E3 Spark Plugs News

Champion snowmobiler Caleb Moore passed away Thursday morning, one week after suffering critical injuries in a crash at the X Games Aspen.

A week after a devastating start to the X Games Aspen, champion snowmobiler Caleb Moore has died. Moore, a four-time Winter X Games medalist died Thursday morning from injuries suffered in a horrific crash during the snowmobile freestyle competition finals, which took place Thursday, January 24.

Near the end of Moore’s first run, he failed to fly far enough on a backflip. The front sleds of his snowmobile dug into the landing ramp, catapulting him over the handlebars and into a face-first landing before the snowmobile landed on him. After regaining consciousness, Moore was taken to a local hospital where doctors diagnosed him with a concussion and discovered internal bleeding around his heart. He then was airlifted to Grand Junction, Colorado where he underwent emergency surgery Friday morning. Moore’s heart contusion led to a secondary complication involving his brain. Moore’s grandfather Charles Moore told reporters on Monday morning that the 25-year-old athlete almost certainly would not survive.

Family, fans and fellow athletes’ worst fears were realized yesterday morning when Moore passed away. Details on the official cause of death have not been released.

“He will be truly missed and never forgotten,” Moore’s family said in a statement released after his death. “The family wishes to express their deep gratitude for all the prayers and support they have received from all the fans, friends and family around the world that Caleb has inspired.”

Fellow snowmobile rider Levi LaVallee recently described Moore as a “fierce competitor.”

“A very creative mind,” LaVallee said. “I’ve watched him try some crazy, crazy tricks and some of them were successful, some of them not so much. But he was first guy to get back on a sled and go try it again. It shows a lot of heart.”

Moore is the first fatality in the 18-year history of the X Games. Host ESPN has committed to reviewing safety issues related to the sport.

“As a result of this accident we will conduct a thorough review of this discipline and adopt any appropriate changes to future X Games,” ESPN said in a statement released Thursday. “For 18 years we have worked closely on safety issues with athletes, course designers and other experts. Still, when the world’s best compete at the highest level in any sport, risks remain. Caleb was a four-time X Games medalist attempting a move he has landed several times previously.”

Eerily, about 30 minutes after Moore’s crash, his brother and fellow competitor Colten Moore also crashed. Colten was at the X Games as the defending champion in this year’s freestyle event. He suffered a separated pelvis, but was released from the hospital by Saturday morning.

E3 Spark Plugs sends our condolences to the Moore family.

Hey racers and racing crew! There’s still time to register for the 2013 class of Team E3 Racing Sponsorship Contest winners.

E3 Spark Plugs is looking for up-and-coming racing competitors and pit crew members who want to rev up their careers. And as long as it has an engine, it doesn’t matter what you race. Our inaugural class of Team E3 Racing members head for the finish line piloting everything from high-dollar speed boats to riding lawn mowers. Crew competitors have been racing team owners, pit crew managers and mechanics.

We want to hear from career hopefuls who understand not just the track side, but the business and promotions side of professional racing, too. If you’re chosen as a Team E3 Racing winner, you’ll get a publicity boost via the E3 Spark Plugs website blog and Facebook fan page. Plus, we’ll send you $500 in cash, 16 E3 Spark Plugs, and official E3 apparel and decals for you, your team and your ride.

But time is running out. To enter, make sure you’re a fan of the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page. Then, click the “Sponsorship Contest” tab, complete the form and click “Submit.” You’ve got until 11:59 p.m. on January 31 to enter (be sure to read all the rules and regs). We’ll announce the winners in February.

Good luck!

Have you bought your tickets yet? Better hurry! Ticket sales for the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas Oct. 30-Nov. 2 are going gangbusters and E3 Spark Plugs will be there.

The trade association formally known as the Specialty Equipment Market Association is made up of dozens of automotive manufacturers, distributors, retailers, publishing companies, restorers, street-rod builders, re-stylers, clubs, teams, etc. And its annual show is the one that those in the specialty and vintage automotive industries look forward to.

