K&N Engineering, Inc. News
K&N air filters supported twelve-year-old Micro Sprint Car driver Jake Andreotti, hails from the Northern California region which happens to be a hotbed for dirt track racing. Jake began racing at just five years old after beginning his training a mere six months earlier. During a period of over six years racing Quarter Midget cars, Andreotti built up quite a race resume. He was able to accumulate five national titles, 20 club titles, regional titles and other series championships. Andreotti has broken track records across the United States and can even boast that he has raced internationally in Canada.
At the end of the 2013 Quarter Midget season Jake, and his father Jared, decided it was time to take Andreotti Racing to the next level. Jake gathered the skills he learned racing Quarter Midgets and carried it into Micro Sprint Car racing in 2014. After a successful first season racing his K&N filters equipped Micro Sprint Car in 2014, Jake Andreotti moved into the Super 600 class. The Super 600 class must adhere to certain guidelines; however engine modifications are basically unlimited. Jake and the Andreotti Racing crew spend much of their time racing at Delta Speedway in Stockton, California but on mother’s day weekend the family headed to Dixon Speedway to try their luck.
This was Jake’s first time at Dixon Speedway in Dixon, California and he was excited to test his skills on an unfamiliar track. Like a seasoned veteran, Jake sought out the Dixon Speedway regulars to get their input on how and where to drive the #7P K&N filters equipped Super 600 Micro Sprint Car on the 1/5th mile dirt Karting track. Jake used the three hot laps given before the race to familiarize himself with Dixon Speedway and determine which adjustments should be made to the number 7P car. After practice Andreotti brought the K&N powered Micro Sprint Car back into the pits to make adjustments and to contemplate how he could improve his race line. Despite Jake’s lack of familiarity with Dixon Speedway he managed to qualify third fastest with a best time of 11.432 seconds at 62.521 MPH.
During Andreotti’s 10-lap heat race the number 7P driver made it as high as second after a fourth place start. Unfortunately Jake lost a position on the final lap of his heat race, but still crossed the line with a very respectable third place finish. The top drivers from each heat were asked to participate in a trophy dash where Andreotti once again made it on the podium with a second place finish. Jake was having difficulties navigating turns 1 and 2 so the Andreotti Racing team adjusted the K&N equipped #7P Micro Sprint Car’s wing to improve the car’s handling. However, adjusting the wing to better suit turns 1 and 2 affected how the car drove through turns 3 & 4. Knowing that Jake was having the most difficulties in turns 1 and 2, the team decided to sacrifice the cars grip in turns 3 and 4 in order to improve elsewhere on the track.
Heading into the main event Jake Andreotti told his mother Jenni that he had his sights set on the checkered flag and that he was going to get his mom the win for mother’s day. Despite how bold this statement appeared, Jake Andreotti pulled off his first win in the Super 600 Micro Sprint Car class on an unfamiliar track just as he predicted. Jake and the Andreotti Racing team learned a lot from their night at Dixon Speedway and got a feel for how even the slightest adjustments to the car can change the driving experience. Jenni Andreotti said “Together with K&N Filters, Lucas Oil, Joe’s Racing Products, Hoosier Tires, Simpson, Buchanan Auto Electric, and Rago & Son we ALL got this win.”
K&N believes in supporting up and coming racers at the grassroots level. K&N is proud to sponsor Andreotti racing and the number 7P K&N Filters Micro Sprint Super 600 Car. Be sure to keep an eye on this young man as he has been described as “the next Kyle Larson” by those who have seen him race. Kyle Larson, who also got his start in the Northern California racing scene, was the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion and the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco rookie of the year.
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