2009 Race Team Reports & Industry News
CHAMPIONSHIP INTERVIEW WITH RICK MOOREInterviewer: "Rick, you've had a pretty impressive AHDRA career. Many riders have been racing much longer than you have, with fewer results. Here you are your statistics - three classes, and four years later:
Moore: "Wow! I even impressed myself. But seriously, none of this could have been accomplished without the support of Mid-Continent Motorsports, Banky Racing, the crew, my girlfriend, and my family. And it hasn't been easy. Believe me - I've suffered my share of mistakes, mechanical failures, and controversy, too." Interviewer: "Can you elaborate on your most memorable moments?" Moore: "There are so many. Two that come to mind are, setting the Pro-Dragster National Records (E.T. and MPH) in 2006, and my first 6-second, 200mph Pro-fuel pass." Interviewer: "What does the 2009 Pro-Gas championship mean to you?" Moore: "Oh, this one is very special. Bob Banky and his team have been competing in AHDRA events for more than 20 years (which itself deserves a "most-dedicated team" award). I'm proud to be a part of this team, and part of their championship season." Interviewer: "Is it true that you now have a NHRA dragster license?" Moore: "Yes, that's very true. Thanks to Cambria Racing, I was able to earn an 8.90's NHRA SuperComp Dragster License. That was good-stuff, lots of fun!" Interviewer: "What's left? What are your plans for next year? Moore: "I am hoping to return to AHDRA next year. Whether it is in Pro-Mod, Pro-Gas, Pro-Dragster, Pro-Fuel, or Top Fuel - is yet to be determined." Interviewer: "Is there anyone you'd like to thank?" Moore: "Yes. I'd like to congratulate Bob and Ed Banky, and the entire Banky Race Team for an excellent season. These boys work as hard as any team out there. I owe a lot of thanks to this dedicated crew (Tommy Finn, Jimmy Landolina, and Vernon Manowski). I'd also like to mention Mike Bahnmaier and the Mid-Continent Motorsports Team. Year after year, Mike has given me the opportunity to ride his bikes - and for that I'm thankful. And, I need to recognize Chris Mell Motorcycle Restoration - for its loyal support of my local career." (Please go to MOOREPERFORMANCERACING.COM for additional career highlights) |
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Krenik & the Desert Dawgs take the Pro Mod #1 Qualifying Spot but find out, “You can’t Win them all!”October 19, 2009, Rockingham, NC - The anticipation of the final race of the AHDRA 2009 season was huge for the Desert Dawgs. Greg was going to try and get the #2 National position and try and reset the ¼ mile National ET record. The idea was to give Steve Allstaedt the #1 & #2 bikes for this 2009 season plus all the Pro Mod wins. To accomplish this, a lot of things had to fall into place at “The Rock”. After all, this was going to be Greg’s final race and he wanted to go for it all! Friday’s Test n’ Tune didn’t quite go as planned. Conditions were no where near as favorable as last year, when Greg set the National ET records. He ran an 8.69 on his first pass. Then after making changes to the fuel and rear sprocket he ran two 8.59’s to finish the TnT session. “There are just too many water grains in the air and the barometric pressure is low.” said Krenik. “We’re going to really have to dig deep to get the speed we want.” he added. Saturday, Greg’s last qualifying day and ‘the day’ to try and reset the record. On his first run Greg spun the tire pretty bad and clocked an 8.72…way off his pace. “We put a bunch of clutch in it based on last nights track conditions, but today is way different, we just spun the tire. I guess we will take it back out and try again.” said Greg. His second pass was only an 8.60 and the final pass was an 8.55 which was good enough to be the #1 Qualifier, in fact all three passes were better than the #2 Qualifier. “We just couldn’t get the bike to run the number we wanted, which was anything below 8.430. I really thought we could break & set the National record today and then tomorrow we could just concentrate on going rounds and try to win the event. The humidity was over 60% and the adjusted altitude around 3000’, with those conditions we’re going to really have to wind the bike tight to get the speed, I hope conditions change tomorrow.” said Greg. Greg’s good buddy, Scott Furber and his daughter Katie joined the Dawgs once again to cheer them on. “It’s great when they come out to the races, we always win when they attend, no pressure there. HA!” said Greg. In the evening, the Dawgs celebrated ‘Doc’ Goodwin’s PM Championship with the traditional Steak & Shrimp dinner and of course the passing of the #1 Plate from Greg to the new PM Champion. In 2008, Greg was given the plate from Randy Borho and Steven Galati had passed it to Randy in 2007. Steve Allstaedt was Crew Chief for Doc this year since Greg was only doing a couple races, so they split Steve’s tuning