This past weekend Maryland International Raceway hosted the 22nd annual WPGC Bike Fest with the XDA delivering the best motorcycle drag racing has to offer. The event featured Live music by New Impressionz, Baggers vs. Slingshots Sound Off, custom bike show, sound competition, huge vendor midway and a hot bikini contest! The on-track action was star-studded as always, with over 700 entries tackling the MIR’s quarter mile. Racers showed up ready for serious competition and they weren’t letting the warm weather slow them down. With full fields and a variety of activities going down in the pits, there was non-stop action all weekend. Orient Express Racing Pro Street The Orient Express Racing Pro Street tuners had their A-game on this weekend in the brutal summer temperatures. Normally the performance numbers will suffer when the track temps are over 140 degrees and the air temperature is close to 100 degrees. But the evolution of this class showed this weekend as the tuners quickly adapted to the track and made it work. “The track was not at its best this past weekend, stated XDA co-owner, Jason Miller. “I really have to give credit to the racers and tuners this weekend that were able to take a less than ideal combination and still deliver stellar performance numbers.” Friday night, off the trailer, class points leader and champion Rodney Williford set the tone for the event putting a 6.423 on the scoreboards that would not be beat in qualifying or eliminations. And despite the high temperatures half the class qualified under 6.68. Greg Wallace, Justin Shakir, and Darion Payne ran 6.461, 6.492, and 6.498 respectively. During qualifying Shakir ran a 233.12 mph pass potentially setting a new XDA record. To back up the run and set the record he needed to make a run within 1% at 230.78 mph. He was unable to do that, but his current personal record still stands a 234.29 mph. Curtis Ellerbe improved his record standing during qualifying moving up the Pro Street GOAT list from 7.323 to a 7.206. Eliminations on Sunday kept the crowd in the stands entertained as the competition was intense every session. In round one Rodney Williford and Justin Shakir both ran in the forties with a 6.477 and 6.492. Blake Sander set a personal record of 221.67 to earn a spot on the Pro Street MPH GOAT list. In round two Jason Dunigan took out Greg Wallace running a new personal record of 6.474 at 231.95 mph. In the semi-final Rodney Williford stunned the crown when he went -.216 red against Darion Payne to end his reign of consecutive wins in Pro Street. Despite the red light, Williford reset his ET record to 6.372. And on this pass Payne reset his personal record running a 6.450 at 227.80 mph. Jason Dunigan took a win and a wild ride against Justin Shakir. Justin had problems off the line, but Dunigan didn’t want to take any chances letting him get back around so when his front tire started coming off the ground, he was hesitant to back off the throttle launching both wheels off the ground making it a wild pass to a win light. In the final Payne and Dunigan were a well-matched pair for competition. But when the bulbs dropped, Payne went -.017 red sending Dunigan to his first XDA Pro Street winner’s circle, and his second with the MIROCK dynasty. DME Racing Real Street David Stewart continues his reign in the DME Racing Real Street as he earns more points to lock in his chase for the championship. Stewart took the number one qualifying position with a 7.463 and then went on to dominate taking wins over Mark Hylton and Brittany Bohne before facing Rickey Gadson in the final. Jeremy Teasley returned to Real Street this event but was quickly turned away when Rickey Gadson took a win over him in round one. Gadson had a bye in the semi-final and elected to break the beams after finding a problem with his bike. Gadson could not make it to the finals giving an automatic win to David Stewart. David Stewart broke the beams in the finals to officially declare his win, and in true sportsman style, reigning class champion Mark Hylton and his team helped push Stewart to the starting line and back. MaxxECU Pro Xtreme The MaxxECU Pro Xtreme fans were stunned Friday night when Ronnie Procopio put a 3.937 on the scoreboard right out of the gate. On Sunday Procopio took a win over Thomas Gunn in round one and earned a bye in round two to face John Collins in the final. Collins would take wins over Eran Pielert and Tyron Lemons. In the final it was a deadly close race as Procopio and Collins cut a .046 and .043 light respectively. They were side-by-side down the track as they had a photo finish crossing the finish line running a 4.061 and 4.069 with the win going to Procopio for the second time this season. HTP Performance Super Stock In HTP Performance Super Stock Curtis McDougald took the number one qualifying spot with an 8.789 to lead the class of pro hand clutch racers. And for the second event in a row Mike Davis and McDougald met in the final round. And like Déjà vu, McDougald took the win running an 8.920 to Davis’s 8.946. This was Davis’s fourth straight final round appearance this season. There can be nothing more frustrating than being so close to a win so many times. These hand clutch killers will be back at it next month for the 4th annual Bike Bash on August 26-28, 2022. Vance & Hines 4.60 The Vance and Hines 4.60 Index class had a record turnout for Bike Fest with forty-seven bikes competing for the thirty-two bike field. Due to the increased turnout, XDA moved the qualifying field to forty bikes allowing more racers to enter competition on Sunday. Frank Christian led the charge in qualifying with a 4.601. The field was tight with the top forty bikes running within the 4.60 to 4.74 zone. Ron Bonitatis and Wes Hawkins both dominated their sides of the ladder to earn a spot in their first final round appearances of the season. Hawkins left the line first with a starting line advantage of .046 over Bonitatis’ .066 light. Bonitatis ran dead on with a 4.608, but the hole shot for Hawkins got him the win on his 4.626 run. HTP Performance Grudge Soaring temperatures didn’t stop the grudge racers as the Bulls showed up in force for the WPGC Bike Fest. The grudge racers and their fans turned up the volume Saturday night to give the Sound competition on the other side of the track a run for their money as the smack talking and dolla bills exchanged sides all night. Boosted Bulls Malcolm Phillips on ‘Billy Mays’ is leading the points in Boosted Bulls and was the favorite for the win Saturday night over Frankie Stotz on ‘Reddi-Wip.’ But when the bulbs dropped ‘Reddi-Wip’ shot out of the can straight down the track and ‘Billy Mays’ just couldn’t keep up. This was a redemption win for DME Racing and Stotz after his unfortunate high-speed crash in April. APE Nitrous Bulls Jeremy Teasley returned to XDA looking for action on ‘Unhinged’ in APE Nitrous Bulls. Teasley put the smack down on ‘No Drawers’ and ‘War Cry’ before going to work on ‘Bumpy Johnson2.0’ in the final. Gaige Herrera took wins over ‘Sho-Nuff’ and ‘Kill Shot’ before facing Teasley. In the Final Teasley made ‘Bumpy Johnson 2.0’ look weak as scoreboards lit up in his favor. 3 Sixty 5 Monster Bulls In 3 Sixty 5 Monster Bulls Spencer Claycomb for the second time in a row had to face his teammate, Jason Herron in round one of competition. However, this time the tables turned and Claycomb took ‘Under the Influence’ to the final. After taking out his own bike ‘Tic Tok,’ he also took wins over ‘Leather Face’ and ‘Son of Sam’ before reaching the final to battle it out with David Martin on ‘Unknown.’ The final was easy work for Claycomb as he got out in front of Martin and turned on his win light for back-to-back win for his team. This win also moves him to the top of the championship points chase. Tommie’s Motorsports DMV Bulls In Tommie’s Motorsports DMV Bulls, Caleb Holt on ‘AM Performance’ made his first DMV Bulls appearance and no one could stop him as he cut down the smack talking round after round with wins over ‘Stunna 4 Vegas’, ‘Bud Light lime’ and ‘Rick James.’ And the final again Malcolm Phillips on ‘No Cap’ was another round of pure performance domination as Holt turned on another win light for his team. Tommie’s Motorsports All Motor Bulls The Tommie’s Motorsports All Motor Bulls put on show and didn’t let the heat slow down their performance on the track Friday night. David Fondon on ‘Bad Bitch’ slapped ‘Nasty Bastard’ with the win light in the final round and took the win. 1 Stop Speed 5.60 Robert Parker led the 1 Stop Speed 5.60 qualifying on Saturday with a 5.604 time over thirty-five other competitors. Dustin Lee who came into this event sitting number three in points made sure he took out all the heavy hitters on his way to the final where he met Michael Graves. Lee intimidated Graves on the starting line as he went -.252 red handing Lee the win and sending him to the winner’s circle giving him the points he needs to reach a championship with only two events left in the season. Mickey Thompson Tires Top Sportsman Mickey Thompson Tires Top Sportsman had a quick field despite the soaring temperatures. Ryan Burnell qualified number one with a 7.431, however he took a first round loss to the number thirty-two qualifier when he had problems on the track and ran almost two seconds off his dial-in time. Jeffrey Santin and Robin Procopio both qualified in the middle of the pack and earned their win lights for a final round showing. Procopio’s husband just won Pro Xtreme and she was determined to double up their winner’s circle photo. In the final, Procopio dialed an 8.22 and cut a .020 light, Santin dialed an 8.04 and cut a .051 light. Procopio turned on the win light with an 8.257 running closer to her dial than Santin’s 8.087 run. MPS Racing Pro ET Over a hundred and thirty racers entered Sunday’s MPS Racing Pro ET class to test their skills and earn that $5,000 payday. Jimmie Miller and Harvey Powell won seven rounds of competition to earn their final round spots. Miller last saw a Pro ET winner’s circle in 2019 and he was determined to get back there this weekend. Miller dialed an 8.10 and cut a .015 light, Powell dialed an 8.24 and cut a .037 light. As the two riders raced to the finish line, Miller lifted right before the finish line running an 8.115, and Powell didn’t lift enough as he broke running an 8.234 helping put Miller back in the winner’s circle. Brock’s Performance Street ET The Brock’s Performance Street ET class yielded action packed rounds as competitors were running close to their dials and giving the crowd a show on Sunday round after round. Montrell Johnson and Micheal McAllister both won six rounds to dominate their side of the ladder. Johnson dialed an 8.77 and McAllister a 10.84 for the final. McAllister left first with .077 reaction time, and Johnson cut his worst light of the day at .129. The two raced to the finish and neither racer was lifting! McAllister got their first but broke out with a 10.838 pass giving the win to Johnson who ran an 8.771. It was a great final round. VooDoo Components Bracket Bash The heat did not deter the VooDoo Component Bracket Bash with over 170 racers entering for a change at the $3,000 payout. Nick Hamlett and Mike Schulz both worked their way through seven rounds of tough competition to Saturday night to face off in the final. Hamlett dialed an 8.72 and Schulz an 8.63 making it a close actioned round. Hamlett left the line first with a .009 reaction time to Schulz’s .041 light. As the two raced down to the finish line they were side eyeing each other as they both lifted off the gas trying to take the finish the line without breaking out of their dial. Hamlett’s starting line advantage got him there first and he took the win with a .021 margin of victory running an 8.807 to Schulz’s 8.706. Hard Times Parts & Service Gambler’s Race It was back-to-back wins this weekend for Ben Knight in the Hard Times Parts & Service Gambler’s race. After taking a win last month, he fell right back in the win light groove and methodically picked off the competition round after round. In the final he faced Michael Parsons, but the work was made easy when Parsons went red to send Knight to another winner’s circle. For full qualifying and round-by-round results of the event, visit www.xdaracing.com. The XDA will head back to Virginia Motorsports Park for the 4th annual Bike Bash on August 26-28, 2022. There will be over 700 Professional, Sportsman, and Grudge motorcycle racers in competition battling it out for over $80,000 in cash purse at this event. Get August 26-28 on your calendar now! About XDA Racing : The Xtreme Dragbike Association (XDA) is an east coast motorcycle drag racing series with 700+ motorcycle racers competing at each event.

