|
|
                 
|
The 2nd round of PM saw the unbelievable happen, Greg lost, the bike failed to shift at all. It turned out that a 50 cent part on the shift button came loose, when Greg pushed the button it went out the back of the bracket. “I couldn’t believe it!” said Greg. “We were going for the record and then all of the sudden we had lost the national points lead not to mention the damage to the motor because of the over-rev.” added Krenik. On the PS it still had to be double tapped but they went to the semi’s. Whew! The semi’s found the PS in a close race but with tire spin and then the shifting problem, it just wasn’t meant to be. “Looks like the first two gears in the tranny are pretty messed up, kind of like what happened in Commerce, GA this year.” said Krenik. “It looks like those gears only last four races before they have to be replaced.” added Greg. “This race was a shock to us with the PM.” stated Steve Allstaedt. “We just did the service to this bike before this race and we were trying to get the record back from Randy. We qualified #1 and were going in the right direction. When Greg shut the bike down at the 60 ft mark, we just sort of stood looking. “Did he really shut it down and we lost? But racing in two classes, you have to get your head back in the game and not let it get to you.” added Steve. 2007 AHDRA National Points Chase Western Points Chase The Dawgs will be at the Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Nationals in Rockingham, NC on October 12 – 14 The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products: Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com Grimes/Mid-Continent Motorsports joining forces for NHRA RichmondPfafftown, NC, Oct. 1, 2007 Reigning NHRA Screamin’ Eagle Nitro Harley champion Tommy Grimes will be competing at the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals held at the Virginia Motorsports Park, Oct.5-7 with Mike Bahnmaier's Mid-Continent Motorsports team. “Grimes is a major player and should not be written off”, according to Mike Bahnmaier, 'mostly retired' Nitro Harley racer and team owner from Wichita, KS. “My bike has been in mothballs and we were campaigning the Pro Dragster bike with Rick Moore. The Top Fuel bike is available that weekend and I thought what a great opportunity to show off the 2001 186 cid PRP powered Weekend chassis monster. We wanted to see Tommy go to Richmond to honorably maintain his Screamin’ Eagle Nitro Harley points lead for the NHRA exhibition championship.” Bahnmaier’s been around the sport for years. He started Harley-Davidson of Salina in 1978. After owning the Mid-Continent Harley-Davidson in Wichita since 1987, he sold that dealership in July of 2005. Bahnmaier, “I started racing in 1969 on an ironhead Sportster, from 1979-88 I competed in the Pro Gas class and then went to carburated Nitro in 1988 and then Pro Fuel 1998. We won the AHDRA championship in 1999 and we’re runner-up in 2000 and I went on to Top Fuel in 2001. A couple years ago I thought I was ready to retire, but that nitro smell kept dragging me back to the track. Once you win an event on nitro it seems like you’re hooked. We love the people, the power and want to maintain a presence at the track. This is a good opportunity for both Tommy and my team.” Bahnmaier goes on to say, "The Mid-Continent Motorsports team includes: myself, Joe and Neita Bahnmaier my mom and Dad , Dave Larson of Topeka H-D, Drew Moldenhauer, and Jody Dukelow both of Wichita, KS. We are actively and successfully competing with Rick Moore, Reading, PA, piloting our Pro Dragster program.” Grimes is very excited about making the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals. “Mike and I are totally committed to this event. Quite frankly, it was bothering me that I had won 2 out of the 3 NHRA Screamin’ Eagle Nitro Harley exhibitions and was concerned that without a ride, the trophy wouldn’t be really 'earned', I’m feeling great now and look forward to making the show and winning the event for Mid-Continent Motorsports.” The Mid-Continent Motorsports team is supported by: Harley-Davidson of Salina, Mike's Metal Polishing of Ransom, Ks., Gates Corporation, Saum Engineering, CP pistons, Nungesser Engineering, and Nevada Auto Mall. Sternotti Joins Price to Capture Runner Up at Portland RaceBlackwood NJ native Joey Sternotti suits up with Samson / Ray Price Nitro Harley race team Raleigh, NC – September 10, 2007 Joey Sternotti came to Bristol with a new ride and a new determined attitude. Knowing he was piloting one the quickest and most feared top fuel nitro Harley’s competing today, the excitement was evident on the face of Sternotti. Sternotti is no stranger to winning, having set numerous performance records and capturing countless titles, he boasts having the “worlds fastest street legal Harley in the world”. But this wasn’t enough, wanting to raise the bar even higher, Sternotti desired to enter the league of top fuel nitro Harley competition. After having a successful first half of the season riding his own top fuel nitro Harley, Ray Price offered him the chance to ride. “When Ray Price offered me a chance to ride for him, I jumped at it”. “I also knew the dedication, determination and winning attitude that I would need to bring to the team” says Sternotti. “Joey Sternotti is the new rider for the with Samson / Ray Price Nitro Harley race team. I regret that things were not able to continue with Tommy Grimes”. “I wish him the best of luck and thank him for two NHRA Screamin Eagle Nitro Harley Championships” says Price. With Bristol under his belt and a runner up position at Portland, Sternotti is on the right track for bringing the Samson / Ray Price Nitro Harley race team back to the championship podium. Watch for the Samson / Ray Price Nitro Harley race team with Sternotti to turn up the heat on the competition at Virginia Motorsports Park October 6th and 7th. The Ray Price Motorsports team sends sincere thanks to our primary sponsors: Samson Exhaust and Ray Price Harley-Davidson, Inc. Special thanks to our associate sponsors: Raleigh H. O. G., Performance Machine, Autolite Sparkplugs, Barnett Clutches & Cables, RPR/MSD Ignitions, JIMS USA, Mickey Thompson Tires, Gates Rubber Co., Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Metzeler Tire, Royal Purple Synthetic Oils, Icon Motorsports Apparel, and Wiley X Eyewear. And thanks to our friends at Hargis Consulting, Freddie Robbins and Ultra Pro Machining. Ray Price Harley-Davidson/Buell, Inc - Raleigh, NC LIGHTNING FAST GO DADDY GIRL SETS NEW LAND SPEED RECORD
|
|
|
Wayne had some great runs and on Sunday ran his Personal Best, a 137.78 mph run which made him feel like he was back in the game. “It is really tough only running 6 events in 10 months, plus the Destroyer class is so competitive and most of the riders are going to all 14 AHDRA events and they have lots of seat time. I will be in two more events this year…and hope to learn more about the Thunderbird Harley Davidson Destroyer.”
On Sunday, Elimination Day, Wayne went a few rounds and even put out a few riders that were in the points chase! “That felt good!” exclaimed Wayne. Greg was having a great time putting a few of the ‘local boys’ on the trailers in the PM class and then making it to the finals against the man who is right on his heels for the Championship, Randy Borho. Randy was running better than he had all weekend and beat Greg in the finals thanks to Greg's ‘red light’.
