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Chris Eggleston is second in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings after four races

Eggleston said he wasn’t sure if he was returning to his Bill McAnally Racing team for 2017. He didn’t have a deal until the middle of February. The first race of the season was on March 18 at Tucson Speedway in Arizona.

Eggleston had success in the K&N Pro Series West. He won the championship in 2015 in one of the tightest races in recent memory. He won by seven points over Noah Gragson after winning two races early in the season.

Eggleston and McAnally made the right decision to team up again in 2017. Eggleston won the K&N Pro Series West season opener in Tucson and put himself in contention for another series championship after the first four races.

Chris Eggleston won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship in 2015

The road back to contention was bumpy. Even with wins at the Orange Show Speedway in California and Colorado National Speedway, he was not much of a factor in the championship in 2016. Winning at Tucson to open the 2017 K&N Pro Series West season did wonders for Eggleston’s confidence.

“It’s a little shot in the arm obviously,” Eggleston said. “Going into the offseason you want to get a win or two going into the season. To get the first one out of the way for the first one is huge for us. Hopefully we can start clicking them off, make sure we get good, solid points day and keep going.”

He followed his win in Tucson with a pair of runner-up finishes at Irwindale Speedway. After four races, Eggleston is in second place in the K&N Pro Series West standings, 13 points behind teammate Todd Gilliland.

Chris Eggleston won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener at Tucson Speedway

Gilliland won three races in a row, both Irwindale Speedway races and at Kern County Raceway Park in California.

The next K&N Pro Series West race is at Spokane County Raceway in Washington.

#24 Elias and #95 Hayden battled for supremacy all weekend long at COTA

Elias may have stolen the show at COTA, but Roger Hayden proved that he is game for a season-long battle with his Spanish teammate. Hayden pressed Elias in both Superbike races and secured a solid second in the MotoAmerica standings.

Before the first race at COTA, both Yosimura Suzuki riders were excited to see how the new GSX-R1000 would perform in full race conditions.

“It will be interesting to see how the GSX-R does on a long race weekend,” Hayden said. "We really don’t have that many laps on the new bike, but Suzuki has given us a great platform, so we will see.”

Elias (left) and Hayden will surely share the podium throughout the 2017 season

Race 1

The first race was an epic battle between Hayden and Elias from start to finish. The matched pair of Yoshimura GSX-R Superbikes were clearly the class of the field all race long.

Hayden stalked Elias for more than a dozen laps looking for any opening that his teammate would give him. On the final lap, Hayden made an exciting pass at the end of the back straight. However, the speed Hayden carried into the turn proved to be too hot. When Hayden went wide, Elias dove back under his teammate and held on for the win.

Rounding out the podium behind Elias and Hayden was Bobby Fong on his Kawasaki. Fong tried desperately to stick with the Yoshimura riders, but faded late in the race.

COTA in Austin has emerged as a favorite track for Toni Elias

The final race of the exciting weekend at MotoAmerica/MotoGP at COTA served as a fittingly dramatic curtain call. An impressive number of fans remained after the MotoGP race to see the MotoAmerica Superbike finale.

Again, Elias and Hayden put on a fantastic show on their new GSX-R1000 machines. Just like in race 1, Hayden found himself stuck to Elias’ rear wheel for most of the race looking for an opening for a pass. It often looked like Hayden may just steal the race.

However, last year’s champion Cameron Beaubier added to the drama on his factory Yamaha. Late in the race, Beaubier made a fast and desperate charge on the Yoshimura riders, but the veteran Elias was surgical in his defense of the lead.

In the end, Elias stayed perfect at COTA with another impressive win. Beaubier held on for second, and Hayden had to settle for third. The COTA weekend was a huge success for Yoshimura Suzuki and the 2017 GSX-R1000.

Hayden (left) and Elias interact with race fans in the MotoAmerica paddock

Hayden was equally impressed with how the team performed on the new Suzuki.

“We had an awesome weekend here at COTA,” Hayden said. “We got a lot of points with a second and third. The new GSX-R was working great all weekend. I came up a little bit short, but I’m really excited about the team, how hard they’re working and where we are with the new bike. I’m looking forward to Atlanta already.”

Jason coming out of a turn at the Devil's Bowl (Photo Credit: Serena Dallamer)

Now 40 years old and a resident of Rocky Mount, Missouri, he has raced in a variety of divisions including stock cars, mini sprints, outlaw winged modifieds, 360 sprint cars and 410 sprint cars.

He started racing stock cars in 1994 and jumped to sprint cars where he raced as a pro starting in 2000. He has competed in a number of top series including the All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC), American Sprint Car Series (ASCS), World Series of Sprintcars (WSS), Pennsylvania Posse (PA Posse), and the National Championship Racing Association (NCRA). He has been racing fulltime in the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series since 2015.

He started racing with his dad and uncle’s team when he turned 15 and he started his own racing team with his wife Bobbi in 2010 after racing for other owners.

