#1 qualifyer, Vancil has a new paint job

Schmidt in action at Speedworld Dragstrip

FIRST TOP FUEL NATIONAL WIN FOR SCHMIDT!

Californian Phil Schmidt has been rapidly gathering acclaim in Top Fuel competition. His streak continued at his first appearance of the season and AHDRA's first West Coast event: the Screamin' Eagle Arizona Bike Week Nationals Presented by Arrowhead and Chandler Harley-Davidson dealers.

In 2007, Schmidt, of Orangevale, CA, captured the event win at AHDRA's non-points race in Sturgis, SD. He followed that with a national MPH record in Pomona, CA (225mph), and now has started the 2008 season with his first national win-accomplished with the quickest pass in the field of the weekend. Schmidt's win in Arizona came amongst a field of seasoned riders, who ultimately made the victory even more spectacular.

Top Fuel and Pro Fuel competitors collectively agreed to compete on the eighth- mile at Speedworld after reviewing both wind conditions and a bumpy shutdown area. Schmidt was among the group in favor of that decision.

He said later that although he was comfortable with the wind conditions on the eighth-mile, it could have been very different on the quarter-mile.

Track conditions aside, Schmidt's victorious weekend was not without a few challenges. He started qualifying with a 5.69 at 99 mph. In the second round, he followed with a better, 5.09/122 mph and wrapped up the session with a 4.85 at 137 mph-good enough for only a 15th spot in the 16-bike field.

Schmidt said that he came to Arizona with no clutch settings. "It was all new clutch plates," he explained. He went on to say that he tested in Bakersfield, CA, a couple of weeks earlier. "We ran a stellar pass there with a 6.22 at 228 mph, but then I had to change my entire clutch arms over again. With no settings, we struggled all weekend but we got it together when it counted."

It was the #2 plate-holder, Tak Shigematsu, who set the pace in qualifying with a 4.28 at 169 mph best after two rounds for the top spot. In round three, the champ, Doug Vancil, emerged with a 4.19 at 182 mph to take over #1. For Vancil, the move to #1 earned him due praise after his struggles in the first pair of rounds, which resulted in a #16 qualifying spot prior to his jump to the top.

On race day, the #1 qualifier advanced over Kevin Boyer on a solid run in the opening round, but in round #2, the champ was eliminated by Top Fuel newcomer Armon Furr on a holeshot victory. Furr's reaction-a .042 followed by a 4.33 at 174 mph, good enough for the win light over Vancil's .091, 4.28 at 180 mph.

Furr earned his way to the second round and eventually the finals after opening the show with a win over his fellow teammate-and more notably, his DAD - Bill Furr.

The Furrs traveled from Orangeburg, SC, to compete, and after three qualifying rounds they managed to finish with matching numbers at 4.434 each. Armon's better MPH gave him the #8 spot in front of Bill's #9 spot and this led to the Furr round one match-up.

The excitement of the "All Furr" opener was briefly spoiled after problems at the tree left officials reviewing the run and later ruling that a re-run was in order-ultimately giving fans a double look at the Furrs side-by-side. It was worth it (for the fans, at least) to witness those thundering-smoky-Southern style-Furr burnouts twice!

For Phil Schmidt, the journey to the finals came when he upset #2 qualifier Shigematsu in the first round. In round #2, he advanced over the 7th qualifier, Joey Sternotti, after a redlight foul. Officials reviewed that particular run, too, before determining that the foul stood as posted. In round #3, Schmidt was paired with #3 qualifier Steve Dorn. Although Dorn clocked a winning 4.46 against Schmidt's 4.54, Dorn the Oregonian crossed the centerline, resulting in a disqualification and a win-light for Schmidt.

The Furr-Schmidt final was a glitch-free race to the stripe. Furr had the better reaction (.068), but his power slowed and he came up short (4.57/130 mph) to Schmidt's winning-fastest pass of the weekend-.094, 4.16 at 183 mph.

When asked if he knew that he just clocked the best time of the field, Schmidt replied, "Oh yeah. I knew if was fast. That bike was on a tear!"

He thanked Dan Rusk, Ken and Bob Wilson, and his wife, Jeannie, for their support.

Streeter heads to the win light

Wishes for a speedy recovery go out to Rick Casas!

HECK, YEAH … STREETER'S BACK!

I had two questions for Cleveland, Ohio's Chris Streeter in the Arizona winner's circle: Was it worth the long haul out here? And are you chasing the championship points this year? The quick and elated answer to both was, "Heck, yeah!"

The former national champ hasn't been in the winner's circle since 2006, but that all changed when things took an upward turn in Arizona.