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Tell ’em All there Bikernet.com Sent ya !!! Riding Free for 25 years.

So I’m working on a replacement to the breakfast treat. What we came up with is homemade gooey cinnamon buns.

We’re talkin’ cinnamon buns made with the softest, chewiest, lightly-golden dough, an irresistible buttery cinnamon-sugar swirl filling, and drizzled with traditional glaze.

The best thing about deciding on a bun is test tasting them. So Marilyn Stemp, co-producer and human electrical switch who knows everyone and connects everyone, took off to research the topic at Lynn’s Dakotamart, Lou Lou’s Bombdiggities Pastries & Coffee Shop, The Good Witch Cake Shop, Jerry’s Cakes & Donuts, Baker’s Bakery & Café, and many more.

In Search of the Sturgis Sticky Bun: The Answer is Closer than you Think
Chip owner Rod Woody Woodruff found some were too doughy, some not sweet enough, some more air than substance. But ultimately, he found a candidate that had just the right of amount of cinnamon, the ideal chewiness, and an irresistible buttery texture.

And that my friends is the signature sweetness that will be provided at the 8th annual Flying Piston Benefit that kicks off at the Big Engine Bar located at the Buffalo Chip’s west gate at 8:30 AM on Sunday, August 7th.

To attend this year’s Flying Piston Benefit, click here to order your ticket – https://rallytickets.com/2021-flying-piston-breakfast-benefit/

The Little Red Story, Part 1
by Kent Weeks with photos by Sil and RFR

To say this project has a long story is quite an understatement. We have all stayed friends and loosely in contact over the years. During this long, drawn-out period there are so many memories, kids, work, life and the madness that comes from it all, haha!

Sometimes things can be good and bad at the same time, and my fever for motorcycles took the lead. We ended up doing a final assembly on a project and that started to bring in more mechanical work, and that lead into more complete-build projects like Little Red here.

CLICK Here To Read this Awesome Build Process only on Bikernet.com

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Want to see 25 years worth of Custom Builds? Understand Features with Specs & How various legends in the industry did it ?
It’s all available FOR NO CHARGE – exclusively on Bikernet.com !!!

If you like the editorials, feature articles, tech, tips, reviews – Support Riding Free – Join the Cantina and get free swag. Click To Visit Cantina Membership Section here for details.

Monster Energy’s UNLEASHED Podcast Welcomes Motocross Trailblazer Jackson Strong

Episode 36 Gets personal with 30-Year-Old FMX Innovator and Six-Time X Games Gold Medalist

Start your engines! Monster Energy is proud to welcome freestyle motocross innovator and six-time X Games gold medalist Jackson Strong on Episode 36 of the sports and pop culture podcast UNLEASHED with The Dingo and Danny.

This latest one-hour episode released today across Monster Energy’s social media channels and was recorded inside Monster Energy headquarters in Corona, California. A must-listen for all motocross fans, the podcast gets the inside story from the 30-year-old from Lockhart, New South Wales, Australia, who became a professional freestyle motocross rider as a teenager and left his unique mark on the sport ever since.

“I think freestyle motocross is in a bit of a transitional period at this point in time. There are a lot of guys doing a lot more freeride-type stuff, like what Axell [Hodges] is doing is really cool. But I think we’re going to see freestyle move away from being inside small stadiums and moving outside with bigger jumps, longer distances and highest air. But we’ll always have the Best Trick and people learning new tricks,” said Strong.

Fans can now tune in to Episode 36 of UNLEASHED featuring Jackson “Jacko” Strong.
Released today, the new podcast is streaming on all major platforms, including Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube.

Jackson Strong’s career is without parallel in professional freestyle motocross. At age 13, Strong began performing in shows with the Crusty Demons crew and has pushed the limits with never-been-done tricks ever since. He earned his first X Games gold medal in 2011 and has clinched the win in Motocross Best Trick six times since. His X Games record currently stands at 13 medals (6 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze) and includes one bronze from Snow Bike Best Trick. A fearless innovator and next-level athlete, Strong embodies the action sports mindset like few other riders and keeps the innovations coming in boundary-pushing video parts.

Learn about Strong’s innovative approach to motocross and unparalleled mental resilience in conversation with the two podcast hosts, Australian action sports personality Luke “The Dingo” Trembath and professional snowboarder Danny Kass on Episode 36 of UNLEASHED. Tune in right here.

