Ahten Family
Ahten Cards Top Times & Final Round Appearance at Seattle Regional
Kent, WA – Johnny Ahten and the Island Renovations/Combust Filters Team recorded the top elapsed time and speed of last 
weekend’s Regional event at Pacific Raceways in route to their final round appearance. The one thing that prevented Ahten from winning is a bit of a mystery. Usually it is known how or why something happened.
This time in the final round against CleanBoost Oil teammate Chris Demke, the one thing became the deciding element. That one thing you ask? The culprit was cylinder number one. For some unknown reason it decided to take the final round off. Johnny recorded a runner-up 5.562/259.11 on seven pistons firing to Chris Demke’s 5.320/268.54.
Ahten Looking Forward to Pacific Raceways Regional Action
Kent, WA – Johnny Ahten and his Island Renovations / Combust Filters sponsored Dragster Team can’t wait to get back to Pacific 
Raceways. Two weeks ago at the National event, Johnny’s strong on-track performance gave a big boost to the La Crescenta, Ca driver and team. A near career best 5.27 elapsed time in qualifying combined with a second round appearance are now just numbers on a results page. The Ahten Racing Team led by Crew Chief Al Ahten, crew members Howard Katano, Kevin Colvell, and Chuck Costabile will have to prove they are worthy all over again.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way things have come together and it’s all due to the fantastic work my crew has put in,” said Johnny Ahten. “Heading back to Seattle after a good outing is so much easier. We have an idea now what the car likes and wants. Zero parts breakage during our National event appearance is also easier on the checkbook,” added Ahten.
Insight Propels Ahten to Second Round in Seattle
Kent, WA – Fans and racers at the line were treated to something special at last weekend’s Northwest Nationals for the first round of 
Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying. First, there was the sight of the newly wrapped Stump Puller and matching crew uniforms. Then there was the sight of a 5.274/264.60 on the scoreboard. Close to Johnny Ahten’s career best, the team has put forth the effort necessary to return them to the 5.20’s. Research, testing, and attention to detail had a lot to do with the strong qualifying sessions and advancement into the second round.
“The car felt strong and I knew it was going to be a run,” said Ahten. “Our testing really paid off and I am very proud of my crew. Our battles with tire shake and fuel issues have been a real pain. This just goes to show what can happen when you put together a plan and keep an eye on the goal. That 5.27 and second qualifying position was just the wake-up call to remind ourselves and others what we can do,” added Ahten.
Combust Filters Sponsorship to Power Ahten Starting in Seattle
Kent, WA – Ahten Racing is proud to announce that Combust Filters has been named as a major associate sponsor starting at this 
weekend’s Northwest Nationals at Pacific Racways. Combustion Technologies provides the CleanBoost Performance 70Wt Racing Oil for Ahten Racing. Now they are highlighting their line of By-Pass Filtration (Kidney Loop) systems for trucking, industrial and marine engines. Having the option of Combust Filters, Filtakleen or Filmax, they can cover all your By-Pass filtration needs.
“The best part about adding Combust Filters is what we did to the car”, said Johnny Ahten. “I am proud to announce that Pacific Raceways will see the debut of the new look Stump Puller. Island Renovations and Combust Filters are featured on the new wrap, and we have new crew shirts to match. The Stump Puller’s new image was created by team member John Rogers and wrapped by Expectalot. It’s been a long time coming and we hoping to turn a few heads while turning some quick times,” added Ahten.
Strong Speed Numbers for Ahten in Famoso Testing
McFarland, CA – Johnny Ahten loaded up the new Ahten Racing truck and trailer and headed to the historic Auto Club Famoso 
Raceway last weekend for some testing and to put on a show for the Saturday Night Nitro event. What the Island Renovations/CleanBoost-801Racing/Fireman’s Brew team left with was even better. Two runs with trap speeds of 266+ mph proved they are moving in the right direction, and they captured some exciting video in the process.
“Since this was not a regular race, we decided to outfit the Stump Puller with a few video cameras,” said Ahten. “A few turned into four, which lead to some great video. My video guy, Chuck Costabile of Costabile Productions, was able to sync them all together and create a four camera angle video that highlighted our 5.53@266.8 run. We have made some changes to the combination and it really showed, added Ahten.
