E3 Spark Plugs News

"Robby Gordon Army Challenge" was released on DVD in April.

E3 Spark Plugs supports America’s troops. So, when we heard that “Robby Gordon Army Challenge” was recently released on DVD, we had to get our copy. And we think you will too.

First aired on the Military Channel, “Robby Gordon Army Challenge” features NASCAR and off-road champion Gordon’s visit with the troops at Fort Irwin military base, a premiere training center for military members. While Gordon certainly has an impressive list of accomplishments over his racing career, he admits he’s got nuthin’ on our troops. Getting a firsthand glimpse of the real-life conditions that U.S. troops encounter on the front lines every day proved to be a real eye  opener for Gordon, and will for you, too.

The program follows Gordon as he tours Fort Irwin, engaging with the troops and teaching them Hummer off-road driving techniques that he’s developed during his career as a top racer. Along the way, the young soldiers teach Gordon a trick or two as well. A few even join him at the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Prim 300 Desert Race in Nevada (SCORE International is an off-road sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing and is famous for its flagship event, the Baja 1000).

The visit proved to be a great morale booster for the soldiers at Fort Irwin and an experience Gordon will never forget. We think you’ll enjoy it too.

“Robby Gordon Army Experience” is available from Baha Unlimited. Tell ‘em E3 Spark Plugs sent you. And to all our military members at home and abroad, thank you!

Carl Renezeder and Kyle LeDuc dominated in the Round 6, Pro 2 and Pro 4 classes of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico Powersports and co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs.

If ever there was an epic short course race, it happened Sunday at the Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, CA. Round 6 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico Powersports and co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs had fans either on the edge of their seats, or out of their seats altogether – standing and cheering as Carl Renezeder and Kyle LeDuc battled it out in one of the most contentious races we’ve seen all season.

The Round 6 Pro 4 Unlimited started with Adrian Cenni in front, followed by LeDuc, Renezeder, Todd LeDuc and Rick Huseman following. Huseman spun out on lap two and Cenni exited the race by the end of lap three when his truck suddenly slowed. At the competition yellow, it was Kyle LeDuc, Renezeder, Huseman, Todd LeDuc, and Curt LeDuc in the top five and the leading three soon began to separate themselves from the rest of the pack and start a heated battle for the finish line. Of the three, it seemed Renezeder (who won both the Pro 4 and the Pro 2 in Round 5 the day before) and LeDuc who wanted that checkered flag most. The two ran neck-and-neck for the remainder of the race, each man making mistakes that momentarily him the lead, but catching up quickly. Finally, it was LeDuc who won by just a half-truck length ahead of Renezeder. Huseman, Todd LeDuc and Kent Brascho rounded out the top five.

“This was a great race because nobody was on the sidelines,” LeDuc said from the podium. “We were all up here battling, giving it everything.”

The Pro 2 Unlimited provided fireworks of its own. Renezeder again started on the front row alongside Brian Deegan, followed by Rodrigo Ampudia, Robby Woods and Greg Adler. By lap three, however, Adler had forced his way up the track to second place and, like a man possessed, was hot on Renezeder’s heels. Just after the restart, a nasty pileup claimed several would-be contenders and soon, the race was between Renezeder, Adler and Rob MacCachren who was making up time lost to an early spinout. Adler and MacCachren traded places a few times, but a broken driveshaft slowed MacCachren as he approached the finish line. Renezeder made it back-to-back Pro 2 wins with Adler finishing second and MacCachren third. Deegan had rebounded nicely from an earlier collision with Woods to take fourth place. Fifth went to Geiser.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates all of the weekend’s winners. Next stop for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: Miller Motorsports Park in the Salt Lake City, UT suburb of Tooele for Rounds 7 and 8 raced on an all-new track June 25 and 26. See you there!

Round 5 of the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series paid tribute to the late Jeff "Ox" Kargola.

Round 5 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico and co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs got underway Saturday at the Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California. Fans were loving the sunny springtime weather and the excitement got kicked up a notch with the presence of off-road legend and NASCAR star Robby Gordon competing in the weekend’s Pro 2 Unlimited field.

