Latest News

K&N-Supported Sloan Cox Wins Prestigious Ashley Forest Rallysprint In New Zealand

Cox believes there is more performance available from his EVO 8

Cox's and his well-developed EVO 8 hillclimber were up to the challenge of the 2017 Rallysprint

One of the longest-running events in New Zealand motorsport is the Ashley Forest Rallysprint. Now in its 30th year, the 2017 winner is K&N-supported driver Sloan Cox in his Mitsubishi EVO 8. Cox made history last year when he did what many considered to be impossible - broke Kim Austin’s 17-year-old course record of 56.57 seconds. The event is held near Loburn, New Zealand on a 1.7 km gravel loop.

Cox broke the record not once but three times at the 2016 event, with a fastest time of 55.23 seconds. Unfortunately, despite his record times in the heats, he suffered a mechanical failure on the last elimination run. However, during this year’s final two, Cox again faced Mike Summerfield, but this time Cox both broke his own record with a time of 54.96 seconds and won the event overall.

The official name of the event is the 2017 Motul Possum Bourne Ashley Forest Rallysprint, named after the late Peter “Possum” Bourne. Bourne earned his nickname as a teen when he drove his mother’s car into a ditch to avoid a possum on the road.

Bourne’s driving improved greatly and he won the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship three times, the Australian Rally Championship seven times consecutively, and was the first driver from that part of the world to earn a works drive in the WRC with Prodrive Subaru. Sadly Bourne lost his life in a road accident while planning the route for an upcoming rally in his native New Zealand in 2003.

Besides Bourne, who won the Ashley Forest Rallysprint three times, other winners include: Steve Millen, Rod Millen, John Woolf, and Hayden Paddon. The most recent three runnings have been won by Matt Summerfield, but the course record Cox broke last year went back to 1999. That previous record was set by Kim Austin in a V8-powered AWD Mitsubishi Starion who covered the course in 56.77 seconds.

Local driver Paddon returned to his home country to take a shot at winning the prestigious event

WRC Superstar Hayden Paddon navigates the hairpin, but his special Hyundai wouldn't finish the event

The heavy favorite going into this year’s event was local-boy-turned-WRC-factory-driver Hayden Paddon. A one-off 600 horsepower Hyundai i20 AP4++ was constructed for the Rallysprint to give him an extra edge, but a lack of testing became evident during the event. The Hyundai suffered engine issues that knocked Paddon out from the elimination rounds.

And how did Cox feel about Paddon dropping out so early? “I was disappointed that Hayden’s car never made the distance. I knew before the event that there was a good chance he would have problems as they built the car to a high power in a short period of time. We've learnt over the last two years that it takes time to get it right. But I really hoped we would be in the final together,” Cox responded.

We asked Cox what outcome he would have expected if he’d faced Paddon in the finals? “If Hayden had made it through all of the runs, the pace by the end of the day would’ve stepped up a level. We would have pushed each other even more as the day went on. I still believe Cox Motorsport would have won and kept our record. We didn’t take the car to its limit and it has a lot more left,” Cox responded.

And after losing last year in the finals after breaking the old record, this victory must be especially sweet. How does it feel? “It’s an amazing feeling to have won the event now and even better to hold the record and knowing Cox Motorsport is the fastest at the prestigious Ashley Forest Rallysprint. Breaking the 17-year-old record last year was an awesome feeling and to do it again this year making it even harder for others,” Cox added.

Cox is looking forward to next year, hoping to have a face-to-face run-off with Paddon

After setting a new record last year only to break in the final, Cox is victorious in 2017

And a little shout out from the winner to one of his supporters: "We have always run K&N filters in our race cars as they work so well and we know we can trust them to keep all of the mess out of the motor. Racing on gravel roads it's always very dusty and dirty so it’s important to have the best filter on the market that doesn't cause any lack of air flow. So running K&N filters isn't a hard choice."

Thanks Sloan and congratulations!

Cox Evo Photograph by Euan Cameron Photography

Group & Hayden Photographs by Geoff Ridder

clear

K&N PRODUCT SEARCH     WHERE TO BUY K&N

K&N Gives Sport Bike Riders Choice Between Street and Race-Spec Air Filters

American Superbike Champion Toni Elias shows the K&N race filter for the Suzuki GSX-R1000

American Superbike Champion Toni Elias shows off the K&N race filter for the Suzuki GSX-R1000

Modern sport bikes teeter right on the razor's edge between street legal daily riders and full-on race bikes. For many of the hottest sport bikes on the planet, K&N has you covered whether you ride on a closed course or on public roads. Later, we will take a look at the sport bike models for which K&N makes both types of filters. But first, let’s compare K&N’s street-oriented air filters and their race-spec, track-only brothers.

