Chris Rivas Wins at the NHRA Fall Nationals in Texas

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.
Read more

Crowded Field for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals

The Pro Stock Motorcycle field for this weekend’s NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis is shaping up to be the most competitive of the year. The high fuel costs for traveling to races and difficulties securing title sponsors to help defray the costs has reduced the entry list for many of the NHRA races. This weekend is different, as 27 riders are on the entry list fight for 16 qualifying spots. The entry list includes the series regulars such as, Matt Smith and Andrew Hines, but also includes new riders and single event entries.

Peggy Llewellyn returns to Indy with a one race sponsorship deal from Roger Burgess’ R2B2 Motors multi-vehicle team. The multi-car team includes team owner Roger Burgess driving in Pro Mod, along with Joe Baker. Melanie Troxel and Frank Hawley will drive the team’s two Funny Car entries. Llewellyn rounds out the team with her Pro Stock Motorcycle entry on a Matt Guidera / Rocklin Motorsports prepped Buell. This will be Llewellyn’s third race this year, following her Denver and Sonoma entries. Peggy ended last year fourth place in the championship points.

AHDRA racer Valerie Thompson is set to make her NHRA debut at Indy on her new bike. She’s been testing her S&S powered EYE-ON Buell in Union Grove, Wisconsin in preparation for her debut. NHRA has reported her best test run as a 7.14 second E.T. at 186.14 MPH. Thompson’s Crew Chief is former NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Gary Tonglet, Sr.

Read more

Matt Smith wins in Denver and Peggy Llewellyn returns in good form

Matt Smith defeated Steve Johnson to win the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 29th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Colorado. Smith rode his NitroFish/Torco Buell to a 7.326 second elapsed time at 180.74 MPH with a reaction time of 0.005, beating Steve Johnson's 7.340 second E.T. at 180.81 MPH with a 0.043 reaction time. Steve Johnson defeated Eddie Krawiec in the semi-final round when Krawiec's Harley-Davidson broke at the line.

Matt Smith made his way to the final round by defeating Peggy Llewellyn in the semi. Smith ran a 7.370 second E.T. at 181.06 MPH compared to Llewellyn's 7.529 second E.T. at 176.19 MPH. Matt's reaction time was 0.048 to Peggy's 0.040. This was Peggy Llewellyn's first race this year and she returned in fine form. Llewellyn has had to sit most of the season out because she has been unable to secure a title sponsor so far. Peggy joined forces with Matt Guidera of Rocklin Motorsports for a two race deal covering Denver and Sonoma. Peggy is riding a Rocklin Motorsports S&S powered Buell for both races, while she and Guidera make a serious push to secure a sponsor for her to race with for the race of the season.

Guidera and Llewellyn have created a unique program where you can sponsor their bikes. Visit the Rocklin Motorsports sponsoship page for more details on how you can sponsor Peggy or Matt's racing.

Editor's note: When this article was originally published, it erroneously reported Steve Johnson as winning the Mile-High Nationals. We goofed up.

Eddie Krawiec takes top qualifying spot at Mile-High Nationals

Eddie Krawiec takes top qualifying spot in Pro Stock Motorcycle at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 29th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Colorado. Krawiec took the top spot by riding his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod to a 7.328 second elapsed time at 1818.74 MPH. Krawiec's teammate, Andrew Hines, qualified fourth with a 7.332 second E.T. at 182.23 MPH.

Many competitors struggled to adjust to the thiner atmosphere in Denver, but the full field qualified for Sunday's race. Ryan Schnitz qualified his Team Muzzy Kawasaki sixteenth and will face Krawiec in the first round.

Another notable entry is the long awaited return of Peggy Llewellyn on a Rocklin Motorsports Buell. In Peggy's first race weekend since finishing fourth in championship points during the 2007 season, she ran a 7.509 second E.T. at 178.42 MPH qualifying fifteenth in the field. Peggy will face-off against Chip Ellis on Sunday. Welcome back Peggy!

First round pairings and qualifying times:

Rider Sponsor / Team E.T. MPH
Eddie Krawiec Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines 7.328 181.74
Ryan Schnitz Team Muzzy Kawasaki 7.884 168.64

Chip Ellis Schumacher Electric Suzuki 7.328 181.28
Peggy Llewellyn Rocklin Motorsports Buell 7.509 178.42

Matt Smith NitroFish/Torco Buell 7.331 181.67
Hector Arana Lucas Oil Buell 7.465 177.42

Andrew Hines Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines 7.332 182.23
David Hope R&J Racing Buell 7.438 179.83

Steve Johnson Snap-On Tools Suzuki 7.332 179.59
Junior Pippin Stone Mountain & Granite 7.434 176.49
Mountain HD Buell

Matt Guidera Rocklin Motorsports Buell 7.339 181.30
Mike Berry MB Precision Machining Buell 7.431 177.49

Chris Rivas Drag Specialties/S&S/G2 Buell 7.350 180.72
Angelle Sampey Rush Racing Products Buell 7.418 180.12

Craig Treble Team Tigue Suzuki 7.354 182.23
Karen Stoffer Geico Suzuki 7.371 181.89

Llewellyn to return to NHRA at Mopar Mile-High Nationals

Peggy Llewellyn's long awaited return to NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racing will happen this weekend at the NHRA's 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Colorado. Llewellyn will pilot a second entry for Matt Guidera's Rocklin Motorsports

Peggy Llewellyn finished fourth in NHRA championship points last year. Until the deal with Rocklin Motorsports, she had been unable to secure a suitable sponsorship deal, which has been quite surprising problem for such a popular and successful racer.