Before the engines revved, racers, staff and fans paid tribute to the late Jeff “Ox” Kargola, who passed away April 29 after sustaining a head injury on the second day of the Desert Assassins’ Rip to the Tip motocross event in Baja, CA. Kargola was among the rising stars of the series and is deeply missed.

In Saturday’s Pro 4, Rick Huseman was a marked man, having won the first four races. Sure enough, he bolted out front, followed closely by Adrian Cenni and all three LeDucs – Kyle, Todd and Curt. But, that didn’t last. Cenni ended up in the hot pits on lap six with an unknown issue. Todd LeDuc suffered a shredded left rear tire compliments of a determined Carl Renezeder.

When the green flag dropped after a competition yellow, Renezeder charged past Huseman. The on-track upset didn’t set well with Huseman, who over-jumped the tabletop into turn two of lap 14, planting his front bumper and nearly sidelining himself. The result was a broken shock that kept him from catching up with Renezeder, who gradually increased his lead all the way to the checkered flag. Huseman managed second place followed by Kent Brascho, Josh Merrell and Todd LeDuc.

The Pro 2 Unlimited provided some serious fireworks – literally. The race began with Renezeder and Robby Gordon starting side by side. Renezeder quickly took the lead with Gordon charging hard behind in the first lap, but pulled off the track and out of the race before completing the second lap. The race continued with two red flags for fires onboard Robby Woods’ and John Gaston’s machines. Robbie Pierce’s rollover in turn three brought full course caution. Flat tires for Brian Deegan and Rob Naughton, plus a scary-looking crash that involved Rodrigo Ampudia over-jumping into turn five and landing on Naughton’s side added to the suspense. When the dust and smoke cleared, it was Renezeder who held on for a clean sweep of the two big truck classes. Rob McCachren took second followed by Deegan, Ampudia and Naughton.

E3  Spark Plugs racing fans, be sure to check our next blog for Pro 4 and Pro 2 highlights from Round 6 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.

Ryan Dungey picked up right where he left off at the E3 Spark Plugs co-sponsored Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship series opener, the Rockstar Energy Hangtown National. Dungey won the Moto 1 450 Class event. Press photo by Simon Cudby.

Motocross fans celebrated the start of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship series co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs this past Saturday, May 21 at the Rockstar Energy Hangtown National in Sacramento, CA. And wouldn’t you know – Ryan Dungey started things off in typical style, nabbing the first win of the season in the Moto 1 450 Class. After dominating the field throughout the 2010 season, he picked up right where he left off, quickly working his way to the front and leaving the rest of the field further and further behind before crossing the finish line. Chad Reed and 2011 Supercross champion Ryan Villopoto took second and third place.

In the Moto 1 250 Class, Eli Tomac led the field for a full third of the race before Dean Wilson and Blake Baggett charged past for first and second places. Frenchman Marvin Musquin, a two-time MX2 world champion, made an impressive American debut, landing fourth place in front of Tyla Rattray.

The Moto 2 450 Class offered up arguably the biggest fireworks of the day with championship riders Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey battling it out for the majority of the race. When the dust settled, it was Reed in the victor’s spot with Dungey and Ryan Villopoto close behind in second and third place. Villopoto fans aren’t at all worried about his chances for taking the championship title. His 2010 season proved impressive even after a 2009 knee injury and was on track to claim his fifth season title when a crash at the St. Louis Supercross event broke his leg and sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Blake Baggett, a relative unknown quickly making a name for himself this season (his second year in the pro ranks), won Moto 2 in the 250 Class in a startling come-from-behind victory. He beat Tyla Rattray and Dean Wilson to the finish line.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates all of the weekend’s winners at Hangtown, and we congratulate the Motocross on 40 years of competition. Click here for complete results and highlights of the Hangtown event – the first of the 12 round series. And be sure to outfit you bike with E3 motorcycle spark plugs for a stronger, leaner and more efficient burn.

Chill out, lady! That check engine light might just mean it's time for new spark plugs.