Born in New South Wales, Australia, to a farming family spanning several generations, Strong discovered dirt bikes at a young age. “For me it all began riding around dirt bikes on the farm. More like a ways of getting around, sort of my transport. It was how I got to school,” said Strong on UNLEASHED. With a penchant for catching air, he soon began building his own jumps and training at abandoned spots near his home. And he got good quick: When he was only 13 years old, Strong began touring with the Crusty Demons of Dirt crew. “I learned all the bad habits of life, early on. Crusty tours were fun,” said Strong.

Ultimately, the young rookie began traveling to the United States and competing in the world’s biggest showcase for action sports: The X Games. In what was only his second X Games appearance, the Australian shook up the established order by claiming gold in Motocross Best Trick with a spectacular front flip. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. That’s eleven years ago now, I was age 19 then,” said Strong.

Over the next few years, Strong began dominating the Best Trick discipline like no other rider before – and kept the trick innovations coming. In 2015, he landed the first-ever double back flip into dirt off a quarter pipe as one of many never-been-done tricks on his resume. “There are so many more tricks that can happen. Moving forward, we are going to see more technicality in the jumps. And when it comes to Best Trick, we’re going to see more air bag landings and things to make the sport safer.”

Before the pandemic, Strong built his own training facility, The Sandbox, to prepare for competitions and film his viral video segments: “I built it because with a busy traveling schedule of doing shows, it was hard trying to find enough time to practice. For me when I’m practicing, I want to go riding two times a day. I want to put in the work and be as current as I can! Freestyle motocross is a very real sport. And that’s why I love it!”

Constantly evolving his skill set, Strong also took his freestyle talent to the snow, competing in the Snow Bike Best Trick event at X Games Aspen 2020, where he won a bronze medal. Not known for resting on his laurels, Strong also likes to get his kicks base jumping from bridges and tall cliffs. “My friends at home who sky dive, fly planes and base jump, I started hanging out with them a lot more because you couldn’t travel as much during the pandemic.”

After dealing with several heavy injuries, Strong began cultivating a resilient mental attitude to fortify himself against doubt and distractions. “There have been lots of injuries and broken bones. But anyone who’s looked at action sports has their fair share of bones and injuries happen. It’s not something I like to pride myself in, because you’ve done something wrong when that happens, but everyone who’s looked at a motor bike had something happen.”

Want to hear it from Monster Energy’s Jackson Strong himself? Visit the landing page to access Episode 36 of the UNLEASHED with The Dingo and Danny Podcast featuring daredevil FMX athlete Jackson Strong.

Episodes of UNLEASHED are filmed on a special set inside Studio M at Monster Energy headquarters in Corona, California. The podcast is hosted by the dynamic duo of Australian action sports personality Luke “The Dingo” Trembath and professional snowboarder Danny Kass. Known for their deep roots in action sports culture, the two starred in the beloved cult TV show ‘The Adventures of Danny and The Dingo’ on Fuel TV for five action-packed seasons in the early 2010s. Both hosts have walked the walk as pro snowboarders and possess the interview skills to find common ground with guests from any type of background – sports and pop culture. Always look out for new episodes dropping bi-weekly on Mondays.

The UNLEASHED with The Dingo and Danny Podcast is here to celebrate the personalities behind the Monster Energy lifestyle.

For more on Monster Energy and the UNLEASHED Podcast, visit www.monsterenergy.com.

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AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing is bringing their big-time nitro Harley show to reborn Milan Dragway on July 29-31.

event: AHDRA Southern Michigan Bike Fest
when: July 29-31, 2022
where: Milan Dragway, Michigan, USA

The Southern Michigan Bike Fest will see Top Fuel Harleys, Nitro Funnybikes, Pro Fuel, all the gas classes, and even the return of Jr. Dragbikes! Everything a motorcycle lover would want to see, hear and smell will be thundering down Milan’s quarter mile. Feeling racy? You too can thunder your own American-made motorcycle at Milan during the Bike Fest!

It’s been a minute since AHDRA’s weeper-shortened, season-opening Don “DJ” Johnson Nitro Spring Nationals sponsored by MTC and Gainesville Harley-Davidson, and Top Fuel Champion Ryan Peery will be anxious to notch a win and defend his title.

2020 champ Rich Vreeland will seek to regain his title-winning form, and will be joined by “Billy Jack” Jackson, Robert “Ziggy” Stewart, Bad Apple Racing’s Tracy Kile and Dr. Jimmy “Mac” McMillin, and more.

Hawaya Racing Nitro Funnybike champion Michael Balch loves making winning laps on his mean machine. Chris Smith loves doing the same on Peery’s always stout “Big Nasty.” But Smith fractured his thumb in Bowling Green and won’t be racing at Milan. Balch will still have Sam White and Rocky Jackson to deal with, amongst others.

White and Jackson also have Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel carbureted nitro mounts to ride, along with Jim Martin, Jason Leeper and a growing horde of others.

Leeper also is the defending 11.50 index champ. He and his son Jordan race multiple gasoline classes, which form the backbone of AHDRA.

Pingel Modified, GMS Racing Engines Xtreme Outlaw, V-Twin Powersports Hot Rod Bagger, Super Stock Bagger, Horsepower Inc. Pro Outlaw Bagger, MTC Pro Comp Outlaw, Vreeland’s Harley-Davidson Super Gas 9.90, Super Pro 10.30, Universal Fleet & Tire 10.90, Eliminator, Top Eliminator 9.30, Zippers Performance Pro Modified and Trophy classes will all be competing.