Llewellyn tested the Rocklin Motorsports S&S powered Buell at Route 66 Raceway on the Monday following the Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals. According to NHRA, Llewellyn's second pass of 7.07 seconds elapsed time was good enough to have qualified fifth that weekend had she been entered in that weekend's race. Peggy has obviously not lost her edge.

NHRA has posted an interview with Peggy at this link.

Congratulations Peggy!

NHRA has shortened the racing distance for the Top Fuel Dragster and Fuel Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet. The NHRA's 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals and an unspecified number of future races will run the shorter distance for the two fastest classes as an interim safety measure, pending the conclusions and recommendations resulting from an investigation into the death of Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta during the 39th annual NHRA Lucas Oil SuperNationals at Englishtown, NJ. The Pro Stock Motorcycle class (PSM), Pro Stock, and other NHRA classes will continue to race the traditional 1,320 foot (quarter mile) distance. Hopefully, any future improvements to the shutdown areas, safety nets, and sand traps to safely slow the nitro cars will also improve safety for the Pro Stock Motorcycle riders.

Here's the PSM Entry list for the 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals:

Driver Make Sponsor
Matt Smith '05 Buell Nitrofish/Redline Oil/MSR
Andrew Hines '07 HD V-Rod Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines
Chip Ellis '03 Suzuki Schumacher Electric Suzuki
Peggy Llewellyn '07 Buell Rocklin/Mohegan Sun Buell
Angelle Sampey '07 Buell Rush Racing Products
Craig Treble '98 Suzuki GSXR Team Tigue Suzuki
Ed Krawiec '07 HD V-Rod Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines
Karen Stoffer '03 Suzuki GEICO Motorcycle
Steve Johnson '03 Suzuki Snap On Tools
Matt Guidera '05 Buell Rocklin Motorsports
Chris Rivas '07 Buell Drag Specialties/S&S/G2
Junior Pippin '07 Buell Pirana Z
Hector Arana '07 Buell Lucus Oil Products
Ryan Schnitz '07 Kawasaki Team Muzzy Kawasaki Trim-Tex
Mike Berry '03 Suzuki M B Precision Machining Inc.
David Hope '05 Buell VROOM Racing

Pro Stock Motorcycle ace Llewellyn eyeing Denver return

As we noted on May 31st, Peggy Llewellyn is returning to NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racing this year, with Matt Guidera's Rocklin Motorsports Team. NHRA.com has this update:

Peggy Llewellyn, the popular San Antonio-based pro who finished fourth in last year's Pro Stock Motorcycle standings, is planning a return to the NHRA POWERade Series, most likely at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver July 11-13. Llewellyn, who was released from the Klement team at the end of 2007, will ride an S&S-powered Buell that is owned and maintained by the Guidera family's Rocklin Motorsports team.

“Ever since I found out I didn't have a ride for this season, I've been...

Read the full article by Kevin McKenna at NHRA.com

Peggy Llewellyn to ride for Rocklin Motorsports

Peggy Llewellyn has confirmed that she has a deal with Rocklin Motorsports for a two race sponsorship.

Llewellyn finished last season fourth in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship points. She has sat out the 2008 season so far, since her release from Rush Racing. Miss Llewellyn has been seeking a title sponsor and the two race deal with Matt Guidera will allow her to maintain her racing skills while she seeks a longer term sponsorship arrangement.

Companies seeking to sponsor a Pro Stock Motorcycle may contact Peggy Llewellyn through her website.

Opportunities exist for small companies and individuals interested in providing a partial sponsorship. Even with a small budget, you can receive great exposure on Peggy or Matt's Buell. Visit Matt Guidera's Rocklin Motorsports website to learn how you can get your company's name on a Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Peggy Llewellyn candidate to drive for Steve Fossett World Land Speed Racing Team

Steve Fossett World Land Speed Racing (LSR) Team has announced that Peggy Llewellyn has made their short list of possible drivers for their newest land speed record attempt. The organization's newest car is a 48 foot long streamliner powered by a 40,000 HP S&S Turbine jet engine. The team's goal is to set a new Absolute Supersonic Land Speed Record of more than 800 MPH and they want a woman to pilot the vehicle.

In addition to Peggy, two other NHRA drivers made the short list as well. Top Fuel & Funny Car driver Melanie Troxel and newly licensed Top Fuel racer Jessie Harris are also candidates. The list of other potential drivers includes drivers from other motorsports and two pilots.

The selected candidate will have to be available for the team's test and run schedule for 2008, which narrows the candidate list.

Sourced from LSR press release

Next Page »