In Pro Stock, Greg didn’t qualify where he wanted on Saturday. “I just couldn’t shift the bike when I was supposed to on the 1st qualifying run so I aborted the run, the 2nd pass was okay except for the tire spinning and then we shredded the belt on the 3rd pass, but on Sunday we got the bike to ‘hook up’ and had two personal best times.” says Krenik. “We got to the semi’s but Junior ran his best run of the day to put us on the trailer…we’ll get him in Richmond.” added Greg.
2007 AHDRA National Points Chase- Greg Krenik
Pro Mod - #1 by 49 points
Pro Stock - #2 by 36 points
Western Points Chase
Pro Mod - #1
Pro Stock - #1
The Dawgs will be in Richmond, VA next for the S&S Cycle Jim McClure Nationals on September 21, 22 & 23.
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc. www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros www.leadingedgecustoms.com
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
Outlaw Race Fuels- 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil www.redlineoil.com
CP Pistons www.cppistons.com
Lyndall Race Brakes www.lyndallracingbrakes.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
September 3, 2007 After a 37 hour drive straight from Swanton, Ohio to the Woodburn Dragstrip, Dean Druschel and Larry Maynhart were glad to be in town and thankful to Keith Riddell (of American Made Cycle) for letting them use his truck for the long haul.
Saturday Qualifying:
Dean qualified 6th in Pingel Super Eliminator class and Larry qualified 6th also in S&S Super Sport class. Dean wasn't worried about the qualifying position but was concentrating on tuning the bike to get it to run 10.5's. He had pre-registered for Super Sport and was pretty confident that he could get it into the 10.5's and did by the end of the day. Dean would have a best time in SE of 10.985 and a 10.954 in SS. Larry made some minor mapping changes and would have a best time of 10.391 in SS and a best time of 11.339 in SE but also remember that he ran a 10.342 The V-Rod was finally running good and fast!
Sunday Eliminations:
Dean-
SEP class would be a short day for Dean with him matching up with Dan Norlin
in the first round. Dean had a reaction time of .068 and ran 11.522 and Dan had
a reaction time of .060 and ran a 11.529. What a drag race! Dan would win by
only .001. SE class would prove that Dean is on the road to the Championship.
Dean would go through the field of competitors, taking them out one by one
but remembering that in Bristol he took a competitor for granted and lost. Dean
said "You can't take anyone for granted no matter how many times you raced
them". Dean would take the WIN in the class giving him fourth wins this year and a runner-up, keeping him in first place in SE. In SS class it was the first this weekend for Dean. He was excited to get his bike in the 10.5's and would end up matching up with teammate Larry Maynhart in the second round. Dean knew that Larry could run a better number and would go out and show everyone that he could run his SE number with a 10.912. Dean is still #1 in the nation!!!
Larry-
Larry made it to the Quarter Finals in both SS and SE classes by cutting lights and running good all day. In the third round of SS class against KW Seneca, who had a reaction time of .033 and ran a 10.316, Larry cut a .029 light and a run of 10.253. He ran too fast, but they had a good close race. In SE class Larry would take a win against Bill Rowe Jr. in first round and then had Baldwin in second round. Larry got taken out by Baldwin's fast Shovel Head at the Top End!! Larry is still #2 in the nation, and gained ground on first place!!
Our next race is Richmond, VA on September 22-23, so check out all the action on www.poorboysracing.org.
We would like to thank all our friends and family for their support as well as all our sponsors:
Dale Miller - Miller Motors - Liberty Center, OH (419)533-1017
AHDRA - www.ahdra.com
S & S Cycle - www.sscycle.com
Vanson Leather - www.vansonleather.com
Rivera Primo Inc. - www.riveraengineering.com
Red Line Oil - www.redlineoil.com
Pingel Enterprise Inc. - www.pingelonline.com
Energy One Clutches - www.energyoneclutches.com
Eagle Star Photography - www.eaglestarphoto.com
Black Widow Cams - www.feelthepoison.com
August 13, 2007 - BRISTOL, Tenn. – Junior Pippin of Conyers, Ga. scored victories in the pro gas and pro stock divisions at the S&S Cycle Thunder in the Valley Nationals of the All Harley Drag Racing Association on Sunday at Bristol Dragway.
The bikes, with Bob Taft, owner of Rat's Whole Place in Decatur, Ill. as crew chief and tuner, ran the quickest elapsed times and fastest speeds during Sunday's final eliminations in their respective divisions. Pippin qualified No. 1 in pro gas aboard his S&S Buell and No. 2 in pro stock on his Harley-Davidson. He ran the quickest elapsed times and fastest speeds (in both classes) during Sunday's final eliminations while winning both classes.
Pippin and Taft ran the Buell in the pro gas division to test and tune the bike in preparation of competing in the National Hot Rod Association's pro stock motorcycle division in the 2008 season. They are entered in the NHRA's season finale Nov. 1-4 at Pomona, Calif.
Pippin and Taft are three-time defending pro stock series champions and have won six of the seven pro stock races and two of the three pro gas races they entered in the 2007 AHDRA season.
Reporting from the road, somewhere in Missouri
August 9, 2007 - Knowing they were hitting the road for 10 days with back to back All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) Events, and being off the bikes since the rain-out in Seattle (late June), Greg Krenik and his Desert Dawgs were ready to ride and see some sights along the way. The drive to Sturgis seemed short and along the way Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse called them off the main road to see a bit of history. “South Dakota is a beautiful place, they have trees there and HUGE heads carved out of Mountain sides!” claimed Krenik.
|
After a few days of that, the Dawgs arrived in the land of Motorcycles-Sturgis- where there are at least 100 bikes to every car! They made sure they rode into town so that the AHDRA Contingency Manager-Karen Raffa, could say ‘hello’ to the incredible stream of sponsors and potential sponsors at the show along Lazelle Road in Sturgis. If Karen had brought her chaps and boots, she could’ve tested some new S & S 124 model Harleys at the Dragstrip this week or just ‘strutted the pits’ like the other babes!
Just three miles outside town is the AHDRA’s Sturgis Dragway’s 1/8 mile track it is beautiful, smooth, well maintained and a blast to ride on and is where this weeks Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Race at the Rally was contested! Krenik decided not to ‘Test & Tune’ to reduce the possibility of having anything go wrong…mainly because Steve Allstaedt-Crew Chief was not in attendance (but will meet them in Bristol), so Crew Chieftress Karen (wife, co-pilot, cook and dog-walker) could not add many more tasks to her already full list: AHDRA Contingency Manager, umbrella girl, starter cart pusher and starter, liner-upper, videographer/photographer, go get your rider and bring him from top end back to the line AND overall reminder of anything Greg might forget (these are very technical jobs, you know!) BUT, between the two of them they pulled it off …Greg qualified #1 in BOTH Pro Stock (PS) and Pro Mod (PM) …this is the second event in a row for Krenik to do this! Greg mentioned “ Because it was such a short distance from the water box to the staging lights, I was able to do long Smokey burnouts across the starting line for the crowd, as they went wild! And then adding a new task to the routine - backing up to stage with no rearview mirrors, was good for a laugh.”
