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Great AHDRA Weekend at Cecil County

By General Posts

event: AHDRA Mid-Atlantic Nitro Showdown presented by Zipper’s Performance Products
when: October 7-9, 2022
where: Cecil County Dragway, Rising Sun, Maryland, USA

In the minds or racers and spectators alike, Maryland’s Cecil County Dragway is establishing itself as THE premier stop on the AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing circuit. Its smooth and expertly glued and rotated track holds Top Fuel torque and power. Its rural setting on curvy rolling roads is a perfect ride for motorcyclists from the Northeast urban centers. Add in three days of beautiful weather and you have a perfect event.

Top Fuel
Last year’s Cecil County Top Fuel winner Tracy Kile faced his Bad Apple Racing teammate “Jimmy Mac” McMillan in this year’s final, Number one qualifier Kile was slow off the starting line with a .192 to McMillan’s sharp .028 but was catching up quickly before the bike threw a rod right through a piston at about 1000 feet. His 6.488 at only 176 mph shows how much momentum he lost versus McMillan’s winning 6.485 at 219.

“What an incredible weekend,” said McMillin. “Started at the bottom of the list with everything upside down to taking the win. We got to have an all-Bad Apple final, back-to-back wins, and maintained our points lead. Finally got to meet face to face with all of our Bad Apple friends and family that we spend so much time with on social. It was a perfect storm and we were lucky enough to ride it.”

Interesting that Floridian McMilllan should use the “Perfect Storm” analogy so shortly after Hurricane Ian swept through his state. “After a week of clearing fallen trees and resurrecting fencing from hurricane Ian, we were flat out exhausted and decided to skip Fridays test session—a decision that would bite us during qualifying.

“Saturday during warm-up, we see the rear tire is spinning hard—a sign that there’s too much clutch. No problem, couple of turns should fix it—or so we thought.

“Q1 has me looking over at none other than Jason Pridemore. His one of a kind roots supercharged, homemade masterpiece is as awesome to look at as it is to watch run. He also has a little longer routine during the moments before we stage—normally not a problem, but upon start-up, that clutch issue we had was still there. That means, the moment my bike fires, and I pull the brake to stop that tire, it’s getting hot, which can have a range of different unwanted results—everything from simply being pushed through the light to something serious like torching a head. So staging was going to get things hot, and the slightly longer routine just added to it. On the hit, bike was moving towards the wall, and I clicked it off. We found nothing obvious, just a spacer that was not perfectly flat. The clutch cannon was tight so we figured it was a stack issue.

“Q2 and we’re looking over at Jason again. No problem, we’ve got this clutch thing figured out, right? It was a perfect stack, flat spacer, cannon was holding proper during warm up—yeah, no. Fired up and the tire was running again. Here we go again. At the hit, on the bar, nice and straight—drops a hole about half track.

“When I killed the engine the bike stopped—like the bike stopped itself. The clutch was so hot it ground the bike to a stop. It also turned my belt into a melted mess. Yeah, the clutch cooked the primary belt to the basket. Everything had to come off and the basket had to have the melted belt cleaned out of the teeth. Every. Single. Tooth.


“We get the bike serviced and back together only to find a missing head bolt and another head bolt so stretched it could be turned with a finger. So that stopped our Q3 attempt and we were sitting in the last spot, but we’re in the show. The high we were all riding from our win in Sturgis was suddenly gone as we found ourselves on the completely opposite side of everything. It was perfect weather conditions. There was a slight tail wind all day. It was one of the best prepped track surfaces I’ve ever been on. It was a sleepless night.

“Sunday, raceday. Started over. Went over the entire clutch system nice and slow and found the cannon had a small leak and was out of brake fluid. Simple fix. We put a Hail Mary tune in it and headed to the lanes.

“E1 and we’re looking over at number 2 qualifier Billy Jackson, the guy that ran a 6.36 at 223 out of the trailer in Friday testing. Up to this point, my quickest and fastest has been 6.71 at 211, so we knew we had to lean on it if we were to have a chance. An .098 light got us up front early and stayed there long enough to get the win with a 6.46 at 217—my new personal best and enough to take us to the next round.

“E2 and Jason Pridemore and I get after it. Hit the throttle and make a move towards the wall but got it corrected, resulting in an .033 light and a 6.47 at 217. Was good enough to get the win and send us to the finals against my teammate.

“I’ve been waiting to race Tracy in a final since I made my first lap on a Top Fuel Harley. But he’s won this event the last three years in a row and he was on a roll this weekend too, running a 6.27 and several 6.30’s. I was so pumped I didn’t care who won—that is until I put my helmet on. My .028 light got about a bike and a half out on him, but I could feel his bike coming around me. Then his bike expired and I took the stripe!