services at this race. Coming into this event, between Greg & Doc they had won all the events so far this season and were trying to make it a sweep for Steve. Sunday, Greg joined all of the #1 Qualifiers for the starting line ceremonies. Conditions looked better with the adjusted altitude around 1400’ but the humidity was still at 60%. In the first round of eliminations Greg ran an 8.45, just 0.02 seconds off the national record. The competitor Greg was chasing for the #2 plate, Shane Pendergrast, went out in the first round. All Greg would have to do now to get the #2 National spot is win the event, very possible if the last pass was an indicator of things to come. After changing sprockets he ran an 8.49 in the second round turning on the win light over his opponents 8.89. In the semi’s he ran an 8.49 to his opponents 8.67 after making jet changes to turn the win light on. “We don’t get it, it’s like we hit a wall or something. For the finals we’re taking jet out, the pipe is darker than normal so we think we’re too rich.” said Greg. “This is probably going to be my last run down a Dragstrip; the air seems to be coming around with the humidity going down. I’m going for everything on this run. We’re dropping the kill time to the minimum, the chain seemed a bit tight so I took 1/12th of a turn out of it, so it shifts with the short kill time and we will pray it all works. In other words, we’re doing what we usually do, going for it all, the win and the record!” he added. In the finals, Greg was racing Tommy Hannum, the #2 Qualifier. They have almost identical reaction times, 0.036 for Hannum to Greg’s 0.039. Then, the unthinkable happens, the inside of Greg’s velocity stack ‘flies off’ (the intake to the carburetor) while he is shifting into 2nd gear. Then the bike does not shift, Greg has to double tap all the gears, Greg loses his final race, 8.65 to 8.72. “I can’t believe it!” said Greg. “It was the worst run since my bike didn’t shift in the Vegas semi’s for the Championship in ’07. When I hit the button to shift and it didn’t…my heart stopped, I pushed it again and it shifted but I had to push it twice for each gear, by the time I got in 5th I was behind him. I kept trying, I was pulling up on him once I got into 5th…but I ran out of track. With each push of the button I could feel the adrenaline leaving my body… I guess you can’t win them all, can you? We sure as hell tried; we hadn’t lost a race since Commerce, GA, Memorial Day weekend of ’08. When Steve got to the top end to get me he said “I guess when you run on the edge long enough it will come back to bite you…..take a look at your carburetor.” I looked down and the inside stack was missing, when I looked up he was handing me the missing part.” he added. Steve added, “Right when Greg went to shift into 2nd or just before, the inside stack of the ‘Twin Stack’ came off, the welds gave up. What happened next was the motor lost most of its air and was starting to run real rich. I guess that little bit of tension Greg took out of the chain is what kept it shifting, Greg had the kill time down to a minimum and it looks like we needed to keep it real tight. I think he still could have pulled off the win if it didn’t shift going into one gear but not all of them, that was too much to overcome, you can’t kill the motor eight times and still win! The good part of this (you always have to look for a good part) is we made the Finals and it’s an easy fix…increase the kill time and just re-weld the stack back together or just replace it…no harm done...except, not winning.” A personal note from Greg – “It’s been so much fun and also really tough being an AHDRA Western Racer this season. This year we only were able to attend three races. Did that suck or what? Our closest race being Kansas City, 14 hours each way, then Woodburn, 24 hours each way and finishing up in Rockingham, a 30 hour ride each way, it’s always a long ride for us to get to a race. We are thrilled to have accomplished what we did in 2008…the Pro Mod Championship…and 12 points out of 1st place in the Pro Stock Class…but having to take 40 days off from work made it very difficult. Then this year, my boss did NOT want me to do any racing, he said “work or race, pick one”. Even with the three events we raced this year, we almost got the #2 plate. So, my forced retirement begins, I am having to quit racing and hopefully pass/sell my Champion Pro Mod Bike to a new rider to have as much fun as we have had these past few seasons. We will miss our sponsors & friends and the people we shared laughs, parts and meals with. I want to thank all the people who made these past couple years as great as they were: Wayne Pugh, my team mate who got me started doing this drag racing thing, Chick Hancock, former owner and John Greene, owner of Thunderbird HD who stuck with us even though Wayne ‘retired’, Steve Allstaedt (SA Racing), who built two of the