Douglas Horne of Aberdeen, MD, was the man to beat after Saturday's three qualifying sessions. He clocked a 4.47 at 169 mph in the opening round for the top spot, but John Breckenridge moved him down a notch in the second round with a better 4.44 at 164 mph to take over the lead position. In round three, Horne fired back with a 4.42 at 155 mph to recapture his #1 spot and move Breckenridge to the #2 spot. In the third position was defending national champion Jay Turner with a 4.48/165 mph best pass.

In Sunday's first elimination round, Horne advanced over Reading. PA's Rick Moore before pairing up with Streeter for an exceptional race in round #2. Horne started by chopping the tree with a .008 to a .035 from Streeter, but Streeter's hard work and redemption kicked in to high gear as he powered to the win light with a 4.34 at 172 mph to a 4.45 at 168 mph from Horne. Streeter was headed to the finals after the yearlong winner's drought.

On the other side, #2 qualifier John Breckenridge tasted the winner's circle in '07 and earned two runner-up finishes, and he had the performance advantage over the #4 qualifier, Streeter, in Sunday's competition.

Breckenridge advanced on a first round single after his opponent and #7 qualifier Rick Casas was unable to compete. Casas was injured in a top end accident in Saturday's qualifying session and was transported to a nearby hospital as a result of his injuries. At press time, Casas has since been released and is continuing his recovery at home. In round #2, Breckenridge appeared to be finished for the day with early problems in his match with #1 plate-holder Jay Turner. But for Turner, problems struck even earlier when he drew a redlight on a 4.46/163 mph pass, and Breckenridge advanced with a 10.883 at 50 mph.

In the Breckenridge-Streeter final, race-day consistency continued for Streeter and the Lake Erie team as he overpowered Breckenridge's 5.84/83 mph with a 4.37 at 171 mph for the win.

Streeter had plenty to say in his enthusiastic post race interview. He began by explaining his struggles that started during the 2007 season. "We changed the heads, pistons, and the whole top of the motor, including the injection system, halfway through the season last year. That's not typically something you would do in the middle of a season, so we've been struggling a lot to get the tune-up right," he explained.

He went on to say that they changed the clutch set-up over the winter and struggled with that in Gainesville. "But this weekend, we really got the clutch working well and it paid off. In eighth-mile racing like we did here, the clutch is probably the most important thing."

Streeter took time to dedicate this win to his close friend who passed away, Frank Andrus. "He was my mentor and taught me how to build a Harley motor," Streeter said. "He was a master machinist and motor builder who worked with a lot of the racers here. My life would be completely different if it weren't for him."

Streeter also thanked his sponsors: Barnett Clutches, Chromatic, Streeter Technologies, Spectro Oil, Holidaysburg Napa, and Kowalski Meat Treat.

Krenik in action on the Pro Mod ride

Double qualifyer and Double winner - Greg Krenik

DESERT DAWG DOUBLE!

Greg Krenik of Corrales, NM, carries the #2 plate in both Pro Stock and Pro Modified competition, but after a weekend that started with a mystery shifting problem on the Pro Stock ride and a 60' sensor demolition on the Pro Mod bike, the Desert Dawgs overcame the obstacles and captured wins in both classes. It certainly was apparent that they are striving for #1 plates in 2008!

In S & S Pro Stock competition, Gainesville winner James Surber of Shelter Cove, CA, started his Arizona weekend on top with an 8.36 at 154 mph for the #1 qualifying spot in Saturday's opening round. Texan Bruce Beltramini was second with an 8.39 at 154 mph. For Krenik, it was the beginning of those baffling shifting problems on the bike and he clocked a 9.88 at 151 mph for the bottom spot at #6. In the second round, after two attempts at shifting and the second one successful, Krenik managed an 8.34 at 159 mph and made a giant leap to the #1 spot in front of Surber, who moved to #2. Krenik waited in staging for the third round. After no one improved his number, he returned to the pits to save wear and tear and continue unraveling the shifting problem. Beltramini ended his day in the fourth spot (8.39) after Eddie Lee of Winston, GA, bettered his time with an 8.38 for the #3 position.

Eliminations began with Krenik paired with #6 qualifier Bill Bentz of nearby Prescott Valley, AZ. Bentz got a huge holeshot on Krenik (.088 to a .231), but despite the four attempts at getting the bike to shift on the pass, Krenik mustered an 8.61 at 143 mph win light. He said later that along with the horsepower Steve Allstaedt puts in the bike, the rest was luck. "I was ready for it this time," Krenik said, referring to the shifting problem. "I just had to let the rpm drop a bit so it would go into gear, but I just didn't think it would take that many tries. It was back to the pits to find the problem." Luckily for him, that win earned him a bye in the semis. As a result, he was able to save more wear and tear by breaking the beam to advance to the final round.