K&N Direct Replacement Sport Bike Filters

K&N has a nearly half-century legacy of producing the world’s finest washable, reusable filters that are direct replacements for restrictive stock air filters. While these filters allow a substantial increase in airflow, they require no engine management modifications for their performance benefit. They are also street legal in most states.

K&N direct replacement filters feature multiple layers of our legendary oiled, pleated, cotton gauze filter media for performance-enhancing airflow. The reduction in restriction that the filters provide is part of the K&N design goal of increased horsepower, torque, and throttle response.

K&N air filter for the Honda CBR1000RR - product view.

K&N offers street and race-specific filters for many sport bikes like this one for Honda's CBR1000RR

For K&N’s street-designed air filters, that power bump does not come at the expense of engine protection. The same filter media that provides more airflow also traps airborne dust and dirt extremely effectively. K&N’s product evaluation lab is utilized to test filtration efficiency on most filters, and that data is available on the product page of most applications.

K&N Race-Spec Sport Bike Filters

Track day, closed course, and racing bikes will benefit from the raw power that K&N’s race-spec air filters will provide. These filters are designed with two plies of filter media and fewer pleats than our standard K&N high flow air filters for the ultimate in airflow.

Unlike K&N’s direct replacement filters, our race-spec units will require remapping of the engine’s fuel management system. They work well with full-race exhaust systems and other high-performance modifications. Race-spec filters are not for street use.

These filters fit directly in the factory airbox and are fully washable and reusable for years of reliable service. Simply put, you will not find a better all-out performance filter for race and track applications – period.

Filter test data sheet for the K&N AL-1010 for the AL-1010

K&N street duty filters give excellent filtration. The Aprilia AL-1010 filter test is shown here

Applications

Look below for the numerous sport bike manufacturers and models that are candidates for both the standard K&N high-flow filter and the race-spec, track-only model. For specific model years and applications, use the K&N search by vehicle tool to search K&N's comprehensive online portfolio of filters.

Aprilia:

Aprilia is the perfect starting point for our look at bikes that can be fitted with either a K&N direct replacement or a race-spec air filter. In the relatively brief history of the company, Aprilia has taken 54 world championship titles and has won an impressive 294 Grand Prix races.

The Italian company’s sporting flagship, the RSV4, and the exciting Tuono are prime candidates for either of K&N’s purpose-built air filters. The standard K&N AL-1010 will keep the Aprilia models street legal while giving a substantial boost in power-producing airflow. The race-spec AL-1010R will give a race or track day Aprilia the potential for even more horsepower and torque.

BMW:

The Bavarian beast of a sport bike, the BMW S1000RR, has become a staple on the podium of World Superbike racing as well as a favorite of sport-oriented street riders. As such, street riders and racers both have a great choice of air filter for the bike.

K&N Kawasaki Ninja filter - product and box

K&N fiters for both street and track come pre-oiled and ready to install in your sport bike

If your BMW S1000RR is going to find its home on public streets, the BM-1010 is the logical choice. Race and track oriented S1000RRs will benefit from the added airflow of the K&N BM-1010R.

Honda:

The sport bike legacy of the venerable Honda marquee is legendary. From local club racing all the way up to MotoGP, Honda is a front-runner.

Honda’s middleweight speedster, the CBR600RR can be fitted with the HA-6007 for street use, or the HA-6007R for the track. Honda’s liter-sized 1000RR will benefit from the K&N HA-1008 for the street and the HA-1008R for the track.

Kawasaki:

Kawasaki and speed have become virtually synonymous over the decades. K&N makes both street and race-spec air filters for two bikes in the Kawasaki sport bike family. The ZX14R also has an application-specific K&N filter option.

ZX6R 600cc Ninja owners can choose the street model KA-6007 or the closed-course KA-6007R version. The applications for the 1000cc ZX10R Ninja are the KA-1011 for the street, and KA-1011R for the track. The big and bad ZX14R Ninja will use the street-biased KA-1406.

Suzuki:

K&N YA-6008 filter for the Yamaha YZF - product view

Every K&N sport bike filter is carefully engineered for a perfect fit in the factory air box

The K&N-sponsored Yoshimura Suzuki American Superbike team has proven that GSX-R is the class of paddock. K&N has developed both street and race options for a number of Suzuki sport bikes.

The Suzuki GSX-R600 and GSX-R750 can be fitted with the K&N SU-7511 for street duty, and the SU-7511R for race and track applications. Owners of the fire-breathing GSX-R1000 can choose the street-specific SU-1009 or the race-spec SU-1009R. Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa riders can choose the SU-1308 street filter or the SU-1308R race filter.

Yamaha:

The Yamaha YZF line is race tested, but fully at home on public streets. Like the other sport bikes we have discussed, the Yamaha is a candidate for both street and track-only K&N filtration.

