27. The 2014 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick said he will race in the season opener in Kern County. He won the K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma Raceway in California last year.

“It’s a really cool opportunity. You are able to have such a very obvious learning experience,” said K&N Pro Series West driver Julia Landauer. “There were quite a few laps at Sonoma last year where I was behind Kevin Harvick. I was able to see how he took the lines, see where he was conserving and where he wasn’t. That’s really cool to learn. From a confidence perspective, if you’re able to hang with the top level pros, then it gives you as a driver a big boost to think, all right, I can make it.”

Harvick won the K&N Pro Series West championship in 1998 and drives for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

In September, the K&N Pro Series West will race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. The dirt track race on Sept. 13 coincides with the start of the playoffs for the three national NASCAR touring series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“It will be my first time on dirt ever,” said K&N Pro Series driver Derek Kraus. “It will be a big learning experience, learning what the car will do on the dirt, how the track changes. So it definitely will be a big learning experience.”

Derek Kraus won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Kern County Raceway Park in November

“I think it’s really cool to incorporate dirt,” said Landauer, a two-year veteran of the K&N Pro Series West who was seventh in the K&N Pro Series West standings in 2017. “I’ve never driven on dirt. It would definitely be a learning curve if I was to race it.”

In July, the drivers and teams from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and East will race against each other at Iowa Speedway. Two-time K&N Pro Series Todd Gilliland won the K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway last year. Kraus, Gilliland’s Bill McAnally Racing teammate, won the pole for the race at Iowa Speedway. This year’s race is on July 27.

The teams from the K&N Pro Series West and East will meet again at Gateway Motorsports Park, in Illinois on Aug. 24.

The K&N Pro Series West will race at Sonoma Raceway in California on June 23. It is the only road course race on the schedule. The K&N Pro Series West will race on the same weekend as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma.

“I really loved the road courses,” Landauer said. “I have a road course background, that’s how I started. That was always really cool. I really like Kern quite a bit, I thought you could do a lot of really cool racing, lots of different lines. I had a lot of success on the short tracks. Meridian and Douglas were my favorites.”

The K&N Pro Series West will make plenty of familiar stops. The race at Tucson Speedway in Arizona on May 5 will be a twin 100-lap event.

“I am really looking forward to Kern, I really like Kern,” Kraus said. “I really like Tucson. It fits my driving style with all it is.”

The K&N Pro Series West will also visit Orange Show Speedway in California, Colorado National Speedway, Douglas County Speedway in Oregon, and All American Speedway, in California.

“The NASCAR K&N Pro Series features a strong roster of race tracks designed to bring out the best in the drivers and teams,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Operations. “Many of the tracks have historic ties to the West Series, and we’re excited about the new venues that have been added to the schedule. The fans are going to get a fantastic opportunity to watch these drivers battle it out over the season.”

2018 K&N Pro Series West Schedule

March 15

Kern County Raceway Park

Bakersfield, California

May 5

Tucson Speedway

Tucson, Arizona

May 19

Orange Show Speedway

San Bernardino, California

June 9

Colorado National Speedway

Dacona, Colorado

June 23

Sonoma Raceway

Sonoma, California

June 30

Douglas County Speedway

Roseburg, Oregon

July 15

Spokane County Raceway

Airway Heights, Washington

July 27

Iowa Speedway

Newtown, Iowa

Aug. 11

Evergreen Speedway

Monroe, Washington

Aug. 24

Gateway Motorsports Park

Madison, Illinois

Sept. 13

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track

Las Vegas, Nevada

Sept. 29

Meridian Speedway

Meridian, Idaho

Oct. 13

All American Speedway

Roseville, California

Oct. 27

Kern County Raceway Park

Bakersfield, California

A K&N cabin air filter is the first line of defense against harmful intruders in your Hyundai Sonata

Fast forward to 2014 and the introduction of the seventh generation Sonata, code-named LF. The Hyundai Sonata has served as a versatile platform, sold in a variety of trim levels with six different engines and four different transmissions, variations based on the global market.

In the US, the 2015-2017 Hyundai Sonata was available with four engine options:

The 1.6 L turbocharged Gamma GDI engine features an aluminum block and DOHC 16V aluminum cylinder head with dual CVVT, twin-scroll turbocharger, and an air-guided intercooler. The 1.6 Gamma produces 177 horsepower.

The 2.0 L turbocharged Theta engine features a high-pressure die-cast aluminum alloy engine block, hollow stainless-steel dual overhead camshafts (DOHC) with powder-metal cam lobes, pent-roof combustion chambers, and gasoline direct injection. The 2.0L Theta produces 245 horsepower.

The 2.4 L naturally-aspirated Theta engine shares the same architecture and construction as the 2.0 L version, with the same bore but with a stroke lengthened by nine millimeters. In addition, the compression ratio was reduced from 10.5:1 to 10.3:1. The 2.4 L Theta produces 185 horsepower.

A K&N cabin air filter helps block mold, mildew, fungus, spores, bacteria, dust, and more

Regardless of engine, each of these models shares at least one common component: the cabin air filter.

Hyundai installs cabin air filters in the ventilation system to clean and filter the outside air that enters your Sonata. As the filter does its job and it collects dust, debris, spores, and pollen. At a certain point, the filter becomes clogged, restricting the air entering your ventilation system.