Scott Tomsu, Timothy Whitehead, Chuck Ragan, Reggie “Hamma” Elliott, Julius DeManss, Victor Gotay, Donnie Huffman, Gary Degrange, Michael McManus, Kimberly DeShields, Crosby Blair, Charley and Gary Douglass, Dwayne “Smokey” Gee, Greg Quinn, Shane Pendergrast, Jeff Workman, Ken Strauss, Brad Reiss Jr., Robert Willis, Michael Best, Nathan Thayer, Nate Carnahan, Loren Potter and more will enter one or more of these classes, and you can too!

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To Stay updated on all Motorcycle News and Events …
– simply Click & Subscribe to Bikernet’s FREE Weekly Newsletter

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Bring your own Harley or Indian, along with proper safety gear, and test your skills on the Milan 1320.

Recently reborn itself, AHDRA can’t wait to put on a show at the “New” Milan Dragway. Bill Rowe and his family welcome the whole AHDRA community of racers and fans to the Southern Michigan Bike Fest.

Link to all class rules, including Jr. Dragbike (Click Here)
Test and Tune from 5:00-9:00 pm on Friday, gates open at 10:00am
Qualifying begins at 1:00pm on Saturday, gates open at 8:00am
Raceday opening ceremonies at 11:00 am Sunday, gates open at 8:00am
Admission is $25 per day, $45 for a 2 day pass, or $55 for all 3 days

The AHDRA website is at http://raceahdra.com/
For more information, email AHDRA’s Bill Rowe at bcrowe92891@gmail.com
AHDRA is owned by Pulse Marketing, the motorsports promotion company run by veteran drag racer Rowe and his family.

AHDRA thanks Cox Double Eagle Harley-Davidson, Vreeland’s Harley-Davidson, Gainesville Harley-Davidson , MTC Engineering , Hawaya Racing, Pingel Enterprise, GMS Racing Engines, Zippers Performance, Horsepower Inc., Vanson Leathers , Universal Fleet & Tire, IHDRA, V-Twin Powersports, Daryl Coffin Motorsports, All-Harley World Shootout, Axtell Cylinders and Racers For Christ.

This report was prepared by Tim Hailey. Enjoy everything there is to read, see and watch about motorcycle drag racing and more at https://www.eatmyink.com ;

Monster Energy® Kawasaki Rider Jason Anderson Secures Consecutive Podium Finish at Washougal

July 23, 2022 | Washougal MX Park | Washougal, Wash.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. (July 24, 2022) – Round 8 of the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross Championship headed to the Pacific Northwest in Washougal, Washington, where Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson claimed his fourth overall podium finish with a third-place result. Fellow Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Joey Savatgy capitalized on two superb starts to earn seventh overall with 7-7 moto scores. In the 250 Class, Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Jo Shimoda mastered the forests of Washougal to claim third overall (3-3), while teammate Seth Hammaker battled to respectable 5-8 moto finishes for sixth overall.

The evergreens of the Pacific Northwest provided a picturesque background for the 41st running of the Washougal MX National as a sea of fans cheered on the world’s elite motocross racers. Drastic changes in elevation, dark shadows and mixed soil conditions offered unique challenges for all riders from the start of qualifying. The 450 Class qualifying sessions began with both Anderson and Savatgy recording lap times inside the top-10 before electing to make slight bike adjustments to better suit the slick track conditions. As the second qualifying session began winding down, Anderson recorded a 2:11.361 lap time to qualify third overall. An accident towards the end of the second session cost Savatgy the opportunity to better his 2:14.155 time from the first session but was still fast enough to rank the No.17 ninth fastest heading into Moto 1.

The start of 450 Moto 1 would see both Monster Energy Kawasaki riders emerge from the first turn inside the top-5. Anderson and Savatgy utilized the power of their KX™450SR motorcycles to keep the leaders within reach early on. A mistake by Anderson on Lap 2 would drop the No.21 back to seventh however, a quick recovery allowed the New Mexico native to maneuver past his competitors and back into fourth place within one lap. Running 15 seconds behind his closest championship points rival, Anderson steadily chipped away at the deficit as the race progressed. With less than 10 minutes left in the moto, Anderson placed heavy pressure on the rider in third before lighting up the roars of the crowd by making the pass for the podium. Meanwhile, the No.17 was engrossed in a three-rider battle for sixth nearly the entire duration of the race. When the checkered flag flew, Anderson crossed the line in third and Savatgy finished seventh.

The second 450 Class moto began with both Monster Energy Kawasaki riders again crossing the holeshot line inside the top-5. The No.21 established himself in third from the start of the race and briefly latched onto the leaders pace, but slick conditions and deep ruts made it difficult for Anderson to match the pace. Savatgy settled into fifth early in the race but came under heavy pressure around Lap 4. Unwilling to concede the position, Savatgy raised the pace and focused forward. This pressure forced a mistake by the rider ahead, allowing Savatgy to capitalize and secure fourth for a couple laps before a mistake of his own dropped him three positions. At the finish, Anderson secured his second consecutive podium result with a third overall (3-3), while Savatgy brought home a respectable seventh overall with 7-7 finishes.