fastest legal motors I know of, I’m really going to miss all the thrashing in the pits to try and figure out how to go faster the next round, Brian Langwell (Unique Services) for believing in us and making my ideas real, all the last minute repairs and for making THE best PM frame in the world, Erin McGonagle (Custom Coating) for introducing me to ‘Hot Rod Red’ and for giving me the killer powder coating, Dave Micklevitz (Leading Edge) for giving me the best ‘rabid’ Desert Dawg paint on both the bikes and helmet, Snake Calvert (CP Pistons) for working with us and giving us the ‘lightest & fastest’ pistons, Carl Robinson (Mickey Thompson) for giving us great tires and all the info on how to hook up, Mike Hager (Regina Chain) for giving us chains to hold it all together, Paul Kitrell (Lyndall Racing Brakes) for giving us the lightest rotors and pads to stop us at the top end, Dave Conforti (Worldwide Bearings) for giving us the lightest and slickest bearings to reduce all friction in the motor, tranny and wheels, Ray Corral (MSD) for putting up with my endless calls and setting me straight on the MC-4 and Allen and Deb Bridges (Simpson Racing) making sure I had all the right visors for my helmet. Plus our never-ending support from family and friends was so cool! Finally, Karen, my wife, my team mate, co-driver, planner, spotter, cook, videographer, photographer, she kept me focused and insisted I ‘Have FUN’…and we sure did! Karen and I are not very good spectators at any sport, so I am sure we will be found doing some kind of competing in the years to come. Be safe out there and we will watch you on the internet, where we have learned to be very patient this past year. Have a great re-building winter and FAST 2010 race season!” THANK YOU to OUR Supporting sponsors and friends…the people who made it possible: Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com John & Wayne |
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Stevens takes AHDRA National Championship in Super Gas & National Runner-Up in V-Rod Destroyer – Rockingham, North CarolinaRockingham, North Carolina – (October 11, 2009) - Harley-Davidson of Bloomington/Do-Rock Racing rider Jeff Stevens finished the AHDRA season in Rockingham, North Carolina as the 2009 National Champion in Super Gas and National Runner-Up in V-Rod Destroyer at the Jim McClure Nationals. “This season we enjoyed three SG wins, were the number one qualifier twice and like most championships, got some breaks when we needed them,” said Stevens. Crew chief, Richard Hankins, had their V-Rod’s running strong all season. “We never experienced a serious mechanical problem during any event which is a testament to Rich’s abilities as a technician and tuner,” stated Stevens. In addition to the SG National Championship and National Runner-Up in VRD, highlights for the 2009 Do-Rock team included; 3 Super Gas victories, 2 V-Rod Destroyer wins, number one qualifier two times, and earning a double by winning both the Super Gas and V-Rod Destroyer classes at the Portland, Oregon race. “I would like to thank all of our friends at Lucas Oil Products for their support during the 2009 season,” said Stevens. I would also like to thank Rich Vreeland of Vreeland’s Harley-Davidson, Dick Fish with Bison Racing for sponsoring the Super Gas class and contingency sponsors; G2 Motorsports, Red Line Oil, Vanson Leathers, PMFR and Mickey Thompson Tires. In addition, a big thanks to the Harley-Davidson Motor Company for sponsoring the V-Rod Destroyer class and their ongoing support of the AHDRA series.” Do-Rock Racing is sponsored by Harley-Davidson/Buell of Bloomington, French Lick Harley-Davidson and Lucas Oil Products. Harley-Davidson/Buell of Bloomington French Lick Harley-Davidson Lucas Oil Products |
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Grimes at Sturgis and Bristol, Kansas, SC and NC
(August 19, 2009) - Tommy Grimes and the Mid Continent drag race team have put over 4,000 miles under their belts to compete with AHDRA's the most strenuous week of the season.
Grimes and Freddie Robbins left Pfafftown, NC early last week for the th Sturgis Rally which is a fun race with no points involved. They met up with Verl "Smitty" Smith, and Steve to do several pre race activities, including the Griz Robinson Memorial VA Drag Bike Show at the Black Hills Medical Facility in Sturgis. Then several autograph sessions including a daring and enthusiastically recieved Burnout at the Broken Spoke Saloon (one of Sturgis' premier watering holes).
After several days of promotional activities, Grimes qualified #8 in the Screamin' Eagle Top Fuel grid on the 1/8 mile Sturgis Drag Strip. But his chance to repeat his 2008 victory at Sturgis was cut short, but his crewing abilities aided in a victory for part time nitro racer and team member Freddie Robbins who took a win for the Mid Continent Team of Mike Bainmayer in the Pro Dragster Class.