Nothing elicits an “Oh, crap!” like the ding and glow of a “check engine” light popping on while you’re cruising down First Street with the top down and not a care in the world. Except of course for the thought of the impending mechanical and financial doom to which you’ve just been alerted. But don’t panic yet. E3 Spark Plugs has a list of the most common issues that kick on your check engine light and a few of them are simple and inexpensive.

1. Replace oxygen (O2) sensor: The O2 sensor monitors the amount of unburned oxygen in the exhaust and tells your vehicle’s computer when there is too much or not enough fuel. A bum sensor costs less than $200 to repair including parts and labor. Ignore it, and you can bet on a drop in your gas mileage up to 40 percent – an average $700 a year in wasted fuel.
2. Replace gas cap: Missing, damaged or loose gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year. Not only does it harm the environment, but it can drop your gas mileage by 0.5%. Depending on the make, model and age of your vehicle, a gas cap can average $10 for a traditional vacuum cap to around $30 for a locking gas cap (recommended if you live one of the areas where gas siphoning and theft is a growing problem).
3. Replace catalytic converter: A catalytic converter typically fails only when related (and usually much less expensive) parts like faulty spark plugs are ignored for too long. All that denial eventually will force replacement and repair costs in the neighborhood of $2000.
4. Replace mass air flow sensor: The MAF sensor measures the amount of air entering your car’s engine and, therefore, how much fuel should be injected into the engine. A faulty sensor can cause a range of problems including stalling, misfiring and poor acceleration. Repair costs vary widely depending on your vehicle’s make, model and year – from $175 to more than $600.
5. Replace spark plugs/wires: Besides the gas cap, replacing your spark plugs and wires is the least expensive of the most common check engine light fixes. If you’re handy with tools, it’s the cost of the spark plugs and wires plus an hour or so of your time. And if your shop charges more than about a $100 for both combined, get yourself a new mechanic. Be sure to ask for E3 car spark plugs or E3 truck spark plugs for a cleaner and more efficient burn.

Info comes by way of the inaugural CarMD Vehicle Health Index, a new annual report aimed at clearing the mystery of the ever-ominous check engine light by ranking the most common automotive failures that prompt the light, along with the associated fixes and repair costs.

“As our nationwide network of automotive technicians diagnose and repair vehicles, they upload information to our online system, which enables CarMD to create an unprecedented compilation of data and level of transparency never before available,” said Art Jacobsen, vice president, CarMD.com Corp. “We are pleased to share this data publicly for the first time, and believe it will be useful to consumers, automotive technicians and the industry as they maintain and evaluate new and used vehicles.”

Check out the full report here. Tell ‘em E3 Spark Plugs sent you.

You know you want it. E3 Spark Plugs says go for it! The General Lee and 19 other famous movie and TV vehicles are on auction June 8-15.

Got a wad of cash, an eBay account and an affinity for movie and TV cars? Well, then you’ll love what E3 Spark Plugs found – a June 8-15 online auction of 20 of Hollywood’s most famous vehicles! Imagine your buddies’ reactions when you roll up in the General Lee or the 1973 F-bomb Camaro that Vin Diesel drove in Fast & Furious 4. Got kids? Be their hero when you score Herbie or the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine.

The Volo Auto Museum in Volo, IL is auctioning off some of the best loved movie and TV vehicles including:

• The Scooby Doo Mystery Machine from Hanna Barbera studio;
• The antique jalopy from the 1993 movie The Beverly Hillbillies;
• The General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard;
• Switchblade, the first car built on Jesse James’ TV show Monster Garage;
• Herbie the Beetle from the 2005 movie Herbie Fully Loaded;
• The Bull and the Monster from the cult science fiction flick Death Race 2000;
• Four vehicles from Fast & Furious 4, including the 1973 F-bomb Camaro Vin Diesel drove in the final scene, the Chevelle that Diesel drove to beat Paul Walker in the “race for the job,” the Infiniti G35 that lost to the Chevelle and the Buick GNX that Diesel drove in the opening scene;
• The Coyote from the 1980s TV series Hardcastle and McCormick;
• The Corvette from Mark Hamill’s Corvette Summer;
• The Detroit police car from Robocop 3;
• The Gotham City police car and Health Ledger’s 18-wheeler from The Dark Knight;
• The Russian GAZ military jeep used by Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett and a vintage Dodge military truck from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull;
• The Jeep driven by Nicolas Cage in the 2002 film Windtalkers.