This race was a Tuesday / Wednesday race and qualifying the PM was smooth as usual. On the other hand, as usual, the PS had issues. In the first round, it seems that Greg had forgotten to ‘tighten’ the cam cover bolts hence he spewed oil out at the finish line and narrowly missed every center cone on the track, coming so close that he blew the reflector off the foam block, but he never touched the cone! WHEW! Of course, he was a bit panicked because he was covered in oil and wasn’t sure what the problem was because the bike was also covered in oil. He had just had a cam and rear head repaired and knowing Steve was not there to diagnosis it- led him to some worry. Until after he cleaned up, settled down (almost), looked at the oil leakage and then ‘laughed at himself’ and fixed the problem.
Thanks to a short rain delay, Krenik made the PS second round and ran his #1 Qualifying pass, while heavily leaning to the left to keep his foot pegs and handle bar grips from ‘HITTING” the cement wall. A very exciting run for the crowd!
The fans were aplenty and many were in the Desert Dawg pit and also scattered all over the staging lanes. They had lots of questions and were really loving the bikes. The women wearing their ‘non-functional’ shoes were everywhere and others with their leather chaps were a blast to watch in the 95 degree weather!
“The AHDRA and Greg had me busy all weekend, I was running hard and sometimes, just going in circles wondering where I was supposed to be and what was I supposed to be doing. This Crew Chief ‘thing’ was all new to me, and because Greg was in BOTH Class Finals and WON BOTH, I was having to do the contingency for the 32 bikes in between his runs. THANK heavens for racers that understand and they were ‘cheering’ us on!” claimed Raffa. She added she was looking forward to having Steve back as Crew Chief next week in Bristol “ I Miss Steve” she cried.
THIS was the Non-POINTS and FUN race in our AHDRA Schedule….and they sure did have a BLAST!
Stay tuned for the S & S Cycle Thunder in the Valley event in Bristol, TN starting tomorrow. They are on the road headed that way!
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc. www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros www.abqleadingedge.com
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
Outlaw Race Fuels- 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil www.redlineoil.com
Bandit Machine Works: www.banditmachineworks.com John and Randy
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
from Mitch Marlowe
Atlanta, GA: Mitch Marlowe owner of Marlowe Racing is putting his entire race program up for sale at the end of the 2007 Screamin’ Eagle Nitro Harley AHDRA season.
Marlowe whose teams have been recognized as serious contenders from coast to coast said the decision is a tough one.
“Right now we’re 2nd in points, Drums Brancaccio really wants the championship. You can’t deny the power and enthusiasm, the raw excitement of big nitro motors, but there comes a time when enough’s enough.”
“I’ve had a great time, worked with some amazing racers, but my family and I have other plans that don’t involve the ’08 Nitro drag race season. I’ve put a good price on the entire race program, for $265,000 you can be rolling down the road in a 2002 Kenworth condo, pulling a 53” stacker self contained trailer, unload a 2007 186 cid proven 6.35 ET PRP powered Weekend chassis monster. AND still have a 2007 191 cid spare motor and lots of spare parts.”
“I’ll continue to morally support all the great Nitro Harley competitors, but I’ll be doing it from my laptop computer.”
Marlowe can be reached at 954-325-2298 or marl89309@aol.com.
Lightening Strikes Twice for Samson / Ray Price Nitro Harley Race Team
Price / Grimes win big at the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway
Raleigh, NC – July 9th, 2007
Coming to the track known as “Thunder Valley”, which is carved in the mountains of picturesque East Tennessee, the Samson / Ray Price Nitro Harley race team captured the second of three NHRA Screamin’ Eagle Nitro Top Fuel Harley exhibition races at Bristol Dragway NHRA events.
A newly paved and well prepared track made conditions just right for the Samson / Ray Price Nitro Harley race team to grab the number one qualifying spot with a 6.314 ET at 221.02 mph.
Faced with tricky track conditions for Sunday’s finals, the team masterfully tuned the drag bike to run consistently and dominated the field in eliminations. With a 6.472 ET at 220.30 mph in the first round, followed by a convincing 6.425 ET at 221.16 mph in the second, then capturing the final round win with a decisive 6.384 ET at 215.89 mph.
“Our ability to read the new track and improve each round gave the Samson / Ray Price Nitro Harley the edge to win two NHRA Top Fuel Harley events in a row”, Price said.
The Samson / Ray Price Nitro Harley drag bike gave the fans exactly what they came to see in the finals, three thunderous passes from the 900 horsepower nitro burning two wheeled monster.
“Bristol has been really good to us,” Price said. “With it being close to home in Raleigh, NC it is definitely one of my favorite places to race, but not just because we win here. The track and the whole facility are awesome and the fans go crazy every time we run”.
The next race for the Samson / Ray Price Nitro Harley race team is Bristol Dragway August 11 – 12 at the AHDRA Thunder in the Valley Nationals.
The Ray Price Motorsports team sends sincere thanks to our primary sponsors: Samson Exhaust and Ray Price Harley-Davidson, Inc. Special thanks to our associate sponsors: Raleigh H. O. G., Performance Machine, Autolite Sparkplugs, Barnett Clutches & Cables, RPR/MSD Ignitions, JIMS USA, Mickey Thompson Tires, Gates Belts, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Metzeler Tire, Royal Purple Synthetic Oils, Icon Motorsports Apparel, Wiley X Eyewear and Industrial Machine Solutions. And thanks to our friends at Hargis Consulting, Freddie Robbins and Ultra Pro Machining.
Ray Price Harley-Davidson/Buell, Inc - Raleigh, NC
Home of the NHRA Screamin’ Eagle Nitro Harley Championship Team
www.rayprice.com
www.samsonusa.com
Swanton, OH, June 29, 2007 - Team Manager-Stephanie Druschel's Point of View
Thanks to Alan & Wanda Poff and Keith Riddell (fellow Sportsman racers) the bike made the long journey of 2404 miles from Dayton, OH to Seattle, WA,. This was going to be a West Coast race and we had high hopes of taking a bigger lead over some of the East Coast racers that were not going to make this long journey.
Friday turned out to be a good day with the Pacific Raceway doing a 'Test-N-Tune' giving Dean Druschel time to see how the bike was going to run with the cool air of the Northwest. As we had expected we were running 10.8's giving Dean the time he needed to fine tune his shift points to get the bike running closer to 10.9's. Rain had been a constant factor with short spouts of rain throughout the day but did not stop those that came.
Saturday morning, we awoke to sunshine at the hotel but arrived at the track and found out it had rained there. After some track prep and not being able to start running till after 9:00am because of a curfew issue with the residential neighbors, Saturday Qualifying started under way. Little did we know then that this would be our Race Day.