On the other side of the ladder, # 4 qualifier Beltramini was leaving his mark on the competition with impressive reaction times. He advanced over Eddie Lee in round one with a pass that started with a .003 at the tree. In round two, he tree'd James Surber with a .023 to a .071. This earned him the holeshot win and the trip to the finals with an 8.44 to Surber's quicker 8.41.

In the Krenik-Beltramini final, it was Krenik flexing his reaction muscles with a .017 to Beltramini's .041. From there, Krenik's shifting problems were a thing of the past and the Desert Dawg scored the win with a 8.19 at 160 mph-the best pass of the weekend for Krenik and the entire field.

"This was incredible," Krenik said in the winner's circle. "As we were backing the bike out to run the finals, a miracle happened-the shift light worked! It didn't work all day and we looked at the wiring and all of a sudden it was working and it worked on the pass and it was just great!" Krenik had reason to be so full of excitement in our post win chat. He was juggling two bikes in victory lane after taking the Pro Modified win along with that Pro Stock win.

For the Desert Dawg team, the win in that class came with far less drama in the end, but things sure got off to a shaky start. In his first pass in Friday's test-and-tune, he broke the tire loose so badly that the bike turned sideways. He let off the throttle but had so much forward momentum that he crashed over the 60' sensor box, putting the race on hold while attempts were made to replace the dated equipment. "That was the worst launch I've ever had," Krenik recalled. "I'm glad I was in the left lane or I would have been in the wall."

Qualification day went much better for him, and his first round 8.76 at 148 mph was good enough for the top spot and remained intact for the day. He earned double #1 qualifying spots before his eventual double win.

In Pro Modified eliminations, he advanced with ease over a redlight from Bruce Chandler. With only four entries in the field, that win earned Krenik the final-round appearance. He hoped to have a rematch with 2007 friendly rival and #1 plate-holder, Randy Borho of Beavercreek, OR, the #2 qualifier. In a surprising round one, Borho redlit and it was an upset win for #3 qualifier Gerry Holmes.

In the Holmes-Krenik final, Holmes had the holeshot advantage with a .088 to a .196, but Krenik charged ahead-powered by Steve Allstaedt's tuning talents-and earned the win with an 8.71 at 153 mph to a 9.32 at 140 mph from Holmes. Krenik's 153.23 mph winning pass bettered his own national record of 153.13, but with no passes left to back up the number, he will have to put off setting the new national record for another time.

Krenik was understandably excited in the winner's circle. "This is our first double win and double #1 qualifying weekend in AHDRA points competition," he said.

"Steve [Allstaedt] did an awesome job on these bikes. This is so incredible." Krenik was also thrilled to have family and friends at Speedworld to see his big weekend.

The Desert Dawg team thanked sponsors Thunderbird Harley-Davidson, SA Racing, Unique Services, Mark Goodwin & Associates, Leading Edge Customs, Custom Coating, CP Pistons, MT Tires, Outlaw Racing Fuels, Lyndall Race Brakes, Regina Chain, Bandit Machine, and Synergy Coatings.

Moore and Stewart in the final

TWO-TIME CHAMP MOORE ENDS STEWART'S STREAK

Heading to Speedworld Dragstrip, Terry Stewart of Anaheim, CA, was looking at a possible four-in-a-row in victory lane after finishing the last pair of races in '07 there and the season opener in Gainesville. The quest for the four straight was halted in Arizona, but it was certainly not from lack of effort.

Stewart finished qualifying day in the 5th spot (7.89/160 mph), which resulted in a round one pairing with Will Simplot, the #4 qualifier in Sunday's opening round of eliminations. Stewart killed the tree with a .008-7.66 at 164 mph to advance. And then in round two, against the #1 qualifier and defending champ, Rick Moore, Stewart did it again-a .008 reaction! The consistent performance at the tree didn't pay off, though, and wasn't enough to fight off Moore's horsepower as he advanced to the finals with a 7.57/168 mph to Stewart's 8.18 at 127 mph.

Moore's final-round contestant was #3 qualifier Rocky Jackson of Youngsville, LA. Jackson earned his way there after a huge holeshot win over former champion Scott Truett (#6 qualifier) in the opening round. In the second round, #2 qualifier Chuck Jones was a no-show; Jackson advanced on the single to face Moore in the final.

The Pro Drag final was over in a matter of seconds after Jackson drew the redlight and ended his chance to upset the defending champion.

Moore's .076 followed by a beautiful 7.53/176 mph pass grabbed the win light after the foul and 7.75 at 160 mph finish for Jackson.

