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MANCUSO TAKES TOP FUEL WIN, LOCAL RACERS TAKE PRO MODIFIED AND ET WINS AT ATLANTA DRAGWAY

By Tim Glover

(Commerce, GA - May 29-30) Several hundred-motorcycle racers brought their Harleys to Atlanta Dragway for the Stone Mountain Harley-Davidson Southern Nationals, presented by Drag Specialties. This event was stop number five of 14 for the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) 2004 schedule. Although the threat of rain was present all weekend, only a few minutes of action were delayed each day. Two Atlanta Dragway regulars, Junior Pippin (Pro Modified) and Scott Reynolds (ET) enjoyed victories in their classes.

In the Screamin‚ Eagle Top Fuel final round, Johnny Mancuso out of Houston, TX faced another Texas racer, Mark Conner from Canyon Lake. Mancuso experienced tire shake on his Œ00 Weekend racer in the semis, but luck was on his side when Tracy Kile red lighted. Mancuso said his team backed off the combination a little for the finals, aiming for a 6.60 elapsed time. They nailed it with a 6.606, 200.83mph blast. Conner's bike experienced severe tire shake in the final and then spun the tires, slowing his Œ03 Top Fuel Harley to 12.04, 72.64mph. Mancuso was beaten by his hired gun, Steve Stordeur at the 2003 Atlanta race, but this year they met in round two, and the boss took the win when Stordeur spun the tires shortly after leaving the starting line. Tracy Kile (Œ01 American - Hatfield, PA) and Doug Vancil (Œ00 Weekend - Cedar Crest, NM) were the semi-final pair.

Mancuso

Pippin

Kirby, OH S&S Pro Stock racer Rick Maney set a new record at the previous AHDRA race in Bakersfield (7.47 at 175mph), but said he was lucky to be in the winner's circle after experiencing Georgia humidity for the first time. His team took several rounds to find a tune up the engine was happy with, but had a good combination for the finals and won with a 7.56, 175.16mph best against 2003 Atlanta Pro Stock winner Dirk Higgins, who fell .05 seconds off his qualifying pace of 7.55 to a 7.60, 171.16mph in the final. Both finalists were great on the tree, with Maney cutting a .416 and Higgins going .425 on the reaction timers. "Anytime you can drive around Dirk Higgins you‚ve done a good job," commented Maney. The semi-finalists were Dale Raudenbush (Œ01 Buell - Old Zionsville, PA) and self -proclaimed senior citizen George Farrell (Œ02 Buell - Indianapolis, IN).

Mike Lehman took top honors in JIMS Pro Fuel with his West Palm Beach, FL based Œ02 Dixie machine. He met Cincinnati, OH racer John Martin in the final, and was actually second off the starting line due to a late react. However, Martin's Œ02 Weekend Harley lost traction and spun, forcing him to lift to an 11.23, 79.08mph pass. Lehman thundered to a 7.33, 187.05mph. Jay Turner (Œ98 Dixie - Whitsett, NC) had low ET and Top Speed of the meet in Pro Fuel, but lost due to a broken drive belt in the semi-finals. The other semi-final finisher was number one qualifier Jack Romine (Œ99 Weekend - Casa Grande, AZ).

Although Fred Collis of Star Racing & S&S set new AHDRA records in S&S Pro Gas (7.27 and 7.30 second passes at 183mph), his main agenda was preparing a Pro Stock Harley for NHRA competition. Brook McCabe out of Roanoke Rapids, NC earned the final round win light with a holeshot victory on his Œ99 Pro Gas bike against David Delullo, Jr's Œ01 Buell. Delullo, from St Mary's, PA, actually ran the quicker ET, an 8.28, 160.56mph, but crossed the finish line after McCabe‚s 8.32, 153.75mph shot. Delullo used a giant holeshot in the semi-finals to take out Ray Phipps's Mason, OH based Œ02 Harley. The other semi-finalist was James Kelly (Œ95 Weekend - Sharpsburg, GA), whose machine broke on the starting line.

