IndyCar® Series Green Flag Tour, Racer Stop at K&N Engineering
- Feb 24, 2005
and ABC Sports Personality Jack Arute
Make Stop in Riverside at K&N Filters Headquarters
as Part of IndyCar® Series Green Flag Tour
RIVERSIDE, CA (2/24/2005) - As part of a cross country tour in preparation for the start of the 2005 season, the IndyCar® Racing Series Green Flag Tour made a stop Thursday afternoon at the world headquarters for K&N Engineering. Located in Riverside, California, K&N manufactures air filters and intake kits for most vehicles and for the past few years has been the only filter used in the IndyCar® Racing Series. K&N was recently named The Official Air Filter Used by the IndyCar® Series.
"Every IndyCar® Series team relies on K&N Filters to keep dirt and debris from damaging the engines on these impressive racecars. With an engine that costs roughly $125,000 you want the protection of a great filter and K&N provides that … they were an obvious choice for a stop on our tour," noted John Stewart, IndyCar® Series Senior Director of Sales & Business Development.
A bright yellow Chevrolet SSR Pace Truck arrived with K&N CEO Steve Rogers and Chief Administrative Officer, Melody Van Aken at the wheel while a helicopter carrying IndyCar® Series driver, Dario Franchitti, his team owner, Michael Andretti and ABC Sports Announcer, Jack Arute landed across the street at Johnson Machinery. The group made a brief tour of K&N's 280,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility, and then took time to meet with K&N employees before departing to Los Angeles for the continuation of the Green Flag Tour.
"We were very excited to have the IndyCar® Series Green Flag Tour stop here at K&N. Our employees take great pride in the products we make here and this was an awesome opportunity for them to meet the people who race with K&N filters," commented K&N CEO Steve Rogers.
The IRL IndyCar® Series opens its 10th season of competition with the Toyota Indy 300 at 2 p.m. (EST) on March 6, 2005 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be televised live on ESPN and the IMS Radio Network. The 2005 Menards Infiniti Pro Series season also opens on March 6 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be televised by ESPN2 at 4 p.m. (EST) on March 17.
