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JB's Power Centre Canadian Diesel Nationals at Castrol Raceway Near Edmonton Canada

Aug 23, 2011

The Dodge Ram was a very popular race vehicle at the event.

Early on a beautiful Saturday, competitors and spectators adjourned at Castrol Raceway on the outskirts of Edmonton Canada for the for some good old fashioned diesel drag racing. Plenty of bug repellant, refreshments, and good spirits were the only defense from the swarms of mosquitos. The event kicked off with the Canadian anthem and plumes of black smoke bellowing out of the massive diesel exhaust pipes. AEM happened to be a proud vendor with the privilege to enjoy such a great event. For those who have not experienced a Diesel Drag race, a strong recommendation goes out for you to attend one of these events.

Between the rounds an organized burnout competition began with a select few contenders.

A Top Diesel drag truck may not be as loud as a Super Comp dragster, but can certainly click off a high eight second pass. It is quite interesting watching a diesel truck that weighs around 7,000 pounds wind up the turbo and let it rip. It's a scene like something in a magic show. Before each run, black smoke surrounds the starting line and before you know it, two behemoth one ton diesel trucks cross the finish line at over 120 miles per hour.

Between the rounds an organized burnout competition began with a select few contenders. The first truck to light the tires emitted a great plume of pink smoke. As surprising as pink smoke would seem, the Amsoil judges did not seem too impressed. The second contestant came to the line and won the judges over scoring a perfect 30 in an old beat up 70's Dodge Ram with steel wheels and a set of used tires on the rear.

There is no lack of diesel engine and tire smoke at these events especially when the "Smokin' Gun" is around.

There is no lack of diesel engine and tire smoke at these events especially when the "Smokin' Gun" is around. This old school Kenworth consistently lays down 60 foot burnouts before every run. The 3000 plus horsepower monster turns out 12 second passes with the help of twin turbo chargers, a super charger, and a wild shot of nitrous. This truck is nothing spectacular considering it can devour most vehicles on the street today.

Throughout the day a truck show took place in the pits. We found a few attendees with AEM intakes under the hood. They had nothing but the best to say about the product especially the increased power they felt after installation. The dry flow air filter media happens to be a great fit for turbo diesel applications.

The next event in the Pacific North West will take place at Portland International Raceway on August 20th and should definitely be on your list of attractions to see if you happen to be in the area.

To find all AEM products for your vehicle, use the AEM application search function and the Where to Buy function on AEMIntakes.com to find an AEM dealer near you.

AEM's Chris Forsberg and the NOS Energy Nissan 370z Took 2nd at Formula DRIFT Round 5

Aug 2, 2011

2011 Formula DRIFT season with AEM sponsored Chris Forsberg

Fans flocked to historic Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington, and were treated to some of the most exciting drifting of the 2011 Formula DRIFT season to date. The skies were clear and the pavement was dry, contrary to Washington's typical weather, and that provided the perfect catalyst for packed grandstands and awesome racing.

"So, I have a tough time calling 4th place a curse, but so far this season, we have had two 4th place finishes, one 5th, and one 6th, which had us in 4th place overall, so to me, it almost felt that way," said team driver Chris Forsberg. "Either way, the 'curse' is no more! This weekend we took our NOS Energy Drink Nissan 370z to a 2nd place finish which pushed us up to 3rd place in the overall championship race!" This season-best finish didn't come easy for Chris or the rest of the NOS Energy Drink Nissan team.

Chris Forsberg and the NOS Energy Drink Nissan 370z

Chris Forsberg commented, "Every event usually kicks off with a practice session on Thursday, but there was a down-pour of rain early in the day so practice was canceled. Even though Formula DRIFT decided to re-open the session for an hour or so, the track was still very wet. Having a new car this year, Thursday practice is important for us to work on the set-up, but because the rest of the weekend was forecasted to be sunny and warm, running on a wet track would be no good to us. So, we would have to wait until Friday."

"When we hit the track Friday for practice, our differential broke on only our 2nd full throttle run," said Forsberg. "We already had limited time to practice, but now with this happening, I could only hope to get in a couple passes before qualifying. Kevin and Sergio did an amazing job as they rushed to get the car fixed and back on track before the session was over. I pulled back up to the line with 5 minutes remaining, plenty of time to get in a pass or two but just as I pulled up, Formula DRIFT had to end our practice session because another competitor had crashed hard and had to be towed off track."

AEM sponsored Chris Forsberg

Even with all this early adversity, Chris pushed his VK56 powered Nissan 370z to a 15th place qualifying position. Chris was placed against potential Rookie of the Year Otto Graven in the Top 32, and their battle was so close that the judges called for a "One-More-Time" battle, which Chris won with a hard push through the technical course. Sweet 16 saw Chris Forsberg paired against Dennis "Greekdrifter" Mertzanis, a very talented privateer drifter. Their runs were very closely matched, but Dennis made a critical error coming off the bank, giving Forsberg the win.

