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.”

Got your heart set on buying a classic car? E3 Spark Plugs offers tips for finding, buying and maintaining the perfect classic.

It’s the dream of many a gearhead – to own a beautifully restored classic car. If that’s on your list of goals to accomplish this year, you’d better start doing some homework now. There is much to consider when making such an investment (and a classic car purchase really should be seen as an investment). So, E3 Spark Plugs offers its top tips to make sure your classic car dream doesn’t turn into a financial and mechanical nightmare.

First, decide what car you want and how you’ll be using it. Do you want to tool around town daily in that ’66 Mustang or maintain its pristine showroom condition for entry into classic car shows and competitions? If it’s a daily driver, you’ve got a little wiggle room when it comes to whether the parts are all original. But if you’re going for the competition ride, you’ll need to insist upon all original parts in good condition, or expect to spend a lot more money – both on the initial purchase and in continued restoration. Study everything you can get your hands on about the particular make and model you’re eying and talk with members of classic car clubs. Pay attention to common problems that pop up with your desired model. For instance, many European classics are known for electrical glitches.

Once you’ve done some homework, take a look at all the possible scenarios and decide whether you’ve truly got the time, space and finances to make it work. Classic cars can be expensive to restore and maintain. If you’re on a limited budget, don’t blow it all on the purchase or it may end up sitting in your garage for years while you work and wait for the money to fix it up. Of course, if you’ve got time on your hands and some mechanical ability, perhaps money is a bit less of an issue. Or, if you’re loaded with cash but limited on time, a great mechanic and parts pro experienced with classic cars might be your new BFF. But if you’re strapped for both time and cash, your car might end up spending many lonely months and years in the garage. And you just KNOW that your spouse is gonna want to use that space for something else eventually.

Once you’ve decided to go for it and think you’ve found the perfect specimen, you’ll still want to ask a few questions and make a few confirmations before you plop down that stack of bills or write that check. Top priority is to make sure that the VIN number on the car (usually located at the base of the windshield, but may be in the driver’s side door sill or in then engine compartment on older cars) matches the official VIN tag. If not, that could be a red flag that the car has been in a serious wreck, is stolen or is bogus. Even if the numbers match do your own vehicle history report to make sure it hasn’t been stolen and to find out how many previous owners there have been. A few too many names might signify problems that’ll have you looking to unload it before long too. If possible, try to buy a classic car with full service records. And have an appraiser look it over to make sure that the engine, transmission and other vital components are original and that the car hasn’t been wrecked.

Got a great classic car buying success story? E3 Spark Plugs wants to hear it. Post your story and your pics on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

AutoWeek's new TV show "Vinsetta Garage" pays tribute to Detroit's iconic auto repair shop of the same name. Catch it on Discovery's Velocity Network.

Detroit locals last year mourned the closing of Vinsetta Garage, which serviced automobiles on the Motor City’s historic Woodward Avenue for an impressive 91 years. That’s quite a run. So, in a fitting tribute to the beloved shop, AutoWeek chose Vinsetta Garage as the name of its new show that debuted on Discovery’s Velocity channel. And thus far, E3 Spark Plugs is digging it.

As fate would have it, the storied auto repair shop is getting a whole new life as a restaurant owned by AutoWeek publisher KC Crain. As of this writing, the recently remodeled site is scheduled to reopen as an auto-themed eatery by springtime and is sure to become a favored lunch spot for gearheads to wax automotive over a sandwich or a cup of coffee. In the meantime, it serves as a meeting place or AutoWeek editors and the producers and host of the magazine’s new TV show.

Vinsetta Garage is hosted by the lovely Courtney Hansen, who got her automotive chops honestly. Her dad is race car driver Jerry Hansen, the winningest Sports Car Club of America driver in history with 27 national titles. Courtney grew up at her family’s Brainerd International Raceway, penned a book titled The Garage Girl’s Guide to Everything You Need to Know About Your Car in 2007, and was both a spokesperson for Rolls-Royce Motor Co. and #94 in FHM‘s 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005 list.