There's not much time for celebrating at Sturgis as Mid Continent packed up their 5 nitro bikes and their red, black and white uniforms and headed back East for Thunder in the Valley at Bristol, TN. At Bristol, clutch issues persisted, and though Grimes qualified, he was unable to advance in the eliminations.
A quick turnaround had the Mid Continent Team in Kansas City for the 38th Annual Truett and Osborn Drag Race at Kansas International Dragway. Grimes qualified #8 at the track but was able with some expert tuning help to de-tune the nitro monster to accommodate the 1,000 foot track and win the event. Co-conspirators, Freddie Robbins and team owner, Mike Bainmayer both made it to the semi finals of the B Fuel class, both on Pro Dragsters.
For the next few weekends, the Mid Continent team will be doing Match races. August 29th the team will be at Carolina Dragway (near Jackson, SC) and on Labor Day weekend the team will be joining the festivities at Jim Turner's Piedmont Dragway near Greensboro, NC.
Stevens rides to two class wins at Woodburn, OregonWoodburn, Oregon - (August 23, 2009) Stevens was the number two qualifier for the Woodburn event in V-Rod Destroyer and number three in Super Gas. "Last year we came out here, lost a motor prior to qualifying, and left without earning any points. This time we came away with the double win." said Stevens. "The conditions were excellent and the bikes performed extremely well." To come away with one win is an accomplishment, but to get two during an event is humbling." added Stevens. With one event left on the AHDRA's 2009 schedule, Stevens leads the season points in Super Gas with 518 points and is second in V-Rod Destroyer with 439. "We've tried to enjoy our successes this season, put the mistakes behind us and remain focused on ending the season with a strong finish." commented Stevens. "Currently being number one in SG and second in VRD is nice, but we still have one event - the AHDRA finals in Rockingham, NC - to go. We just need to keep winning rounds." The next AHDRA national event is the Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts Nationals, October 10th -11th at Rockingham Dragway - Rockingham, North Carolina. Do-Rock Racing is sponsored by Harley-Davidson/Buell of Bloomington, French Lick Harley-Davidson and Lucas Oil Products. |
Harley-Davidson/Buell of Bloomington French Lick Harley-Davidson Lucas Oil Products |
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Krenik & the Desert Dawgs are Back on Track Taking the Pro Mod WIN & the #1 Qualifying SpotAugust 24, 2009, Woodburn, Oregon - What a treat it was to get out of the office and head to the AHDRA Northwest Nationals. Greg Krenik, Karen Raffa and Steve Allstaedt teamed up once again to shake up the Pro Mod Class by almost resetting the record! After attending only 2 events of the eight National events, Greg has moved into the 4th place in points and plans to go for the (if things go right) 2nd place position. But, that will take some doing and it will all have to happen at the last race of 2009 in Rockingham in less than 7 weeks. This weekend and even the 22 hour drive to the Western event were fantastic! They arrived in Hood River on Friday and had breakfast with Greg’s family, Pam, Izzy & Zack and then Ira and Zack joined them for the rest of the weekend at the track. Zack is 8 years old and the most curious and intelligent boy they have ever met. He had tons of questions for Steve about the bike and fed back more questions after receiving an adequate or sometimes inadequate answer, so everyone enjoyed his viewpoint. Zack also quickly became the ‘hat salesman’ for the 80 hats that the Dawgs decided to liquidate to help fill the gas tank! And what a salesman he was…selling 27 hats! Friday’s Test n’ Tune was very important since Greg and Steve hadn’t yet worked together this year. They had plans to fix & try different things…to get Greg to launch straight, to keep the wheel from spinning on the tire and to see if they could break a record and WIN. They got three TNT passes in while trying to get the bike to launch correctly and get the fuel jetting close. Things didn’t quite go as planned. “We got the jetting close, Greg was launching straight and the rear tire was biting hard but then we were presented with a new problem…the rear tire would lose all it’s air by the end of the run.” said Steve. “When Greg would chop the throttle at the finish, the wheelie bars would slam down on the track giving him a little extra excitement when trying to slow down. It looks like we’ll be busy tonight.” he added. Saturday, qualifying day finally arrived. Greg is competing against his finest competitor, Randy Borho and Randy’s tuner from last season, Steve Stute. The only difference this year is that Steve built a Pro Mod for his son, Nick, and will be tuning for him instead of