“Thanks to my crew chief Michael Hopkins, Tracy Kile, Bad Apple Mary, Erin and Frank Capone, Mark, Billie, Jim Garrahan, Frankie, Chopper, Chrissy, Armon Furr, Roger, Jon Wayne, Kirby, Josh Miller, PJOD, Wade, all our support crew, fans and most of all my wife, Stacey Mac. Gotta give a big shout out to the team over at Performance Data Systems for getting us fixed in record time—thank you Todd! Special thanks to the media guys and gals that cover our sport. Thank you for what you do.”

Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel
Kile had a pretty good excuse for his bad light, and we’ll get to that. His Bad Apple Racing teammate (and girlfriend) “Bad Ass Mary” Dangrow made a fantastic nitro debut, finding herself only getting bested by veteran racer Sam White—who came within a hair’s breadth of claiming last year’s Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel championship.

White qualified number one and ended up winning, but Dangrow was right there. In fact, in her first final at her first nitro race, Mary outran White 7.32 at 169 to Sam’s 7.40 at 165. But that .219 light, though, as White’s .112 was his winning moment.

“I haven’t been concentrating on my reaction times yet,” said Mary. “I was happy to be out of the 0.3’s!

“Tracy said that after he saw that I was beat on a holeshot, he didn’t want me to feel bad so he did it too. Apparently he yelled across to Jimmy just before they started up ‘Man, I’m gonna have to let you beat me on a holeshot so my girl doesn’t feel bad.’ I couldn’t believe he actually said that!” That Tracy Kile is a keeper.

“So is Walter Halonski!” finished Dangrow. “He did all my tuning this weekend with no data, my bike doesn’t have a computer.”

White had all kinds of troubles, starting with his primary bike not being ready to race and a whole litany of issues with his old one that had him thinking that the thing wasn’t even going to make it down the track. Instead, the bike made White’s quickest pass ever—a 7.17 at 172 for number one qualifier—then promptly dumped it’s remaining fuel on the ground. The bike then held together beautifully for the win.

Hawaya Racing Nitro Funnybike
Hawaya Racing Nitro Funnybike champion Michael Balch came up on the losing end this time around. Armon Furr started the final round with a .102 to .125 advantage against Balch, and stayed out front for a 7.09 at 173 to 7.11 at 191 win.

“It just goes to show you, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” said Furr. “Michael clearly had the better machine this weekend, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time to get the win.”

Furr claims that any lack of performance from his bike is due to his neglect. “I think she’s mad at me from sitting on stands in the race shop since early April.”

“I made some small changes to my tune-up in between last qualifier and the final round, and I went the wrong way,” said Balch. “That’s drag racing.

“The final was an extremely close race with me and Armon. I absolutely hate to lose, but Armon is such a great racer, his family has such a legacy with drag racing, and I have so much respect for him. It’s not as hard taking a loss from Armon as it is from anyone else, but I’ll get him next time.”

GMS Racing Engines Xtreme Outlaw
Milan Dragway GMS Racing Engines Xtreme Outlaw winner Chargin’ Charley Douglass struggled all weekend with his turbo bike. Nitrous badass Mike Motto showed no mercy on Douglass’ plight, laying down a blistering 7.829 at 175 in the final that bumped him up to third on the all-time gasoline V-Twin, street tire ET list.

“It turned out to be a great weekend for Team GMS Racing,” said Motto, although the broken crankshaft of GMS boss Gregg Dahl may differ.

“It’s been a long year with waiting on specialty parts and testing that didn’t always go well. We have been making a lot of changes and doing a lot of off-the grid testing this past year and it is starting to pay off.

“We have had the bike out twice and we took the ‘W’ twice, so that’s a good start. We have been working hard on the getting our 60 foot down and our mile per hour up, and It’s working! We took the win with a monster run of 7.82 at 175!! Track prep is everything for these monsters, so we hope to have a track as good as Cecil County in Rockingham so we can put the power down and improve on these numbers in a couple weeks.

“I’d like to thank all the guys at GMS Racing. We have an unstoppable team lead by Greg Dahl and his relentless quest for power and speed! Thank you for all the weekends and late nights you dedicated to stay at the shop and work with me on this machine. Thank you Damon Kuskie for always picking up the phone to answer my questions and for your in incredible tuning skills and pursuit of speed! Thank you Michael Balch and all the guys at the shop for all the support and help on and off the track. The entire team at GMS is an unstoppable group of people who all have the same need—SPEED!

“Special thanks to Energy One Clutches, Renegade Fuels, FuelTech, R&D Transmissions, Bandit Super Clutch, and NX Nitrous Express Systems. I think we are the only Harle-Davidson based no-bar bike running those numbers on their nitrous system.”

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Zippers Performance Pro Modified
While Charley Douglass’ bike was under-performing in Xtreme Outlaw, it was his dad Gary’s reactions that were underperforming in Zippers Performance Pro Modified. His .182 wasn’t cutting the mustard against John Price’s .028. Price then ran 8.49 at 154 to Douglass’ 8.68 at 139 for the win.