For Moore, who traveled from Reading, PA, the weekend was a handful. "The track conditions were not very desirable," he observed in the winner's circle. "It was my scariest weekend of racing so far due to the wind. While the Top Fuel and Pro Fuel guys cut it back to eighth-mile racing, our class decided as a whole to run the quarter mile."

Moore's final pass of the weekend was a beauty, and if there were struggles, they were certainly disguised in that winning pass. In response to my observation, Moore flashed a smile and said, "Our final pass was our cleanest pass of the whole weekend! We were in the right lane and there was a crosswind blowing from the right and it worked out".

He sent out a special thanks to God for his safety. "I also want to thank CMMR, my girlfriend, Riki, Mr. & Mrs. Joe Bahnmaier, my daughter, Emily, and a special thanks to Mike Bahnmaier and the whole Mid-Continent team for their hard work and dedication to my success." Moore also expressed gratitude to his sponsors, Mike's Metal Polishing and Gates Belts.

Moore concluded by dedicating his Arizona win to a friend who passed away, Jim Ott.

Raudenbush on a winning run

JON MILLER/THIEL'S WHEELS TEAM SECURE RAUDENBUSH FOR CHAMPIONSHIP PURSUIT

After Dale Raudenbush, of Macungie, PA, competed and finished runner-up at the Gainesville season opener, the word around the pits was that the multi-hairstyle rider was considering hanging up his helmet. After he showed up at the second event of the season in Arizona, and captured a win, I asked him about the impending retirement rumor.

"Hey, I missed my family at that race," he said with his recognizable grin. "I want hugs, not phone calls! So they decided to come with me to this one," he said, pointing out his wife and daughter standing nearby.

I asked if the loss of his dear friend, Bob Shay, may have made his 2008 debut a little harder, and Raudenbush replied to the contrary. "Actually, maybe he is why I did so well here. He and Jim Simpson (another deceased friend) may have both helped."

Raudenbush started the weekend that led to his eventual win with a #2 qualifying spot on Saturday with a 7.44 best run. Sitting at #1 was a former champion, Mike Lozano, with a 7.30 at the end of the day. For Lozano, who traveled from San Antonio, TX, to compete, the spot at the top was short-lived when Sunday's eliminations began.

Lozano had a free ride to the second round simply by breaking the beam after his top qualifying spot awarded him the first-round bye. He ended up with a first-round upset like no other when his bike failed to remain under power and he was forced to back it out of the water box.

Stan Sheppard (#4 qualifier) reaped the reward on a no-show broke from his round one opponent, Matt Spencer. Sheppard, who hails from California, then benefited from Lozano's mechanical demise by receiving a bye in the second round-which ultimately led him to the final round.

Raudenbush, competing on the Jon Miller/Thiel's Wheels ride that Dave Feazell rode to the 2007 national title, had no problems advancing to the finals himself after a redlight from Fred Love in the opening round. Despite a great reaction time from Karen Wagner in round #2 (.029), Raudenbush powered by with a 7.35 to her 8.41, thus advancing to face Sheppard in the final round.

The excitement of the final ended with the flash of a red bulb for Sheppard, and Raudenbush rode to the win with a 7.63 at 169 mph.

In the post race celebration, Jon Miller spoke highly of Raudenbush's riding efforts. "He is very talented and we are glad to have him riding for us," Miller commented. Raudenbush said that all the credit should go to Jon Miller, Thiel's Wheels, Billy, Mike, and the whole crew. "I can only make that bike slow down, they're the ones that make it go fast," added Raudenbush. The team also thanked Miller Lite and Mickey Thompson Tires.

Up close look at Simon in action

SIMON UNRAVELS CLUTCH PROBLEMS IN TIME TO WIN

In Street Pro competition, there may have been only a small group of four entered in the field, but for the riders and the points chase, the competition and the win count just the same.

Andy Simon found that juggling his help on other bikes left his own ride without TLC, but that changed by the end of the weekend and when it counted most. Simon qualified #1 with a 9.14 at 147 mph in front of Verl "Smitty" Smith's 9.29 at 144 mph for the #2 spot. Danny Worth of Blue Springs, MO, grabbed the third position (9.57/124 mph), and newcomer in the class, Charlie Douglass, was fourth with a 9.77 at 133 mph at the end of three sessions.

Coming off a win in Gainesville, Douglass, of Staunton, VA, faced a rematch of that final with Simon-this time in the opening round. Douglass had a huge holeshot advantage (.099) to a crawling .315 from Simon, but things came around for Simon, the 2006 champion, and he clocked a 8.98 at 150 mph. This was his best (at that time) of the weekend, and with that, he was in the finals.

Meanwhile, #2 qualifier and #3 plate-holder Worth was taking on Smith in the opener. Worth advanced to the finals after Smith, of Portland, OR, suffered what appeared to be shifting problems and ended his chance to advance.