The 600cc YZF R6 will use the YA-6008 on the street and the YA-6008R on the track. YZF R1 street pilots will use the K&N YA-1009 or YA-1015 and racers of the 1000cc sport bike can opt for the YA-1009R or YA-1015R depending on the model year.

clear

K&N PRODUCT SEARCH     WHERE TO BUY K&N

Add an Estimated 18 Horsepower to Your 2017 Ford F250 or F350 Super Duty with a K&N Air Intake

2017 Ford F250 Super Duty

The K&N air intake systen for 2017 F250 & F350 Super Duty adds power and increases response

The 2017 Ford F250 and F350 Super Duty fitted with the 6.2L V8 engine offer the most torque of any gasoline V8 in the full-size pickups segment over 8,500 lbs GVWR. This change for the 2017 model year was accomplished through revised tuning and modified camshafts. Torque is now increased to 430 lb-ft.

The 6.2L V8 was designed from the outset as a truck engine, so durability was key to the design. The engine features a deep-skirt cast iron block with cross-bolted main caps, two-valves per cylinder, SOHC aluminum heads with roller-rocker shafts, and two spark plugs per cylinder, as well as dual-equal variable cam timing. And while torque has been increased, horsepower is the same 385 HP as in previous years.

If you’re looking for a horsepower increase for your 2017 F250 or F350 Super Duty, look to K&N. The K&N 77-2588KTK air intake system adds 18.96 estimated horsepower at the wheels. That’s an instant increase in performance and throttle response.

Fresh air first enters a 7.5-inch tall RC-5179 K&N high-flow air filter positioned within a heat shield that installs into the space of the factory air box. The heat shield protects the cool incoming air from being affected by high underhood temperatures. The cooler the air is as it flows into the engine, the more power the engine can generate.

Much of the performance increase can be attributed to the oversized conical air filter manufactured from multiple layers of oiled cotton filter media. This filter media offers a greater surface area and thus less resistance than traditional filters.

K&N Air Intake Kit for Ford F-250 & F-350 Super Duty

The K&N air intake replaces the stock air box and includes a heat shield to keep intake temp down

Engine protection is provided by the cotton media, which filters out fine particles of dirt and dust that could damage your engine, to ensure a long engine life. Each design is verified through K&N’s in-house filtration testing lab, which adheres to ISO 5011 protocols, ensuring that K&N filters provide high airflow without risking engine protection.

Further, the K&N air intake tube significantly reduces restriction to incoming airflow over the stock item, as well as calms power-robbing turbulence. Air passes through an aerodynamically-verified black powdercoated mandrel-formed aluminum intake tube directly into the engine’s throttle body. The intake tube accommodates the factory mass air sensor, fuel pressure hose, and crankcase vent hose.

Best of all, the K&N 77-2588KTK can be installed in 90 minutes or less with simple hand tools like a ratchet set, a few screwdrivers, and a couple of wrenches. All tools required are listed in the clear, step-by-step photo-illustrated instructions specific to your car that come included in the package.

Replacement Air Filter for K&N 77-2588KTK Air Intake

The K&N conical air filter can go 100,000 miles between cleanings, depending on conditions

And once you’ve installed your K&N filter you’ve eliminated the need to buy another air filter for the life of your covered F250 or F350 Super Duty. Only a simple DIY service is required to maintain your K&N filter at peak performance.

At intervals of 100,000 miles (depending on your driving conditions) use the K&N recharger kit 99-5000 to quickly clean and refresh your K&N air filter, preparing it for another 100,000 miles of driving.

The K&N air filter you purchase is designed to last the lifetime of your vehicle, which K&N guarantees will perform for up to 10 years or 1,000,000 miles without requiring replacement.

The K&N 77-2588KTK is designed to fit the following vehicles:

2017 FORD F350 SUPER DUTY 6.2L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2017 FORD F250 SUPER DUTY 6.2L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models

clear

K&N PRODUCT SEARCH     WHERE TO BUY K&N

Harrison Burton Wins First NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Championship

Harrison Burton, K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR, Dover International Speedway

Harrison Burton wins his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship at Dover

Harrison Burton came into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season finale trailing in the championship standings. He came out of the race at Dover International Speedway in Delaware as the youngest champion in the history of the K&N Pro Series East.

Burton won the National Fallen Firefighters 125 presented by Carl Deputy & Sons Builders and erased an eight-point deficit to capture his first K&N Pro Series East championship.

“What an honor to win both the race and championship at Dover, it’s pretty freaking cool,” Burton said. “It’s what I dreamed to do as a kid, win races at tracks like this and win NASCAR championships. To come out and do that is pretty surreal. I’m pretty pumped up about it.”