Scott Truett from Wichita, KS set the low ET and the top speed numbers in Kresto Pro Drag qualifying, and to no one's surprise, also took first place for the weekend with his Œ03 Harley. Truett met number two-plate holder Chuck Jones (Œ04 Derringer - Naples, FL) in the final, left the starting line first and took the finish line first with a 7.45, 163.14mph pass. Jones machine was close with 7.54, 168.70mph. Michael Mulderink (Œ99 Nungesser - Tinley Park, IL) actually had the faster ET in his semi-final match up against Jones (7.51 to Jones‚ 7.69), but threw it away with a .205 red light, making Mulderink the lone semi-finalist. Atlanta Dragway's own Junior Pippin from Conyers, GA was the top player for the second year in a row in Joker Machine Pro Modified. This time, Pippin faced the number one plate holder, Cliff Dwy from Madras, OR in the final. Dwy actually had the reaction time advantage, but Pippin‚s 8.41 at 148.36mph was too much for Dwy's 8.58, 157.37mph effort. Pippin said he experienced some jetting and clutch problems in the first two rounds, but then had better passes for the last two rounds. He thanked his sponsors, Gene Lummus Harley Davidson, Rinehart Racing, S&S, Red Line Oil and Junior Pippin Trucking for all the help. Shaun Reno (Œ00 Buell - Gloucester, VA) and Paul Smith (Œ04 Buell - Uniontown, OH) took home the semi-final portion of the purse.

Joe Sternotti runs his Custom and Performance Cycle Center out of Blackwood, NJ and has been involved with AHDRA for several years. In 2000, he won the AHDRA Pro Modified championship, but had never won a race until today in the Rivera / Primo Street Pro class. Sternotti's Œ92 XL set low ET and high mph marks (9.157 at 146.86mph) in qualifying, winning the pole position in the process. He then experienced his first ever AHDRA win against Chris Schelle (Œ02 Lowrider - Elkhart, IN) in the final with a 9.25, 145.45mph effort. Schelle could only muster an ailing 10.76, 126.48mph pass. Schelle also had problems in the semis with a 12.47, 121.06mph pass, but his semi-final opponent, Doug Morrow (Œ04 Sportster - Daytona Beach, FL), had to shut off after the burnout when smoke was spotted coming off his bike (and it wasn't out the exhaust or tires). The other semi-finalist was Jordan Cruz (Œ98 Buell - Ft. Lauderdale, FL).

Tripp Nobles won Screamin‚ Eagle V-Rod during the 2003 Atlanta race, and repeated in 2004 with a decisive 10.02 at 135.04mph against Clay Wilwert from Dubuque, IN. Wilwert was quick with a 10.33, 130.94mph, but not quick enough for first place. Jim Wise (Œ03 V-Rod - Granger, IN) and Larry Maynhart (Œ02 VRSC - Swanton, OH) became the semi-final pair.

John "The Juggler" Burdynski from Houston, TX had a rough weekend, breaking two pushrods and struggling most of the weekend to find a combination to win Dragmasters Hot Street. His work paid off, and the national record holder (10.29 seconds) enjoyed his best pass of the weekend with a 10.49, 128.03 final round pass on his Œ98 Buell against Bruce Croneberger III's Cressona, PA based Œ98 S-1 Buell, which turned in a 10.67, 128.48mph. This victory gave Burdynski his third win in a row. He thanked Bob Drapp for his help. David Atkins (Œ99 Rigid Custom - Sarasota, FL) and Robert McConnell (Œ00 Buell - Shreveport, LA) finished their day in the semi-finals.

Canton, OH racer Dale Miller used a huge two tenths of a second holeshot advantage on his Œ98 S-1 Buell to secure the Red Line Oil Super Gas win. Miller crossed the finish line .021 seconds behind defending champion Willie Herschberger's Bradenton, FL based Œ03 Harley, but won with a 9.81, 133.05mph after Herschberger broke out with a 9.61, 131.74mph (9.70 index). Blake Holliday (Œ89 Custom - North Springfield, PA) took home the semi-final portion of the purse.