In the final, Simon greatly improved his previous troubled reaction with a .052 and charged to the win light with an 8.94 at 150 mph, his best pass of the weekend. Meanwhile Worth had a slow start (.334) and lost with a 9.13 at 145 mph.

"We struggled a bit," Simon said after the race. "We fought clutch problems all weekend and were so busy trying to keep everyone else going that we neglected our own stuff. We finally got the clutch to come around and put down a decent pass out there."

Simon said that he's thankful for the help from Mike Lozano. He also sent a special thanks to his valuable sponsors, Lucas Oil, Wimmer Custom Cycle, Horne Concrete, H-D/Buell of Bloomington, IN, Lozano Bros Porting, and Simon's Competition.

Gerencer has enough power to win

LESS IS MORE: GERENCER WINS DESPITE THE MISSING HORSEPOWER

Rarely does a rider tell you, "My bike was down on power all weekend" after taking the win moments earlier, but for Lou Gerencer, that was indeed the case.

The Elkhart, IN, rider said that the bike just didn't run like it had in the past. "There were things going on in the motor and there was no time to work on them at this event," he said. "We are going to get it home and get the bike apart and fix the problem for the upcoming St. Louis event," he added with confidence.

Qualifying started with the defending champ, Larry Edmondson, Jr., at the top of the pack for two rounds with a 9.56/138 mph. In the final round, Gerencer moved from the #3 spot to take over Edmondson's #1 spot with a 9.54 at 141 mph.

The absence of Gerencer's horsepower was disguised in Sunday's eliminations by a no-show from his opponent, Robert McConnell, in round one; in the second round, Gerencer used the tree to his advantage with a giant holeshot (.054) to a .278 from Mike Roberts, of Clinton, OH. Roberts clocked the low E.T. of the weekend in that round (9.436), but Gerencer's impressive start was enough to get the win and advance to the final with a 9.50 at 141 mph.

Stan Miller, also of Elkhart, IN, was Gerencer's opponent in the final. Miller earned his spot there after advancing over AHDRA regular Rich Vreeland in round one and upsetting the national champ, Edmondson, in the second round.

The Gerencer-Miller final began with another nice reaction from Gerencer (.097) followed by a 9.486 at 142 mph for a win over Miller's 9.725 at 138 mph. Gerencer's final score netted the top MPH number of the weekend-and while Gerencer was quick to point out that there were problems with the bike, it played no interference in getting him to the winner's circle.

He thanked his sponsors John and Nila Wise along with Elkhart, IN, supporters Hoosier Harley-Davidson, Simeris Tavern, and Cutters Foam. He also thanked Powershield Coatings.com and his Mom and Dad.

Tonglet made a comeback in Arizona

TONGLET REBOUNDS, STOPS GONATAS FROM SECOND WIN

Defending Destroyer champion L.E. Tonglet of New Orleans was happy to be back in the winner's circle in Arizona after a disappointing performance at the season opener. "We struggled in Gainesville," he said. "Troubles with the bike?" I asked. The usually reserved Tonglet replied, "No, the rider sucked in Gainesville, it was me, the rider. I came back here, though, and it's going good now."

Tonglet secured the top qualifying spot and held on to it for all three sessions with a 9.33 at 139 mph. He maintained his consistency in the 30's all day in Sunday's eliminations, advancing by Dale Nilles (12th qualifier) in round one, Dan Harvey (7th qualifier) in round two, and to the finals courtesy of a bye in the semis.

His opponent, Nick Gonatas Jr., of Youngstown, OH, arrived in the finals for a second time following his win in the class in Gainesville. Gonatas defeated #10 qualifier Rose Sternotti in round #1, and took out the No. 2 plate-holder, Douglas Horne, in round #2. Gonatas raced Jeff Stevens in the semis for the win that awarded him the return to the finals and an opportunity for a strong, early-season lead in the standings.

In one of the best pairings of the finals, Tonglet and Gonatas provided a side-by-side drag race all the way to the finish line. Tonglet was off the line first with a .028 to a .040 from Gonatas; Tonglet's 9.321 at 140 mph edged over the stripe first, ahead of a 9.331 at 138 mph from Gonatas.

After reports late in 2007 that Tonglet was planning a move to NHRA Pro Stock Bike, I asked the #1 plate-holder about his status with the AHDRA points chase and the possible move to NHRA. "If the money came along, we would probably race NHRA, but for now we are staying here," he replied. Runner-up Gonatas said that he plans to contend for a 2008 #1 plate and will compete at as many events as possible. With that said, the forecast indicates a Tonglet-Gonatas battle in the standings in 2008!

