Heath Frisby wins gold and makes history with the first ever front snowmobile flip at the 2012 Winter X Games. Photo by Mark Kohlman/ESPN.

E3 Spark Plugs sends big props to Colten Moore and Heath Frisby for their winning rides at the Winter X Games, which wrapped this weekend in Aspen, Colorado. Moore took the gold in the Snowmobile Freestyle event. And Frisby added a second Snowmobile Best Trick gold medal to his collection of seven Winter X Games medals.

Both wins were surprises. Many fans were shocked to see Moore make it into the finals, after a spectacular crash during the first heat of the elimination round. He let go of a double crab in midair and hit the ground, ducking his head and flipping onto his back in the nick of time. Chalk it up to the impressive aerial awareness he’s developed via exhaustive training over a foam pit and a decade of riding ATV quads.

Moore shored up his win with some serious FMX-styled tricks including a cordova backflip and a superflip Indian air. His skill and showmanship racked up a top score of 93.66, which he immediately celebrated by Tebowing in the snow.

“I knew I had to come out here and stomp the best run of my life, and that’s just what I did,” said a breathless Moore just after his winning run. “I’ve never rode so good in my life. I’m so pumped right now I can’t even breathe.”

Joe Parsons won the event’s silver medal and Moore’s brother, Caleb Moore, took home the bronze. Both Moore brothers are relatively new to snowmobiling, first taking up the sport only three years ago.

Heath Frisby delivered another big surprise, handily winning the gold and making sport history by pulling off the first ever frontflip on a snowmobile. He and his team tried to keep hush about his best trick competition plans, but word got out early in the afternoon. So, Frisby confirmed his plans – and worked up some serious fan hype – by posting a YouTube video of himself completing the trick over a foam pit in a practice run.

Frisby perfectly nailed the trick in his first of two runs. The feat proved impressive enough to beat Moore’s tsunami Indian flip and Parsons’ no-footed can-can backflip. Even more impressive than his history-making trick and top score is the fact that Frisby had the nerve to go for it just moments after seeing competitor and friend Justin Hoyer wipe out in a failed double backflip attempt and get carted off on a stretcher.

“Guys, it’s alright. I’ve been waiting a year to do this,” Frisby told concerned onlookers after seeing a video replay of Hoyer’s wicked crash. “I am my own deal. This is a totally different trick and I’m ready.”

Within minutes, he proved those words to an instantly whipped-up crowd and got an on-field onslaught of high-fives from fellow competitors.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates Moore, Frisby and all the winners at this year’s Winter X Games. If you plan to hit the slopes soon yourself, make sure you stock your sled with a set of E3 snowmobile spark plugs for a competition-worthy ride.

Check out Frisby’s history-making flip…

And Moore’s gold-winning, FMX-styled run…

Got what it takes to join Team E3 Racing? Zoom over to the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page and find out.

If you’re an up-and-coming motorsports racer, why not put the power of E3 in your ride and on your back? Starting February 1, here’s your chance to be part of Team E3 Racing!

Over the next three months (Feb-April), we will award four WINNERS from each tier listed below a Race Sponsorship and load them up with Official Team E3 Racing Sponsorship Prizes!

• Tier 1: 12 Fans win $500 cash, 25 E3 Spark Plugs and Official E3 Race Day Gear/Decals
• Tier 2: 12 Fans win one (1) Set of up to 8 Plugs and Official E3 Race Day Gear/Decals
• Tier 3: 12 Fans win Official E3 Race Day Gear and Decals

In addition to being officially sponsored by E3 Spark plugs, being a part of Team E3 Racing means we can help you grow your fan base by following your standings throughout the 2012 racing season, posting your videos and pictures and featuring you on the E3 website and social media channels!

So how do you become part of Team E3 Racing? Zoom over to the E3 Spark Plugs’ Facebook fan page, “Like us” and sign up via the Team E3 Racing tab. Fill in your name, age, contact information and T-shirt size. Give us the lowdown on your racing career thus far, including your ride’s make and model and info on your current series, standings and significant winnings. And hit us with your best pitch as to why YOU should be part of Team E3. We’re expecting lots of entries, so you’d better be convincing!

E3 Spark Plugs’ patented DiamondFire technology means a stronger, smoother, cleaner ride. Developed with help from some of the nation’s top scientists and engineers, E3 spark plugs are proven to boost your engine’s performance, mileage and fuel efficiency without mucking up the environment. In fact, E3 is the ONLY spark plug to be included in a federal rule making for emission standards.. Just like the best motorsports racers on the podiums, E3 spark plugs are “Born to Burn.”