Without the full flow of air around which the ventilation system was designed it could cause your air conditioning or your defrost system to not work as efficiently as they should, and could even reduce the lifespan of those components resulting in expensive repairs.

For example, if you drive in an area with sand, dust, pollen, spores, even debris like leaves in the autumn, over time these contaminants can collect on your filter and reduce air flow through your Sonata’s heating and air conditioning system. An indication of a clogged or partially clogged cabin air filter is that the fan needs to be set higher than usual to get the same amount of air. In addition, if you’re plagued with persistent bad odors inside the car they can often be traced to bacteria or mold growing on an old filter.

K&N cabin air filter replacement is simple and takes just a few minutes. Instructions are in the box

As your cabin air filter is your first line of defense against these pesky hitchhikers, why not replace your disposable OEM filter with a high-quality K&N filter. K&N cabin air filters are the first of their kind designed to replace your vehicle's stock cabin air filter with a washable and reusable upgrade that cleans and freshens incoming air.

Further, your VF2058 K&N cabin air filter is electrostatically charged to grab and hold dust and other airborne particles. It also helps control odors while they help capture and hold most mold, mildew, fungus, spores, and germs.

Made of a unique non-woven synthetic material, K&N cabin air filters are an easy replacement upgrade for your vehicle's cabin air filter. Replacing the cabin air filter is a fast swap – it’s as simple as exchanging the old, dirty filter for a new one. The housing for the filter is behind the glove box and requires you only to twist two knobs to access the filter. The old filter can be replaced and the glovebox buttoned-up in only about five minutes.

The cabin filter cleaning care kit makes rinsing and reviving the K&N filter a breeze

The only maintenance required for your VF2054 K&N cabin air filter is a service you can do yourself in no time at all. At intervals of about 12 months or 12,000 miles, using a K&N cabin air filter cleaning kit, parts number 99-6000, you can easily renew and re-oil your air filter, which brings it back to virtually new condition and ready to protect your car’s cabin and your passengers. Your K&N cabin air filter has been designed to last for years of use and is guaranteed by K&N’s 10-Year/Million Mile Limited Warranty.

And by purchasing a reusable cabin air filter, you’re helping the environment as well, as you no longer have to throw away an old, clogged non-recyclable filter that will end up in a landfill.

The K&N VF2054 cabin air filter is designed to fit the following vehicles:

2017 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID 2.0L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models
2017 HYUNDAI SONATA 2.4L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models
2017 HYUNDAI SONATA 2.0L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models
2017 HYUNDAI SONATA 1.6L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models
2016 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID 2.0L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models
2016 HYUNDAI SONATA 2.4L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models
2016 HYUNDAI SONATA 2.0L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models
2016 HYUNDAI SONATA 1.6L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models
2015 HYUNDAI SONATA 2.4L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models
2015 HYUNDAI SONATA 2.0L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models
2015 HYUNDAI SONATA 1.6L L4 Fuel Injection - All Models

Scott Fraser behind the wheel of the Porsche GT3

Because of the incredible weather the state of California seems to boast year round, you can, on any given weekend, find a handful of car events all over the state of California, especially the So Cal area. Whether it’s a Cars and Coffee or Cars and Cones at the local mall, or maybe a Speed Ventures or SCCA event you crave, or perhaps the Hotchkis Sport Suspension Annual Toy Drive, Southern California has something for almost any gearhead!

The Crew at TCI showed up and gave BIG to this cause

Sunday morning awards, nothing but smiles from Chad Ryker, Mike DuSold and Wes Drelleshak

Scott Fraser along with the Sheely Collection Charities are the big winners of the weekend.

Greg Nelson the Leader in Modern Muscle

The Inaugural Sheely Collection AutoX and Celebrity Shootout will benefit local charities that include the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, The Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Ronald McDonald House, and the San Diego Fisher House Foundation, supporting Veterans seeking treatment for wounds, illness, and injury by providing temporary housing close by for their family.

Matt Alcala behind the wheel of Greg Thurmonds '65 Vette

Sunday, Day 2 began with the ultimate driver’s meeting where the racers would learn who they were matched up with for the bracket-style shootout. One by one the driver’s would stage. The green flag was thrown and in the end, there would only be one crowned the victor.

Greg Nelson rolls away a winner!

Celebrating his sixth decade on this rolling rock, Pat came to AutoX not quite three years ago. He had purchased a Ford Daytona and wanted to see if that fast and light car could finagle its way around some orange cones at the 15th Annual Meguiar’s Spring Nationals at Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar, CA. One might say that after his first autocross, he was hooked. Between the camaraderie in the pits, the smell of burning fuel, the salt in the air, and let’s not forget the course, the staging lights and the spectators, Sheely was downright smitten with Autocross!

Chad Ryker in the TCI '71 Camaro winner in Classic Muscle

Wes Drelleshak wins the truck class with an amazing time

Sunday's Celebrity Shootout Warm Up Laps at the track

Combining his passion for giving with his passion for motorsports, Sheely and the Racing Byrds created an event like none other. In the end, the Inaugural Sheely Collection AutoX & Celebrity Shootout raised almost $25,000. Our (Santa) hat’s off to Pat Sheely, Eric Sheely, and Wes Drelleshak along with Rob and Trish Byrd of the Racing Byrds and every one of the 48 participants for making this event so successful.