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.”

E3 Spark Plugs launches a brand new look!

Hey E3 Spark Plugs fans, check out our new look! E3 Spark Plugs is launching a revamped website and social media sites this week. Our updated look is cleaner, more streamlined and easier to navigate. And you’ll find a few new goodies.

New features include:

• A tech support section with a chart designed to help you apply the correct torque to your new spark plugs, information on spark plug gapping, tech tips and videos, a cross-reference guide to help you choose the right spark plugs for your automotive, powersports or lawn and garden engines, plus warranty information;
• A continuously updated video section featuring how-to videos, our commercials and racing highlights;
• A testimonial section where you can see what people are saying about E3 Spark Plugs and add your own comments;
• An events calendar listing all upcoming racing and promotional events featuring or sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs.

“We are excited about our the launch of our newly redesigned website and social media pages,” says Steve Joiner, E3 Spark Plugs’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing “E3 is committed to providing in-depth information about our products and promotional activities. These sites will allow our customers and fans to keep up with all the different programs and events that E3 is involved in all over the country.”

Based in beautiful Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, E3 Spark Plugs developed its patented DiamondFire technology in conjunction with researchers from leading engineering universities. Utilizing a unique, diamond-shaped, edge-to-edge approach, E3 spark plugs are designed to deliver more power, improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and extend the life of your engine.

Our new look will launch this week. Are we missing something you’d like to see? Leave us a comment on our blog or on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

BMW i8 Concept Car

If you didn’t make it to the LA Auto Show over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, no worries. E3 Spark Plugs has a few highlights from the 106-year-old event that started with 99 cars (including just one foreign import) on display at Morley’s Skating Rink in 1907. The 2011 show boasted more than 1,000 of the top 2011 makes and models of both domestic and import automobiles packed into the Los Angeles Convention Center. Here are a few of our favorites:

• 2013 Cadillac XTS: Hold on to your spark plugs – Granny’s land yacht just got a sexy makeover. Cadillac’s sleek new XTS replaces the big, boxy DTS. The company’s new flagship sedan boasts a smoother, more polished look with more curved exterior lines and a refined interior. It’s a bit more teched-out, too. The XTS marks the debut of the Cadillac CUE, a new touch screen infotainment system that allows for quick access to interior settings, weather forecasts and even your favorite Pandora Internet radio stations.

• 2013 Lincoln MKT: “Thar she blows!” At least that’s what some are (still) saying about the new Lincoln MKT SUV crossover. A major focus clearly was on exterior design and a direct effort to sway potential drivers unimpressed with the MKT’s looks heretofore. A top complaint had been the oversized grille that, many say, made the vehicle resemble the whale that ate Pinocchio. The new grill has sleeker, more slender lines, lacks horizontal elements and doesn’t extend quite as far down the front bumper. Some love it – some still say it looks like a set of cartoon teeth. In any case, we’re digging the tech features. Among them is a Lane Keeping Alert system that vibrates the steering wheel to warn drivers when they’re drifting out of their lanes without signaling, and a Driver Alert system that monitors driver’s inputs, sounding a chime and flashing a coffee cup icon in the gauge cluster if it senses a driver is getting drowsy.

• 2013 Chevy Spark: Designed for the young, eco-minded city dweller in mind, the new Chevy Spark offers a quirky little runt of a ride with great fuel mileage and a definitely different look. The Spark measures just 144.7 inches long – nearly two feet shorter than the subcompact Sonic. Yet the interior offers a surprisingly high amount of legroom for four occupants (42 inches in the front seat, 35 in the back). You won’t win a drag race in this one, but you will enjoy the tech features, including a seven-inch touch screen infotainment system with smartphone-based navigation and Bluetooth for hands-free calling. Look for the oversized headlight that some say resemble a Japanese anime character.

• BMW i8 Concept: Perhaps the straight-up coolest car we saw was the BMW i8 concept car with space-age looks and gull wing doors. This car looks like something out of Tron: Legacy, boasts some serious fuel mileage and is capable of accelerating from zero to 62mph in under five seconds. The hybrid travels 20 miles on electric power alone and comfortably seats four.

Did you hit the LA Auto Show this year? E3 Spark Plugs wants to know which new models are your favorites. Post your pics on our E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

New gasoline saving technologies are expected to show up in many new makes and models over the next few years. Combine them with E3 car or truck spark plugs and you'll see your fuel costs slashed.