1st round in SEP (11.50 index), Dean ran the bike out to see what it had for the morning, running a 10.912, right where he wanted it against Matt Spencer who ran a 11.705 qualifying him in 16th place. 1st round in SE (10.90 index) he ran 10.971 against Charlie Walker with an 11.149 and ended up being the top qualifier. Dean knew this number would not last the day but it was a great start for qualifying.
2nd round of SEP, Dean would match up with Charlie Walker. I had found out later that Dean had talked with Charlie about running each other and Charlie asked what Dean was going to run 2nd round and Dean had told him that "I'm going to run what ever your going to run" and so they paired up to run in SEP together. To Charlie's dismay, Dean and Charlie ran identical numbers, both cutting a .052 light and running almost side by side the whole way down the track and crossing the finish line together with 11.445 times. Charlie crossed the line at 101.70mph and Dean crossing at 96.85pmh keeping his word of running what ever Charlie ran and leaving Dean qualified in 17th place. In SE, Dean would run a 10.974 against Paul Garibaldi's 10.627 dropping Dean to the 5th qualifying spot. There were only 12 bikes entered by 2nd round in this class and other racers jumped in the class that normally run other classes hoping that they might have a chance in this class if they could slow their bikes down.
3rd round of qualifying in SEP Dean would match up against Larry Fore who jumped into the class in the last round from the V-Rod class. Dean would run a 11.4699 (still running too fast but Dean knew on race day it would be wheel racing that would get him to the finals in this class) against Larry's 11.220 and would have Dean qualified in the 18th spot. 3rd round in SE class was the last of the day for Dean and he had to give it his all. Bill Rowe Jr. who is currently #2 in the nation and also made the long trip out to Seattle got in line to qualify. Dean wanted to take this last pass of the day and run Bill. After 2nd round Dean was qualified 5th and Bill was qualified 6th and this would put them on opposite side of the ladder for Sunday and Dean wanted to make it happen so he would race Bill first round on Sunday and take him out to help increase his points lead against him. So, on last round of qualifying in SE class Dean paired up with Bill. Dean would cut a .041 light against Bill's .076 and run down the track together with Dean taking the strip with a 10.979 and Bill with a 10.981. They both would stay in the same qualifying spots and be on opposite side of the ladder but Dean was on the side that had the Bye's this time not Bill. Bill would have to work for it and go up against some tough competition to make it to the finals to race Dean.
Sunday, "Rain, Rain, Go away and come back another day" but that was not what was meant to be. We had all been watching the weather and it was supposed to be a wash on Sunday but after traveling this far and having high hopes, you only could pray for the best. The All Harley Drag Racing Association had been patiently waiting all day for the break in the rain. The Pacific Raceway does not have any track drier (sounds silly to me, since all it does in Seattle is rain) and this would take them then 3-4 hours to dry the track after it rains. Remember there is a curfew that no noise before 9:00am and then after 5:30. It took us two hours to complete a round of qualifying on Saturday so in order to get a complete round of elimination on Sunday in order for it to be called a national event we would have to start racing by 1:30 (always consider some extra time for track prep in between pro rounds).
The All Harley Drag Racing Association also had a big fund raiser with Children's Ride 12 which would help the Children's Hospital in Seattle. Special guests, Paul Jaffe, Edgar Martinez, and Brian Klock who are custom bike builders would also be riding this weekend for the cause. It was an amazing site for me and Dean to watch from the tower, all the bikes on the ride that paraded into the track (over 500 I estimated) to spend the day with us. It was truly hard, but at 1:35pm the All Harley Drag Racing Association called the race 'off' due to rain. It was hard to have come all that way and not even be able to race or even get ahead on the points.
'What are you goin' do" as the team says once in awhile. You just can't beat Mother Nature, she is the one who went the most rounds this weekend. As soon as Dean got his bike off and it was headed back home we decided to go to the Space Needle in town and sight see and wouldn't you believe it, it got sunny. It did rain again a little later in the day but it was just a Catch 22 that we would have to live with. We had dinner at Elliott's on the dock and had a wonderful night together seeing that we don't get much time during the race day to see each other with him racing and me working in the tower.
Our next race will be August 11-12 in Bristol, TN. We actually get to take a month off this summer to spend some time with our family, so please stay tuned. Dean is still going for that 'Fourth Win In A Row' in Bristol since Seattle was not considered a race and he is still #1 in the National Points and also #1 in the Eastern Division.
We would like to thank all our friends and family for their support as well as all our sponsors:
Dale Miller-Miller Motors-Liberty Center, OH (419)533-1017
AHDRA - www.ahdra.com
S & S Cycle - www.sscycle.com
Vanson Leather - www.vansonleather.com
Rivera Primo Inc. - www.riveraengineering.com
Red Line Oil - www.redlineoil.com
Pingel Enterprise Inc. - www.pingelonline.com
Energy One Clutches - www.energyoneclutches.com
Eagle Star Photography - www.eaglestarphoto.com
Black Widow Cams - www.feelthepoison.com
The Desert Dawgs were SO hot… June 25, 2007, Corrales, NM
The 24 hour trip to AHDRA Kresto Nationals at Pacific Raceway Inc. in Seattle, WA was a smooth ride for the Desert Dawgs. Wayne Pugh <#> , Desert Dawg <#> #1 was in the driver’s seat for 1/3 of the way as he joined the other Dawgs for the all-night road trip. Everyone was ready to race in the cool air of the Pacific Northwest to see what kind of records could be taken.
During Friday’s ‘test and tune’, Desert Dawg #2, Greg Krenik had some clutch problems with his Pro Stock, the bike that had just come out of SA Racing’s trauma center. Steve Allstaedt decided that a 10 inch Mickey Thompson tire could be the trick this weekend. The bigger tire brought more bite but also needed more clutch and the old clutch just didn't have enough. The Dawgs would like to thank Jack & Karen Wagner for having the right clutch plates in their trailer to get the bike to hook up on Saturday.
|
Wayne ran his V-Rod Destroyer in the Super Gas and Destroyer classes. Pugh worked intently on studying how he was releasing his clutch for maximum performance and by the end of ‘test and tune’ had run some great numbers. “This is my first race using the new Outlaw Race spec fuel for my classes, and the fuel made a HUGE difference in the performance of the bike giving me my best runs to date on this Brand New Destroyer” said Pugh. This is Wayne’s ‘rookie year’ on the factory built race bike.
Saturday turned out to be RACE DAY. Wayne qualified 6th in Super Gas and 13th in Destroyer. His bike was ready to take home some trophies. His overall improvement was over 3-tenths from the first two events he raced in the 007 season. He had his bike running a 9.595 - its best!
