E3 Spark Plugs News

After only nine and a half rounds of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX National Championship, Rockstar Energy/Makita Suzuki rookie rider Ryan Dungey clinched the 2010 crown. The 20-year old Minnesota native won the opening moto to claim his first 450cc championship at the Moto-X 338 track outside Southwick, Massachusetts, over the weekend. Dungey became the only motocross racer in history to win both the AMA Supercross title and the AMA outdoor national championship during his inaugural season. E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs salutes Ryan Dungey for his stellar performance throughout the Lucas Oil championship.

Rockstar/Makita Factory Suzuki team manager Roger DeCoster was very fast in the sand, so is his protégé the newly crowned 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro National Champion Ryan Dungey. (photo courtesy of Photobucket)

Geico Powersports Honda rider Brett Metcalfe took the lead in Moto One with fellow Aussie Ben Townley in second aboard his Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda. Both riders adapted well to the sandy hills of Southwick and showed they had the speed to win at Moto-X 338. But, a couple of laps into the first moto, Townley would clip the rear wheel of Metcalfe and go down. Townley recovered and was racing with Red Bull’s Andrew Short when the two Honda riders hooked handlebars sending both racers over the berm. Metcalfe was out front with a hard charging Dungey in second place.

As most E3 Spark Plugs Racing fans know, there are two things that are for certain when you race a track like Southwick Moto-X 338. First, it is going to get rough, very rough. Secondly, it is going to take more fuel to race 30 minutes on a hilly, sandy racetrack. Unfortunately, for Metcalfe, the pit crew for his Geico Powersports Honda did not remember part two. With less than a lap to go, Metcalfe’s Honda was out of gas and coasted to a stop. The Australian’s misfortune handed the lead and the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX 450cc National Championship to Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey.

In Moto Two, the loyal Southwick crowd lined the fences as Townley grabbed an early lead ahead of newly crowned class champion Dungey in second followed by Red Bull Honda veteran Kevin Windham, Jagermeister KTM rider Mike Alessi and 2009 Southwick winner Matt Goerke. With twenty minutes to go, Dungey began to stalk Townley watching for the New Zealand rider to make a mistake. Once Townley did, Dungey railed an outside sand berm and took the lead for good. Goerke would pass Alessi and Windham to take over the third spot with a couple of laps to go. Alessi’s 3-4 finishes would give the KTM ace second overall for the day ahead of Goerke, Kyle Chisholm and Kevin Windham.

The AMA 450cc Pro MX teams head to Steel City Raceway, located just outside of Pittsburgh in Delmont, Pennsylvania, for the penultimate round of the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship on Labor Day Weekend. After announcing his retirement from motocross earlier this summer, former factory Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha rider Tim Ferry has been asked to serve as the honorary Grand Marshall for the FMF Steel City National on September 4th. If you are looking for championship performance from your street or dirt bike, insist upon E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs for your motorcycle. Our patented DiamondFire Technology will deliver the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology that you need.

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Racing the GEICO AMA EnduroCross presented by E3 Spark Plugs is tough enough. Now, the toughest guys on wheels must face a new competitor with a strong track record and something to prove. Kerrie Swartz is the latest of just a handful of female riders with enough talent and gumption to make an EnduroCross attempt over the years, and will do just that this Saturday in the Amateur Open class at Guthrie OK’s Lazy E Arena. But the petite 33-year-old mom and ICU nurse ain’t no novelty rider. She’s also a US ISDE (International Six Days Enduro) team member set to rep the states in the 85th annual competition in Morelia, Mexico Nov. 1-6.

US ISDE and EnduroCross competitor Kerrie Swartz. Photo by Lauren Durbin Photography.

“As a female in a male dominated sport, it is even more prestigious due to the fact that we are given no special treatment and are required to ride the same course, follow the same time schedule, and perform our own maintenance just as the men,” Swartz said of her ISDE invitation in a letter to fans on her website. “Women are finally getting recognition as not only racers, but serious racers.”

The “serious” in Swartz’s racing no doubt will be in full-on mode at Saturday’s event.

“I think I’ll be alright, just try to ride clean,” Swartz told reporters. “My husband’s raced EnduroCross, so I’m familiar with it. I do a lot with log crossings and that, but that Matrix has me a bit worried. And the rocks in the corners – man, I wish I could just ‘Taddy Blazusiak’ that!”

Racing is, indeed, a family affair. Husband Allan and son Alex race as well.

“We eat, sleep and breathe dirt bikes,” says Swartz. “We’re all seriously addicted.”