He has chalked up more than 250 wins including:

• 8 World of Outlaws

• 27 World Series Sprint Cars

• 9 All Stars Circuit of Champions

• 78 American Sprint Car Series Nationals

• 55 American Sprint Car Series Regionals

• 14 National Championship Racing Association

• 2 Sprint Car Owners of Arizona

• 1 National Racing Alliance

• 2 Interstate Racing Association

• 3 United Sprint Car Series

• 8 Cajun Sprint Car Association

• 1 Texas Super Sprinters

• 5 Winged Outlaw Warriors

• 1 United Racing Club

• 15 Open 410 Competitions

• 4 Open 372 Competitions

• 17 Open 360 Competitions

The greatest win of his career was the 2016 Knoxville Nationals.

“It’s the pinnacle of the sport,” said Johnson. “It’s like the Daytona 500 of NASCAR or the Indianapolis 500 in Indy racing.”

Other major races he’s won include:

• 2017 DIRTcar Nationals

• 2017 Texas Outlaw Nationals (Night #1)

• 2016 World Finals at the dirt track in Charlotte, North Carolina

• 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014 ASCS Driver Championships

• 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014 ASCS Owner Championships

He was also recognized as the 2015 World of Outlaws’ Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year.

While he raced 360 sprints cars in the early portion of his career, Johnson is now concentrating exclusively on the World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series racing a 410. He is competing in all the scheduled events of the series this year. It is a fulltime job.

Jason celebrates his win in the Devil's Bowl at the Texas Outlaw Nationals

“I travel from coast to coast four times a year,” he noted.

He is the only driver on the team, which also includes Philip Dietz, the Crew Chief, Jeff Bingaman, the Car Chief, and Jakob Weaver, who is the Tire Specialist. His wife Bobbi manages merchandise sales and distribution and their son Jaxx is the team’s biggest cheerleader.

Between January 1 and May 1, 2017, Johnson has competed in 26 races in such locations as Canada, Australia, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, Nevada, California, Arizona, Missouri, and Indiana.

Between May 1 and November 4, he will compete in 72 contests in locations including Arkansas, Kansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, South Dakota, Canada, Michigan, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, and North Carolina.

Between January 1 and April 22 he has had five podium finishes in the A Main events.

• Jan. 7 Murray Bridge Speedway World Series Sprintcars 3rd

• Feb. 17 Volusia Speedway Park WoO 46th DiRTcar Nationals 1st

• Feb. 19 Volusia Speedway Park WoO 46th DiRTcar Nationals 2nd

• March 3 LoneStar Speedway WoO East TX. Lonestar Shootout 2nd

• March 15 Devil’s Bowl Speedway WoO Texas Outlaw Nationals 1st

During that period he achieved 18 podium finishes for heat races.

Racers who finish in the top 24 positions in each event receive a cash reward. Johnson finished 24th or better in every race.

K&N Engineering is a major sponsor or partner of Jason Johnson Racing.

“K&N has been a partner since 2010,” said Johnson. “We’ve always been a believer in K&N products. Working with the K&N team has given us the opportunity to showcase, display and promote their products across the United States. The products have performed great in all the different track conditions we have run in coast to coast. They build a superior product that keeps our engines running strong night in and night out. K&N is a big reason for our success. In all the years we have been running with K&N we haven’t had any engine failures. That’s huge and shows how much we can rely in their products.”

The racing team uses boxed air filters and oil filters.

Other companies that have partnered with Jason Johnson Racing include:

• Priority Aviation Services

• Mesilla Valley Transportation

• Fischer Body Shop

• Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution

• Saich Family

• CCC

• Maxim Chassis

• Pro Powder Coating

• Jonestown KOA

• Valvoline

• Waco Metal

• FK Rod Ends

• Weld Racing

• Shell Shock Designs

• Brown & Miller Racing Solutions

• MSD Performance

• Schoenfeld Headers

• Bell Helmets

• Crow Enterprises

• ISC Racers Tape

• KSE Racing Products

• Wilwood Brakes

• Race Die Cast

• Kenny’s Components

• Winters Performance Products

In just his fifth race in a car, Dylan Murry finished sixth in his first K&N Pro Series event

Beyond just the shape of the track, there are even more challenges for the driver. The two straights are virtually flat and the turns are banked at only five degrees. In addition, the turns have been freshly repaved while the straights are covered in decades-old asphalt. So just as the driver starts to transition to power, the grip of the track surface changes greatly.

This background is provided so that you can better appreciate the feat of this young teenager from Georgia, who raced in his very first K&N Pro Series East race at Greenville Pickens Speedway this month, in only his fifth race in a car.

Sixteen-year-old Dylan Murry is like many young drivers who come out of a racing family. His father David was a championship road racer and now operates a track day and coaching business. Dylan caught the racing bug not from his dad’s insistence or encouragement, but from watching kart races and pressuring dad to allow him to start racing. “I wanted to make sure it was his passion and not mine,” dad, David, added emphatically.