The 2012 Nuclear Cowboyz show promises amazing motocross choreography backed by a pyrotechnics and laser show and set to a thumping soundtrack.

Freestyle motocross meets Broadway meets pyromania in the 2012 Nuclear Cowboyz tour. And we here at E3 Spark Plugs are looking forward to this wild show that pushes the extreme into the certifiably insane.

The tour features many of the top names in extreme sports including 2011 Winter X-Games medalist Caleb Moore, X Games 17 medalists Ronnie Faisst, Adam Jones and Mike Mason, plus world-class medalist riders Taka Higashino, Beau Bamburg, Derek Garland, Nixey Danielson, Brody Wilson, Jimmy Fitzpatrick, Dustin Miller, Wes Agee, Matt Buyten, Geoff Aaron, Keith Wineland, Derek Guetter, and Colton Moore.

Doing what they do best, the legendary Nuclear Cowboyz FMX tribes, the Soldiers of Havoc and Metal Mulisha, play out an epic futuristic battle story of two tribes fighting for survival against the evil Tempest and her Cyborg Army in war-torn Los Angeles in the year 2150. The show features battle scenes played out via amazing choreographed motocross stunts backed by a pyrotechnics and laser display and synchronized to a thumping heavy metal, rock alternative and electronic dubstep soundtrack. And yes – there’s even a snowmobile jump.

This year’s show promises a stepped-up degree of difficulty in the stunts performed by medal-winning athletes, producers say. Nuclear Cowboyz hits 11 North American cities on the 2012 tour kicking off Friday night in Baltimore, MD and continuing through April 15. VIP Fallout Zone tickets get you premium seating and a meet and greet with the stars. They’re expected to sell out quickly, so if you’re a major motocross fan, buy your tickets soon.

Plan to see a Nuclear Cowboyz show? Post your pics on the E3 Facebook fan page and be sure to stock your bike with E3 motorcycle spark plugs or Spark Plugs for a motocross-worthy ride.

The iconic Grave Digger Monster Truck celebrates 30 years of hard-charging, mud-flinging, crowd-pleasing entertainment in 2012.

It was three decades ago that the iconic monster truck Grave Digger came to life on the banks of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina and E3 Spark Plugs is joining fans worldwide in celebrating its 30th anniversary year. Debuting in 1982, the original Grave Digger was a red 1952 Ford pickup truck tricked out as a mud bogger by owner Dennis Anderson. And while his friends were none too impressed initially, they’d soon eat their words.

It was a bit of amicable trash talking with fellow racers that landed Grave Digger its name.

“I’ll take this old junk and dig your grave with it,” Anderson told his heckling competitors who drove newer, sleeker trucks. Where those guys and their trucks are today, nobody knows. But Grave Digger went on to become one of the most enduring and celebrated of all the Monster Truck personalities, growing to string of some 25 race and display trucks.

The Grave Digger is immediately recognizable with its ominous paint scheme featuring green flames, blood-dripping letters, a foggy graveyard scene with tombstones bearing names of competitors, a haunted house silhouetted by a full moon and a giant skull-shaped ghost. A fan favorite is the set of red headlights that glow menacingly when the truck is in competition. A lucky happenstance, those headlights were. Anderson began using them when he was building a transporter out of a school bus and realized that the red stop lights fit perfectly in Grave Digger’s headlights.

In celebration of its 30 years in the mud ring, the 2012 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam season will tour three new Grave Digger monster truck designs and has released a full line of exclusive limited edition “Grave Digger 30th Anniversary” merchandise including a retrospective DVD. Monster Jam fans can get up close to the newly designed Grave Digger versions as part of the Monster Jam pre-show Party in the Pits.

Got any favorite Grave Digger memories over the years? E3 Spark Plugs wants to hear your stories and see your pics. Post them on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page. And remember to power your own would-be monster truck with E3 truck spark plugs for a stronger, cleaner burn.

E3 Spark Plug co-sponsors the 2012 Hot Rod Power Tour.

Auto buffs, gear up for a fantastic year of car, truck and bike shows. Whether you’re into the latest and greatest auto technology or the sheer beauty of restored vintage treasures, there’s an auto show ticket with your name all over it. To see all the opportunities, you’ll have to do an Internet search. But E3 Spark Plugs has a few favorites.

