Stotz Racing prepares
for 2006 AMA/Prostar Drag Racing Championship in Gainesville
Honda Rider’s Club of
America-sponsored Stotz Racing concluded three weekends of back-to-back
exhibition racing with promising results as the team prepares
for the final round of the 2006 AMA/Prostar Drag Racing Championship
in Gainesville, Fla., November 3-5.
Team owner Kent Stotz traveled to Milan Dragway in Michigan on
September 22-24 for an exhibition of the top Pro Street bikes
at Race Warz II. Despite predictions of rain, the fans turned
out by the thousands. Stotz rolled out the turbocharged, 440-horsepower
CBR1000RR—the first factory-backed liter bike in Pro Street
trim—with the goal of assessing the bike’s development
progress. Stotz qualified well with a 7.64 ET (the quickest to
date for the CBR) but unfortunately he red-lighted the semi-final
while testing some new clutch components.
Then it was on to Englishtown, N.J. for the 5th annual NHRA Sport
Compact Fallnationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, September
30 – October 1. The exhibition event brought together the
fastest Pro Street field in history as the top six qualifiers
ran ETs between 7.35 - 7.45 seconds. The showdown between past
champs Stotz and Barry Henson—owner of Velocity Racing Turbo
Systems and a Stotz Racing sponsor—was highly anticipated
because Henson was riding his team’s bike for the first
time this year and Stotz was riding the 550- horsepower CBR1100XX
that had set consistent 7.2-second ETs earlier in the year.
“In testing, we both ran super-low
1/8-mile ETs,” said Stotz. “Barry ran a 4.84 and we
ran a 4.85. We each qualified and won our first round, then in
the second round semi-final, Barry ran a very fast 7.2-second
ET but we spun the tire and a comparable time was not in the cards
for us that day.”
Undaunted, Stotz then took the team to Byron Raceway in Illinois
for an exhibition race at the 12th Annual World Power Wheel Standing
Championship. Stotz ran both Hondas in front of the 10,000 fans.
The CBR1000RR, piloted by Stotz, qualified first while the CBR1100XX,
guided by former teammate T.J. Hofmeister, was right behind in
second. In round one of eliminations, Stotz posted the fastest
ET of the year for the CBR1000RR with a time of 7.57 seconds.
Due to deteriorating track conditions and the onset of darkness,
the remaining rounds were not conducted.
“It
has been an exhausting month but we are making great progress
with the CBR1000RR,” said Stotz. “Velocity Racing
is really helping us with our turbo combination and Falicon has
developed the super-duty connecting rods that hold up under extreme
combustion pressures. I want to thank Joe Rocket for outfitting
us with some top-notch competition gear, especially their boots.
Everyone asks me about them. And I can’t say enough about
our title sponsor, the Honda Rider’s Club of America. They
have provided us with tremendous support this year, particularly
since we are running two bikes. We will give our fans and sponsors
a great show at the AMA/Prostar World Championship in Gainesville
and, more importantly, we plan to reward them Stotz Racing’s
fifth championship in 2007.”
For the latest information about Stotz Racing, including the latest
news and sponsor links, be sure to visit www.stotzracing.com.
Stotz Racing Sponsors
About Stotz Racing
Stotz Racing is at the forefront of street tire motorcycle drag
racing in America. Formed by renowned motorcycle drag racer Kent
Stotz in 1995, Stotz Racing earned AMA Prostar Street Bike Shootout
titles in 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2002. In 2004, Stotz Racing’s
turbocharged Honda CBR1100XX became the first Street Bike to set
the 200 mph record (7.25 seconds at 200.49 mph). Stotz currently
holds the official ET record in the Pro Street class at 7.335
seconds. Sponsored by the Honda Rider’s Club of America,
Pro Honda Oils and Chemicals, Velocity Racing Turbo Systems, Joe
Rocket, Pingel Enterprises, Star Racing, JE Pistons, RC Components,
Air-Tech Streamlining, Falicon Crankshaft Components, Schaumburg
Honda, HyperPro Racing Suspension, Scorpion EXO and BST Wheels,
Stotz Racing is also the record holder of the AMA Prostar Horsepower
Challenge in the Import V-Twin Cruiser Open class on a Honda VTX1800.
|
