Brock’s Performance Team Report – Atco
Joey Gladstone and Rickey Gadson – Dragbike.com SuperSport
Brock’s Performance team bikes again owned the SuperSport class with second-year rider Joey Gladstone taking his second win of the season and points leader Rickey Gadson establishing a new national elapsed time performance record of 8.957 seconds.
“We have always had a keen interest in SuperSport racing because it is the purest form of motorcycle drag racing,” said Brock. “There are very little modifications allowed so it is up to a finely tuned motorcycle and a highly skilled rider. We feel our exhausts and suspension tuning gives our riders the edge in this unforgiving class. Our team riders have won the last three championships that we have competed in.”
Gladstone took the number one qualifying spot in Sunday’s one-shot, high-pressure session with a 9.00. In eliminations he and Gadson were the only riders to make 8-second runs.
Gadson had the eliminations performance advantage and with his legendary prowess at his home track of Atco, the win looked assured. Gladstone didn’t let any of that rattle him as he put a holeshot on the Kawasaki factory superstar and pulled away, grabbing his second win of the season, 9.00 to 9.11.
“Joey is 2-0 against Rickey this season,” said Brock. “He beat him in Martin. He is becoming a giant-killer and Rickey is our giant. If we are going to have our giant killed we would rather have it be one of our team bikes.”
With the win Gladstone extended his second-place points standing over Jeremy Teasley. Gladstone is also the only racer to win SuperSport on a GSXR-1000 this season.
Keith Thompson – BST Real Street Series
Keith Thompson is arguably the hottest rider in Real Street racing right now. Riding a GSXR-1000 out of the HTP Performance camp the defending MIROCK champ claimed a double win at Atco winning the event title and taking the win in the special AMA vs. MIROCK Real Street Shootout sponsored by Brock’s Performance.
The win was the second AMA Dragbike national event win of the year for Thompson. He has four final round appearances in MIROCK action this year and currently leads the points in both series.
Thompson qualified off the top of the sheet in the seventh spot during Sunday’s one-shot qualifier but came to life in round one of eliminations with a 8.03 to make him the second quickest rider of the event to #1 plateholder Jeremy Teasley. Teasley went out in the second round getting by veteran John Hall and then Darion Payne to earn a semifinal single.
On the other side of the ladder Coby Adams, team owner and crew chief to Rickey Gadson, was quickly becoming the sentimental favorite, going deep into eliminations and making the final in just his third appearance in the class and the first since Atco of last year.
The highly anticipated final was not to be as Adams spit a shim out in the semis and was not able to make the final. Thompson staged the bike under power and took the green for the win.
Thompson took the Shootout win over fellow Brock’s-suppored/ TiWinder- equipped Hayabusa of Ashon Dickerson.
The win gives Thompson a slim, two-point lead over defending series champ Teasley.
“This one is going down to the wire,“ said Brock. “ It’s a little bit of redemption for Keith because he felt he was wronged at Indy when Teasley was reinstated after being disqualified. He really bounced back from that by winning both classes at Atco. That is what champions are made of.”
Joe Franco Jr. – Help Me Ride Super Street
Joe Franco has been the go-to guy for nitrous dragbike for decades. He tuned his way to numerous championships running nitrous bikes with riders like Tony Sabino and Tommy Miceli.
Recently Franco has set on an even bigger challenge – taking on the turbo bikes that have dominated Super Street since it’s inception.
Riding for Franco’s Performance is the second-generation rider Joe Franco Jr., one of the new breed of sportbike drag racers.
Young Franco has been dancing on the flame for the last two years - picking up a number one qualifying here, a final round appearance there – but has never been able to seal the deal.
It all came together at his home event on the tour at Atco. He qualified on top of the pack with a 7.93. He eventually face John Fernandez in the final.
Fernandez is as formidable as the come. The Jones Performance Cycles rider out of Florida was the only undefeated rider left in the AMA Dragbike series coming into Atco and seems practically assured of a class championship with a wide points lead.
Franco had the lane choice in the final that was as good as they come. Fernandez got a 3 thousandths holeshot but got a little wobbly at the top end. Franco stayed true for a 7.87 win (the second quickest e.t. of eliminations) as Fernandez clicked off a game 7.92.
The win moved Franco into the second place in the points over Eric Sanzottera.
“It’s been my experience that if you are in a nitrous bike and there is a turbo bike next you to at the eight mile you have big problems,” said Brock. “When I saw what was happening in this race I said ‘Uh-Oh’. Franco horsepower won this one.”
Jimmy Heisler – 2 Wheel Tuner Pro ET
“You mean Jimmy Heisler won PRO ET?” went the question in the Atco winner’s circle. “On a streetbike?!?”
Yes, on a streetbike. A well-used ZX-6 to be exact.
Heisler is the reigning Brock’s Performance Street ET champion and took the title without winning an event last year. He had a bump in the road in defending his title this season when he went down on his cursed ZX-12 at Valdosta.
That caused him to rely on his old reliable ZX-6, one of “The Twins” he races with wife Eeman.
While Heisler has only occasionally entered Pro ET this season, he made this one stick, getting by the 47 entries to take the win.
Heisler was either killing them on the tree or running right on his 10.38 dial-in. He beat Michael Ostrowski in the final, getting a .065 holeshot and running a 10.394 on his 10.38.
Rampage Racing - SF and SET
The Rampage Racing team of Joe Hutto and Charlie Tyre scored a double win at Atco with Hutto taking the win in the Brock’s Performance Street ET series and Tyre winning in Schnitz Street Fighter action.
The Street ET win was Hutto’s second in as many races, having won Saturday’s Street ET race at Indy. Hutto currently leads the Street ET points.
Tyre’s win moved him up to the fourth spot in the Street Fighter championship points,
“It’s nice to see bikes painted Brock’s blue win races,” said Brock with a smile.
Andy Baumbach – SET and SF
Andy Bambach is one of the most successful sportsman motorcycle drag racers in the history of the sport. And while his numerous championships and the lion share of countless event wins came on wheelie bar-equipped drag bikes, he has shown track prowess on a no-bar sportbike over the last couple of seasons.
Baumbach made his second-straight final round appearance in Street ET on his street Hayabusa. He also currently leads the points in Street Fighter.
Few racers have the experience and championships as Andy Baumbach. He is one of many that selects Brocks Performance exhaust systems.
Charles Dominique – Club Warz
Charles Dominique of the Ruff Riders won the Rickey Gadson Sportbike Zone Club Warz on his Brock’s Performance-equipped ZX-14.
Dustin Burchett – Street Fighter
Brock’s equipped Dustin Burchett scored the Street Fighter win at Indy.
Team Brock’s Performance thanks the following partners
Davidson owns and operates Brock’s
Performance Products, which specializes in a vast array of performance products
for sport bikes, for racing, and for street applications. For more information
log onto www.brocksperformance.com
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