“My glove got caught on the lever and I kinda double clutched when I let the lever go,” said Gary, claiming total responsibility for rider error.

“It has been seven years since Gary and I have run in a final together. He won then, so I owed him one,” said Price, who then echoed the sentiments of many.

“I cannot say enough good things about the Cecil County crew. I don’t think I have ever run on a track this good in air this good. I had a tough time on Saturday trying to figure out a tune-up, but it came around on Sunday when it counted.

“I would like to thank Zippers Performance for sponsoring the race and Pro Mod class. I would also like to thank Harley-Davidson of Frederick Racing and GMS for their help over the years. I dedicate this win to the memory of Steve Allstaedt—a great man, engine builder, and friend.

Pingel Modified
Gary Douglass had his complete act together in Pingel Modified, taking the tree with an .058 to Kimberly DeShields’ .275. Douglass then ran a 9.11 at 146 to her 9.16 at 144.

“It was a great weekend of racing, hats off to Cecil County Dragway for all the hard work put into the track prep,” said Gary. “The crew did a great job.

“I was number one qualifier in Pro Mod and Mod, won Mod and runner-upped in Pro Mod. The highlight of the weekend was my record pass of 8.86 at 148.87. That may have been one of the quickest and fastest passes on a normally aspirated, 88 inch, Sportster-based Harley. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to back it up to become official. The motor was built by me, tuned by me, and ridden by me—one happy guy. In the Pro Mod final, I had a launch issue and lost to my friend John Price.

“None of what I do could be done without the help of my family. My son Charley is my crew chief, my daughter Jody Simpson makes sure I have my leathers and helmet on at the line. This may seem to be automatic to racers, but us racers with a little age sometimes it’s not. My grandson Jacob Bush, a huge help, getting bikes to the line and back to the pits, also refueling, charging batteries and airing up between rounds. My sister Cindy Folks and brother Lee for all their support.

“Thanks to the AHDRA for having the race and Zippers Performance for sponsoring the race and the Pro Mod class. A special thank you goes out to Energy One Clutches, a Douglass Racing long time sponsor. Thanks to H-D of Lynchburg and Vreelands H-D. SA Racing, which will always be a part of Douglass Racing success. And thanks to Tim Hailey for giving us a platform to show the world what Harley drag racing is all about.

Vreeland’s Harley-Davidson Super Gas
John Terry posted a spectacular .001 light in the Vreeland’s Harley-Davidson Super Gas 9.90 final, but failed himself at the stripe as he ran a breakout .9.81. Winner John McMillin also broke out, but by a considerably less margin with a 9.87 after a .055 reaction time.

Super Pro 10.30
Nate Carnahan had an .070 that was far behind his Super Pro 10.30 final round opponent Cody Hayworth’s sharp .017. But Hayworth was .23 off the number while Carnahan kept it real with a winning 10.38.

“The race at Cecil was awesome, with fantastic weather conditions for fast runs,” said Carnahan. “The Super Pro bike was having some challenging issues due to a weak battery and breaking an exhaust pipe during qualifying. Thanks to Brad Reiss for welding it all back together Saturday night.

“Sunday the bike did very good even with having to keep my little jump box in my jacket to get it started, and was able to pull off a win. We will be ready for Rockingham with both Super Pro and Modified.”


Universal Fleet & Tire 10.90

It was deja vu all over again for Hayworth in Universal Fleet & Tire 10.90. His .015 took the tree slightly against J.P. Hendrzak’s .019, but J.P.’s 11.05 stayed truer to the number than Cody’s 11.12.

11.50 index
Chris Ussery left Loren Potter uncharacteristically stunned at the tree with a .052 advantage, paving the way for his 11.50 index win in a double breakout final that saw both riders obliterating the index.

“This is Bulldog Racing’s third official race with the AHDRA,” said Ussery. “We are excited and hope to finish strong the last three races of the season and make a push on the points as a rookie.

“I would like to thank the Man upstairs, Twitch’s Stitches, Fast Action Racing Team and Lumbee Racing for their part. Thanks to my very good friend Chris Phipps for his help. As always, thanks to Eatmyink for the photos and publicity.”

Pro Outlaw and MTC Pro Comp Outlaw
Pro Outlaw and MTC Pro Comp Outlaw wins both went to Julius DeManss. Julius had enough bike under him in the Pro Comp Outlaw final  to ease away from the starting line with a .300 to Dave Miller’s .105, winning with a 9.71 at 135 to Miller’s 11.11 at 104.

“I had fun,” said DeManss. “Met some awesome people and got the bike going in the right direction, running with my fastest pass yet—9.59 at 136 mph.

“But that didn’t happen without its problems. First pass attempt Saturday morning, I broke my wheel, sprocket carrier and axle. Pushed it back to the trailer. Luckily, I had a spare wheel carrier and borrowed an axle from Richard Stamey‘s bike.