Bidders must have an active eBay account. Volo opted out of setting a reserve (minimum bid), so you’ve got a chance for one heck of a deal. And if you do score one of these movie movers, E3 Spark Plugs wants to know. Leave us a comment and post a pic on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page. Meanwhile, take a visual ride back in time with this trailer from 1975′s Death Race 2000 starring David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone.

Jim Mardis, winner of this weekend's Geico 75 of the Lucas Oil Modified racing series.

Doug Hamm was sure he had this weekend’s Lucas Oil Modified Geico 75 race co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs in the bag. After all, he dominated the track at the Las Vegas Bullring for much of the first 70 laps before the race was red-flagged so drivers could conserve fuel after a crash. But when the race restarted, Hamm’s car wouldn’t.

Who knows if that passage in Ecclesiastes crossed Hamm’s mind as he sat in the pits watching his competitors fight it out for the remaining five laps: “The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong… but time and chance happeneth to them all.”

For Hamm, time and chance delivered a sucker punch in the form of a low gear mechanical failure that he called a “heart break.” He had hoped for a second-straight series win after claiming victory in the CANIDAE All Natural Pet Food 75 in April. Instead, he finished 15th, but managed to keep a smile on his face. After all, a layoff from his job late last year meant he hadn’t planned to compete this season until Sonny Beckman offered him a job that included driving his new No. 42 Modified in the regional Lucas Oil series.

“Sonny’s letting me live my dream,” Hamm told reporters.

When the race got underway again, it was Jim Mardis who took the lead. Mardis and Hamm had run neck-and-neck for several laps before the crash. Shelby Stroebel and Tim Morse rounded out the top three. Next up for the series is the June 4 Magnaflow Exhaust Products 50 at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in Irwindale, CA.

Dorothy "Dot" Robinson co-founded Motor Maids, the nation's first organized, AMA chartered women's motorcycle club and paved the way for women in competitive motorcycle riding and racing.

This May marks the third annual Women Riders Month created by Harley Davidson. E3 Spark Plugs celebrates with a look back at a few of the bold souls who dared to ride back when motorcycles were a decidedly men-only activity:

Effie and Avis Hotchkiss: When young Effie Hotchkiss decided she wanted to see America on the open road, she took a bit of inheritance money and spent it on a 1915 3-speed V-twin Harley Davidson. But mom, Avis, vetoed the idea. After all, it was the height of the Victorian era and ladies just didn’t take off on cross-country bike tours back in the day. Effie protested and Avis finally gave in with one caveat – that Effie take her mom along in a sidecar. They set out from Brooklyn, New York and made it to San Francisco two months later, just in time for the World’s Fair. Their transcontinental trek was the first for women motorcycle riders.

Bessie Stringfield: Stringfield took pushing the social acceptance envelope even further. As not just a woman rider, but an African American rider, she rammed through the racial and gender barriers completing eight, count ‘em EIGHT solo cross-country tours and serving as a United States Army motorcycle dispatch rider traveling through the Southern states during the 1930s. Mind you, this was during a time that daring to be black and successful in the mainstream came with a palpable threat of racial prejudice and violence.

Dorothy “Dot” Robinson: Known as the “First Lady of Motorcycling,” Robinson co-founded Motor Maids in 1940. The organization aimed to unite women who owned motorcycles and was instrumental in convincing women nationwide to give motorcycling a try. Granted an American Motorcycle Association charter in 1941, Motor Maids was the nation’s first organized women’s motorcycle club. With this accomplishment, plus several competitive victories including being the first woman to win an AMA national competition placing first in the sidecar class of the Jack Pine National Endurance Championship, Robinson paved the way for women riders in the competitive arena.