Randy. The first round started out with Nick running an 8.66, then Randy an 8.63 and Greg an 8.69. In the second round Greg had the low ET of the round with an 8.67 but was still in the third position, not the place they wanted to be. They decided to change the cams for the third round, putting the old cams from last season back in the bike. With Ira’s help, they had three pairs of hands disassembling and reassembling the bike and were tightening the last bolt when they got the call to the lanes; they had just enough time to start it in the pit to see if it ran. It worked; they took the #1 spot with an 8.61. “We were planning on changing the cams during TNT but didn’t have the time.” said Greg. We knew there was a difference between the cams but didn’t know what it was. I guess this was the time to do it. We made it just in time for the call. We also got the tire to stop dumping the air but the wheel still spins on the tire, the lesser of two evils I guess.” he added. With Qualifying over, they were able to take their minds off the bike for the evening and enjoy the New Mexican Fiesta planned for 25 friends and competitors. Randy Borho made his KILLER salsa and carne asada and the desserts came from the Karen Wagner Casita. What a great evening! Sunday, Greg joined all of the #1 Qualifiers on the starting line where the Woodburn fans cheered and always make the riders feel great. The day was perfect. In the first round Greg ran an 8.48 just 0.05 seconds off his National record! “Steve pulled a good one on me up at the top end.” said Greg. “He came down all serious looking, Randy had run after me and he says “Randy just ran an 8.58 keeping the serious face. He then comes around to the other side of the bike and says “But you ran a 48!” with a huge smile on his face handing me the time slip.” he added. In the semi’s, Greg was facing Nick Stute. Greg got him on the tree but wasn’t ready for the hit of the throttle and it sat him up. He got everything under control and got the win with an 8.52 to an 8.72. “Greg’s going to have to ride this like he did his Pro Stock.” said Steve. “With the changes we are trying to make with the wheel and tire it’s going to give a hit similar to what his PS did. We’re getting closer on the launch but nowhere near what it’s capable of…this is something new for him and it’s an experiment in progress.” he added. The finals once again had Greg facing Randy Borho. Greg got a huge hole shot and never looked back to take the win with an 8.49 to an 8.66. Then at the top end he found out Randy injured his left foot coming out of the water box…his left foot stuck to the track and got run over by his foot peg. Greg stated that he couldn’t put pressure on it. “I couldn’t believe it when he told me about his foot; his pegs are low so I know that really had to hurt. I hope nothing’s broken.” said Greg. “What a day, I guess we proved our 8.43 we ran in Rockingham last year was no fluke… 8.40’s on both coasts with different fuel. We did this without any ‘fine-tuning’ like we did at Rockingham, last year. If conditions are right and we figure out the rear tire, it could be a really fast weekend in Rockingham this year!” exclaimed Greg. “I offered to haul Randy’s and the Stute’s bikes to Rockingham to make it an interesting Pro Mod session.” he added. “We had such a great time, as always, in the Northwest and it is so great to see family and my old NHRA family, Judy & Gene Bergstrom who run Woodburn. It was good to spend some time with them (meet their new puppy) and race on a well-prepared race-track. Actually Greg broke their track record just to prove to Gene how good his track was!” said Karen. Last race of the year or last race ever for this Desert Dawg? October 9-11, AHDRA Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Nationals, Rockingham, NC THANK YOU to OUR Supporting sponsors and friends…… Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com John & Wayne |
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Jeff Stevens qualifies #1 and rides to 2nd consecutive Super Gas win at Kansas City, MO | |
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Commerce, Georgia (June 21st, 2009) “This weekend went pretty much the same way as our Norwalk, Ohio event except we were the number one Super Gas and number two V-Rod Destroyer qualifier this time.” commented Stevens. “Our numbers were very consistent all weekend and the equipment performed well in some brutally hot and humid conditions.” Jeff adds, “Competing in the 95+ degree heat was certainly a challenge, but we just tried to stay focused and not beat ourselves by making a mistake. In the finals, it was fun racing against one of our SG class sponsors and competitors, Rich Vreeland, who just missed a perfect run in the final round. In V-Rod Destroyer we qualified 2nd and made it to the semi-finals again, before having