Tonglet sent out appreciation to his family along with the Horne family. He also thanked his sponsors Horne Concrete, Chesapeake Harley-Davidson, Bell Helmets, and Bates Leathers.

Croneberger was all smiles at Speedworld Dragstrip

A CRONEBERGER COMEBACK!

"Welcome back, Bruce Croneberger." That's what I said to the Cressona, PA, rider who was beaming with happiness in Sunday evening's winner's circle.

Croneberger, the 2006 national champion, earned six #1 qualifying spots in 2007 and made at least three final-round appearances. But he managed only a pair of wins for the year, the last one in June '07 in Norwalk, OH, so without doubt, the former champ and current No. 2 plate-holder was thirsty for a win. He said that as far as chasing the title this year is concerned, they will take it one race at a time. He's off to a nice start.

Qualifying started Croneberger's path to victory, with a 9.95 at 131 mph in the second round that held in the third round for the #1 spot in front of Gainesville winner and former champ himself, John Burdynski, who finished in the second spot with a 10.08/132 mph best pass.

Croneberger's top qualifying spot earned him the round one bye in Sunday's eliminations. He advanced in round two instantly after a redlight from Joey Sternotti and secured his spot in the final.

Eventual final-round opponent and #2 qualifier Burdynski, of Houston, TX, advanced over Sergio Zenobi in the opening round and took out Charles Cannon in a nice race in the second round to earn his spot in the final.

The two former champions staged for the final and Croneberger got the win light long before the finish when Burdynski redlit. The two also earned the top marks of the weekend. Croneberger grabbed low E.T. with a 9.95 in the second round while Burdynski earned top MPH with a 132.41 mph qualifying pass.

Croneberger said everything about the weekend was terrific for him. "Even getting here was good," he said. "It was 2300 miles of pure happiness." He thanked his Dad and his brother for their help and also thanked his sponsors Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson/Buell, SA Racing, STD Development, Axtell Sales, Regina Chain, and Precision Chassis.

Roberts and Gerencer in the finals

A BLOWN MOTOR, A PLANE TICKET, A DISQUALIFICATION, A NEW CHARGING SYSTEM, ANOTHER BLOWN MOTOR, AND THE END RESULT ... ROBERTS WINS!

Really. You are reading the headline correctly. That sums up what happened during defending champion Mike Roberts' dramatic weekend in Arizona.

I'll tell you the basics first and then I have to turn this over to Roberts himself. A weekend with this much drama can only be told by the one who played the starring role!

Here are the facts: Roberts qualified #1 with a 9.326 at 141 mph. He beat Grover Inks (4th qualifier) in the opening round and advanced to the final to race Lou Gerencer (#2 qualifier). Gerencer advanced over Jeff Farnum (3rd qualifier) in the first round to get to the final. Roberts defeated Gerencer in the final with a .099 reaction followed by a 9.30 at 141 mph to an outstanding .002 reaction, but slower 9.77 at 139 mph, from Gerencer. Now that we have the basics covered, here's the recap as told by Roberts himself.

"We ate up a piston in Friday's test-and-tune and blew the motor up," he began. "So, we had to buy a plane ticket and get my sister to get our parts on the plane and out here to us from Ohio. The parts arrived and we got the motor back together in time to make the second round of qualifying. We made the pass and we got DQ'd because our charging system wasn't working. We managed to get that taken care of after purchasing a brand-new system from local dealer Arrowhead Harley-Davidson, and we made the third round of qualifying and got the #1 spot."

Think that's the end of the drama? Not quite. Roberts continued, "I came out in Sunday's opening round of eliminations and I blew the motor up again! So between that round and the finals, we put the motor back together with a bunch of torn-up parts and here we are in the winner's circle with the best numbers of the weekend," he concluded with a grin.

It wasn't just Roberts who had to get a new charging system to stay in the show. His final-round opponent, Gerencer, also had to take care of the problem after his earlier DQ for the same infraction.

At the end of the day, Roberts' excitement overshadowed any evidence of the thrashing that took place in the Bandit Racing pit for three days. The Arizona win marked his second consecutive win in the class. The champ is off to an early lead for another title.

AHDRA presents a Dedication Award each year, but if there were a Determination Award, here's an early nominee!

Roberts (of Clinton, OH) thanked sponsors Joe's Hawg Shop, Barnett Clutches, Swiss Tlax, Brush Bandit Tree, and Dragon Fly Custom Painting.

Vaughan and Gonatas in the finals

A VICIOUS WIN ON HOME TURF!