“Being the third best guy out there is hard to accept. I expect to be up front every round and I’ve proven I have the speed to do it, but we just didn’t have it today. The guys up front were running a crazy pace. All in all, it was still a good day for us and we made up points in the race for third in the championship. We’ll try to keep this podium streak going as we head into the final four rounds.” – Jason Anderson

“I had a scary moment in practice after I caught my foot in a rut coming off the face of a tabletop. It could’ve been really bad but I’m happy I was able to save that one. Overall, seventh is right around where I expect to be right now. Obviously, I’d like to be up front with the leaders, but we’re making progress. If I can keep fighting for the fourths, fifths and sixths until the end of the season I’ll be proud.” – Joey Savatgy

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Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Seth Hammaker was poised to improve on his seventh-place result from last weekend as he set the fourth fastest time in 250 Class qualifying (2:13.741).

Meanwhile, Shimoda clocked in the seventh fastest lap (2:14.252) overall.

At the start of Moto 1, Shimoda launched his KX™250 out the gate to claim the holeshot and the lead. Teammate Hammaker was also out to a great start, emerging from the first turn in fourth. With a clear track ahead, the Japanese-born sensation tried to break away from the pack but was instantly met with heavy pressure from the rider in second. The No.30 had the crowd on their feet as he defended attack after attack from his opponent for four laps before conceding the position. The pressure didn’t stop there, however, as Shimoda was again faced with pressure from another competitor behind. The roars of the crowd followed Shimoda around the track as he used a combination of raw speed and optimal line selection to maintain second position. The intense battle reached its climax when the No.30 dropped to third. Fellow Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Hammaker was sitting comfortably in fourth most of the race before a former 250 Class Championship began creeping up behind him. Unphased by his opponent, Hammaker upped his pace and fended off his attacker for six laps before settling for fifth. When the checkered flag came out, Shimoda crossed the line in third and Hammaker was not far behind in fifth.

The second 250 Class moto hosted green out front again as Shimoda came across the holeshot line in third and Hammaker close behind in fifth. A quick pass by the No.30 moved him into second before the end of the opening lap. With only one rider in front, Shimoda began to slowly chip at the leader’s advantage until he was caught in a battle of his own to maintain second place. Shimoda did all he could to hold last year’s 250 Class champion at bay but a slight bobble down the backside of Horsepower Hill saw the No.30 move into third. The battles for Shimoda continued down to the checkered flag as he put on a heroic effort to hold off the Moto 1 winner for the last two laps of the race and cross the finish line in third. Hammaker, comfortably in fifth for much of the race, faced a mid-moto push by the riders behind who caught up to the No.47 and moved him back to eighth by the time the checkered flag flew. Despite Shimoda’s brilliant 3-3 performances, the swapping of positions from the top four riders awarded the No.30 fourth overall with his teammate Hammaker securing sixth (5-8).

“Overall, it was a good day with me getting the holeshot and leading in Moto 1. I was able to stick with the leaders for a long time and win some hard battles which is nice because I think my speed was off today. Next week we’re going to do some more practicing before taking a little break to recharge during the off weekend so we can finish the season strong.” – Jo Shimoda

“It felt good to mix it up with the guys inside the top-five for as long as I did in both motos. My goal is to keep progressing with each week and hopefully, after the two-week break, we’ll come back recharged and ready to battle for podiums.” – Seth Hammake

To say this project has a long story is quite an understatement. Miracles two, we have all stayed friends and loosely in contact over the years. During this long, drawn-out period there are so many memories, kids, work, life and the madness that comes from it all, haha!

Like so many things in life, it all started by chance. Fairly early in my career, as a Welder/Fabricator, I built handicap equipment, which entailed serious vehicle mods and such. Daily I drove past this cool little shop, thinking, “Man that would make a great fab shop,” and one day a hiring sign went up.

What often caught my eye was serious TIG welding action. While I was well rounded in the fab shop and had a good handle on MIG welding, I had not learned to TIG weld, and I was on a serious mission to do just that!

Soon, I made time to stop in and meet Tom. I started to come around and help with odd projects, but it was mostly MIG work or things I already knew how to do. Finally, I sat down with Tom and explained that I was really coming around because I was determined to learn TIG welding. I don’t mess around for long, as my wife, Holly, would attest to.

I quickly had the chance to work on exotic materials and a wide variety of specialty projects. And yeah, we did a lot of metal work on vehicles, mostly motorcycles.

Her story started off like a lot of custom projects. The owner, a long time rider spent a lot of time enjoying custom motorcycle mags for many years while serving our Country in the Navy and dreamed of building something custom for himself, a hot rod hardtail!

He brought the chassis in for some metal work, where I worked with my old friend and mentor Tom Young (American Heli-Arc). We bounced around a few sheet metal options, started off with some twin tanks and a hex horse shoe oil tank among other things.

Right about the time we were wrapping up the sheet metal or close to it anyway, our buddy Harvey (the owner) got the word that his temporary disability retirement from the Navy was under review. Knowing he’d rather have full retirement he hit the gym and trimmed up for his review and was subsequently reinstated.

I remember him stopping by in his dress whites on his way, so we could wish him good lucky (pun intended haha), good times.

Sometime in the Summer of 2000, Harvey was off to Japan! Needless to say, we had to put the project on hold because the Navy made a good choice and put him back to work. It was one of the few times when you’re glad to see a project held up.

“I spent 14 years in Japan,” Harvey added. “That’s putting a project on hold.”

Sometime after I had moved into my own shop, I ended up hosting a bike show event where we had a small chop off “builders” event. We had all stayed in touch to some degree, and we invited Tom to participate. Harvey was kind enough to just let the guys at American Heli-Arc do whatever they wanted, so they took that rascal and dolled her up for the show (They had been working on it anyway, and just needed a small excuse to step up the progress).

