Chris Rivas Drag Specialties / S&S / G2 Buell won the Pro Stock Motorcycle race at the 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona and was a hair away from winning the Countdown to One Championship. Rivas defeated Eddie Krawiec’s Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod in the final round, but ended the season just 5 points behind Krawiec. After the race, Eddie Krawiec was crowned the series champion. Krawiec won his first series championship through his consistent performance, despite not having a single final round win in NHRA.

Coming into the race at Pomona, Matt Smith held the series points lead, with Krawiec in second and Rivas third. Smith was the top qualifier for Sunday’s race and won his first round against Mike Berry on his MB Precision Machining Suzuki after Berry red-lighted. Smith lost the second round to Chris Rivas when his NitroFish/Torco Buell broke shortly after the launch.

continue reading "Chris Rivas wins Pomona, Eddie Krawiec Wins Championship"

Matt Smith took the number one qualifying spot on his NitroFish / Torco Race Fuels Buell at the 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona. Smith started the weekend with a 19 point lead in the Countdown to One championship points. Smith will race Mike Berry on his MB Precision Machining Suzuki in the first round.

Eddie Krawiec is currently second in the points race and qualified his Screamin' Eagle / Vance & Hines V-ROD second this weekend. Krawiec’s 6.987 second E.T. keeps him well within striking distance of the championship. Krawiec will race Peggy Llewellyn on her Rocklin Motorsports Buell in the first round.

continue reading "Matt Smith Fastest Qualifier at Pomona Finals"

Chris Rivas won the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class at AC Delco NHRA Las Vegas Nationals on Sunday. Rivas' Drag Specialties S&S Buell V-Twin ran a 7.052 E.T. at 185.79 MPH in the final round to defeat Eddie Krawiec and his Screamin' Eagle / Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson VROD. Rivas remains third in POWERade Championship points and is just 39 points behind points leader Matt Smith. The win by Rivas tightened the points race, reducing Smith's lead from 79 points. Krawiec's final round appearance also helped him edge closer to a possible championship. Krawiec remains second in the Countdown to One, but he reduced Smith's lead from 42 points to just 19 points with one race left in the season.

Angelle Sampey was the event's quickest qualifier when her Rush Racing Products Buell set a track elapsed time record of 6.993 seconds in qualifying on Friday. Sampey improved on that time with a 6.980 E.T. at 188.17 MPH run in the first round against Junior Pippin and his Stone Mountain & Granite Mountain Harley-Davidson Buell,
continue reading "Chris Rivas Wins in Vegas, Matt Smith Holds Point Lead"

Angelle Sampey set an NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle track E.T. record in qualifying on Friday at the AC Delco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at LVMS. Sampey ran her Rush Racing Products Buell to a 6.993 second elapsed time at 188.23 MPH to secure the top qualifying position for Sunday’s race. Sampey currently sits fourth in the NHRA POWERade Countdown to One championship points, 102 points behind the leader. Sampey will race Junior Pippin in the first round of Sunday’s elimination.

Eddie Krawiec and his Screamin' Eagle / Vance & Hines Harley Davidson VROD took the second qualifying spot with a 7.035 E.T. at 189.52 MPH. Krawiec is second in championship points and is 42 points behind points leader Matt Smith. Krawiec will face Shawn Gann and his X-Treme Rebellion / XXX Racing Fuel S&S-powered Buell in the first round on Sunday. Gann qualified fifteenth with a 7.169 E.T. at 182.26 MPH in his first outing with his new sponsors and bike.

continue reading "Angelle Sampey Quickest at Las Vegas Qualifying"

Craig Treble wins at the NHRA POWERade 21st annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil in Memphis, TN on Sunday. Treble took his Pro Stock Motorcycle race win with a solid weekend on his Albrecht's Fast Track Suzuki. Treble qualified eighth for the Mid-South Nationals, but found that the bike had more speed when he needed it. Treble came into this race ninth in Countdown to One championship points, and leaves Memphis eighth in points.