Automakers these days are bending over backwards to develop car and trucks that more efficiently use gasoline. E3 Spark Plugs shares a few favorites:

Direct injection systems: They’re a step up from the port fuel injection systems that replaced carburetors. Port injection systems spray gasoline into the intake manifold where it mixes with air and gets sucked down into the cylinders. Direct injection instead places an injector on each cylinder, spraying the gas directly into the cylinder (thus the name). They’re pricier and some say noisier than conventional engines, but the gasoline/air mixture burns more completely and the engine runs much more efficiently. The 2011 Nissan Juke and 2012 Audi A6 already have them, but most automakers will roll out models with direct injection systems later this year.

Dual clutch transmissions are a gift of racecar technology. Sometimes referred to as an automated manual, the dual clutch transmission uses two computer-controlled clutches to grab gears – one for the odd numbered gears, one for even-numbered gears. When one gear is engaged, the computer takes a look at driver input, predicts which gear should be engaged next and pre-positions the second clutch. This eliminates the lag time required for the driver to work a clutch pedal (you know – that awkward, rushed moment when the impatient driver behind you is laying on his horn.) Thus, dual clutch transmissions combine the efficiency of a manual transmission with the convenience of an automatic. Try it out in the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart or the 2011 Ford Fiesta.

First showing up in hybrid cars, idle stop saves gasoline by shutting down the engine when the car is stopped. Press the brake, and your engine cuts off. Let out the clutch or take your foot off the brake and it restarts. These systems require a strong starter, hesitate a bit in acceleration and are a bit of a pain in stop-and-go traffic. But, they’re being adopted in lots of standard gasoline engines. So, if you can deal with those issues, you can look to save money on fuel expenditures. Check it out in the 2011 BMW M3.

Of course, our own E3 Spark Plugs has a place on this list, too. Our patented DiamondFire technology spark plugs have multiple edges rather that create a spark with a larger frame front, allowing for more localized pressure. That allow for a faster pressure rise in the cylinder during the power stroke. This means a cleaner, more thorough burn and a more efficient use of gasoline.

Do you know of other fuel saving technologies on the horizon? Or does your vehicle use any of these? E3 Spark Plugs wants to know your thoughts. Leave a message here on the E3 Spark Plugs blog or on our Facebook fan page.

Over the weekend, E3 spark plugs driver Rick Huseman dominated Rounds 9 & 10 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at the famed Glen Helen Raceway short track in San Bernardino, CA. With long-time E3 driver, Kevin Probst, retiring from the series in 2010, E3 teamed this season with Monster Energy to sponsor the #36 Toyota of Huseman. The 14-year veteran of off-road racing responded with four straight wins to grab an early lead in the 2011 points series. Rick had dominated the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro-4 Championship with 10 wins in 15 rounds of racing.

After a poor performance in Rounds 7 & 8, the E3 Spark Plugs /Monster Engery team again proved that they have the truck to beat in the LOORRS’ Pro-4 Championship. Huseman, who began off road racing in the southern California desert with his brothers Danny and Kevin, posted a double win at Glen Helen event. In Saturday’s main event, Houseman finished 2.4 seconds ahead of long-time rival Carl Renezeder in the #17 Lucas Oil truck and the #11 of Adrian Cenni. Under the lights in Round 10, Huseman battled the #99 of Kyle Leduc to a 1.4 second win as the pair led Renezeder to checkers.

With back to back wins at Glen Helen, Houseman now stands nine points off the LOORRS Championship points lead for 2011. The E3 Spark Plugs race team will be busy preparing for Rounds 11 & 12 at Speed World Off Road Park in Surprise, Arizona, on September 24th and 25th.

Let's not get carried away, here. Celebrate Earth Day and National Car Care Month by using eco-friendly automotive products like E3 Spark Plugs.

While Christians celebrate Good Friday today, they and others around the world also are celebrating Earth Day today. And since April also is National Car Care Month, Earthgarage.com has released its list of “Top 10 Green Automotive Products,” including E3 Spark Plugs. Use of these and other environmentally friendly auto care products, along with proper maintenance of your vehicle, goes a long way in helping to reduce harmful emissions

“Poor vehicle maintenance directly impacts the environment, with 10 percent of the nation’s automobiles causing 50 percent of the automotive pollution,” says Rich White, Executive Director of the Car Care Council. “With skyrocketing gas prices, people are wasting more money and polluting the environment if their vehicles are not running properly.”