On the show, Courtney goes on location to interview race car drivers, car designers, auto company executives and Pixar animation designers. Guests thus far include racing legend Rhys Millen and Tony Michaels, President and CEO of the Detroit Parade Company and Woodward Dream Cruise. And viewers have vicariously visited the garages of a few of the most passionate classic car collectors, Motor City Denim Company and the Red Bull Soap Box Derby. You’ll also get commentary aplenty from the AutoWeek staff.

Vinsetta Garage airs at 8:30pm Tuesdays on Discovery’s Velocity Network. Have you seen the show yet? Or are you a Motor City local with a great memory about the iconic auto shop? E3 Spark Plugs wants to hear your stories of the shop and your thoughts on the show. Post them on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

Legendary automotive designer Dean Jeffries gets a little distracted while repainting his first car, a 1947 Mercury convertible. Photo from the Dean Jeffries Collection for Matt Stone's new book, "My First Car."

Everybody remembers their first. Their first car, that is. In fact, not much conjures up sweet nostalgia like retelling a story of the set of wheels that marked the beginning of freedom. That’s why we here at E3 Spark Plugs so enjoyed reading Matt Stone’s My First Car, a 224-page hardbound book packed with 124 photos and stories that’ll make you laugh, cry and reminisce.

There’s probably no other rite of passage that teenagers look forward to more than holding the keys to their first car. In My First Car, Stone retells the automotive initiations of some of the world’s most recognized names. Hollywood actors, automotive industry giants, racing greats and pro athletes share both poignant stories and early photographs of their first rides. Among them is iconic actor and auto collector Steve McQueen, the original King of Cool. McQueen’s first motorized thing he could call his own was an Indian motorcycled outfitted with a sidecar.  But what he coveted was an MT TC. During a Columbus, Ohio stop for his off-Broadway play Time Out for Ginger, McQueen spotted a 1948 MG with a $750 price tag. But this was long before McQueen hit fame, and he had all of $450 in pay and poker winnings with him.

“I put down $450 … and I told the owner I’d send more money from each overnight stop we made,” McQueen tells Stone. “It was finally delivered to me in Chicago. That’s when I asked for a raise and got booted out of the play. So, I jumped into my MG and drove it all the way to New York.”

The love story didn’t last long. McQueen sold his MG after three axles broke and the spokes kept shredding out of the wire wheels. He decided to stick with cycles for a while. Fate at play, perhaps? Otherwise, we might not have that infamous Triumph TR6 Trophy getaway scene from The Great Escape.

Other samplings from My First Car:

• Hugh Hefner’s 1941 Chevy Coupe that “reminds [him] of the car Columbo used to drive” and that died in the middle of the road on the very day that Playboy first hit the stands.
• Andy Warhol’s used Rolls-Royce, in which he collided with a taxi while learning to drive at 56 years old.
• Mario Andretti’s 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air hardtop in bright red with a white top, which the family landed in part because a teenage Andretti convinced his father that the louder pipes helped save gas.
• Sir Sterling Moss’ three-wheeled 1936 Morgan, which he initially drove illegally (just shy of his 16th birthday – the legal driving age in England at the time) and mounted a box on the back for his pet ferret.

Moss is quick to point out the top enduring benefit for a young man with a great ride.

“The great thing about having a car was that you could pick up the crumpet [girls] a lot easier than if you had a bicycle, of course,” he says, though he admits that his first ride was a bit rudimentary. “It was quite useful from that standpoint.”

In all, 67 famous drivers share their stories. No doubt, this book also has prompted many a conversation about readers’ first cars. What’s your first car story? E3 Spark Plugs, makers of the most energy efficient and eco-friendly car spark plugs on the market, want to hear it. Post your story and photo on our Facebook fan page.

E3 Spark Plugs

1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sports, $2,400,000: Not only is it by far the priciest, it’s also the fastest road car in production. It boasts a 267.856 mph top speed, though it’s electronically limited to a paltry 257.91 mph, what with the tires possibly disintegrating and all. The car debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours de ‘Elegance in August 2010 and Bugatti says they’ll only make 30 of them. So, you’d better call in your credit card number now.

2. Pagani Zonda Clinque Roadster, $1,850,000: Only five of these were made and, alas, all five are spoken for. The Roadster can drop 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and has logged a top speed of 217 mph. Its six-speed sequential gearbox allows for gearshifts taking less than 100 milliseconds.