Krenik, for the first time, riding as a AHDRA Pro, took the number ONE qualifying spots in both Pro Stock and Pro Mod! On the 1st Pro Mod qualifying pass he obliterated the existing National record of 8.787 sec, which he set in Atlanta, by running an 8.634 and backed it up with an 8.702 on his second pass. By the 3rd pass, the track prep had gone away and he broke the tire loose on the launch and the first shift thus only running an 8.76. All three passes were faster than the previous record. Greg also reset the 1/8 mile ET & MPH records with a 5.451 sec run at 125.74 mph. “You’ve got to love that Outlaw Race Fuel that Jim and Bummer have provided to us, the bikes just love it.” said Krenik.
The Pro Stock, once again had issues…she is still in rehab after her month long stay at the SA Racing trauma center. BUT, Greg ran his personal best 8.17 sec run on the first pass and Steve was glad to see the new clutch worked. Just when they were ready to get the bike really tuned… the front cylinder’s exhaust cam broke as Greg was getting ready to stage on his 2nd qualifying pass…and luckily he shut the bike off at the first abnormal sound the motor made. “If this had happened as Greg was going down the track, we would've had some major problems.” said Allstaedt. “Greg’s got some good reaction times and not just off the line, he saved the motor by shutting it off when he did.” added Steve.
Saturday night was ‘almost’ an early night, but never a dull one. The Dawgs diagnosed the problem and searched the pits for a cam that would fit ‘close’ to what they had. Big Dave Brill (a fellow PS racer) just happened to have a cam that would do it and the crew got it back together and running before dinner. “She sounds funny but she runs.” said Krenik.
Saturday evening was a time to be grateful for all the good runs & records and a time to celebrate Wayne’s Birthday with friends. Greg’s brother in-law, Ira, and friend Dan, joined in the festivities as well as becoming part of the Dawgs crew. Wayne’s Mom made sure the Dawgs had the right Birthday cake recipe to make it all the more special!
On Sunday, the All Harley Drag Racing Association waited as long as possible to be able to get the race ‘in’ before calling it ‘off’. With on and off heavy rain, track drying time and a 5:30 pm track curfew it all worked against them. This was disappointing to all the riders who came so far to race on such a great track, to pick up points and get a possible edge on the Eastern division racers, that didn't want to make the long trek. Instead of a win that could have given the winner 110 points. Every rider was given first round loser points…30 plus qualifying points. Greg picked up as many as he could for #1 qualifier and setting the ¼ mile ET record.
Points, points, points…it’s all about points. Greg watched his chance to pull away in the Pro Mod class and some gain in the Pro Stock class wash away with the rain. With the second half of the season now starting, the Dawgs are looking to keep this momentum going and chase the National Championship.
AHDRA Next event: (a month off for Good Behavior!)
Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Race at the Sturgis Rally, South Dakota August 7-8
S & S Cycle Thunder in the Valley Nationals, Bristol, TN August 11-12
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc. www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros www.abqleadingedge.com
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn
Outlaw Race Fuels- 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil www.redlineoil.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
The Hard Knocks Race Team is proud to announce their new associate sponsor, White's Harley-Davidson/Buell of Lebanon, PA. The team recently fitted their top fuel bike with Screamin Eagle bodywork, provided by White's Harley-Davidson/Buell.
Greg Grove piloted the top fuel bike at the recent AHDRA Roeder Harley-Davidson Ohio Bike Week Nationals. During first round qualifying the bike experienced some tire shake, but Grove was able to ride through it and post a 6.70 pass at 196 mph. While getting ready for round two action, crew chief Keith Bergman found that the rear wheel hub was slightly damaged and had to be changed before making another pass. Opting to skip second round, the team made the repairs and prepared for third round action. The bike launched great on the final qualifying attempt but went into tire shake again. Grove was able to hold on and ride through most of it, clicking the bike off early he was still able to record a 6.73 pass at 197 mph placing the team in the 10th position for race day. The team’s elimination day action ended early when the team faced defending AHDRA national champion Mike Romine in round one, Grove had a great reaction time but the rear tire went up in smoke and Romine went on to the win light. Overall the weekend was a success and the team is looking forward to the AHDRA S&S Cycle Thunder In The Valley Nationals located in Bristol, TN. coming up in August.
The Hard Knocks Racing Team would like to thank Joe White the owner of White's Harley-Davidson/Buell and his entire staff for there support. White’s Harley Davidson/Buell is hosting there 12th Annual Cruise Night, June 30, 2007 from 4 to 8 pm. Cruise into White’s for the biggest night of the year. The Hard Knocks Top Fuel Harley will be on display and a few startups are planned to give the crowd a taste of NITROMETHANE !!!! For more information check out www.whitesharley.com.
The Hard Knocks Race Team is currently seeking more sponsors for 2007 and beyond. Contact Shawn Schaffer at sjgotnitro@comcast.net for more information.
Photo By: David Elmeier of Immortal Image, taken from the 330ft. cone
Follow all the AHDRA action at www.ahdra.com.
Sponsors:
KB Racing
Weasels H-D Restorations
White’s Harley-Davidson/Buell www.whitesharley.com
Leffler Energy
Customs By Jerry
Jim Long Upholstery
June 18, 2007, Swanton, OH
Poor Boys Racing.org and Team Miller Motors had an outstanding weekend at the AHDRA Roeder Harley Davidson Bike Week Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Dean Druschel has been dominating the Pingel Super Eliminator Class (10.90 index) by making it to the Semi-Finals in Phoenix, AZ and then a Runner-Up from St. Louis, MO, a Win from Dallas, TX, a Win from Atlanta, GA and now a third Win in Norwalk, OH, pulling off a "Hat-Trick" of three straight wins in a row.
On Saturday, Qualifying Day, Dean would get the bike running to qualify 26th in SEP (Screamin' Eagle Performance-11.50 index) class with a best run time of 11.671 on his third pass and 4th in SE (Pingel Enterprises Super Eliminator-10.90 index) class with a best time of 10.935 during his second pass. "The bike was running good, life is good, but the track could use a little work and we'll see how it is tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day that counts though." said Dean.
With over a hundred of our friends and family stopping by to say hello and wish us luck at our home track over the weekend, it proved to be the best weekend yet. Dean was unstoppable. Round by round he kept taking victims from his teammate, Larry Maynhart to the 3rd, 4th, and 7th place points holder and then to the finals when he would have to meet Bill Rowe Jr. (currently 2nd in points). With Dean cutting a better light at the tree with a .032 against a .121 from Bill; Dean would push Bill out the back door at the big end of the track with a 10.925 for the win against a 10.888 making it three wins in a row. "I'm heading to Seattle, WA on June 21st and want to make it four wins in row and tie my sponsor, Dale Miller's record." commented Dean.
Dean would also make it to the Semi-Finals in SEP against friend, Kevin Winters with both riders breaking out at the big end, giving the win to Kevin who would go on to get his first win in the Screamin' Eagle Performance class with a Miller Motor's rebuilt chassis.