The Great 8 placed Chris Forsberg in a battle he had not seen in two years, driving against fellow Drift Alliance member Ryan Tuerck. "I was really looking forward to it. On our first run, I chased Ryan around the bank and into the infield but as we flipped into the last corner, he spun out right in front of me," Forsberg commented. "It was very unlike him to do that and I couldn't believe that it happened! Our lead run was nice and smooth so the judges advanced us into the semi-finals!"

NOS Energy Drink Nissan 350z

Forsberg was pitted against fellow Hankook tire teammate Rhys Millen in the Final 4. Rhys Millen had been on point all weekend, but a small mistake in catching his bumper on the wall caused him to straighten out momentarily, and ended up being the reason for Forsberg making it to the finals against veteran driver Daijiro Yoshihara.

"He (Yoshihara) was obviously having a great day, but I knew we could beat him. I also knew that I could chase Dai harder than anyone else, so I stood on the gas and stayed locked in with his car all the way through the bank, while beating him with more angle at the same time," said Forsberg. A fluke mistake led to Forsberg ultimately losing the battle against Yoshihara. "As I punched the shifter forward, my hand slipped over the top of it and flew right into the ignition switch! I couldn't believe it... I just shut the car off in the middle of our run!"

The NOS team's 2nd place finish was bittersweet, as they had 1st place within their reach." Chris and the rest of the AEM sponsored NOS Energy Drink Nissan 370z team are currently sitting in 3rd place in the chase for the 2011 Formula DRIFT championship with only two stops remaining. Drift fans won't want to miss the high speed smoky action as Formula DRIFT makes its way to Las Vegas for some After Dark drifting, August 26th and 27th, or when every driver goes all in at the Title Fight at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, California, October 7th and 8th!

To find all AEM products for your vehicle, use the AEM application search function and the Where to Buy function on AEMIntakes.com to find an AEM dealer near you.

Fredric Aasbo and AEM Sponsored Papadakis Racing Take 3rd at Formula DRIFT Rd. 5

Jul 29, 2011

Fredric Aasbo throwing massive angle, leading driver Otto Graven.

Formula DRIFT made a smoky return to historic Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington, for Round 5 - Throwdown. Fans packed the grand stands and it was standing room only for the race weekend. Fredric Aasbo and AEM sponsored Papadakis Racing had their best event of the season, getting their turbocharged Need for Speed Scion tC to the podium with an impressive 3rd place finish. "It was definitely the biggest day ever for myself," said Aasbo. "This -- Formula DRIFT -- is where the sport is at, and to finally be able to get up there on the podium with my team is just unreal." The 2010 Rookie of the Year has paired with Papadakis Racing squad in 2011 for his first full season of Formula DRIFT competition and credits the team's excellent Scion tC, Hankook tires, and coaching for getting him to the podium.

Fredric Aasbo flying the Norwegian flag while pressuring Ross Petty in their Top 32 battle.

Aasbo qualified in 8th position and barely made it past the Top 32 despite spinning out, after his opponent, Ross Petty, was deemed off course. Aasbo and the team had another nail-biting and exciting round in the Great 8 against top qualifier Tyler McQuarrie as their battle went through two "One-More-Time" battles, totaling 6 lead runs and 6 follow runs in one round, before Aasbo and his team advanced. Needless to say, Papadakis Racing team members Shawn and Aldo were quite busy changing tires over the weekend. Aasbo went on to defeat 2005 Formula DRIFT Champion Rhys Millen and took a career-best 3rd place podium finish.

Aasbo (right side) took 3rd place over the weekend - his best finish in Formula DRIFT this season.

"We started this year with a fresh combination of car and driver, and we are definitely starting to realize our potential," said team owner Stephan Papadakis. "A big thanks to Scion, Hankook, Need for Speed, and all of our partners for supporting us through this transition; I know this is just the first of many podiums for Fredric in Formula DRIFT." And the podium finish came at a poignant time for Aasbo, a Norwegian who has recently returned to the United States from a stay at home.

Team Need for Speed Scion Papadakis Racing celebrating their 3rd place finish.

The event opened with a moment of silence in recognition of Friday's deadly attacks in Norway, and Aasbo said his country was never far from his mind. "It was amazing to be able to put up such a good performance for Norway - especially in such trying times," he said.

Aasbo and the Need for Speed Scion Papadakis Racing crew are currently sitting in 11th place in the championship race and they seem to have gotten their car and team dialed in perfectly. With only two stops left in the 2011 Formula DRIFT season, a trophy finish isn't out of the question if the team continues to have near flawless weekends like this one. Drift fans won't want to miss the exciting conclusion to the 2011 Formula DRIFT season as FD slides into Las Vegas on August 26th, and 27th, for some After Dark drifting, or when every driver leaves it all on the track at the Title Fight at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, California, October 7th and 8th!