“Given the rough and rugged nature of GEICO EnduroCross we don’t usually get women competitors. In fact, it’s quite rare,” adds Mike Karsting VP of Events for Source Interlink Media, which produces the GEICO AMA EnduroCross presented by E3 Spark Plugs. “However, when we do have a woman sign up she’s usually pretty darn good.”

We at E3 Spark Plugs give serious props to Swartz and all women who have what it takes to make their racing goals realities despite the gender barrier. We’re looking forward to seeing Swartz in action Saturday. For rules and race information, visit www. EnduroCross.com. For TV airing dates and times, visit www.motorsportshour.com. And to boost your own ride, make sure you get a set of E3 motorcycle spark plugs.

Here at E3 Spark Plugs, we’re passionate about providing spark plug products designed to help customers increase power, improve fuel efficiency, and reduce engine emissions that contribute to global warming. It was those three goals that first got us excited about developing something revolutionary. After years toiling away in our tiny independent laboratory, then working with some of the nation’s top experts in the fields of combustion and engine dynamics at two leading engineering universities, our patented DiamondFire technology emerged. Not only were testers and customers impressed, but our technology was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as one that offers “clear advantages in HC and CO emissions control while at the same time improving power and fuel economy.” I fact, the E3 spark plug is the only one to be included in EPA rulings and cited as a “supplemental emissions control device.”

E3 Spark Plugs are the only spark plugs recognized by the EPA as "supplemental emissions control devices."

But don’t take our word for it. A quick Internet search turned up these comments by happy E3 Spark Plugs customers – car owners and enthusiasts just like you:

From truckcampershells.blogspot.com
“I purchased these plugs to use in my 98 Saturn SL2. I just installed the plugs yesterday. The car seems to start up faster and has more pep when you hit the throttle. The old plugs that were removed were relatively new (5,000 miles on them) and in good condition so I don’t think the improvements were a matter of worn plugs being replaced with new plugs. Even so, those things are hard to measure and open to the power of suggestion. The real test will be the miles per gallon, which I will be evaluating and reporting on after driving for approx. one month. Stay tuned!!!

“Update:  It’s one month and 1,200 miles later and the numbers are in. First, some driving impressions. The car does run smoother and has more power. The car maintains 65 mph on the freeway with less effort than it used to take. Before, I could feel the engine ‘working’ to maintain 65 mph. Now it cruises at 65 and I need to keep an eye on the speedometer. Now the good stuff. My SL2 averaged 25.75 mpg versus 23.02 mpg for the month prior to installing the E3 spark plugs. I have to admit that because of the increased performance, my foot has been heavier on the gas pedal than normal so the mileage could possibly have been even a little better. All in all, I would say these spark plugs are a worthwhile purchase that will eventually pay for themselves.”

From Jared L.’s HubPages.com page
“The E3 Spark Plugs saved me. My wallet at least. The day that I installed the E3 Spark Plugs, I immediately felt an instant performance increase. My big fat car started to run smoother, a quieter idle and the throttle response become quicker on the foot. No more delay in response! I have gone through about one month of trying out the E3 spark plugs. With about 5 tank changes, my mileage is reflected as 25 MPG (11km/litre). This is a huge savings for me! I am saving about US$50+ dollars per top up. This is a life saver for me.”

From online purchaser T. Swensen
“I noticed a difference right away after installing these plugs in my truck. The plugs I took out had only 5000 miles on them so they were not worn. After installing the E3’s I noticed the idle smoothed out and the truck is running better. Gas mileage has went up 1 mpg. Well worth the price.”

From another online purchaser
“These Spark Plugs really work! They are delivering excellent gas mileage in hot or cold weather. Starting is better as well. I have gone ahead and purchased these plugs for my 4-cycle lawn mower engine, 4-cycle snow blower engine, 2-cycle string trimmer engine, with excellent results in all. Highly recommended! They are made out of conventional materials and yet last forever. They are much cheaper than the Iridium or Platinum types. Check out their web-site and other reviews. You don’t even have to worry about gapping these plugs ever. Two thumbs up.”

From E3 Spark Plugs blog reader Richard Delaney
My son and I have just upgraded from the conventional EKG plug in our competition Trials motorcycles, to the E3.38 plug. The bikes start easier and run smoother on the bottom end of the power range, which is exactly what we need for Trials competition. The E3 spark plug is even less expensive than the NGK! Thanks, E3!