Last year, more than 60,000 domestic and international buyers attended the show, perusing displays featuring upwards of 1,500 newly introduced parts, tools and components and taking in educational seminars and product demonstrations. This year, E3 Spark Plugs will be among them, hosting a booth in the dedicated Power Sports & Utility Vehicles section. We’ll show off our powersport, automotive and lawn and garden spark plugs, along with our new line of premium glow plugs. And we’re looking forward to hobnobbing with a few automotive celebrities including GearZ TV host Stacey David, three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya, six-time women’s Motocross champion Jessica Patterson, Overhaulin‘s Chip Foose and “Master of the Fine Line” Von Hot Rod.

We’re proud to be a member of SEMA, a 46-year-old organization dedicated to assisting companies developing and selling specialty parts and accessories designed to make vehicles faster, safer and more stylish. SEMA also works to protect consumers’ rights by keeping close tabs on state and federal legislators, supporting those who push legislation that supports the industry, and putting up white-knuckle fights against pending laws that would infringe upon our rights. SEMA also stands up for consumers, who sometimes get hassled by car dealers that wrongfully charge for repairs on modified vehicles with the bogus claim that specialty accessories void warranties.

If you plan to be at the 2012 SEMA Show, stop by the E3 Spark Plugs  booth for a chat. Meanwhile, take a look at our booth from the 2010 show…

Team E3 Racing winner John Guthu is a champion grass sled racer.

John Guthu of DePere, Wisconsin is an avid snowmobiler – no snow necessary, thank you very much. The Team E3 Racing winner is entering his eighth season in competitive grass drag racing.

It’s a sport that participants are passionate about, but that many don’t even know exists. Racers outfit their sleds for speeding down grass tracks rather than across snowy fields, often reaching speeds of 140 miles per hour. Of course, this does take a little tweaking of a snow sled. Carburetors need to be re-jetted, the clutches need to be tuned and the suspensions must be set-up to get the most traction on dirt.

Many enjoy grass sledding simply as an off-season recreational activity. But Guthu and his competitors take it seriously. He landed a championship title in his first year of racing and has finished in the top three points every year since in the 600CC non-studded class. He’s starting the 2012 season with a new series, the Midstate Grass Drag Circuit. And he’s counting on E3 snowmobile spark plugs to help boost his game.

“A couple of years ago decided to switch to E3 spark plugs and noticed right away the increased power it gave me not only off the line, but down the track as well,” says Guthu, who races on a 2007 Polaris Dragon 700. “I want to be able to let people know that racers come from all walks of life, not just on the asphalt tracks with cars and snowmobiles on the snow, but snowmobiles on the grass and we have fun doing it. Having fun racing is what it should all be about, no matter if your race day is good or bad for that weekend.”

We here at E3 Spark Plugs couldn’t agree more. Welcome to the team, John!

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…

Have fun tearing it up on the slope. Just make sure you're packing a snowmobiling survial kit in case you break down, E3 Spark Plugs says.

Snowmobiling season is in full force. Every day, hundreds of avid snowmobilers are riding the powdered slopes, tearing it up and, unfortunately, breaking down. Each year, rescuers head out to help dig dozens of stranded snowmobilers out of snow banks and ditches. E3 Spark Plugs offers a few tips for stocking your snowmobiling survival kit to help keep you from being stranded, or at least making your time spent waiting for rescue a little more bearable.