First of all, the 9.70 index class came to Arizona untitled, but thanks to the generous support from a racer in the AHDRA sanction, Dick Fish, along with Eagle Harley-Davidson; the class now has a sponsor and a new name: Bison Racing Super Gas. I hear the name is a result of Fish's love for hunting, but we'll follow up with more on that later. Many thanks to Dick Fish and Eagle Harley-Davidson for their dedication to supporting AHDRA in 2008.

After several snafus with time slips in this class, it was looking doubtful that I could tell you anything about Saturday's qualifying. But thanks to patience from the competitors in the class and their help in sorting out the mix-ups, and their gratitude in the end, it all worked out and the show went on!

The result after three rounds on Saturday was a first-time #1 qualifying position for Californian Ed Syer. He clocked a 9.706 for the spot followed by fellow Californian Jeff Maddox, who was in hot pursuit to catch him with a 9.709 for the second spot. Wanda Poff traveled from her hometown of York, PA, and qualified third with a 9.721.

Syer ended his weekend in the opening eliminator when he met Nick Gonatas Jr. Gonatas, already becoming an early favorite in Destroyer competition, is also emerging as a contender in the Super Gas category. Awarded the bye in round two, he broke the beam to save the power and moved to the third round, where he defeated local Arizona rider Derek Robinette. In round four, showing no mercy on the newly announced class sponsor, Gonatas eliminated Dick Fish and found himself in his second final of the weekend.

Working his way there from the other side to challenge Gonatas was the #13 qualifier, Terry "Vicious" Vaughan. After defeating Gregory Lutz in the first round, Vaughan, competing on his hometown track, put away the #2 qualifier, Maddox, in the second round and broke the beam to advance on the bye in the third round before he sent the #3 qualifier, Wanda Poff, back to the trailer in the semis.

The Vaughan-Gonatas final got announcer "Stagin' Lane" Steve LeTempt to another octave behind the mic when the pair was off with near-identical reaction times-a .032 for Vaughan and a .030 for Gonatas. In a race to the finish, the "Vicious" local favorite got the win with a 9.72 over the breakout 9.66 from Gonatas.

"This was a great weekend," Vaughan said later. "It's my first-ever win in Super Gas." He said that he started out using the class for some test runs for Destroyer competition, but commented after the win, "I think there may be more to it now." Vaughan thanked his wife, Rhonda, and his grandson, Trae, who were with him for the victory lane celebration. He also thanked the group from Chester's Harley-Davidson in nearby Mesa, AZ, along with Vaughan Architectural Products, Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson in Phoenix, AZ, TurboTecUSA.com, Hackenburg Engines, CP Pistons, and Speedworld Dragstrip, his hometown track.

#1 qualifier and winner - Dennis Sacco

FEAST OR FAMINE FOR SACCO

Dennis Sacco hasn't won a race since 2006, and in 2007, the Las Vegas racer said that he didn't even qualify. But at the Screamin'Eagle Arizona Bike Week Nationals, Sacco bounced back with a #1 qualifying spot (10.37) followed by a solid performance on Sunday that brought him to the winner's circle.

"It's feast or famine out there," he said after the race. Happy with the outcome, Sacco said that they started with a good set-up on Friday and things started going out the window on Saturday. "We were going too fast," he said. "It came back around on Sunday, though."

In round one, he advanced with an 11.20. In round two he lowered the number closer to the 10.30 index with a 10.40 to advance; in round three, he nearly hit the perfect mark with a 10.302. In the semis, he advanced over a redlight from defending champ Dean Druschel with a 10.32. In the finals, he met John Burdynski (#12 qualifier) who was pulling double duty in the finals (Hot Street and Super Sport) in Arizona.

Burdynski had the better reaction with a .097 to a .106 from Sacco, but Burdynski broke out ever so slightly with a 10.29 and for Sacco, the 10.33 earned him the win in the crowd-pleasing final round.

Sacco said he thanks his crew chief and major sponsor, Sinister Cycles of Las Vegas. "They put it all together and I just come out and play," he noted. He also thanked Apache Electric and Cate Equipment in Las Vegas along with Specialty Solutions in Utah.

Sacco on his Sinister Cycle ride

England and Farnum in the winner's circle

England Takes First AHDRA Win!

Larry Fore of Denver, CO, started the weekend off with the #1 spot after two rounds of qualifying with a 10.93 against the 10.90 index. In the third and final session, he fell to third when Brad Croneberger clocked a 10.92 for the #2 spot and Joey Thompson of Hopewell, NJ, clocked a nice 10.903 to take over #1.

Thompson made it past Dennis Sacco in Sunday's opening round, but in the second round #10 qualifier Dave England of Campbell, CA, took him down in a close drag race. England clocked a 10.91 to a 10.92 from Thompson.

England's success continued with a round #3 bye (10.96) and in the semis, he advanced to the finals with a 10.94 over a redlight and 10.88 from Danny Boyer.