Topping our list is Hot Rod Magazine’s annual Hot Rod Power Tour. E3 Spark Plugs is a sponsor of this year’s event, which will take drivers on a 7-day, 7-city, 1,400-mile road trip from Detroit, Michigan to Arlington, Texas. Each city will host a one-day car and truck show, where you’ll see some of the most envy-inducing hot rods around. A few host cities also feature races. Then they’ll all rev up and ride out for the next tour stop.

Check the schedule for the 2012 Hot Rod Power Tour and a few of E3′s top car show recommendations. Mark your calendars and be sure to take some pics and post them to the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

• Detroit, MI, GM Proving Grounds, Milford, June 2
• Muskegon, MI, Downtown Muskegon, June 3
• Champaign, IL, Assembly Hall, University of Illinois, June 4
• Madison, IL, Gateway Motorsports Park, June 5
• Miami, OK, Buffalo Run Casino, June 6
• Stillwater, OK, Kicker Corporate Complex, June 7
• Arlington, TX, Quicktrip Park, June 8
• Long Haulers only, Arlington, TX, Venue TBD, June 9

2012 Auto Shows

• North American International Auto Show, Detroit, Jan. 9-22 www.naias.com
• Houston Auto Show, Jan. 25-29, www.houstonautoshow.com
• Washington Auto Show, Jan. 27-Feb 5, www.washingtonautoshow.org
• Philadelphia Auto Show, Jan. 28-Feb 5, www.phillyautoshow.com
• Chicago Auto Show Feb. 9-19 www.chicagoautoshow.com
• Jacksonville International Car & Truck Show, Feb. 17-19
• California 91Truck Show, March 3, www.91truckshow.com
• Daytona Beach Bike Week, March 9-18 www.officialbikeweek.com
• Atlanta International Auto Show, March 14-18, www.goautoshow.com
• DWF Auto Show, March 21-25, Dallas, www.dallasautoshow.com
• New York International Auto Show, April 6-15, www.autoshowny.com
• Minnesota Street Rod Association’s Back to the ’50s Weekend, June 22-24 www.msra.com
• SEMA Show, Oct. 30-Nov. 2 www.semashow.com
• LA Auto Show Nov. 28-Dec. 9 www.laautoshow.com
• Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Nov. 29-Dec. 1, www.performanceracing.com/tradeshow
• San Diego International Auto Show, Dec. 29-Jan 1, www.sdautoshow.com

Current Supercross champion Ryan Villopoto begins defending his title this weekend witht he Anaheim, CA opening of the 2012 SX season.

Villopoto also is the current AMA National Motocross Series champion and the Motocross of Nations champ, and he made headlines in 2011 for his utter decimation of the competition in the Monster Energy Cup. He dominated the field over the course of three 10-lap main events to take home the Monster Million – the biggest purse in the sport’s history. Rumor has it the Poulsbo, WA native, who had married the beautiful Kristen Young just days before, postponed his plans for a South Pacific honeymoon to compete for the Monster Million. We’re betting his bride didn’t mind.

His amazing 2011 season has made Villopoto the man to beat in 2012. But he’s got strong contenders. Chad Reed came in second in the SX championship last year and no doubt has his eye on the top podium spot this season. James Stewart has been loud and proud about his intentions to knock seven-time Supercross Class champ Jeremy McGrath from his title as the all-time winningest rider before moving on to four-wheel competition. McGrath currently boasts 72 supercross wins and Stewart is aiming for 73 before making the leap to NASCAR. And Ryan Dungey plans to capitalize on his reputation as one of the fastest motorcycle riders on the planet – a rep he earned in just two SX season.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates Villopoto on an amazing 2011 season and looks forward to a thrill-packed 2012 season! Make sure your ride is competition-ready with E3 motorcycle spark plugs.