Talk about your spark plug personalities! In her book, The American Motorcycle Girls: 1900 to 1950, author Cristine Sommer Simmons details the lives and accomplishments of Avis and Effie Hotchkiss, Stringfield, Robinson and other pioneering women riders. Check it out and be sure to check with your nearest Harley Davidson dealer for info on Women Riders Month events, including Saturday’s nationwide Women’s Ride Day. And be sure to stock your bike with E3 motorcycle spark plugs for a cleaner, stronger, smoother ride.

All that "junk in the trunk" is great for your girlfriend, not so much for your car's fuel economy. E3 Spark Plugs' fuel facts help you see just how much gas you're wasting.

We all know a well-maintained vehicle gets better gas mileage than one not so well kept. To get the most out of your car, spark plugs, gas caps, thermostats, O2 sensors, even that rarely used luggage rack and all that junk in your trunk can drag down your fuel efficiency. But exactly how bad is each of these issues for your gas tank and wallet? E3 Spark Plugs has worked a few numbers to put it all in perspective:

• Each year, 147 million gallons of gas vaporize into the atmosphere – all because of misused or missing gas caps. That loose gas cap you keep meaning to replace is evaporating your fuel at a rate of about two miles per gallon.
• Underinflated tires deflate your gas mileage by an average 3.3 percent.
• A slipping automatic transmission can reduce our fuel economy by a mile per gallon.
• Dirty spark plugs can cause misfires, wasting up to two miles per gallon.
• Replacing that clogged air filter can bump up your vehicle’s fuel efficiency by as much as 10 percent.
• If your cooling system thermostat causes your engine to run too cold, you’re losing fuel economy by two miles per gallon.
• Worn O2 sensors cut fuel economy by three miles per gallon.
• Running on dirty oil or going cheap for substandard oil reduces fuel economy by one mile per gallon.
• Idling gets you zilch miles per gallon. Just turn the car off.
• Aggressive driving gets you even less. It cuts your cat mileage by up to 33 percent on the highway and five percent in the city. And you don’t have to be a crazed speed demon. Gas mileage decreases rabidly above just 60 miles per hour.
• Several short trips taken from a cold start can use double the fuel of a longer, multi-purpose trip covering the same distance. It’s all about a little pre-planning of your errands.
• An extra 100 pounds of junk in your trunk drags your fuel economy down by one to two percent. Same goes for that rooftop luggage rack and other accessories. If you rarely use it, lose it. Store it in your garage until your next road trip.

All things considered, keeping up with the recommended regular maintenance can improve your vehicle’s gas mileage by an average 4.1 percent. And fixing most any serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can boost your vehicle’s mileage by as much as 40 percent. With the way gas prices are rising seemingly every week, maintaining your car is an investment that pays off.

To Learn more about our fuel economy spark plugs, please visit our site!

Powerful spark plug bugs take on villainous Venus fly traps in artist Caroline F. Kearns' work.

We always knew spark plugs were the real power players under the hood. But artist Caroline F. Kearns’ work puts a whole new spin on it. Inspired by mechanical and technological devices and themes, Kearns has created a series of prints, paintings and sculptures that feature spark plugs as dragon flies battling their natural nemesis – the Venus fly trap.

A reoccurring theme in Kearns’ work is the supposed struggle between the natural world and technology. The villain is the Venus fly trap in Kearns’ spark plug-inspired series. But her work often combines mechanical and technological elements featuring human qualities with the monsters and heroes of Greek mythology.

“In these pieces, the pseudo-technological creatures are slain by the usual Greek heroes who remain vulnerably human,” says Kearns, who studied printmaking and ceramic sculpture at Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. “Such monsters appear in our modern myths when we are confronted by a menacing technology which has surpassed us in strength and intelligence. The resolution of this conflict demands that we artistically engage these monsters in order to regain control of technology for the continued benefit of our society.”

One particularly interesting series depicts the mythic battle between Perseus and Medusa and makes use of a distributor cap and sparkplug wires to form Medusa’s head. Other works feature mechanical components including spark plugs, distributor caps, and exhaust headers playfully or humorously animating technological themes.

Interested in Kearns’ pieces? Check out her website and tell her E3 Spark Plugs sent you.