our worst run of the weekend and losing to Jim Sweet in good race. Another final round appearance in VRD would have been real nice, but overall, it was a fine weekend for us.” After four events on the 2009 AHDRA schedule, Stevens leads the point’s battle in the Super Gas class with 344 points followed by, Wanda Poff 300, Bob Drapp 262, Rich Vreeland 255, and Dale Niles 189. In the V-Rod Destroyer class Stevens is in second place with 285 points. The next AHDRA national event is the Rush Thunder in the Valley Nationals, August 8th and 9th, at Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tennessee. Do-Rock Racing is sponsored by Harley-Davidson/Buell of Bloomington, French Lick Harley-Davidson and Lucas Oil Products. Jeffery A. Stevens, Owner |
Harley-Davidson/Buell of Bloomington French Lick Harley-Davidson |
Krenik WINS Pro Mod & takes the #1 Qualifying Spot in Kansas City…after 8 Months off! | |
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Corrales, NM - June 21, 2009 The Desert Dawgs could not wait any longer to race…so after an unexpected week helping Greg’s Mom in Minnesota and visiting with some of Greg’s High School Swim Team Buddies, the Dawg’s made sure they had the race bike with them and on the way back home they stopped in Kansas City, MO for the All Harley Drag Racing Association’s Midwest Nationals, presented by Blue Springs Harley Davidson to see how well they could compete in the Pro Mod Class! The weekend started with some rain and unsure track conditions, but Greg and his only crew, Karen Raffa, pulled together and started their NEW routines on how they would run the bike this season-together. Their Champion Crew Chief, Steve Allstaedt, is now with another Pro Mod Team, so Greg and Karen were on their own. First, Greg had to get the bike together after just stuffing it in the trailer to make the trip…all the bolts on the bike needed to be tightened and the wheelie bars setup. The added responsibilities did not seem to be a burden for Karen and Greg was patient and walked her through the duties on Friday’s test and tune. With all the work the bike needed, Greg was only able to get in two TnT passes. Right off the bat, he had some technical issues with his computer…like it not working…so he had to leave the same tune-up in the ignition as when he raced in Rockingham last year. But with the help of Ray Corral of MSD and his ‘computer energy fix’, they were able to get it to work long enough…30 secs…to download the front cylinder fuel curve. Thanks Ray, it is really good to have you at an event. Greg managed an 8.76 pass but they had another problem…the wheel would spin on the tire for a full revolution…that really messes with your launches. All this misfortune was pushing the limits for Greg and the Dawg’s motto of – “Are you having FUN?” At Saturday’s rider meeting it was decided to change this event to an 1/8 mile event for the Pro’s due to guard rail safety. With that news, Greg, like everyone else, had to change their tune in their bike…in other words, start all over. Karen got the new routine down and had Greg in the lanes for the first qualifying pass. They ran a 5.487 sec pass (which translates to approximately an 8.63 sec in the ¼ mile) which put them in as #1 Qualifier and they held the spot throughout the day. COOL! On his second qualifying pass they changed some things but only ran a 5.527…the heat of the day was setting in. On the third pass he missed the 2nd to 3rd shift and aborted the run. There were some funny parts on Saturday which brought back the “Are you having FUN?” question. The towing of Greg to the starting line and picking him up at the top end of the track after his run had them both laughing. Greg almost passed Karen while being towed to the staging lanes the first time. “She kind of slowed down quickly for some people and all of the sudden I was next to her…kind of made things interesting.”, said Greg. After Greg’s first Qualifying pass, Karen took her sweet time getting herself to the top end and upon arriving found that Greg had walked his bike most of the way to the scales. They weighed and then they hooked Greg up and Karen must have stalled the bike at least 3 times before she could get the two of them rolling toward the pit! “I was kind of nervous, making sure I didn’t forget anything, so I put the starter cart away at the starting line, then put my screw driver, that HUGE air gauge, video camera and umbrella in the pouch on the tow bike, and then headed to get Greg. On the way I had a whole bunch of people I had to wave to…and when I got to the scales, Greg was weighing in. The return road was so narrow for my turns, so it took a few 3-point turns to get around and then hook Greg up and I guess I just wasn’t letting the clutch out slow enough...PLUS…when I finally feel the weight coming from Greg’s bike, there is a HUGE