2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Series Schedule

• January 7 – Angel Stadium – Anaheim, CA
• January 14 – Chase Field – Phoenix, AZ
• January 21 – Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
• January 28 – Overstock.com Stadium – Oakland, CA
• February 4 – Angel Stadium – Anaheim, CA
• February 11 – Qualcomm Stadium – San Diego, CA
• February 18 – Cowboys Stadium – Arlington/Dallas, TX
• February 25 – Georgia Dome – Atlanta, GA
• March 3 – Edward Jones Dome – St. Louis, MO
• March 10 – Daytona Int’l Speedway – Daytona, FL*
• March 17 – Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
• March 24 – Rogers Centre – Toronto, ON, Canada
• March 31 – Reliant Stadium – Houston, TX
• April 14 – Louisiana Super Dome – New Orleans LA
• April 21 – Qwest Field – Seattle, WA
• April 28 – Rice-Eccles Stadium – Salt Lake City, UT
• May 5 – Sam Boyd Stadium – Las Vegas, NV

Levi LaVallee and Robbie "Maddo" Maddison power in 2012 with record-breaking jumps across a San Diego harbor. Photo by Garth Milan for Red Bull.

So how did you ring in the New Year? Major props if you powered into 2012 anywhere near the way pro snowmobiler Levi LaVallee and FMX rider Robbie “Maddo” Maddison did – with record-breaking jumps across an icy San Diego harbor on a snowmobile and a motorbike at Red Bull’s New Year-No Limits event.

The two rode side-by-side with a shared goal of breaking their respective sports’ longest-jump records. Both succeeded fantastically. Maddison beat his 351-feet, 3-inches certified world record with an impressive jump of 378 feet, nine inches. He came a bit short of his 400-foot goal, likely because wet conditions nixed his 100-mph launch speed goal. But the massive leap proved a record breaker and a crowd pleaser nonetheless. That Maddo can pull off any feat of this sort is nothing short of a miracle if you know his history. Shortly after graduating high school, Maddison came down with viral meningitis and viral encephalitis. The sicknesses caused temporary paralysis and blinded Maddison in one eye. But he recovered and never looked back as he pushed his motocross passion and went pro.

Meanwhile, LaVallee had his own point to prove that night. He was out to break his record of 361-feet, hit last year in a practice jump that nearly killed him. LaVallee suffered collapsed lungs, a broken pelvis, cracked ribs and a concussion a year ago and has since rebounded in ways that many – including LaVallee’s doctors – thought impossible. To say he “broke” the record doesn’t do the guy justice. He SLAMMED last year’s record by a full 51 feet, crossing the harbor with a 412-foot jump. If you’re doing the numbers, that’s 52 feet longer than an NFL football field.

So what, pray tell, drives a man to repeat the feat that nearly put him six feet under?

“It was something I had to overcome,” LaVallee told ESPN. Otherwise it was going to haunt me the rest of my life… After last year and being out I was like, ‘Man, you just missed out on the coolest opportunity.’ And to be here today and to be able to land an over 400-foot jump… you can’t make it any better.”

From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, congrats to both LaVallee and Maddison. Got your eye on breaking your own personal best record? Stock your ride with E3 motorcycle spark plugs or snowmobile spark plugs. Be bold, but be careful. And have an awesome 2012.

Optimistic about 2012? E3 Spark Plugs has a few tips for New Year's resolutions that will keep both you and your ride healthy and happy.

Assuming the cataclysmic theories about Earth being sucked into a black hole, colliding with another planet or otherwise disintegrating on December 21 aren’t true, 2012 looks to be a promising year. The economy is starting (though ever so slowly) to mend, Jon Bon Jovi is still alive and, if the Toyota Fun-Vii ever comes to market, you’ll one day be driving around with a hologram hottie perched upon your dash board. Something to look forward to, indeed.

In the meantime, no doubt you’re busy building your list of New Year’s resolutions. E3 Spark Plugs offers a few suggestions to help keep you and your ride healthy, happy and on the road.

1. Resolve to keep your car in great shape with DIY checks and fixes including keeping your tires well inflated, changing or topping off your car’s fluids regularly, and ditching those worn-out windshield wiper blades BEFORE they start etching rainbow-shaped grooves into your glass.
2. Resolve to have the pros check out your car from fender-to-bumper twice a year including the brakes and the charging and electrical systems.
3. Resolve to get those new knocks, pings and groans checked out STAT so minor problems don’t turn into major repair bills.
4. Resolve to dig that auto owner’s manual out of the depths of your glove compartment and use it – especially when it comes to keeping track of and following through with recommended scheduled maintenance.
5. Resolve to keep your car and the air around it clean. All that sand from your last trip to the beach is wearing on your car’s upholstery, interior and paint job. And unless you’re using E3 car or truck spark plugs you’re likely mucking up your environment. E3′s patented technology is designed for a cleaner, stronger and more fuel-efficient burn.