Here’s what we recommend you take with you on all snowmobiling excursions:

• First aid items, including bandages, adhesive tape, iodine swabs, antibacterial, analgesic ointment, sun screen, lip balm, aspirin or other OTC pain reliever, antihistamine and diarrhea medications, etc
• A knife for cutting your way out of a tangle.
• A snow shovel to dig your way out of a snow bank or dig yourself a snow cave if it looks like you’ll be hanging out for a while.
• A whistle, mirror, dye marker or other signaling tool to help alert other snowmobilers to your plight or to help you find your snowmobile later should you have to leave it.
• Pull and tow straps should a rescue team or a Good Samaritan arrive to help pull your snowmobile out.
• A map, compass or GPS to help find your way back.
• A set of snowmobile spark plugs to help get your ride started again.
• A pair of snow shoes in case your ride is too far gone for those new spark plugs to fix.
• A flashlight if you’re snowmobiling at night or in case night falls while you’re trekking your way back home.
• Snacks and water should you find yourself stranded overnight.

What NOT to take with you: Alcohol. None. Period. Alcohol is a top factor in snowmobiling accidents as it messes you’re your motor skills and slows your reaction time, even if you’re not yet certifiably blitzed. So, fugghetaboutit until you’re back home or at the bar and done snowmobiling for the day. Seriously.

Companies and websites like www.snowstuf.com offer complete snowmobile survival and emergency kits, including some with provisions needed to survive for three days or more stranded in the snowy wilderness. Whether you buy one of theirs or build one of your own, just make sure you’re covered. Have fun, stay safe, come home.

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.

Looking to buy a used snowmobile? E3 Spark Plugs offers some buyers-beware tips.

If the pristine, powdered landscape has you aching to throw some snow into the air, it just might be time to pony up some change for a sled. If you’re eyeing a used snowmobile, E3 Spark Plugs has 10 top tips for choosing a sled that’ll keep you riding the slopes for years.

1. Resist the temptation to buy the first shiny sled you see. Study up on the models and features you want before you venture out on your shopping spree and be sure to bring a flashlight and a friend so you can see all the dark crannies and get a second, and likely more objective opinion.
2. Start ‘er up. If you’re considering a sled being sold by a private owner, ask that it not be “warmed up” prior to your visit. You’ll want to know how well the engine does with a cold start.
3. Check for clues that the snowmobile has been crashed. A few tell-tale signs are deep scratches on the running boards and plastic; a non-standard paint job; cracks in the body work (remove or run your fingers over any stickers, as they’re often used to hide cracks; twisted, bent, toed-in or toed-out skis; handlebars that are cracked, bent or appear to have been replaced.
4. Check for clues it’s been raced. Racing or aggressive riding put some real stress on machinery, but then again, racing sleds often are the best maintained you’ll find. Look for holes drilled through the bolt heads; cracks or welds in the frame, around the engine mounts and in the front cowling brackets. If the sled has been raced, ask for maintenance records and make sure it’s priced accordingly.
5. Look for tears or cracks in the vinyl seat cover. Cracked or torn seat covers retain water and the resulting cold, wet spot on your butt will make for quite the uncomfortable ride. If you love the rest of the sled, know that new upholstery will cost you upwards of $150.
6. Inspect the track. Look for cracking, dry-rot and excessive rust – all of which can leave you and your snowmobile stranded. Not fun. Especially if you also have a wet butt.
7. Check the brakes, brake pads and brake fluid.
8. Peek inside the gas tank. If it’s discolored or has rust, sediment or a milky white paint-like coating, expect to pay for a thorough fuel system cleaning.
9. Make sure all the electric features work. These include the headlights, signaling and instrument-cluster lights and kill switches.
10. Ask how often the suspension was serviced. The answer should be at least once a year.

When you get your new sled home, be sure to outfit it with a new set of E3 snowmobile spark plugs for a cleaner, stronger burn. Be safe and keep the shiny side up.

DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha rider Kyle Cunningham has finished fourth overall in last three Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX 250cc championship races behind Pro Circuit's dynamic trio. Photo courtesy of www.yamaha-motor.com.