pulling from behind…enough to throw an inexperienced rider right off the bike and I didn’t want that to happen, so yes, I stalled it a few times…but, I did get better every time” she revealed. One of Greg’s Great sponsors was displaying at the track, Carl Robinson from Mickey Thompson Tires, they had not seen him since Pomona 2007. Carl had some great advice for Greg’s tire problem and Carl also met them on the starting line a few times and picked Greg’s launch spot. THANKS Carl…you’re the Best! Back to the racing part….Sunday morning, Father’s Day and the first day of Summer, Greg was honored as #1 Qualifier in his class on the starting line with the other class #1 qualifiers. The forecast was to be 95 degrees with high humidity…YUCK! In the first round of Pro Modified he just about ended the season. He didn’t have the bike square when he shifted to 2nd and the tire broke loose really bad sending him sideways into a real violent fishtail and tank slap. After a few rights and lefts and keeping in the throttle he was able to put the win light on thanks to his opponents bog at the start. “Can you say lucky? I’m glad I had both feet on the pegs or I would’ve been off the bike.” said Greg. “It was pretty wild to watch the video, just to see how much it moved back and forth in slow motion it was nuts.” he added. |
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The second round of eliminations was better with him turning on the win light while running a 5.594. The finals had him more focused and with the changes he made to the wheelie bars more confident the bike would go straight. Both riders had almost identical reaction times but Greg pulled ahead and won with a 5.560 run. “By Sunday, Karen had the towing thing figured out and was a great Crew Chief. This first race was tough, we felt like rookies, we split up the things Steve did so we were a bit comedic at first, so by the time Sunday came around we had somewhat of a routine….I just need more seat time and practice. My focus came back rather quickly and on the track I try and do whatever it takes to put the win light on no matter what the bike wants to do.” said Krenik. After a very hot and humid day with a few hours of downtime from heat exhausted riders, the race was finished with Greg taking home the Pro Mod win, at the ‘unplanned first event of 2009’. He was elated and happy to see so many friends and pit right smack in the middle of them all! He will not go on the tour with the rest of them to Bristol, TN, but hopefully many of the Pro Mod Class will make the trip out west and go the extra miles to Woodburn…it is a fantastic track and all will have the chance to race Randy Borho and of course, see his son Alex! 2009 Desert Dawg Racin’ Schedule: THANK YOU to OUR Supporting sponsors and friends…… Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com John & Wayne | |
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Team Half Fast Drag Bike Racing
www.TeamHalfFast.com
Maus@TeamHalfFast.com
Team Half Fast Is Ready for AHDRA's Norwalk, Ohio event with DEI on Board
June 1, 2009
Team Half Fast Drag Bike Racing of Ypsilanti, Michigan is proud to welcome back Design Engineering, Inc. Motorcycle Products (www.DEIcycle.com) as a major sponsor for the All Harley Drag Bike Racing Association's Ohio Bike Week Nationals held this weekend (June 9-10, 2009) in Norwalk, Ohio.
Design Engineering, Inc. (DEI) Motorcycle Products has introduced a NEW Titanium pipe wrap with LR Technology. It is constructed from pulverized lava rock to give this material titanium-like strength and lasting durability with a great carbon fiber look! Please stop by Team Half Fast's pit to see the new product on the bike along with a selection of DEI's other great thermal tuning products and a free catalog, too (while supplies last).
"We're very excited to be able to fit in an AHDRA event this year, and Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, is an awesome facility," says Team Half Fast rider Chip Sutinen. "Besides racing, one of our favorite things to do is to watch the Top Fuel folks go down the quarter mile at 220+ miles per hour. An awesome show!" If you want to attend, you can go to AHDRA's website (www.ahdra.com) for a printable coupon for the weekend's event.
Team Half Fast would also like to thank their other sponsors for the 2009 Racing Season: Lucas Oil (www.LucasOil.com), Energy One Clutches (www.energyoneclutches.com), Competition Race Fuels (www.competitionracefuels.net), Vital Virtual Services (www.VitalVirtualServices.com) - administrative assistance without employee expense, Super V Cycles of Riverview, Florida, Airgas of Ann Arbor, Michigan (www.airgas.com), Sensational Signs and Decals (www.ssdecals.com) of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Design Engineering, Inc. (www.DEIcycle.com). Thank you for your continued support!