Dylan enters a newly paved turn with the older asphalt straightway behind him

A quick aside: While Dylan’s racing has received some support from Tooth Life, Gliimpse, and The Gorsline Company, it's come mostly from his friends, fans, and other supporters through a GoFundMe campaign.

Will Dylan Murry be among the drivers to replace fan favorites who are retiring, like Dale Jr.?

The only experience he’d had of the South Carolina track was a few laps in a street car. If the layout wasn’t intimidating enough (based on a clay horse track carved out in 1940), it’s also the second oldest NASCAR track still operating and where the legends of Richard Petty and David Pearson have at least some of their roots.

In the first practice session, Dylan was not surprisingly near the bottom of the order – 18th out of 19 cars. In qualifying Dylan moved up to 16th. Not what he’d been hoping for, but the race would take over an hour and Dylan knew he could learn more about the car, the other drivers, and the track as the race wore on.

With each lap of the race, Dylan began to find his pace. He learned that you lost speed late braking into the turns as the cars are actually coasting at the apex, and that power has to be applied judiciously as you transfer off the fresh asphalt of the turn and onto to aged surface of the straights. “In the last 25 laps I felt I had a good handle on the track,” Dylan would comment after the race.

As a shout-out to those who supported him through GoFundMe Dylan carries the logo on the car

For his performance, Dylan was awarded the Sunoco Rookie of the Race, Coca-Cola Move of the Race, and the Brembo Brake Through Challenge. The only award he didn’t receive was a first place trophy.

Because of his impressive performance at Greenville Pickens, Brett Bodine, head of NASCAR's Driver Approval Committee, has given Dylan the green light to race at not only Watkins Glen, but all tracks in the series, including the three other fastest tracks: Bristol, Dover, and New Hampshire.

So make sure to look out for this young man in the K&N Pro Series East race at Watkins Glen, and perhaps a few other races this year, depending upon the support he receives through his GoFundMe campaign.

K&N Co-Founder Norm McDonald was active in virtually all aspects of motorcycle racing

Norm was recently named as an inductee into the prestigious Trailblazers Hall of Fame. The Trailblazers Motorcycle Club is an organization of motorcycle enthusiasts that dates back to 1936. One of the organization’s signature functions is the recognition of pioneers of the sport of motorcycling.

Norm’s backstory is deeply rooted in motorcycle racing, promotion, and innovation. He bought his first motorcycle at the age of 17, and the rest is motorcycling history. After serving his country in the Navy, Norm began raising a family with his wife Lucy and racing motorcycles.

Norm spent the mid 1950s working as a surveyor in southern California and racing motorcycles in every event he could. He was a mainstay on the starting grid at such motor parks as Ascot and Fontana, as well as churning up dust at the major desert races across the West. There was no aspect of motorcycle racing that was foreign to Norm as he competed in TT, drag, desert, and flat track.

(L to R) Bryson, Smith, Martin, Jump, Williams, McDonald, Mall, Wilson, and Mahan at K&N

In 1957, Norm met Ken Johnson and the pair of gear heads opened K&N Motorcycles in Loma Linda, California. That’s right, the “N” had met a kindred spirit, and the “K” completed that legendary company logo.

K&N Motorcycles, which started as primarily a service shop, blossomed in 1958 when Ken and Norm saw the promise in a then relatively unknown Japanese motorcycle brand. The visionaries became one of the first Yamaha dealers in the US. Throughout his early career, Norm owned a plethora of other franchises like BSA, Harley-Davidson®, Greeve’s, Hodaka, and many others.

Norm McDonald is the "N" in the iconic K&N logo (Photo: AMA)

K&N Engineering was born in 1965, when Ken and Norm started their innovative parts company by first producing a line of handlebars, fenders, and braces for those spindly 1960s forks. The next year, K&N air filters were born. Over the rest of the decade, K&N filters blossomed into the industry standard for performance and protection.

In 1971, Norm decided to leave the engineering company to Ken. He stuck with the dealership portion of the industry and opened other locations in Oklahoma and Kansas.

Now in his 80s, Norm has not slowed down a bit. The octogenarian started the Motorcyclists Against Cancer Rally with his wife, Lucy. The organization has raised over $300,000 for cancer research. He also runs an MSF-certified training school and also promotes the Oklahoma Gold Rush off-road racing event. Clearly, Norm is set on giving back to society and to the motorcycling lifestyle that he was integral in building.

(L to R) Dennis Mahan, Malcolm Smith, Jerry Mall, Norm McDonald, Gary Bryson, George Wilson

K&N congratulates Norm McDonald on his induction into the Trailblazers Hall of Fame. Norm is a true ambassador of the sport of motorcycling and K&N is proud to continue that heritage into the future.