England took on Jay Wagner of Warsaw, IN, in the final round. Wagner was coming off his first-ever AHDRA win in the Super Gas category in Gainesville and to make it to another final in Arizona was a notable accomplishment. Wagner was quicker at the tree (.046) to a .111 from England and in the double breakout finish, England's 10.86 gave him his inaugural win over Wagner's 10.78.

England said his weekend started out rough when he had clutch problems and then broke a swing arm. "After third-round qualifying things started going smoothly," he commented.

He thanked Jeff Farnum and his wife Tammy for their help along with his sponsors Slab Sides and Yankee Enginevity of Campbell, CA, and Road Rider of San Jose, CA.

Norlin takes the win

11.50 IS NORLIN'S NUMBER AND HE'S STICKIN' TO IT!

"It's been going very well for me, I can't complain," said the defending SEP champion after a win at his first outing of the season. Not only did he finish with the win, but he also made his way through the field and into the Syn3 ET final, where he finished runner-up.

I asked Norlin why it seemed he could do no wrong when it comes to racing. His accomplishments are many: championships, three-time finalist in the High Stakes Shoot-Out, a bundle of event wins along with an award for his wrenching talents in 2007.

Norlin said that it's the reliability of his bike, a 2002 V-Rod. "It's bone stock," he told me. "I've been riding it for years and I've gotten used to the bike and it's been consistent with the 11.50 number, so that's what I dial in and try to do." He also said that he does all the work himself, but pointed out that the bike doesn't require a lot of work.

In qualifying, it was Bobby Yarnell of Los Angeles who was #1 after the first session with an 11.61 before Robert McConnell of Greenwood, LA bettered the number (11.562) in the second round and held on for the top spot with that score after a third round. Norlin almost stole it with an 11.563, but settled for the #2 spot.

Norlin advanced to the final with numbers that improved round after round; a 12.27 was good enough to get him by Jesse Lopez. In the second round an 11.60 got him the win light over Danny Harvey's breakout at 11.47, and in the semis a breakout from Matt Spencer (11.47) gave Norlin the round win with an 11.59.

Norlin raced 11th qualifier Reggie Mackay of Lemon Grove, CA, in the final. Mackay was on the slow side in the beginning with a 12.33 to get things started but advanced over a breakout from Hyper Liz Davis. In the second round he picked up the pace to improve with an 11.74 and advance over Bobby Yarnell; in the semis things really came around and he clocked an 11.58 to advance over John Burdynski.

Mackay couldn't stop Norlin, who left with a .004 reaction and scored an 11.55 for the win against a .440, 11.33 breakout from McConnell for the runner-up finish.

Norlin said that he will have to miss a few races this year due to starting a new business of his own; however, he does plan to compete in St. Louis, Texas, Sturgis, and Woodburn. He concluded by saying, "And of course I'll be back to defend my High Stakes Shootout win in Rockingham." He sent a special thanks to sponsors Norlin Racing and Head Service, Sun Harley-Davidson/Buell, and NRHS V-Twin Performance.

1st time winner, Hendey in action

UNBELIEVABLE, AWESOME, AND EXHILARATING: FIRST-TIME WINNER ART HENDEY JR. DESCRIBES THE FEELING OF VICTORY!

Art Hendey Jr. of Banning, CA, competed at his first AHDRA event in 2007 at Pomona Raceway and again in Las Vegas at the finals. At this, his third-ever Harley race, Hendey sailed successfully through a field of nearly 60 riders, most of them veterans who have been at it for years, and took the win.

In Saturday's qualifying, he didn't hit impressive numbers at the tree and finished with a #49 spot in the field. It was a young lady from Las Vegas (Juls Prince) who displayed the way to a #1 spot with her perfect .000 in the final round before she lost to Stan Sheppard in her opening pass on Sunday.

For Hendey, though, that spot near the bottom of the pack was yesterday's news as his reaction times played a big role in advancing him through six rounds on Sunday.

He met up with one of the best in the business, double finalist Dan Norlin. In an enormous upset, Norlin left early (-.065), and tossed out an 11.59 on an 11.55 dial- in. Hendey didn't let being paired with a highly skilled opponent shake his concentration and he left with a .046 reaction and finished with a winning 11.91 against an 11.75 dial-in.

Hendey said he absolutely loved the entire experience of winning. "I never imagined winning here," he admitted. "I'm still on cloud nine."

He said that with the price of fuel, he can't see being in the points chase, but he does plan to compete in Sturgis and Woodburn. He thanked Gary Riemland, Ron Harvey of Ron Harvey Classic Cycle, Performance Meter, and Mike Kaplan.