Jeff Stevens rides to V-Rod Destroyer win at Commerce, GeorgiaCommerce, Georgia (April 26th, 2009) Harley-Davidson/Buell of Bloomington, Do-Rock Racing rider Jeff Stevens rode to victory in the Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod Destroyer class at the AHDRA Southern Nationals event at the Atlanta Dragway. It was the first V-Rod Destroyer class win for Stevens and the Do-Rock racing team. “This win was a great team effort,” said Stevens. “We had been to the finals before in this class, but couldn’t get the win. This time we did. Our bikes performed really well all weekend and Richard Hankins did an excellent job of tuning. We qualified 3rd in the Super Gas class, qualified 2nd in V-Rod Destroyer and got the win, so overall it was a fantastic weekend for us.” After two events on the 2009 AHDRA schedule, Stevens leads the point’s battle in the V-Rod Destroyer class with 152 points followed by, Wanda Poff 131, Nick Gonatas 96, Jim Sweet 93, and Bob Pettit 68. The next AHDRA national event is the Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts, Ohio Bike Week Nationals, June 6th and 7th, at Summit Motorsports Park, in Norwalk, Ohio. Do-Rock Racing is sponsored by Harley-Davidson/Buell of Bloomington, French Lick Harley-Davidson and Lucas Oil Products. Jeffery A. Stevens, Owner |
Harley-Davidson/Buell of Bloomington French Lick Harley-Davidson |
Greg Krenik and the Desert Dawgs Plans to Defend the 2009 AHDRA Pro Modified National Championship title are Canceled…Corrales, NM - February 16, 2009 The economy has taken the Desert Dawgs out of competition for the 2009 All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) Pro Modified Championship chase. “It’s such a shame too, just after we got the bike ready for the season. We did a couple things to the motor and a couple more to the chassis and the goal was to run an 8.299 at one of the tracks this season.” said Krenik. “Last Friday, during my Performance Review, it came down to a choice, Work or Racing, and after being involved in land development as a Civil Engineer for 16 years at Mark Goodwin & Associates, I need to help Mark stay afloat in this economic crisis. No more time off without pay. Mark has supported my racing habit for the last 6 years and I am very grateful, therefore, I need to support him when he needs me” Greg added. “The hardest part is Karen’s job. Karen went to work at the AHDRA, three years ago with almost 30 years experience in the Motorsports Industry-because I was racing with them. This gave us a win-win situation…instead of her traveling with the NHRA or IHRA, we were able to do it together and what a great time we had!” claimed Greg. Karen added, “For the first time, I saw what it was like from the ‘racers’ point of view, everything from parking, camping in the pits, to Technical rules and race direction. I was affected by all the decisions that normally I would not feel….so, I think I was helpful to Craig Tharpe, as a crew member and also as an AHDRA employee. I was set to return in April and my job was going to be changing, I was to be the Managing Editor of SPEED and selling the ads and Contingency and all sorts of Sponsorships for the Sanctioning body, it was going to be a lot, but I was ready to get them through the tough times. It sure has been fun and I'm really sad to have to let the racers and the AHDRA down. But, this was a team deal (Greg and I) and I will say ‘Goodbye’ also.” “We hope that we can go to Woodburn, OR as rider & Crew Chief. AND, if we’re really lucky, go to Rockingham, NC too, but not for points, it’s not going to happen. We’ll go to see if we can break a record. HA!” said Greg. “It looks like we’ll be running at the local track here in Albuquerque to tune the bike, the 8500’ adjusted altitude will take some getting used to. I figure if we can run an 8.79 up here we might get to an 8.299 in OR or NC. Well, maybe not with the C25. But, I still have 3 gallons of A19A left, so we’ll use it up around here. My heartfelt THANKS to goes out to Thunderbird Harley Davidson here in Albuquerque. We try so hard to get great sponsors and then keep them…it’s harder than I thought it would be…but GIVING them a Championship in 2008 was the highlight of my Racing Career!” “So, we will do local racing for 2009 and keep the Pro Mod active this summer and keep Thunderbird Harley-Davidson, Unique Services, Custom Coating, SA Racing Inc, Mickey Thompson, CP Pistons, Lyndall Racing Brakes, Regina Chain and Synergy Coatings names out there and see what we can do for them at the two AHDRA National events that we hope to attend” he added. “We feel really sad right now, (kind of like in the Harry Potter movie when the Dementor attacked him on the train and his buddy Ron said, “It feels like I’ll never be cheerful again.”). We finally have something to defend but won’t get the chance, it’s starting to set in. The traveling, the friends, the intense racing, the hard work and then rushing home to go back to work…normally a 24 plus hour ride from New Mexico, was actually FUN…and we got the PM Championship and R-up to the PS Championship…so we can’t feel anything but sadness and gratefulness.” WE will miss you all…Have fun and be Safe out there! On another sad note, we had to say goodbye to our Sadie last Thursday (tough week) …she will be greatly missed. 2009 Desert Dawg Racin’ Schedule: THANKS to OUR sponsors…… Thunderbird Harley-Davidson www.thunderbirdhd.com Greg Krenik DESERT DAWG RACIN', LLC |
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