“After that, my tuner John Gover was remote tuning the bike and getting it dialed in. I had to put a smaller sprocket on the back to try and control the wheelies from the added power of my new 2.5” exhaust system built by Christopher Bull.

“Sunday right before the Pro Comp outlaw final between me and Dave Miller, my fuel pump quit working. I asked Dave if he would wait, and he said he was there to race and waited for me to swap it out. In the final I came away with the win.

“I want to thank Kerry Lee, Karlee, Jason Davis, Branson May, Geronimo Pratt, and John Hendrzak for all their help throughout the weekend. Wouldn’t have been able to get through the weekend without you guys.

“Also what to thank Wess Brown for a bad ass Motor, John Gover For tuning my MaxxECU all weekend, Michael Beland for awesome parts, tuning and advice. Last but not least, Christopher Bull for making me a bad ass exhaust system and fabricating everything else on the bike.”

V-Twin Powersports Hot Rod Bagger and Super Stock
Geronimo Pratt swept both V-Twin Powersports Hot Rod Bagger and Super Stock. “It was nice to be able to get back on the track,” said Pratt. “Not being able to do any real racing, let alone testing. I really enjoyed myself with a great group of guys.

“Struggled to get down the track Saturday, but once I had my pit crew Sunday, I was able to make a few good passes. The track was great, it seemed that everyone was fighting the track as it got better every pass.”

Eliminator
Jeff Jambo loved the Cecil County starting line so much that he didn’t want to leave, starting Sunday’s Eliminator final round with a .220 light. Opponent Chris Hoppe’s .051 practically assured him a victory in the double breakout race, with Jambo breaking out by a substantial .18. Rhode Island’s Donald Herbert won Eliminator on Saturday.

9.30 index
Hoppe had a good day, also runner-upping in 9.30 index. Winner Richard Hillegrass took the tree in that final by a slim .007, but kept his cool while Hoppe broke out by .035. But then again, sawing the motor in half might also have kept Hillegrass from breaking out.

“I ran a 9:306 for number one qualifier on my bike ‘So Long’,” noted Hillegrass. “Saturday evening I ran the Japanese motorcycle that was testing. At that time my fastest run was a 9:26 and his was a 9:20, so I thought it would be a good race. I never saw him after I left the starting line. I left hard on him and he blew the tire away trying to get moving. I ran my personal best—9.08 at 145 mph.

“Sunday I had a bye run first pass. The other guys I ran I left with them. They were running slick and wheelie bars. When I get to the 60 foot mark and I’m running a slick and bar bike, and if I’m with them, I know I cut a good light so I push them out at the big end. They ran under 9.30, giving me the win.

“The last pass it blew the motor. I pulled the clutch when I felt it locking up at about 140 mph. I’ve been racing this motor for five years, it don’t owe me nothing!”

Junior Dragbikes
Junior Dragbikes were split into two categories—Junior and Senior—and the Hines boys won both. Nine year-old Jaden Hines cut a .157 light and ran 10.67 on his 10.40 dial-in to beat Matthew Pier in Junior.

Jaden’s 11 year-old brother Michael Hines Jr. had a close race at the tree with opponent Bradley Cronenberger Jr., with Hines having a .189 to .200 advantage. Michael ran 10.08 on his 9.99 dial for the win.

“Both started out racing at four and a half years old,” said their dad, Michael Hines Sr. “They love it, I can’t kept them off the bikes even in the off-season

“They had a great time at Cecil, with Jaden cutting a few .05 lights Saturday and an .03 on Sunday. Michael had his best-ever ET in the eighth at 10.01 on Saturday. We wanted to break into the 9s but ran a 10.07, 10.0 and a 10.08. We are looking to do better next race.

“Jaden just won Junior Youth class and Junior ET class at the Reading Motorcycle Club Raceway for the 2022 points season, and Michael just won the Senior Youth class. Now both trying are to win the AHDRA points season if they can.”

Shutdown Area
Next stop on the AHDRA tour is a special increased purse race at North Florida Motorplex in Fountain, Florida. The first eight confirmed Top Fuel riders for this event will have free class entry. Contact Bill or Chrissy Rowe at bcrowe92891@gmail.com to confirm.

The Rowes can’t wait to welcome the AHDRA family to this new addition to the tour!

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Get out there and race or enjoy the race at AHDRA, Tell ‘Em Bikernet.com Sent Ya !!!

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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.

 

NHDRO’s Three Race “Trilogy” Was Fast Fun in Sun

By General Posts

The Midwest’s largest motorcycle drag racing series—NHDRO—kicked off their 2022 season with the Midwest Race Trilogy—three full races over three days at West Salem, Ohio’s beautiful, sunny Dragway 42.