The guys made some really cool changes, different gas tank, oil tank and front fender to name my favorites. After the event Tom and the guys also took her around and showed her off a bit at events for the shop for a few years.

When Harvey was finally getting close to retirement, he reached out to Tom about making some changes to the bike to make it a little more comfortable and to add some bells and whistles. By this time Tom was not doing much mechanical work at his shop, so he said, “Let’s call Kent and get him involved.”

This was back while I was still in my old Lucky Devil shop slightly before I took in my “last” highly detailed Resto mod project (But you’ll have to wait for that story. It’s a long one also, haha!).

One of the ergonomic touches was upgrading the seat, I modified the mounts to run a set of custom shocks and changed the front mount a little. So unfortunately, I had to get into a little red candy touch up work. Good news, it came out alright, especially for a welder.

Probably the biggest and best changes we did to the bike was to upgrade the tranny to a Baker 6n4 with a N1 shift drum with a spline shaft and Evo style clutch basket. Now, she can keep up with modern traffic, shifts like a dream and there is no hitting Neutral in between 1st and 2nd (ask him about that and he’ll tell you really quick he fell in loves with it).

I also modified a BDL SHS-600 Shovel Shorty electric start drive support plate and Evo-style clutch basket to run with the 3-inch system we had for hanging the starter. It also seemed like a good time to upgrade to an S&S oil pump to keep things flowing well.

For pipes I made some 2-to-1 split pipes for the headers and constructed a muffler can from a blank I got from Bikernet while working on the Root Beer Float project. I did put just a little more baffle inside to keep the neighbors happy at night.

Harvey also had an old Pat Kennedy front end lying around. Tom used it for the original mock up. Harvey had him put a springer on it for the “old school” look. We ditched the springer and went with the narrow 41mm set up as that was the original plan, and we thought it might be smoother.

By this time, parts were hard to come by for this front end, so I made a custom offset bracket for the front brake caliper among other little things. I built a mount for the turn signals, tool roll and tweak bar. Yeah, I said turn signals for an early Shovel.

We also added a digital speedo with everything needed to be legal for import to some random places in the world, just in case. For that we used a Motogadget speedo with a custom mount I made up with indicator lights.

Needless to say, I had to molest the front fender a little to work with the new front end. I tied it into the front brake caliper mount I made to make it a little stronger instead of just using the 1/4×20 mounting holes on the sliders. I did a couple changes to the gas tank, and then just like that it was in need of a paint job.

A great example of why true customs and one of a kind work can “Take so long.” I don’t do a lot of painting myself and usually don’t do art work, but I did have fun with the flames on this one.

There are quite a few fine details on this rascal and as usual I did a little extra detail work on a few parts out of friendship, a small gift of time and material for those who support true custom work is always in order!

Long time coming, but Harvey finally got the chance to enjoy some saddle-time and right now we are finishing some break-in miles and basic service stuff so her story is just kicking off.

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/story_detail.aspx?id=15127 

Resources:

Lucky Devil Metal Works

American Heli-arc
https://www.americanheliarc.com/

Belt Drive Ltd.

S&S

Baker Drivetrain

Open Road Radio –America’s Standard in Motorcycle Talk RADIO Show

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Tonight we discuss Sturgis 2022!

• Featuring highlights & low lights (jk), of Sturgis 2022.
• Woody & Marilyn join us and have a full 14 days’ worth of happenings! Sturgis 22 is on!!
• Keith Ball swoops in to give us his take on what Sturgis is going to look like and gives us a little preview of Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials coming up!
• We’ll put a wrap on it by discussing motorcycle events coming up and NEXT week a surprise guest from Sturgis!

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Our show is fueled by Andrews Products, Sea Foam Products, Harley-Davidson, Full Throttle Law, Bike Show Mafia, Motorcycle Safety Foundation, Kirsh Helmets, Chixs On 66, MegWear, & Biker Belle’s Women’s Day Buffalo Chip

Hold on tight it’s going to be a thrilling ride!

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Tell ’em Bikernet.com sent ya!!! Riding Free since 2006. See you in Sturgis.

Chapter 25 of latest Bonneville Effort by 5-Ball Racing
by Bandit

Getting Ready for the Salt
We’re beginning to prep the Salt Torpedo for the BMST event from August 27 until September 2 in Bonneville, Utah on 65-square miles of salt.

This event will take place just a couple of weeks after the historic Bonneville Speed Trials for everything on wheels. The BMST was developed by Dennis Manning solely for us grubby bikers.

I had to dig up and test various chain hoists and trolly apparatus to work with our new gantry in Sturgis, South Dakota.
–Bandit

CLICK HERE To Read this Photo Feature. Latest Action from 5-Ball Racing.

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Check Out 5-Ball Racing success & build your own Land Speed record (click here)

How to Build a Bonneville Salt Flats Motorcycle documents the construction of “The Worlds Fastest Panhead”

Salt Torpedo Getting Ready for the Salt

We’re beginning to prep the Salt Torpedo for the BMST event from August 27 until September 2 in Bonneville, Utah on 65-square miles of salt.