Do your part to help drive a cleaner environment by keeping up to date with all manufacturer-recommended maintenance and by choosing products designed to improve both your vehicle’s performance and its eco-friendliness. That’s exactly the goal that E3 Spark Plugs’ founders had in mind when they went into the laboratories, on to the tracks, and back to the drawing board a time or two to develop a revolutionary spark plug technology. E3′s patented DiamondFire technology allows for a faster, more thorough burn that increases power output and fuel economy while reducing emissions in gasoline engines.

For a cleaner, stronger, greener ride, visit E3 Spark Plugs’ online catalog to find the perfect eco-friendly spark plugs for your ride. And look up a few of Earthgarage.com’s other eco-friendly car care picks including: TripleEdge Green Silicone Wiper Blades; Fuel Doctor; CarMD; Accutire Tire Gauge; Car Planet Cleaning Products; PLX Kiwi; Fuel Infusion; CarEconomy and MotorSilk.

April is National Car Care Month - A great time to check your spark plugs, gas caps, air filters and tires.

Did you know that April is National Car Care Month? It’s a great time to give your car a once-over with a good mechanic. Four simple-but-effective items to focus on: spark plugs, air filters, gas caps and tires.

American auto owners skip more than $62 billion of recommended vehicle maintenance and repair annually, according to the Car Care Council. As a result, those owners eventually face even pricier repairs or irreparable damage to their cars. Plus, thousands of poorly maintained vehicles can take a toll on the environment.

In keeping with the goal of National Car Care Month, auto experts recommend a quick check of four primary items that are simple fixes with big impacts:

Gas Caps: “Nearly 150 million gallons of gas vaporizes into the air every year because of damaged or missing gas caps,” says Car Care Council Executive Director Rich White. “This wasted gas not only has an effect on the environment but also has people spending more money at the gas pump.”

Car Spark Plugs: A vehicle can have four, six or eight spark plugs, each of which fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles. That’s a lot of heat, electrical and chemical erosion going on. Resulting dirty spark plugs can cause misfiring – another fuel waster. For optimal performance replace yours with new E3 Spark Plugs, featuring the patented DiamondFire technology that delivers a faster, stronger, cleaner burn.

Air Filters: An air filter clogged with dirt, dust and bugs chokes off the clean air and creates what mechanics call a “rich” mixture – and that’s not “rich” in the good sense. It means that excessive gas is being burned off, causing the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged filter can boost your gas mileage by up to 10 percent, saving as much as 15 cents a gallon.

Tires: If your tires are under-inflated, you’re not only wasting gas at a rate of up to two miles per gallon, you’re also putting yourself, your passengers and others on the road in danger. Under-inflated tires contributed to more than 600 accident-related fatalities and more than 30,000 injuries each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Yet, surveys show that upwards of 55% of vehicles on U.S. roadways have at least one underinflated tire.

We here at E3 Spark Plugs want to help keep our clients, friends and supporters safe on the roadways, racetracks and off-road trails. We hope you’ll take a few minutes each month (not just National Car Care Month) to make sure all the critical parts of your vehicle are in prime running condition.

E3 Spark Plugs is excited to once again co-sponsor the Lucas Oil Spring Go-Kart Shootout Presented by Earl Pearson, Jr. The five-time national super dirt late model champion just announced this year’s event is slated for April 9 at the Margarettsville Speedway in Margarettsville, North Carolina. It’s co-sanctioned and run in conjunction with the NC/VA Money Series and features the Lucas Oil Pro Class for Animal Engines (which carries a $4,000 prize) and the Pro Clone Class (a $2,000 purse). Another $500 cash bonus up for grabs by the racer that wins both pro classes – a potential $6,500 payday!

E3 Spark Plugs gets in on the action with its continued sponsorship of the E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time Award. We’ll hand over a $100 cash and award and product prizes to the driver who sets the fastest qualifying time in the Lucas Oil Pro Class for Animal Engines.

“We’re very excited to have E3 Spark Plugs onboard again for 2011,” Pearson said. “And we’re excited about the event and the venue. The people at Margarettsville Speedway have been wanting us to come to their track for awhile now and we were able to work out an agreement that we both feel is going to be a great event.”

Based in Ponte Vedra, FL, E3 Spark Plugs was formed to help customers increase power, improve fuel efficiency, and reduce engine emissions that contribute to global warming. The bottom line is E3 Diamond Fire technology produces a faster flame front and a more complete combustion cycle to directly improve your engine’s performance through advancements in the energy, efficiency and ecology of today’s spark plugs.

