Long time stick racer Rick Kaknes has had great success in NMRA competition, but this past weekend he took his talents to Lakeland Motorsports Park for the Stick Shift Shootout as part of the Stick Shift Mafia’s Cash Days event. The event is really gaining traction, and gathering more racers each event. It’s put on by Anthony Heard, with excellent support from local shops, and Lakeland Motorsports Park.
Kaknes heard about the event, and decided to give it a go with his droptop Terminator. Kaknes’ Cobra boasts a budget-built Teksid aluminum block combination using a stock crank and rods, Wiseco 9.5:1 0.020-over pistons, stock heads, 1996-’98 Cobra intake cams, and a VMP TVS 2.3 supercharger. To help with the hot Florida air, Kaknes employs a 40-shot of nitrous on top of the 22-pounds of boost the supercharger sees using E85. Kaknes is sponsored by VMP, and says, “Without Justin Starkey’s help, guidance, parts, and tuning, I wouldn’t be running as well as I am.”
Behind the supercharged combination is a stock T56 with an upgraded input shaft, and a solid-axle swap out back with TRZ adjustable lower control arms and anti-roll bar, Steeda adjustable upper control arms, and QA1 double-adjustable coilovers with 130-lb springs. Up front is a UPR K-member with Strange Engineering single-adjustable coilover struts with 175-lb springs.
For the Stick Shift Mafia race, Kaknes beat the 3-time defending event winner Harrison Crumble in round 1, had a bye run, and beat Bobby Jones in the final. As for Kaknes’ future plans when it comes to the Stick Shift Mafia events, “After doing so well on my first outing, it is hard to resist.” He may have caught a few of the Stick Shift Mafia regulars off guard, but now, the secret’s out.