Treble's first round match-up was against Michael Phillips on his Phillips Racing Suzuki. Phillips had great reaction time of 0.012 and a 7.097 second E.T. at 190.46 MPH, but it wasn't enough to make up for Treble's 7.034 E.T. at 187.00 MPH. Treble's next challenger was GT Tonglet and his GT Motorsports Buell. Tonglet won his first round against top qualifier Chip Ellis, when Ellis left early and took a red light. Tonglet also had a great reaction time of 0.015, but it couldn't make up for his 7.105 E.T. at 185.43 MPH against Treble's 7 .061 E.T. at 184.60 MPH.

continue reading "Craig Treble Wins O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals in Memphis"

Chip Ellis was the fastest qualifier in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class at the NHRA POWERade 21st annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil in Memphis, TN. Ellis ran his Schumacher Electric / XXX Racing Fuels Suzuki to a 6.910 second elapsed time (E.T.) at 191.10 MPH to secure the top spot during the third round of qualifying Saturday morning. Chip Ellis was the top qualifier at last year ‘s Memphis race, setting both track time and speed records of a 6.892 E.T. and 193.21 MPH speed. On Sunday, Ellis will face GT Tonglet and his GT Motorsports Buell in the first elimination round. Ellis is currently sitting sixth in the POWERade Championship Points, 105 points behind points leader Matt Smith.

continue reading "Chip Ellis Fast Qualifier at O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals - Memphis"

Chris Rivas rode his Drag Specialties / S&S / G2 Buell to victory at the 23rd Annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas on Sunday. Rivas’ win moves him up from 8th in the Countdown to One points to third. Rivas beat Matt Smith’s NitroFish Torco Buell in the final round with a 7.024 second elapsed time (E.T.) at 183.97 MPH to Smith’s 7.098 second E.T. at 187.00 MPH. Smith came into the Texas race number one in the points and still remains on top.

Angie McBride made a great showing this weekend on her Indicom Electric Buell by defeating Andrew Hines in the first round of eliminations. Hines left early and took a redlight handing the win to McBride, who ran a 7.121 E.T. at 182.53 MPH. McBride won the second round against Angelle Sampey, when Sampey also redlighted. McBride’s run was a 7.103 E.T. at 184.42 MPH to Sampey’s 7.176 E.T. at 178.92 MPH. McBride’s reaction time of 0.037 was consistent with her 0.020 to 0.043 reaction times this weekend. Chris Rivas beat McBride in the semi-final round when he ran a 7.075 E.T. at 184.14 MPH against her 8.523 E.T. at 108.95 MPH.

Peggy Llewellyn made another race appearance this weekend. Llewellyn was eliminated in the first round by points leader Matt Smith. Llewellyn’s 7.154 E.T. at 183.07 MPH was enough to beat Smith’s 7.020 E.T. at 188.38 MPH, despite her 0.022 reaction time. Smith’s reaction time was 0.072, 0.050 seconds slower than Llewellyn’s. Smith went on to beat Chip Ellis and Eddie Krawiec to get to the final round.

continue reading "Chris Rivas Wins at the NHRA Fall Nationals in Texas"

Steve Johnson rode his Snap-On Tools Suzuki to victory at the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina on Sunday. This makes two in a row for Johnson, after his win at the U.S. Nationals in Indy two weeks ago. Johnson qualified his Suzuki in the fifth spot for the Carolinas Nationals. He defeated the third fastest qualifier, Eddie Krawiec, in the final round when Krawiec jumped the start by -0.002 of a second.

Steve Johnson began the weekend eighth in Countdown to One championship points. His performance this weekend have bumped him up to second in the points standings. Matt Smith currently sits first in points, 34 points ahead of Johnson.

Notably, Andrew Hines gave a first round win to Wesley Wells by taking a red light. Joe De Santis also took a first round win after Craig Treble’s Suzuki refused to start. In the second round, Joe
continue reading "Steve Johnson Does It Again! Wins Carolina Nationals"