Teammate, Larry Maynhart would qualify 6th in S & S Super Sport (10.30 index) class. Larry would make it to the Quarter-Finals against Bryan Lewallen and Larry would beat him at the tree with a .032 light against Bryan's .071 but could not hold it at the big end with a 10.681 and having transmission problems; giving the win to Bryan with a 10.478. This would drop Larry down to the #3 points position with plenty of racing ahead of him to adjust the new wheelie bar and do some more tuning on the bike before he heads to Bristol, TN in August.
Another teammate, Josh Perry, (who only competes in Norwalk, OH because of being a dedicated husband and dad to a 1 year old) qualified #1 in the SEP (Screamin' Eagle Performance-11.50 index) class starting Team Miller Motors off to a great start on Sunday morning. Josh would make it to the Quarter-Finals also against Bruce Croneberger who would beat Josh at the tree to take the win.
Jim Van Fleet and Heather Mallory who are teammates that are currently leading the points in the AMRA (American Motorcycle Racing Association) in the Street Eliminator and Pro Eliminator classes came out to give it their all in Norwalk. Fleet would not qualify in the SEP class but Heather would step-up and qualify 3rd in the Pingel Super Eliminator class but got beat at the tree in the 2nd round against Jimmy McMillan.
Team Miller Motors showed everyone this weekend that we are a team to be heard. Dale Miller of Miller Motors in Liberty Center, OH has been working endlessly on these bikes to get them in the winners circle with great success. On top of running his own shop with customers and their demands Dale still manages time for his team bikes and also to work on his new pro bike that we hope to have fired up and racing real soon.
Visit us at www.poorboysracing.org
We would like to thank all our friends and family for their support as well as all our sponsors:
Dale Miller-Miller Motors-Liberty Center, OH (419)533-1017
AHDRA - www.ahdra.com
S & S Cycle - www.sscycle.com
Vanson Leather - www.vansonleather.com
Rivera Primo Inc. - www.riveraengineering.com
Red Line Oil - www.redlineoil.com
Pingel Enterprise Inc. - www.pingelonline.com
Energy One Clutches - www.energyoneclutches.com
Eagle Star Photography - www.eaglestarphoto.com
Black Widow Cams - www.feelthepoison.com
June 14, 2007, Corrales, NM
The Desert Dawgs arrived at the AHDRA Roeder Harley Davidson Bike Week Nationals in Norwalk, OH via Asheville, NC after visiting Greg Krenik's Pro Stock bike at the SA Racing Engine Trauma Center. The bike is still waiting for machine work and to be put back together for the Seattle race in 1 1/2 weeks. So, immediately upon setting foot on the Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park (which is completely renovated to accommodate the NHRA event in 3 weeks), Greg set out to find a bike that would be able to get him the irrevocable qualifying points needed to stay in the Pro Stock game. Bailey Whitaker just happened to have a Purple HD chopper with V-rated tires that could be modified mildly to meet the AHDRA Rulebook specs. Greg and Steve Allstaedt removed the mirror, fabricated a chain guard- took off the rear tail-light and license plate, added a kill switch and wheelie bars. And though it looked really weird it served its purpose.
It goes to say Greg qualified last in Pro Stock! That spot put him against the #1 Qualifier Junior Pippin in the first round on Sunday…Greg asked Junior to give him a 1/8th mile head start! Junior's time was 8.21 and Greg's time was a 16.31 and the Desert Dawg had some trouble shifting that bike too! With no air shifter Greg had to foot shift and when he did, he missed it, he almost hit his chin with his knee! Laughs were abundant, we have video…BUT, he got his points.
The Pro Mod showed great promise at TNT on Friday night - once again Krenik broke the AHDRA National Record, this time with an 8.77 sec run, but for it to count it has to be on race day, so it looked like it was going to be a great weekend. Saturday, the Pro Mod just wouldn't do the numbers it was capable of. During the 3rd round of qualifying, Greg hurt the PM motor, he missed the shift to 3rd gear, tattooed an imprint of the valve on top of the piston - this is not a good thing. That worried both Steve and Greg, but Greg still qualified #2 despite the problem.
|
"We tried something new for this race and it worked in the beginning but not in the long run. We messed up the heads pretty bad, so it's back to the drawing board so to speak." said Greg.
Sunday eliminations on the Pro Mod were going well. The Desert Dawg had the fastest time of the first round and even ran faster than his qualifying time. He made it to the Semi's on the hurt motor and decided since the motor is hurt and they have to fix it anyway…"Let's do everything we can to make it to the finals." said Krenik. Greg was racing Randy Borho (the rider just behind him in points) and he knew it was all or nothing. The rear cylinder was 35% down on compression and Steve would be taking the heads back to NC on the plane.
"We did everything we could and lost by 0.03 sec (6.5 feet)." said Greg. Krenik's reaction time was a .036 and he had a hole shot on Randy, but watched it slip away after the 1/8 mile. The horsepower just wasn't there with the rear cylinder down.
It looks like the win streak of 3 in a row has come to an end. "In Seattle we need to start a NEW streak!" says Krenik. "The motors on both bikes will be back together but we'll have to see what kind of condition Steve will be in after working non-stop to get everything ready. He's the key ingredient to these bikes working the way they do." adds Krenik.
The good news is the #3 Desert Dawg, besides her work in the DDR pit, and her real job at the AHDRA as Contingency Program Manager, Karen Raffa got to see old friends from the IHRA in Ohio and visited with Bill Bader Sr. and Paula Motolik and Family (husband Jim and Carson -10 mos old and another in the oven). Even spent some time with old friends Don Lampus and John Russell (ex AHDRA/IHRA Top Fuel riders). And she made 3 trips to the "pound of ice cream for a $1.00" stand!
Did you know???….