This event will take place just a couple of weeks after the historic Bonneville Speed Trials for everything on wheels. The BMST was developed by Dennis Manning solely for us grubby bikers. Okay, so let’s back up about two years when I decided to sell the 5-Ball International Headquarters located across the street from the Port of Los Angeles in homeless torn and tattered Wilmington, California. Originally a whorehouse and hotel built 100 years ago it did the job for the 5-Ball Racing crew for 17 years, but it was time to get the hell out of the city.

A major endeavor involving crates, moving companies, fork lifts, skidsteers, and Haul Bikes ensued. We were ultimately fortunate in all Zen respects to afford this endeavor and survive without major injury to staff or the shit. It involved a handful of players including Haul Bikes, who picked up and delivered unharmed about 10 bikes and the Salt Torpedo.

We finally landed permanently in the Black Hills around May of last year, but we had no shop and a brother brought us the Covid from the coast, so Bonneville was out. With the help of building designer Patrick and young contractor Jason Anderson the shop was completed in July of 2022, like yesterday…

I also worked with Tim Crandall to create a gantry to be able to lift and move the Salt Torpedo. So just two weeks ago we threw our first Team meeting. What team?

For a minute that was a good question. I would have responded, “Me and Micah McCloskey.” Unfortunately, Micah also moved away from war-torn Los Angeles to Auburn California, but that didn’t help the team business. He was still 1259 miles away.

But suddenly, out of the blue team volunteers stepped up including a sharp builder with multiple building talents from bikes to home construction and machine shop talents, Cabana Dan, a Sturgis Hamster, who is currently building trophies for Marilyn Stemp for a rally bike show. Then a local construction worker, Luke stepped up, so a meeting was scheduled in the new shop.

I started a to-do list, and we went to work. Here goes:

I had to dig up and test various chain hoists and trolly apparatus to work with our new gantry.

With Tim’s magnificent gantry in place, we could lift the rear of the trike, remove the rear tire and take it to Deadwood Custom Cycles, another Hamster establishment. Jason would remove, replace the tire with another properly speed-rated tire and balance it. That’s currently in the works.

I took the battery to Jason’s shop but that didn’t help. We bought a new battery and battery strap which also cracked in the harsh weather.

I finally, after somewhat of a struggle was able to register the Salt Torpedo, the pilot, Micah McCloskey, and the two team members with the BMST crew. But Micah received a note that our number 50 was no longer available, but 5 was, even better. But I needed to order a new set of large vinyl race numbers. I made the call to Spearfish, SD. They are on the case.

It just dawned on me to have our class designation made out of vinyl, although classes can change. Sometimes it’s better to use duct tape and a felt pen. I put in a call to Drew Gatewood and left a message. He just called me back. Get this. Our FIM class sticker must read: CAP.I GRP.B3 DIV.C TYPE V CLASS 2500 CYL.2. I need to know what the required configuration is and the font size of the letters. Another question for Drew.

Dan noticed the certifications on the 5-point seat harness. The date had passed, and we needed to remove the seat, and I sent the belts back to the company for their re-certification process. In less than a week the belts were returned, restored and ready.

Lee Clemens, an ardent supporter, highly recommended this Super B carb for high speed. We had a terrible time finding the right intake manifold. Finding and sourcing the rest of the parts to make it fly was also on the list, including the flanges, gaskets, phenolic block, etc. This puppy has a 2.25-inch venturi. I am currently working with Lori at S&S.

We also needed to find another velocity stack for the S&S G carb on the Torpedo currently. The original was damaged during testing. Micah bought a new one, but it’s too long, so some machining is required.

One of my responsibilities was hotel reservations in Wendover. We decided to dodge the Casinos for several reasons and camp out at the Best Western. I’ve had good luck with this line of Hotels and breakfast is on the house.

Also on the list was a trailer. Talk about discussions and options. Of course, budget plays into the equation and our grubby biker budget doesn’t call for anything too lavish, so we are working with another Hamster who once owned Carl’s Trailers in Belle Fourche. We wanted to go with the open aluminum job for rust prevention, weight, salt damage, you name it, but the bastard costs $2000 more than the steel job.

Natch, the above subject caused me to consider Sponsors, which is another project altogether and guys who build race bikes would much rather focus on the build than to reach out for sponsors, but it’s the nature of the racing beast. Here’s the link, if you would consider becoming a 5-Ball Racing sponsor for our first run on the salt with the magnificent Salt Torpedo.

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/5BALL_RACING_BONNEVILLE_SPONSOR_PROGRAM_FOR_2019.aspx

Another costly item on the list is our batch of Salt Torpedo T-shirts. Fortunately, we know a guy who is excellent with T-shirt art, colors and placement on apparel, Andy. He’s on the case. Oops, his shirt guy required that I purchase 144 shirts at twice the price from a month ago—another crisis, inflation.

Of course, we need to clean, prep and test all aspects of the Torpedo and during the Sturgis Rally, Micah will spend some time in the shop making sure all is well and ready.

During our first meeting we discussed salt tent stuff we need to take including tools, coolers, chairs, jacks, tent weights (to hold the tent and tarps down) and running products such as oil.

Just yesterday, while on a Bikernet Weekly News deadline, I worked with a Sturgis fire extinguisher company to certify our two fire extinguishers. I also bought fire extinguishers for the shop and the basement, while learning about the family business in the Black Hills since 2008. Interesting.

This weekend we need to clean and shape the fire wall more, install the rear wheel and battery and then prep for firing this puppy up and testing all the controls. We also need to study, research and discuss body fasteners. Hang on for the next report.

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