The Monster Energy 250cc Kawasaki team dominated the podium once again at Round 8 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship last weekend in Washougal, WA. Geico Honda’s Justin Barcia led the Lites class through turn one of the first moto ahead of Pro Circuit’s Blake Baggett and DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha’s Ryan Sipes. El Chupacabra wasted little time and quickly passed Barcia for the lead but Sipes, who was fastest of day in qualifying, would take the lead away before the close of lap one. Series points leader, Dean Wilson, had a bad start, clipped the fence and was struggling to work his way forward.

Although Sipes has shown the speed to unseat the Pro Circuit trio of Baggett, Wilson and Rattray, the Yamaha rider has lacked consistency. After Baggett re-passed the Star Racing Yamaha, Sipes would make several mistakes dropping him to an eventual 15th place finish. In the mean time, his Yamaha teammate, Kyle Cunningham and the green bike of Tyla Rattray were working their way by Barcia. Rattray would try to close the gap on Baggett but finished 11 seconds to the rears. Cunningham held on for third place with Barcia in fourth followed by a hard-charging Dean Wilson in fifth. Local favorite Tommy Weeck finished sixth on his Motosport Hillsboro Honda.

Wilson’s hard charge continued in Moto 2 as the Scotsman rounded the first turn of the difficult Washougal track in the lead. Barcia, Baggett and Cunningham were stuck in the pack and working hard to get by slower riders. Mr. Consistency, Tyla Rattray, had put his Pro Circuit Kawasaki in second and would challenge Wilson late in the Moto 2. But, Wilson would hold on to a slim half-second lead at the finish line over Rattray followed by El Chupacabra in third giving the Monster Energy Kawasaki team its fifth sweep of the overall podium in just eight races. The DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha of Gareth Swanepoel crossed the line in fourth giving the South African a fifth place overall for the event.

Wilson retains the series points lead but once again failed to win an overall. Baggett’s 1-3 finishes gave the Kawasaki ace his fifth overall win for the season. Rattray, who is the only other Lites rider to win in 2011, finished second overall with Wilson in third. Cunningham’s 3-7 finishes added to the Yamaha rider’s streak of fourth-place overalls. Teams, riders and E3 spark plugs racing fans have the next two weekends off as everyone looks forward to Round 9 of the championship at the famed Unadilla MX track in New Berlin, NY. If you’re looking for a high performance car, truck, motorcycle or snowmobile spark plugs, stop by your favorite discount or auto parts store and pick up a box of E3 replacement plugs for your ride.

Andy Bussy, 2009 Pro-Open World Champion Grantsburg Watercross racer. Photo courtesy of Kerri Harter-Nelson.

Ready for something exhilaratingly different? If you haven’t experienced watercross yet, make plans to attend the 35th Annual World Champion Snowmobile Watercross, E3 Spark Plugs suggests. The “Granddaddy of Them All” takes place July 15-17 at Memory Lake in Grantsburg, WI. Informally known as the Grantsburg Watercross, the event started in 1977 and features the top racers from throughout the United States and Canada competing in drag and oval racing over water.

Also known as snowmobile skimming or pond skipping, watercross involves snowmobilers hydroplaning their sleds across the surface of lakes or rivers. A snowmobile’s wide tracks necessary for traction and flotation in the snow make for great water skimming surfaces so long as adequate speed is maintained. Watercross isn’t as easy as the champs make it look, mind you. In fact, several states including Minnesota and New Hampshire have banned the sport.

But that’s no matter to the dozens of competitors and thousands of fans who flock to Grantsburg every third weekend in July. Many camp out on the banks of Memory Lake each year, taking in all three days of racing plus event extras including live regional bands, nightly street dances, fireworks displays and shopping at the booths of hundreds of vendors.

Are you heading to Grantsburg this weekend? E3 Spark Plugs wants to see your pictures. Post them on our Facebook fan page. And if you plan to try watercross with your own snowmobile, spark plugs by E3 will give you a stronger, smoother, cleaner ride – guaranteed. Check our online cross reference catalog to find the right snowmobile spark plugs for your sled.