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc. www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros www.abqleadingedge.com
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn
Outlaw Race Fuels- 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil www.redlineoil.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
Next AHDRA National Event: Kresto Pacific Nationals, Seattle, WA June 22-24
Desert Dawgs DIG Dallas… Win & Re-sets RecordEnnis, TX 5/7/07 The AHDRA Rucker Performance Lonestar Nationals event gave the Dawgs a back to back chance to break records and take home wins. Fridays test & tune session was full of excitement. Wayne Pugh was back running the Destroyer as Greg Krenik's team mate. Things were going great until the second Pro Stock pass where the clutch throw out bearing & pushrod assembly seized together. With some help from fellow racers they were able to get a new part and modify the damaged ones to get back on the track for Saturday's qualifying which was good for Greg, he put himself in the #2 spot in both the Pro Mod and Pro Stock classes. The bikes performed very well this weekend. Greg's reaction times keep improving. In fact, his total average RT in Qualifying was 0.024, that is 0.028 for the Pro Stock rounds and 0.020 for the Pro Mod rounds. "It's only taken 4 races and a lot of patience from Steve Allstaedt (Crew Chief-engine builder) for me to figure out how to shift the bikes. The shift points are so different between the two bikes and HITTING them when I'm supposed to has taken quite a few adjustments. Steve has pointed out what I've done to the motors and how close we are- to really hurting them." says Krenik. This weekend, the Pro Classes were contested on the 1/8th mile because of 30 mph cross winds on Saturday, enough for the AHDRA to make a safety call. Conveniently, Greg broke his own ET record for the 1/8 mile at 5.530 sec in the second round on Sunday. Running 2 Professional Classes is pretty exciting, the Pro Stock and Pro Mod classes have 3 other classes between them. But, from the 2nd round to the finals, as the fields get smaller and bikes are eliminated, the event speeds up. In the Pro Mod Finals- Greg WON (back to back from St. Louis!) and very quickly, Steve had to tow him back on the return road, to make it for the finals in Pro Stock. Seven minutes between runs, it was crazy! Racing back for the Pro Stock final and wanting the double win Greg was up against the #1 plate holder. Steve had proven that when Greg shifts- when he's supposed to- they can compete with them. To see engine builder vs. engine builder it sure was a great accolade to see how damn close the race was or would have been if Greg didn't red light. "I think that having back to back race weekends helped Greg stay focused. He was able to cut excellent lights, actually winning the Pro Stock reaction time contest, and really improved on hitting the shift points correctly. The weather at Dallas made finding the tune up challenging, but we found it and made a pretty good showing." said Steve. Desert Dawg Wayne Pugh joined us for his 2nd race in the Western Division and saw big improvements in the V-Rod Destroyer. "I was able to improve my 60 foot times and overall ET compared to the last race by and average of 0.100 seconds and considering the weather conditions in Dallas, I believe that was a big step in the right direction." Coming from the ET, SE and SEP classes for the past 9 years, he says, "I really like the 'all-out' racing with no concern for breaking out. The guys at the shop, Thunderbird H-D, will be helping out a lot to find more power in the Destroyer and I think I will see another big improvement for the Seattle race. I need some more seat time to get more competitive, as this is a transition year for me with this bike and just six events" Wayne will compete in the remaining 4 more events in the West and Greg has 10 National events to go. This weekends accomplishments moved Krenik to the AHDRA Pro Mod National points lead and in the Pro Stock class he is #3. In the Western Division Greg is 1st in ProMod and tied for 1st in Pro Stock in points. It sure was great to have our two new sponsors come on board. Mickey Thompson Tires made it possible for us to put a new tire on the Pro Mod after qualifying #2. The tire was going away and we really needed a new one. That was the BIG reason we got to the winners circle. Outlaw Race Fuels stepped up to provide us with a cleaner fuel than we have been running and is also the New Official Fuel for AHDRA, we noticed the difference right away, both bikes were running quicker in worse conditions. Once we got the tune for the new fuel…it all worked! |
|
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc. www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros www.abqleadingedge.com
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn
Mickey Thompson Tires www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil www.redlineoil.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
April 4, 2007, Corrales, NM
The Desert Dawg Racin’ Team was really looking forward to an event ‘almost’ in their backyard at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix and the 2nd AHDRA 2007 Screamin’ Eagle National Event was just an mere 8 hour ride to a racers dream.
In the test & tune session on Friday, crew chief Steve Allstaedt saw that the weather was going to be favorable to get the PM record that they did not ‘obtain-YET”. They ran hard on Friday and found some glitches with the computer and data but they all kept at it.
Saturday Desert Dawg-Wayne Pugh started running against tough fields in the Destroyer and Super Gas classes. This was Wayne’s first time on the bike in 007, so they were hard on him and put him out in the early rounds on Sunday. “Switching from racing an air cooled pushrod V-twin to a water cooled overhead cam twin presents a bigger challenge than I expected, but I'll get it figured out and get back to the winners circle soon!” says Wayne.
Saturday Greg and crew ran both bikes, clutch issues set the Pro Stock back some and they qualified #5. BUT they QUALIFIED # 1 and set the NEW AHDRA PRO MOD record at an 8.815! This is Greg’s First Pro record and he learned quite a bit in Florida on how ‘not to get the record’, so this was done by the book and the motor was pumped and fuel recorded and even the motor was pumped to verify the size was within spec.
Being a #1 Qualifier in PM put Greg on the starting line with the 15 other #1 Qualifiers for the Opening Ceremonies. “Hopefully this will be the first of many #1 qualifying spots” says Krenik after obtaining his FIRST #1 qualifier as a Pro rider.
Sunday racing brought lots of rounds and lots of thrashing. It’s hard enough to get one Pro bike ready between rounds let alone two but this crew did their job. “Everyone did great getting the bikes ready for the semi’s, I was just too anxious and didn't do my job right. In both classes I had a hole shot but I didn't shift when I was supposed to” said Krenik.
Wayne will run the Western Division with 6 events in 2007, he has just been promoted at Thunderbird Harley Davidson to Service Manager and can only play a little – this year.
And Krenik will keep the road under the tires and will travel to the remaining 12 AHDRA Screamin’ Eagle National events and hopefully ride his Pro Mod and Pro Stock bikes to the winners circle many times in 2007.
The specs for Greg’s Bikes:
Pro Modified: 114 max ci 45 degree motor, 4” max bore, single carb w/max size venturi, weight per cubic inch, spec fuel, 7” tire.
Pro Stock: 122 max ci 45 degree motor, dual carb-single intake, weight per cubic inch, spec fuel, 10” max tire.
Wayne’s Bike:
V-Rod Destroyer: 1300cc overhead cam fuel injected factory race bike, min weight 730 lbs bike and rider
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet our Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc. www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros www.abqleadingedge.com
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn
Mickey Thompson Tires www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil www.redlineoil.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
February 28, 2007
What a long crazy winter it was for Greg Krenik. At the end of 2006 Race season he decided to sell the motor in his sporty that had gotten him 8 wins & 2 runner ups and he moved out of the Sportsman classes –where he dialed in for time and had to stay with in that bracket…to a NEW world –where you just Race as fast as you can! The Pro’s!
These two bikes would be in the Pro Stock and Pro Mod classes of the AHDRA , both engines were built by Steve Allstaedt from SA Racing in Asheville, NC. Krenik and crew drove to SA Racing from New Mexico to pick the bikes up a few days before the first event in Gainesville FL.
In NC, late nights and even some dyno time was accomplished putting smiles on both Steve and Greg. Then, it was on to Gainesville to rent the track the Wed before the event. Not all went well with testing for the ProMod so they decided to stay and test more on Thursday. This proved helpful as they were able to get the bike to shift and run the length of the track.
Parking was smooth and the pits were alive with new riders and new motor set-ups and everyone ready to get down the track for some test and tune. But, the weather did not cooperate, so Friday and Saturday were both rained out for the Pro Classes and that ONLY left Sunday – Elimination Day to race! The ladders were made up from the 2006 points standings and your first time down the track was an elimination round.