David Hope from Nevada, MO earned the S&S Super Sport win against G.W. Bass (Œ60 Sportster - Lynchburg, VA). Hope was four thousandths closer to the 10.30 index with a 10.322, 116.48mph pass, while Bass turned in an otherwise good 10.326, 122.24mph. Hope also had a .019 second advantage at the starting line. Defending champion, Karen Wagner (the first woman to win an AHDRA championship - Œ94 Sportster - Escondido, CA) was the semi-finalist.

Old age and treachery won out over youth and enthusiasm in Performance Corner Super Eliminator. Larry Guy from Bradenton, FL took on the enthusiastic 20 year old Bill Lee, Jr in the final, and used a very good 10.96, 120.48mph (10.90 index) for the win. Lee, who also comes from Bradenton, FL and is friends with Guy, was a bit tardy at the starting line, and broke out with a 10.82, 113.21mph pass on his Œ00 Lightning. Pat Doyle (Œ98 Buell - Davenport, FL) and Cleve McConnell (Œ98 S-1 Buell - Shreveport, LA) were the semi-final pair. "He‚s old. He needs all the wins he can get," commented a smiling Lee after the race.

Bill Draffin from Tampa, FL stayed busy during the last few rounds as he made it down to the semifinals with two different Harleys, one in Screamin‚ Eagle Performance (and the other in Syn3 ET). Draffin's Œ02 Dyna went closer to the 11.50 index with an 11.56, 112.35mph shot. His opponent, Tim Strissel from Annapolis, MD was a little further off the mark on his Œ00 Buell, running 11.62, 104.99mph. Donnie Huffman (Œ04 Sportster - Lakeland, FL) and Robert McConnell (Œ01 Buell - Shreveport, LA) finished in the semi-finals.

Local racer Scott Reynolds from Cartersville, GA has a highly modified Firebird that he races in bracket races at Atlanta Dragway. He purchased a Œ01 Wideglide last year, and entered his first AHDRA race this weekend in the Syn3 ET class. He beat 2003 Atlanta winner Howard Pence by running closer to his 12.98 dial in time with a 13.03, 96.59mph pass. Pence had the reaction time advantage but fell off the pace to a 12.42, 105.50mph (12.20 dial). Bill Draffin (Harley - Tampa, FL) and Denson Wright (Harley - Ellenton, FL) became the ET semi-finalists. Reynolds had a scare after round two when he discovered he only had one cylinder working (a coil had failed). Thanks to help from H&R Cycles (in nearby Homer, GA) owner Harold Nash, who went out and got the ignition components he needed, Reynolds was able to go on and win the race.

Riders for the Christian Motorcycle Association "Riding for the Son" had a booth on the manufacturer's midway, passing on their message about God. They sponsored a Saturday evening and a Sunday morning service for racers and spectators. The manufacturer‚s midway was, as usual, a Harley enthusiast‚s dream. In addition to numerous leather items, metal art and chrome accessories, numerous customized and nearly stock Harleys were on sale by the weekend's sponsor, Stone Mountain Harley-Davidson. Even the spectator's parking areas looked like a Motorcycle show, with hundreds of customized Harleys. Several performance parts vendors, like Drag Specialties, S&S Proven Performance, RC Components, Vance & Hines and more had their go fast goodies available to anyone interested.

For more information on AHDRA's 2004 Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts Championship Series, please contact 336-924-2095 or visit www.ahdra.com.

Winner Circle Photos

Top Fuel - Mancuso	Pro Fuel - Lehman
Pro Stock - Maney	Pro Drag - Truett
Pro Gas - McCabe	Pro Modified - Pippin
Street Pro - Sternotti	Hot Street - Burlynsk
V-Rod - Nobles	Super Gas - Miller
Super Sport - Hope	SE - Guy
SEP - Draffin	ET - Reynolds

FINAL RESULTS