Deadline to enter the Lucas Oil Spring Go-Kart Shootout is April 5 (Download the entry form). If you have an automotive-related company and are interested in co-sponsoring this year’s event, call (904) 210-6649 or email info@earlpearsonjr.net.

2011 Ford Harley Davidson F-150. The next generation of F-Series trucks may feature magnesium and aluminum in place of steel to lighten up on weight and fuel consumption.

Tough new federal regulations designed to boost fuel economy in vehicles nationwide mandate that light trucks and SUVs must operate at 30mpg by 2016. Ford designers and engineers are working to meet or beat that deadline with an F-150 that’s just as strong as today’s models. They’re focusing on the F-150 because of its staggering popularity. In fact, Ford’s F-Series has been the most popular vehicle sold in the U.S. nearly every year over the past three decades.

One strategy is to reduce the weight of the next-generation F-150 and other Ford vehicles by 250 to 750 pounds using aluminum and high-strength steel. Sources say that Ford is considering replacing the F-150′s convention steel-ladder frame with a new platform that uses magnesium-aluminum alloy. Magnesium is 36 percent lighter than aluminum and 78 percent lighter than iron. And considering that magnesium is the eighth-most common element on Earth, easy to procure and highly recyclable, it’s a potential money saver as well.

The use of magnesium in auto manufacturing has increased over the past decade. Ford previously shaved 22 pounds from the 2010 Lincoln MKT by using aluminum and magnesium panels rather than steel in the crossover’s lift gate. Magnesium has helped lighten BMW engine blocks and the Chevrolet Corvette’s front suspension, too. To ensure that the lighter-weight F-150 doesn’t compromise in towing and hauling strength, the next Ford F-150s likely will feature elements of unibody construction and aluminum body panels, though the cab and cargo box will be separate and interior of the cargo box will be made of steel for durability.

The 2011 F-150′s three new engines already give it class-leading fuel economy, and reducing the truck’s weight should add another gas-saving boost, says Ford. Spark plugs by E3 takes fuel efficiency even further with patented DiamondFire technology recognized by the EPA for its emissions control benefits. Got thoughts on Ford’s plans for the F-150? Leave us a comment.

Surfing the web recently, we came across something that really hit home with all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs. Honda’s “The Power of Dreams” documentary series celebrates those who found the courage to follow their dreams, even at steep costs, and to turn failures into successes. The series of short films, available online, features an array of individuals including automotive and robotics engineers, racers, athletes, feature filmmakers, astronauts, aquanauts and others. Many of their successes positively impact not just the lives of those featured in the series, but lives of tens of thousands of people nationwide, even worldwide.

Featured in the series are several famous names including Indy car racer Danica Patrick, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, screenwriters whose feature film credits include “Star Trek” and “Transformers.” Others featured are engineers whose names you’ll likely never hear, but whose work affects your life every minute that you or your family is on the road. These individuals spend their lives working to make your vehicles safer, stronger, more fuel efficient and environmentally sensitive.

Among the films, one titled “Failure: The Secret to Success” was of particular interest to us here at E3 Spark Plugs. Our founders and early partners remember well the trial-and-error period we endured while working to revolutionize spark plug technology, creating a product that would help drivers conserve fuel, save money and lighten the burden on our environment. Early on, it seemed an impossible feat to many, sometimes even to ourselves. How could one make such a big impact by changing something as simple as a spark plug design?

Well, after many failures and back-to-the-drawing-board experiences, we finally succeeded – in a big way. E3 Spark Plugs’ patented DiamondFire technology does everything it was designed to do. Developed and tested with help from scientists and engineers at several leading research and technology universities, our spark plugs are proven to help drivers conserve fuel and save money. And the E3 spark plug is the only spark plug deemed an environmental emissions control device by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Two interviewees in Honda’s “Failure: The Secret to Success” documentary say it best:

“We can only make fantastic advances in technology through many failures.” – Takeo Fukui, former President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (2003-2009)

“Challenging the impossible is something only humans can do and it’s something we should do.” - Tatsuya Okabe, PhD, Chief Engineer of Brain Machine Interface at the Honda R&D Fundamental Technology Research Center.

Do you have an inspiring failure-to-success story? We want to hear it. Leave us a comment here on our blog.