Sunday, Greg finally got on the track at 12:30pm and ran the Pro Stock to a personal best of 8.197, the fourth fastest time of the first round. The problem was that his opponent was one of the three quicker bikes so he was done with that class for the event. With a change of schedule making his two classes back-to-back he was back in the lanes for ProMod. His first run saw him run an 8.710 and break the record for the Pro Mod class.
Pro Mod Live Update from the AHDRA.com website:
Greg Krenik can thank a fast working crew for his position in the Pro Mod final. After Krenik lost fire just before pre-staging, an alert Steve Allstaedt, (crew chief) got him re-fired within the 30-second requirement and Krenik went on to defeat Stephen Galati and will take on Randy Borho in the final. Krenik set a new Pro Mod record today with his 8.65 win over Galati in the semi that was backed up by his Round one 8.71 record!
Pro Mod Final: Greg Krenik and Randy Borho:
What a race… and it was Borho coming out on top after a real close finish. Borho clocked an 8.86 for the win, just ahead of Krenik’s 8.87 and both riders lit the board at 147mph. Margin of victory for Borho was 0.007! Krenik commented he shifted into second gear too soon but was happy with the way the bike ran.
Desert Dawg Racin’ gratefully thank Thunderbird Harley Davidson, Mark Goodwin & Associates, Unique Services, Leading Edge-The Motorcycle Paint Pros and Chick & Lyn Hancock all in Albuquerque, Custom Coating in Roswell and SA Racing in Asheville, NC for supporting the Dawgs this 007 season. A BIG hand to SA Racing’s Steve Allstaedt for meticulously building and tuning these race bikes for incredible results. The bikes look HOT and run FANTASTIC.
March 7, 2007, Corrales, NM
NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Tom Bradford bagged a big one in the off-season, landing The Sportsman Channel as his team's primary sponsor in 2007. The Sportsman Channel is the only national cable channel dedicated to hunting and fishing programming 24/7/365.
It's a perfect alliance between Bradford, an avid hunting and fishing enthusiast, and a channel dedicated to the sportsman. "My background is a natural for The Sportsman Channel," said Bradford. "Basically, I'm passionate about three things in life: pro stock motorcycle racing, hunting and fishing, and my family."
The Sportsman Channel corporate office is based in New Berlin, Wisc., which is also the home base for Bradford and longtime associate sponsors Hal's Speedshop, Hal's Harley-Davidson/Buell and Stitch-it-Embroidery. "Our mutual sponsors introduced us and were ultimately the connection there," said Bradford, who worked with The Sportsman Channel's Sr. Vice President, Todd Hansen, to form a marketing partnership.
"This is a great opportunity for The Sportsman Channel to form new partnerships and reach out to enthusiasts in other markets," said Hansen. "Tom is an excellent performer and we are excited to meet his supporters at the races."
"My team is obviously very, very enthused about this relationship with a sponsor outside of the motorcycle and automotive industries," continued Bradford. "And we're looking forward to introducing NHRA fans to The Sportsman Channel."
The Sportsman Channel and Bradford Racing concept motorcycle is fully draped in Realtree® All Purpose camouflage pattern. Bradford will wear a similar-looking driver suit and the trailer will also carry all sponsors logos while integrating the camouflage pattern. "The bike is really, really cool the way we're doing it. It's done in a true sportsman theme which is something that will certainly be unique and interesting to all the NHRA fans," said Bradford.
The Sportsman Channel is dedicated to the over 47 million sportsmen in the U.S. who demand 24/7/365 hunting and fishing programs. The strict programming guidelines don't allow for infomercials, motorsports, bull riding, hiking, cycling or any other variety programming-just tried and true hunting and fishing programming. No other channel can claim this.
And few competitors can claim a first full year in NHRA POWERade competition like the year five-time AHDRA national champion Bradford and his team had in 2006. They nailed down a number one qualifier in St. Louis, became the fourth member of the exclusive Mickey Thompson 6 Second Club in Sonoma, made the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle in Indianapolis, finished sixth in the Full Throttle NHRA Pit Crew Championship, and eighth in the POWERade Point Standings. And Bradford finished the season off with a final round appearance in Pomona.
"I am so fired up about 2007, I just can't wait for Gainesville!" said Bradford, who starts the new season March 15-18 at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.
Tom thanked The Sportsman Channel, Red Line Oil, Balbayis Asset Consulting, Hal's Harley-Davidson/Buell, Stitch-it-Embroidery, CRD Inc., MicroBlue Racing, Vanson Leathers, S&S Cycle, Buell Motor Co., T-N-S Machining, Autolite, Simpson, and EBC Brakes for their support of the Thunder Eagle/Tom Bradford Racing Team.
Find out more about The Sportsman Channel at http://www.eatmyink.com
Find out more about Hal's at http://www.halshd.com
Find out more about Vanson Leathers at http://www.vansonleathers.com
Find out more about S&S Cycle at http://www.sscycle.com
Find out more about Buell Motor Co. at http://www.buell.com
Find out more about Red Line Oil at http://www.redlineoil.com
Find out more about MicroBlue Racing at http://www.microblueracing.com
Find out more about Autolite at http://www.autolite.com
Find out more about Simpson at http://www.simpsonraceproducts.com
Find out more about EBC Brakes at http://www.ebcbrakes.com
Find out more about the NHRA at http://www.nhra.com
Contact Tom Bradford at (262) 814-7282, tom.bradford@halshd.com.
Final 2006 NHRA/POWERade Point Standings
8th Tom Bradford 630
Current Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle Point Standings
13th Tom Bradford 270
Final Full Throttle NHRA Pit Crew Championship Point Standings
6th Tom Bradford/Rob Schopf 377
This team report was prepared by Tim Hailey, www.eatmyink.com
2007 Race Team Reports & Industry News Archive
TOTAL RESULTS FOR 2007 AHDRA SEASON
Wayne Pollack, former AHDRA drag racer, is still out there running big numbers. His main speed/power release these days involve the MAXON Mile, an ECTA (East Coast Timing Association) Land speed meet held at Maxon, NC, just a short distance from his old record holding stomping grounds, Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, NC.
Dean Comunal took his Screamin’ Eagle Top Fueler to a new orbit this weekend at the AHDRA Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Nationals at Rockingham Dragway in the Piedmont of NC.
Tom Caldwell of Caldwell’s Speed and Custom had ordered all his parts to freshen the motor for competition in the S &S Pro Stock class at the world famous drag racing facility at Rockingham, NC for the Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Nationals.
Two time NHRA Screamin’ Eagle Nitro Harley champion Tommy Grimes and the Mid-Continent Motorsports team joined forces again at the AHDRA’s Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Nationals at Rockingham, NC. Qualifying 10th, Grimes and team got the bike in the 6’s and made a 210.44 mph pass during the qualifying session.