NHDRO motorcycle drag racing series race coverage report
event: NHDRO’s Midwest Race Trilogy
when: May 13-15, 2022
where: Dragway 42, West Salem, Ohio, USA

Friday Shootouts

“I love the three races in one weekend,” said defending two-class champion Jeremy Teasley. “Because you normally mess up, so you got two more shots. But I ended up winning the first day over my buddy Dave Page. We left together, then his bike had problems.”

Teasley actually had a small .018 advantage over Page at the tree in Friday night’s Schnitz Racing Top Gas 8.20 all-no-bar Shootout final, and was able to cruise across the stripe when Page’s Suzuki Hayabusa went off song at 1000 feet.

“It was a good weekend at the track seeing everyone,” continued Teasley. “The weather was perfect and (NHDRO owners) Brian and Niki Welch did a great job.”

The event also served as a celebration of life for Page’s wife Rhonda, who passed away May 5thafter a courageous battle with cancer. Rhonda, you are missed.

Friday’s Big Show Shootouts were 100% payback races, and in addition to Schnitz Racing Top Gas also included NHDRO Road Course, Delay Box and No-Box Shootouts.

Tom Klemme and Jeremy England ran an awesome wheelie bar (Klemme) vs. no-bar Box Shootout final. In his new root beer and orange leathers, Klemme took the tree by a scant .004 on his matching KZ900 and ran .004 over his 8.84 dial-in for the win.

The No-Box Shootout also came down to a wheelie bar vs. no-bar final, and was also won by a Klemme—Tom’s bother Joe. He faced Teddy Thompson, usually known for riding a slow streetbike to considerable bracket racing success. On this occasion, however, Thompson was riding a piece with a 9.52 second dial-in. He took the tree with an .011 against Klemme’s .058, but broke out while Klemme won dead-on with a .007.

“The win Friday night was great, especially since as a team my brother Tom and I won two of the three shootouts that we entered,” said Joe Klemme.

“The rest of the weekend wasn’t quite as successful (for us). There is some very tough competition out there. That is a good thing and that’s what keeps us coming back.

“As far as the three races in one weekend, I think that is a no-brainer. All the other expenses remain the same. The second and third races are expense free besides entry fees and race vehicle maintenance.

“As always I would like to thank our team KPM: Tom Klemme, John Mealy, and Tim Genung, for everything they do.”

The NHDRO Road Course (instant green, no-time class with road course requirement) final was close for a moment, as a mere .003 separated Carlo Testa and Justin Hodge at the tree. But after that it was all Testa, who took the win by a wide margin.

“It was such a great weekend,” said Testa. “I’ve invested a lot of time and effort, not to mention all the money, into my craft, and the education I’ve received has come by way of all the lumps I’ve taken along the way. I’ve been going to a Dragway 42 since I was in diapers, so it was extra special this past weekend when I got my first win at that race track.

“I knew going in I had as good a chance as anyone of winning the Road Course Shootout. The bike has been so incredibly reliable and consistent for the past four years that I felt I could lean on it a little bit harder and give heads-up racing a shot. It made my job much easier knowing all I have to do is line up straight and cut a light, and the bike will make a clean A to B pass damn near every time.

“I was very lucky to have the help of a great group of teammates: Nino Zana, Joey Brandgard, and Jerome Gordon. Without them I might even forget to put fuel in the bike.

“I want to thank Brian and Niki Welch and family for their hard work and commitment to us racers. Their events are ALWAYS first class. Without folks like the Welch’s, Man Cup’s Jay Regan, and SDBA’s Sonny Vick, motorcycle drag racing wouldn’t be where it is today. Thank you also to Ron and Mary Anne Matcham, and their entire staff for such a great race track. They really make me feel like family every time I’m there. I’m hoping this is the first of many wins to come at my home track, Dragway 42.”

Saturday and Sunday

Testa and his no-bar ‘Busa went on to runner-up in Saturday’s Top Gas final against Bradley Shellhaas and his wheelie bar Kawasaki. Shellhaas took the tree .022 to .047 and went unchallenged from there.

“I was fortunate enough to have several family members travel there to watch this weekend, so those wins always feel more special,” said Bradley. “It also was my son’s ninth birthday, so he provided me with the luck when I needed it. No winlight was possible without my dad (Brad) building the most reliable and consistent antique that a rider could ever ask for. That bike makes my job easier and myself more confident than I ever should be on the track.”

No-Bar Shootout runner-up England nailed a .007 Bond Bulb on O’Dell Williams in Sunday’s Top Gas final, offsetting Williams’ 8.209 ET for the win.

“This weekend was a great start to the season for me,” said England. “I showed up Friday with my new bike and I hadn’t had a chance to use the nitrous much this season. So Friday morning, me and David Ligouri worked diligently to make the bike happy using nitrous, and within a couple runs it was working great. So I took a swing at 8.20 and went 8.177 at 179 mph.