Burton was eight points behind Todd Gilliland in the K&N Pro Series East standings before the race at Dover. Gilliland ran into trouble when he blew a tire on lap 56. He dropped out of contention and cleared the way for Burton to take the championship. Burton still had to finish the race and collect enough points to pass Gilliland for the K&N Pro Series East title.

Harrison Burton, K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR, Dover International Speedway

Harrison Burton is the youngest driver to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship

Burton passed Ruben Garcia Jr. with 16 laps to go to take the lead in the race. It was the first time in the race Burton was in the lead and he held it for the final 18 laps. The race ended under green-white-checker flag.

“This race kind of caps it all off for this team,” Burton said after the race. “A bunch of guys who never quit and I’m glad I fit into that system where people that put everything we got into what we’re doing. Now that it’s all come to fruition and we got to bring home two trophies, it’s a big relief and we’re going to go have fun now.”

Burton won his fifth race of the season. NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series driver Joey Logano was the youngest driver to win a K&N Pro Series East championship at 17 years, 3 months, 28 days in 2007. Burton ended up with 593 points, eight points ahead of Gilliland in the final K&N Pro Series East standings. Burton joined his dad, Jeff Burton, as a NASCAR race winner at Dover International Speedway. Jeff Burton won the Cup Series race at Dover in 2006.

Harrison Burton, K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR, Dover International Speedway

Harrison Burton won five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races including the season finale at Dover

Gilliland, who qualified fourth on the second row for the race at Dover, finished 13th in the 15-car field.

“This one is really disappointing,” said Gilliland who leads the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship standings with two races to go. “I felt like we had pretty good control of it going in here. We were just as fast as Burton in the race. Just having a tire go down like that is heartbreaking for sure. I’m really proud of everyone at Bill McAnally Racing. We’ve had the fastest cars here all year, just didn’t have the luck to go along with it.”

Garcia, who led a race-high 71 laps, dropped to 10th place. Chase Purdy won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the K&N Pro Series East despite a last-place finish in the race at Dover.

clear

K&N PRODUCT SEARCH     WHERE TO BUY K&N

K&N-Equipped Team BMW Wins British Touring Car Team and Manufacturers Championship

Turkington was just 6 points behind the series leader going into the last race

Rob Turkington was in the hunt for the Drivers' Title up to final race but was hit by a competitor

There’s a phrase commonly used around Britain that one should “take the long view,” meaning that you should think beyond the current situation. With one driver out injured and the other knocked out of the third race of the final weekend at Brands Hatch, things might look dim for Team BMW.

But not so, despite the aforementioned setbacks. The "long view" is that Team BMW won the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) Manufacturers title, and the Team title, along with Colin Turkington finishing second in Drivers’ standings, and the still-recovering Rob Collard, who sat out the final races, still finished fifth among drivers.

Colin Turkington had positive words for the entire Team BMW operation after the race: “It’s a great achievement by the whole team to win the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles today and everybody should be congratulated for the hard work they’ve put in over the season.”

WSR designs and constructs their BMW race cars in house

Rob Turkington drove from 15th to win in the second-to-last race of the year

Team BMW for the UK is operated by West Surrey Racing founded in 1981 to field promising young drivers in British Formula 3. They achieved immediate success in their first race by virtue of a win by future F1 driver Jonathan Palmer. Other WSR F3 drivers who graduated to Formula 1 include Mauricio Gugelmin, Mika Hakkinen, Rubens Barrichello, and most famously Ayrton Senna.

WSR left F3 at the end of the 1995 season as the most successful team in the history of the series, both in terms of race victories and titles. The decision was made to apply its tremendous capabilities to the British Touring Car Championship.

For 2007, the team switched to BMW, and today runs BMW 125i M Sport models that were designed, engineered, and constructed in the WSR shops (unlike many other series around the world where BMW provides the team with a turn-key race car). With 2017’s double-title success, WSR has now won an incredible six outright BTCC crowns in the past four years.

Now with BMW for 10 years, WSR started out as a Formula 3 team

The entire West Surrey Racing team joins in the celebration at Brands Hatch

Still not 100% after his massive shunt at Silverstone last month Rob Collard was nonetheless at Brands Hatch as a spectator to support the team: “It’s a real shame I wasn’t able to race this weekend, but I’m proud to have played my part in the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championship wins for the second year in a row. To finish fifth in the points even after missing the last five races shows how competitive we’ve been across the year.”

Team Principal Dick Bennetts summed up the season: “Every member of the team can be very proud of what we’ve achieved and we are also extremely thankful to our partners, technical suppliers, and sponsors, without whom none of this would have been possible.”

And as one of those technical suppliers, K&N is proud to have been part of this championship effort and congratulate Dick, Colin, Rob, and the entire WSR team for an excellent season. To quote WSR from its Twitter post: Let’s do it again in 2018.

clear

K&N PRODUCT SEARCH     WHERE TO BUY K&N