To find all AEM products for your vehicle, use the AEM application search function and the Where to Buy function on AEMIntakes.com to find an AEM dealer near you.

AEM's Carl Renezeder Leaves Utah's Miller Motorsport Park with Double Points Lead

Jul 7, 2011

If racing were an exact science you can bet by now someone would have formulated a fizzy concoction for guaranteed victories. But that's precisely what makes racing so hugely compelling- fate is incorrigible, and completely out of our control. Sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield.

Renezeder sits very near the top of the winningest off-road racers of all time with 96 career short course wins.

There is however one aspect of racing that has indeed been deciphered and controlled to a very certain degree - consistency - and an extremely short list of racers have steadiness down to a science any better than Carl Renezeder.

Although AEM sponsored Team Renezeder's weekend of racing at Miller Motorsport Park wasn't perfect, they still took home some new hardware and the points lead in both the Pro-2 and Pro-4 divisions of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS). Round eight on Sunday afternoon kicked off the start of the second half of the 15-race schedule, and for the team, that marked the proverbial line in the dirt to a fresh start on the season.

"We've basically held our ground up to this point in the season," explained Renezeder, "We've been working really hard on our homework, and it's great to see it pay off. We had some great moments in Utah, but we still have plenty of room to improve on these trucks."

The great moments included his 96th career win on Sunday afternoon, and a second-place finish on Saturday in his Lucas Oil/General Tire Pro-4, as well as moving from second to first in the points. Renezeder currently leads the Pro-4 division by 18 points and has finished on the podium in all but one race thus far, when he finished fourth.

In the Pro-2 division, Renezeder was able to salvage a fourth-place finish in Saturday's contest after losing his rear brakes early in the race. Sunday however, was a huge disappointment, as Renezeder's truck was hit by another competitor while he was airborne, which sent him into the track barrier, breaking several parts on the front left corner of the truck. The damage forced him to retire from the race and resulted in an eleventh-place finish. It was also a huge hit in the points, narrowing his lead to only three.

You mention that heading for your home track (Glen Helen) won't change your game plan- what is your game plan?

"We've made a ton of changes to these trucks since the last race of 2010, and we're continuing to fine tune all the new combinations. I wish I could give you some specifics, but the nature of this business requires us to keep much of the technical info to ourselves. However, we're learning more and more, and that it's always one change that makes a difference. It's about making the combination of our entire program work together - finding the sweet spot. The tracks are all so different these days from soil to technical aspects, to length, so we find that the perfect set-up on each truck is different for each facility. Our game plan at Glen Helen is to roll the trucks out of the haulers as close to perfect as we can (that's going to take a lot of homework over the next few weeks), then use practice and qualifying to find that sweet spot. It's game on after that!"

After 12 years of professional racing are there things that come easier for you now, or some that have become tougher, when it comes to leading and winning championships?

"All I know is that if it were easy, we probably would do it. I guess in some respects I've learned how to handle the mental part of this game a lot better as the years go by, but nothing about short course is easy, and nothing about competing at the top of our game has gotten easier over the years. The tougher it gets, the more we love it."

What do you feel will be your biggest challenge going into Glen Helen?

"The biggest challenge going into Glen Helen will be staying out of trouble. If we can avoid all the wrecks, then we have a chance to win every time. As we enter the second half of the season, we have to be careful of the guys that will try to make up four races worth of points in one corner. Let's hope we have the same success we did in May!"

Is there additional pressure on you with this being your home track?

"There are definitely more commitments related to racing at our home track, but no additional pressure. Whether we're six or 6,000 miles from home, once the engines fire and the belts are tight, we're ready to race and we're focused on winning."

"Our uncompromising dedication to this sport is directly related to the uncompromising dedication of our fans and our sponsors - the folks at Lucas Oil, General Tire, AEM, Team Associated, KMC, King Shocks- all of them have high expectations for us each time we hit the dirt. We're focused on never letting them down."

Team Renezeder is already back to work looking to make their trucks even faster and more reliable for their return to Glen Helen the weekend of August 5-7. "Hot August nights, indeed," adds Renezeder. "Stay tuned!"

To find all AEM products for your vehicle, use the AEM application search function and the Where to Buy function on AEMIntakes.com to find an AEM dealer near you.

AEM Cold Air Intake for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Ford Mustang GT 5.0L V8 with Manual Transmission

Jun 29, 2011

AEM 21-8122DC / 21-8122DP Applications:
2011-2014 Ford Mustang GT 5.0L V8 - Manual Trans.