“I left that tune alone and used it all weekend. It ran 8.16-8.18 all weekend long. This is my first no-bar Top Gas bike and I couldn’t be happier with it, showing up and winning the first weekend out. With a runner-up Friday in the Box shootout, 9.30 semifinal on Saturday, Pro ET semi and the Top Gas win on Sunday, I feel pretty good about my performance.

“I have the FuelTech plug ‘n play harness from David Ligouri and Ryan Schnitz, and man has that turned out to be a phenomenal system them guys created. I owe a huge thanks to David for his efforts with my motorcycle, Dave Page for building me a top flight engine every time, Marcus McBain for a killer shock combo, Dustin Lee for unbelievable clutch support, and Tim Hailey for being here with excellent coverage of the event.

“The next NHDRO is in my backyard at Edgewater Motorsports Park and I cannot wait to be there.”

Jeremy’s brother, Andrew “The Big Island” England, gave up .028 at the tree but still pulled out Saturday’s MPS Pro ET win against Perry Sowers in the final.

“Was a blast like always,” Andrew said about his weekend. “My first big win in the NHDRO and I was super pumped about it. Could not have done it with out the help of my dad Butch, my mom Anita, and my bother Jeremy. Had a hard road to get there, a lot of .00 stripes. Just lucky it fell my way.”

Not that he needs much luck, but Greg Mallett received heaps of it on Sunday. Kyle “Dolemite” Dolamore redlit by -.003 in the MPS Pro ET final, and David Beshara made it even easier for Mallett in the MTC Super Comp final when his bike pulled through the beams on the 2-step. That made for two wins for former Top Gas champ Mallett.

“Being the first race of the year for me, I really struggled Friday and Saturday,” said Mallett. “My lights weren’t consistent and I wasn’t riding well. I knew I needed to improve on Sunday or I’d be going home early. I worked a little harder, had a few lucky rounds, and things fell into place.

“It’s always helpful to have Dustin Lee, David Liguori, and Dan Rudd help me with my program. Those guys are the best at what they do!

“Dragway 42 is a great facility. I always enjoy racing there. Brian, Niki, and their crew do a top notch job at every event!”

Defending two-class champion Marty White also scored two wins at Dragway 42, both of them in M2.Shocks 8.70 Quick Street

Saturday’s Quick Street final was a true battle of titans—White vs. veteran rider Big Joe Holt. The champ’s .015 advantage at the tree was pretty much all he needed, as both bikes ran 8.73s to give White the win.

Sunday’s QST final was like a replay for White, but with a different bike and rider in the other lane. Eric Yost gave up .024 at the tree, ensuring another White win when both bikes ran 8.77s.

Young Chanston Moll was able to take the tree and the stripe against Sunday’s Super Comp runner-up Beshera in Saturday’s MTC Super Comp final.

“It was awesome to just get out there and have fun with family and friends!” said 20 year-old Moll. “The bike was super consistent every pass. I knew as long as I kept cutting a good light then I would be able to make it rounds. I also couldn’t have done it without all the help from Crow and Jeremy Teasley. They’re awesome, always there to help out when I need it!”

Jim Swanger grabbed an .044 advantage at the tree against Justin Blackford to give himself some easing room at the stripe for Saturday’s Advanced Sleeve Dirty 30 win.

Sunday’s Dirty 30 race was closer, with Jeff Hall taking the tree by .016 against Drew Nearhoof, who ran a click closer to the number with a 9.35. Still, Hall’s 9.36 took the stripe in the 9.30 index class.

“I’ve been following NHDRO since 2010, have been in many finals and semifinals, and have been number one qualifiers in several events, and this is my first win,” said Hall. “Been a long time coming. My goal was to win one of these races with a THC (True Hand Clutch) bike, and I finally did it.

“I would like to that Dave Page for building my motors throughout the years. If it wasn’t for him this wouldn’t be possible. He takes care of us at all costs. Would like to thank my son Jaden Hall for all the hard work and countless hours helping me work on these machines. And would like to thank Brian and Niki Welch for providing us with the series and continuing to put on the events for us to race in the Midwest. And of course, would like to thank the man Tim Hailey for the amazing photos and awesome coverage!”

Kevin Adams didn’t find the Friday success he was looking for but came through on Saturday for the Kevin Dennis Insurance Street ET win. Kevin’s 9.32 dial-in had to wait over three seconds on Jim Messing’s 12.55, but Adams did his job well with a .126 advantage at the tree that virtually secured the win.

Cincinnati’s Jay Hunter had an easy Street ET final round on Sunday when opponent Josh Costa redlit by -.012. “The track was great, the crew was real good, can’t wait till the next one,” said Hunter, a man of few words.

Riding his dad Ryan’s turbo ‘Busa, Trevor Schnitz was able to win Pro Street on what is essentially a well-tuned Top Gas bike. Schnitz took the tree with a sharp .013 and breezed to a 7.74 at 183 mph win while final round opponent Rob Aston spun in the other lane on his proper PST turbo ‘Busa.