Car spark plug designs have come a long way over the past 150 years since Belgian engineer Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir used a Ruhmkorff induction coil to jump the spark that ignited distilled coal gas in his Lenoir 2-Stroke engine. In those earliest days of automotive development, a wealthy Frenchman could expect to get 10 kilometers or more before the disruptive discharge system needed routine maintenance. Today, a standing joke among auto mechanics is that you need to change your car’s spark plugs when you have your muffler bearings greased . . . meaning never. However, all jokes aside, there are a number of reasons to have your car spark plugs checked more often than every 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Although most cars and trucks use a 12-volt DC battery as an initial source of energy, the ignition system’s coil increases the low voltage input to a high voltage discharge by one to two thousand times. This high energy flow of electrical current sparks across the gap between the plug’s central and ground electrodes. The increase in the temperature of the compressed gas/air mixture results in a small explosion in each combustion chamber for every firing cycle of the engine. So, the actual road mileage for any spark plugs lifecycle is based on numerous variables such as the weather conditions, how the engine is used, the additives in the fuel, etc. In other words, it’s probably a good idea to check your car or truck spark plugs more often than every 100K miles.

Since most of today’s automotive engines use electronic ignition systems, the modern day tune-up is basically limited to changing the car spark plugs and replacing the motor’s air filter, or servicing the P.C.V. (positive crankcase ventilation) valve. Most experienced auto mechanics recommend that these items be inspected every 30,000 miles. Anytime that you notice a loss of engine power or reduction in fuel mileage, then an unscheduled tune-up should be considered to prevent more permanent damage to your motor. When your engine is misfiring or not running properly, excessive heat can leave the plugs worn or galling of the plug’s threads can occur in the motor’s cylinder head. This could potentially cost the owner much more in repair charges than the costs of routine engine maintenance.

E3 car spark plugs come with a 5-Year or 100,000 Mile Warranty from the date of purchase, as long as your vehicle is used for personal or family purposes. Our goal is to always provide you a positive driving experience with more power on less fuel, quicker starts and less fouling than our competitor’s standard spark plugs. This way, your car or truck spark plugs are guaranteed to be free of defects in material or workmanship and you’ll have a good reason to service vital engine components in a timely manner. For additional information about E3’s patented DiamondFire Technology or Combustion Cycle Analysis, visit any of our E3 portal websites for car spark plugs, truck spark plugs, motorcycle spark plugs, snowmobile spark plugs or lawn & garden plugs.

Auto and history buffs know that the spark plug dates back at least as far as Edmond Berger’s never-patented, experimental design of 1839. But how about a 500,000-year-old spark plug? That’s how some explain the “Coso Artifact.” Found in 1961 by three rock hunters searching for geodes (rocks with hollow interiors studded with mineral crystals such as amethyst) in California’s Coso Mountains, the find has baffled geologists for decades – Is it the world’s oldest spark plug or just an unexplained geological happenstance?

X-ray image of the Coso Artifact

The Coso Artifact looked much like the fossil shell-encrusted geodes that the rock hunting trio often sought for their gem store. It wasn’t until one of the three, Mike Mikesell, took a diamond saw to the rock that something proved amiss. The rock split open, but instead of crystallized mineral, it revealed what looked like a porcelain cylinder surrounding a shiny metal rod. Also encased in the rock’s layers were what appeared to be a washer and a nail. Closer examination revealed that the porcelain was surrounded by a hexagonal casing, and an x-ray showed a tiny spring at one end.

In 1969, Ronald Willis of the International Fortean Organization, a nonprofit organization that promotes and facilitates research into unexplained phenomena, suggested that the threaded, corroded metal object might be an aged spark plug. The find might not be so curious save for one detail: According to geologists, the object’s rock encasement, assuming it was a bonafide geode, would have taken nearly half a million years to form. Even Berger’s very first spark plug would have been little more than a century old at the time. Willis’ report caught the attention of creationist organizations, since such a find might well force a revision of known history – at least the history of spark plugs – should the rock prove to, in fact, be a geode.

Three decades after the find, multiple organizations reopened investigations into the Coso Artifact. During the late 1990s, a researcher with the Spark Plug Collectors of America declared the object a 1920s-era Champion spark plug. So, how could a 40-year-old spark plug get inside a half-million-year-old rock? Skeptics say that the rock may not be a genuine geode but a much more recently formed rock. And even if it is a geode, it might have been covered in mud and clay sometime between the 1910s and 1930s, picked up a few hitchhikers as it rolled along and finally hardened in the California sun, baking the spark plug, nail and washer into its outer, much younger layer.

Unfortunately, we may never know for sure whether the Coso Artifact is in fact the world’s oldest spark plug and proof of ancient technology much more advanced than previously thought, or a simple geologic collision of the old and not-so-old. Attempts over the past few years to reach the Coso Artifact’s owner and its original finders have failed and no one else knows where the artifact is today. In any case, we at E3 Spark Plugs bet you’ll never look at a spark plug the same way again.