From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs – have a happy, prosperous and safe 2012!

Chad Reed (22) leads James Stewart (7) in one of the two rivals' epic dirt battles. Each is a two-time Supercross Class champ with an eye on winning the 2012 championship.

The 2011 Supercross season proved quite the exciting ride. When the dust finally settled, it was Ryan Villopoto at the podium as the 2011 AMA Supercross Series Championship winner. So how will the 2012 season play out? E3 Spark Plugs has a few predictions.

One guess is that we’ll get quite the show from the ongoing rivalry between Australian native and two-time Supercross Class champion Chad Reed and James Stewart, also a two-time Supercross Class champion, as well as a former AMA Motocross champion and the first African American to win a major motorsports title. The two have treated fans to some of the sport’s toughest battles and neither has any plans to back down.

“James and I have a lot of respect for each other,” says Reed, who last year became an entrepreneur founding Two-Two MotorSports. “We both want to win and neither of us lets anything get in the way of that.”

No doubt Stewart shares that sentiment. But he’s also got his eye on knocking seven-time Supercross Class champ Jeremy McGrath from his title as the all-time winningest rider before moving on to four-wheel competition. McGrath currently boasts 72 supercross wins.

“My No. 1 focus is get to 73 wins, and after that, we can hit NASCAR full force,” Stewart, who makes his debut with the Joe Gibbs Racing MX Team next month, recently told USA Today. “We are definitely making steps to hopefully battling with Junior [Dale Earnhardt] and [Jimmie] Johnson. I am looking forward to it as another challenge in life. The cool part is maybe I have a chance to be great in two different sports.”

Of course, if Ryan Dungey has his say, neither Stewart nor Reed will see the champion’s podium come May 5. In just two Supercross Class competition seasons, Dungey earned respect as one of the fastest motorcycle riders on the planet and in 2010 became the second rookie in history to win the Monster Energy AMA Supercross. He came excruciatingly close to defending his title in 2011, letting it slip by a mere 10 points. This year, he joins the Red Bull KTM team.

We’re also expecting an exciting season show from Monster Energy / Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Broc Tickle, who makes his Supercross Class debut next month after an impressive five-year run in the Lites Class.

Got a prediction of your own? E3 Spark Plugs wants to hear it. Post your thoughts on our Facebook fan page. And remember to stock your bike with a set of E3 motorcycle spark plugs for a championship-worthy performance.

E3 Spark Plugs has a few great stocking stuffer tips for the auto buff you love.

Are you a serious slacker when it comes to holiday shopping? No worries. E3 Spark Plugs has a few great ideas for those last-minute, stocking-stuffer gifts for the auto buff on your Christmas list.

• A good read: A subscription to an auto magazine is always a welcome gift from a car enthusiast. There are lots to choose from. Publications like Automotive News and AutoWeek, which offer across-the-board industry coverage. Others like European Car, Hot Rod and Vette cater to car lovers with particular automotive interests.

• That’s the ticket: A pair of tickets to a great auto event, whether to a mud-flinging Monster Truck show or a fancy-schmancy Concours d’Elegance, is sure to get you a sincere “OMG, I love it!”

• Help!: If there’s a teenager in the family who will be driving for the first time soon, consider a roadside emergency kit. AAA memberships are very popular holiday gifts for new drivers. An electronic tire gauge, a set of jumper cables and a battery- or cigarette lighter-powered car tire inflator (or at least a can of Fix-A-Flat) might not elicit the same shrieks of excitement as, say a new iPod pre-loaded with Justin Bieber tunes, but they’ll do doubt be much appreciate somewhere down the road.

• A thrill ride: For the experienced driver and dare devil in the family, spring for a gift certificate good toward a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure package. Packages range from a four-lap intro for $195 to a full-throttle 80-lap experience for $3,695.

• Power surge: Of course, we’d be remiss without suggesting a set of E3 car, truck or motorcycle spark plugs Our favorite stocking stuffer will give your loved one a boost in engine power and efficiency, a little extra change in their pockets rather than the gas tank, and a bit of feel-good mojo knowing that a cleaner ride is good for the environment.

Got more great stocking stuffer ideas? Post them on our E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page. And remember to keep it safe on the roadways this holiday season. Slow down, watch out for impaired drivers and, if you plant to imbibe in a little liquid joy yourself, designate a non-drinking driver. From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and best wishes for the New Year!