“It was surreal,” said Trevor. “It was not only great to race in the class, but to win the class felt like a dream. I had a lot of help from many amazing people, the most important being my dad and grandfather (Dave). They have helped me grow and become a great racer. Trust me, this is just the beginning.”

VooDoo Grudge was seriously curtailed when heavy showers shut the track down for the night just before dark on Saturday night.

Pro Ultra 4.60 fell short of the number needed to run the class, but champion Dan McCarten won a run-off against Heath McQuinn.

Niki and Brian Welch are excited about the #NHDROohiosummer and are looking forward to seeing every member of the NHDRO family at the APE Raceparts Summer Reunion at Edgewater Sports Park just outside of Cincinnati on July 15-17.

NHDRO thanks M2.Shocks , Kevin Dennis Insurance , MPS Racing , Liguori Drag Racing , Schnitz Racing , Voodoo Custom Motorcycle Components , Vanson Leathers , BB Racing , Hard Times Parts and Service , MTC Engineering , Grothus Dragbikes , Klemme Performance Motorcycles , Green Bay Anodizing , Advanced Sleeve , Rock Auto and APE .

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

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Ashes To Asphalt: Eric Stahl & King of the Baggers

By General Posts

by Kali Kotoski and Ron Brefka

After Eric Stahl’s King of the Baggers race bike was destroyed in a fire – there was a new race to try and compete by building a new bike to continue for the racing season.

The outpouring of support was, “one hell of an experience.”

“From Eric’s rig burning while driving from California to actually competing…it has just been an amazing journey,” the Crew Chief said.

Family. It’s a big part of what makes motorcycling so special. Because, really, in that larger sense, we are One Big One.

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MRF update: Highway Bill Passes – a Year Late

By General Posts

November 5, 2021

Highway Bill Passes… a Year Late

After a 13-month delay and enactment of three separate extensions, Congress finally passed a surface transportation reauthorization bill. This bill, sometimes called the highway bill or the infrastructure bill, has been a hotly debated topic in D.C. for several years. Once signed by the President, the bill will reauthorize many highway programs, provide funding for road and bridge construction and replace the previous highway bill passed in 2015, known as the FAST Act.

Just a week ago, Congress gave itself a third extension running into December. Yet election victories by Republican candidates, especially a win by the GOP in the Virginia governor’s race, seems to have spooked Democrats, and motivated passage of a bill that has been awaiting a vote since the summer.

For the last two years, the House of Representatives and Senate have battled over transportation priorities and funding levels. In both 2020 and 2021, the House of Representatives passed versions of their highway bill, only to be rebuffed by the Senate. Under pressure from President Biden, the Senate finally acted, passing in August a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. This action by the Senate, effectively forced the House to accept the Senate version of the bill or continue to pass short term extensions of current law.

However, pressure from the left wing of the Democratic party delayed a vote on the Senate’s infrastructure bill until an unconnected piece of legislation, referred to as the “human infrastructure bill,” was agreed to. That bill, called “Build Back Better,” had an original price tag of $3.5 trillion and effectively held the infrastructure bill hostage. After months of debate, and Tuesday’s election results, House Democrats agreed to vote on a smaller Build Back Better bill later in the month, opening the door to a final vote on the infrastructure bill.

At 11:27pm Friday night, the House agreed to the Senate’s bill and passed a $1.2 trillion 5-year highway bill, known as the INVEST ACT. The final vote in the House was 228 to 206, with 13 Republicans voting in favor and 6 Democrats voting against.

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The Flying Wrens: Sisterhood of Motorcycling Heroes

By General Posts

All-Female British dispatch riders of WW-II

Originally, the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) was formed in 1917, during WW-I.

Riding on narrow British roads in all weather conditions can be a dangerous enough occupation. Doing so around the clock during WW-II with the German Blitz going on around you required steel nerves.

The bikes used were mostly small, single-cylinder affairs, built specifically for military use.

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Fact or Fiction – Helmet Use

By General Posts

from Motorcycle Riders Foundation at http://mrf.org/

On a nearly annual basis the media in this country is inspired to report stories about motorcycle fatalities on our nation’s roadways. Invariably, these stories paint motorcycle rider deaths as a product of irresponsible riders who live in states that have some level of helmet choice. Frequently they report statistics that prove their narrative but fail to paint a full and complete picture. The lens with which these stories are reported often takes the naïve view that crashes can be made “safer” if only bikers somehow followed government helmet mandates.

The only true solution to motorcycle safety and reducing fatalities are proactive measures, which prevent a collision from occurring at all, rather than reactive steps that may or may not offer some level of injury mitigation only after a crash has already taken place. Rider education, which prepares motorcyclists to interact with other roadway users by learning and practicing the skills necessary for hazard avoidance and developing a strategy to deal with real world traffic, is the primary component of a comprehensive motorcycle safety plan. Additionally, educating all motor vehicle operators to be alert and free of impairment as they share the road with others is critical in deterring crashes caused by inattention.