Early Regional Exit Will Not Detour Ahten from Quest
Chandler, AZ – Johnny Ahten’s weekend at Firebird International Raceway ended in the first round with an expensive trip down the 
quarter mile. Ahten’s pride took a hit with the loss, but so did his pocketbook. During the run a section of the rear wing bent and a brand new set of tires ended up getting chunked. This is not the way Ahten Racing wanted to start the first West Regional race of the year.
“I’m still working on the jigsaw puzzle that is this car,” said Ahten. “I know once we get things in the right place she will go down the track the way I know she can. The team and I will not give up the fight to return to the 5.30’s.”
Qualifying was a mixed bag for the Island Renovations / 801 Racing / Fireman’ Brew Team. In the first round the Stump Puller experienced tireshake and a loss of traction. The scoreboard lit up with a 11.036 elapsed time and a pedestrian-like 80.41 mph. The second round of qualifying held more hope. Johnny laid down a 5.526/252.95 that included a quick pedal slap to cure some down track tireshake. That pass that was good enough for the #6 slot with one round of qualifying to go.
First Regional Race of the Year Has Ahten Looking Back
Chandler, AZ – Been there, done that. Johnny Ahten and the Ahten Racing Team are looking to go back to a familiar place. This 
weekend they are racing at Firebird International Raceway, but that is not the place. They want to get back to running in the 5.30’s. The Ahten Racing Team are done waiting.
“We have to get this thing back in the 30’s,” said Ahten. “We have run mid-to-low 30’s at Firebird in the past and I know we can do it again. A few years ago we even qualified number one. We have the parts, the knowledge, and the ability. Now we just have to go out and make it happen.”
Second Round Winternationals Appearance Excites Ahten
Pomona, CA – Going rounds is always a good thing, and doing it at the first race of the year is even better. At the 53rd annual O’Reilly 
Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, Johnny Ahten qualified his Island Renovations/801 Racing/Fireman’s Brew dragster in the tenth position with a 5.457/256.36.
“We were happy to qualify 10th in a quick field with some heavy hitters,” said Ahten. “Throughout qualifying we were fine tuning the fuel system and working on the off-season rust. The conditions were fantastic and the track was very tight. We wanted more, but we tried to listen to what the car wanted and concentrate on making the right changes. We are still working on some changes and dealing with a fairly new combination.”
Ahten Ready to Make Winternationals Memories
Courtesy of Ahten Family
Pomona, CA – It has been almost three months since Johnny Ahten raced down the quarter mile at historic Auto Club Raceway at 
Pomona. His last run was a close encounter with the centerline that resulted in a much longer than expected off season. For 2013, Johnny and his father Al Ahten have been waiting for this moment. The Winternationals are here and it’s time to hit the loud pedal on the Island Renovations/801 Racing/Fireman’s Brew Nitromethane powered dragster.
“I can’t wait to be slammed back in the seat and feel the rush,” said Ahten. “My dad and I have spent the time off pouring over data and preparing the car, but mostly we have been thinking about our last race. We have installed a new Top Fuel style windshield, a new roll bar cover, and a few tweaks here and there. We have also worked on our tuning strategy. We are all on the same page, and thirsty for some quick times.”
Ahten’s Pomona Thrill Ride Comes to an End
Courtesy of Athen Family Racing
Pomona, CA – Johnny Ahten’s homecoming at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona didn’t quite go as planned. A rained out Thursday 
session, a tire-shaking first qualifying attempt, and finally a wheels-up charge to the centerline kept Ahten from racing come eliminations time. It’s the nature of Drag Racing. Sometimes you receive a gift, like a red light in the other lane, and sometimes you don’t qualify. The NHRA World Finals will not be remembered by Ahten Racing as a failure, but a motivational experience that has them fired up about 2013.
“We have raced for the last three weekends and have learned quite a lot about our car, our tune-up, and ourselves,” said Ahten. “We needed data on the new combination and I believe we have enough to start making the changes necessary to step up. It’s an imperfect process that takes time and effort. Pomona taught us that. I really want to thank my Crew Chief Al Ahten, Howard Katano, Bob Ahten, Chuck Costabile, and Kevin “Shark” Colvell. The Island Renovations / 801 Racing / Fireman’s Brew Team will carry on. We can’t wait to get back to the shop and start working on the car for next year.”