3. Lamborghini Reventón, $1,600,000: The priciest and most powerful Lamborghini ever built hits 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds and is capable of speeds up to 211 mph. Only 20 were made for the road, with one additional car numbered 0/20 produced for the Lamborghini Museum. It’s named for the fighting bull famous for killing Mexican bullfighter Félix Guzmán. The word reventón is Spanish for “explosion” or “burst,” but also has come to refer to a large party or crazy night on the town. In automotive terms, it means “blowout,” as in a flat tire.

3. Koenigsegg Arera R, $1,600,000: Tying for third place in the money game, the Arera R beats the Reventón in the speed game. It can burn 0-60 in just 2.8 seconds and has hit 260 mph, though it’s electronically capped at 235. If you’re hearing Sammy Hagar’s voice in your head and just don’t think you can drive 235, the company will unlock the speed limit for one occasion – with the proper paperwork, that is. We don’t know just what that paperwork entails, but we’re pretty sure it has something to do with insurance liabilities.

4. McLaren F1, $970,000: the McLaren F1 originally was just a concept car conceived by renowned Formula One race car designer Gordon Murray until he convinced McLaren CEO Ron Dennis to pony up some cash. It’s lighter and has more streamlined structure than most modern rivals despite having an extra seat. The driver’s seat is situated in the front middle, slightly forward of passengers seated to the left and right. Speeds top out at 231 mph with the rev limiter on, and 242.95 with the rev limiter removed.

5. Ferrari Enzo, $670,000: The Enzo is widely considered the most popular supercar ever built, reaching 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and topping out at 217 mph. Named for founder Enzo Ferrari, the car was designed to commemorate the company’s first Formula One title in the new millennium. Because just 400 were built, they’re going for upwards of $1,000,000 at auto auctions.

Sticker-shock notwithstanding, which of these would you most like to drive home stocked with a set of E3 car spark plugs? Tell us about your dream car on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

The Dark Knight Rises, July 20: That Bruce Wayne can be tough on cars. In 2008′s The Dark Knight, he crashed not only his day-drive, a new Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, during a car chase through Gotham City aka 15 blocks of Chicago’s Lake Street. As if he wasn’t having a bad enough day as it was, he also lost his Batmobile Tumbler to a bazooka-toting Joker. But in The Dark Knight Rises, Wayne is back behind the wheel in a gorgeous 2012 Lamborghini Aventador. At least, that’s according to paparazzi shots of the car on the set staged at Nottingham, England’s Wollaton Hall, which doubles as Wayne Manor. And it’s been confirmed that the Batmobile Tumbler, an undisputed fan favorite, is back.

The Great Gatsby, December 25: This adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 iconic novel of the same name is set for theatrical release Christmas Day and is sure to deliver the gift of some beautiful vintage auto-eye candy. Set in Long Island, NY (but filmed mostly in Australia), The Great Gatsby centers on Midwesterner Nick Carraway, who his lured into the lavish world of his nouveau riche millionaire neighbor Jay Gatsby with tragic consequences. While Tobey Macguire (as Carraway), Leonardo DiCaprio (as Gatsby) and Carey Mulligan (as Gatsby love interest Daisy Buchanan) are sure to impress, we’re most excited about the red and white 1929 Duesenberg Gatsby drives. Never mind that the story is set in 1922, seven years before this particular model was made. There’s no arguing against the cinematic aesthetics of a car driven by the likes of Clark Gable, Al Capone, Howard Hughes and Mae West.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation, June 29: When Cobra spy Zartan has most of the Joes assassinated, the remaining Joes band together to strike back. We promise this Dwayne Johnson and Channing Tatum-fronted film won’t be as cheesy as its 2009 predecessor, G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra. How is it that can we make such a promise? Because the official trailer shows Bruce Willis firing a giant gun from what appears to be the bed of a 1971 El Camino. ‘Nuff said.

Any 2012 movie you’re predicting to star great rides? E3 Spark Plugs wants to know. Post your thought on the E3 Facebook fan page. And remember to power your own film-worthy sports coupe with E3 performance spark plugs for a stronger, cleaner, smoother ride.

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.

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.