When coming across these stories keep in mind some facts that are omitted from their reports.

Fact: Over the last decade motorcycle related deaths have varied between years but for the most part remain flat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data from 2019 shows 5,014 deaths, a decrease from the 2008 5,307 deaths NTSHA recorded. In that same time period registered motorcycles increased from 7.7 million in 2008 to 8.7 million ten years later. In other words, there are a million more bikes on the road and there were 300 less deaths.

Fact: Twenty-nine percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2017 were riding without proper licensure at the time of the collision. A valid motorcycle license includes a rider having a valid driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement or possessing a motorcycle only license. Proper training and licensing are fundamental parts of motorcycle safety, taking unqualified riders off the road is a commonsense solution to lowering motorcycle fatalities.

Fact: The lack of a helmet mandate in the 31 states who have allowed freedom of choice does not prohibit someone from choosing to wear a helmet. In fact, a 2019 U.S. Department of Transportation audit showed that states without mandatory helmet laws still saw 56.5% of riders choose to wear a helmet.

Fact: A 2019 U.S. Department of Transportation Fatality Analysis Reporting System report showed that in crash study data, where helmet use was known, 36% of motorcyclists killed were not wearing a helmet. Conversely 61% of motorcycle fatalities involved a rider wearing a helmet. The remaining 3% had unknown usage. These numbers closely mirror NHTSA data on overall helmet usage which shows 64% of riders wearing helmets.

Fact: Despite the constant drum beat from safety advocates, the media and Washington D.C. bureaucrats about the ills of helmetless riders, state legislatures continue to trust the judgment of bikers. Just last year Missouri passed a modified helmet law allowing the choice to ride without a helmet to those who are qualified. In at least three other states, West Virginia, Maryland, and Nebraska there are active campaigns to change their helmet mandates and let those who ride decide.

Ride With The Leaders ™ by joining the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) at http://mrf.org/ or call (202) 546-0983

Wild Adventure Bikernet Weekly News for February 13th 2020

By General Posts

I now have a new morning workout. I shovel and sweep snow for an hour to clear the historic sidewalk in front of our house on Jackson Street. I discovered yesterday that Jason, who owned Deadwood Custom Cycles lives on Taylor, less than a block away.

I met with a contractor yesterday, Paul. He said this region is all cowboys and bikers. Sounds good to me. We need to watch out.

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Deadwood Bikernet Weekly News for January 30, 2020

By General Posts

Hey,

I just drove through over 300 miles of snow and the whole state of Wyoming to get to Deadwood. It was truly amazing, except when I couldn’t see shit.

As of Friday, the Bikernet team will have a hideout in the Badlands. Hang on for more reports.

A brother just installed a 1909 Merkel in his living room. He sent me a shot and said he loves his wife, Joan. She’s cool, but that’s one of the first items on my agenda. I need to haul a bike up to Deadwood and place it securely in my living room, or somewhere in the house. Need something to ride around the kitchen.

Hang on for more colorful reports. In the meantime, let’s hit the news.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WEEKLY NEWS ON BIKERNET

2019 federal spending package increases infrastructure funding

By General Posts

It took a while, but a 2019 spending package was finally approved by Congress, signed by President Trump, and enacted February 15. In addition to the $1.375 billion for southwest border barriers, the package also includes full-year 2019 funding levels for important federal infrastructure programs, including the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Engineering News-Record reports.

The 2019 package is the second year of a two-year, bipartisan House-Senate budget deal that included a pledge to raise overall federal infrastructure spending by $20 billion over 2017 levels. It sets the federal-aid highway obligation ceiling at $45.3 billion, up $1 billion, or 2 percent, from 2018 and equal to the amount authorized in the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), which comes from the Highway Trust Fund.

The legislation also contains $3.25 billion more from the general fund for highways, up from $2.525 billion in 2018. A 2019 “bonus” amount includes $2.73 billion for states, up from $1.98 billion in 2018, and $475 million for bridge replacement and rehabilitation, more than double the 2018 amount.

Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants received $900 million for 2019, down 40 percent from 2018, but it was not discontinued as President Trump suggested. The program was originally called Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER.

The Federal Transit Administration will receive $13.4 billion for 2019, down $67 million from 2018, with transit formula grants getting $9.9 billion and capital investment grants receiving $2.5 billion, down from $2.6 billion in 2018. An additional $700 million, down from $834 million in 2018, goes for transit infrastructure grants, which include bus facilities and “state of good repair” projects.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program was frozen at 2018’s $3.35 billion, an amount that comes from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. Lawmakers also tapped the general fund for an additional $500 million in FAA discretionary airport grants, down 50 percent from 2018.

The EPA’s water infrastructure account will receive $3.6 billion, a 1 percent increase over 2018 levels. Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) will receive $1.7 billion and Drinking Water SRFs will get $1.2 billion.