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It is amazing how far technology has come in the last twenty-five years, and in many ways particularly the motorcycle industry. Benefiting most from the technological advances of two-wheel manufacturers is perhaps the growing mass of street bike drag racers. Much like today, back in the year 1977, many casual motorcycle drag racers preferred to compete on the same machine that they rode to work everyday. They would head to the drag strip, unscrew the mirrors, let some air out of the tire, and depending on how much performance work and aftermarket parts were on the bike, would attempt to get their Kawasaki KZ or Suzuki GS into the 11-second zone. That same street racer mentality still exists today with only one major difference. The street bikes of the twenty-first century boast performance that racers of the 70's could only have dreamed of. Today, the no wheelie bar rowdies, or "a few good men", as they like to call themselves, are easily taking stock ZX-12s, and Hayabusa's into the 9-second zone. Thanks to all of the fresh, new factory involvement in the sport of motorcycle drag racing, riders laid down some pretty stout performances on street-able, road-worthy bikes this season. My next two selections as 6th and 5th greatest moments of the AMA/Prostar season are impressive not just for their remarkable elapsed times, but because both men race in classes in which the use of slicks and wheelie bars are prohibited.
So far every selection on the top ten list has been a clear-cut, conclusive event. The 6th greatest moment of the season does not follow the same pattern because the actual instance went unrecognized due to all of the controversy and gray area that plagued the class.
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Hot Rod Cruiser Motorcycles break into the nines
for the first time ever
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The
front-runners in the Yamaha Hot Rod Cruiser category have become
tremendously quicker over the last two seasons. Since the
inception of the class, the elapsed time record has been
shattered by more than a full second. By the end of the 2001
season, top-notch competitors like Jon Cornell and Leonard
Mellgren, raised the bar on the competition by consistently
posting elapsed times in the ten second range and by year's end,
the 10.70s. After what must have been a very busy off-season in
terms of research and development, Mark Underwood and his Nigel
Patrick-motored Yamaha, picked up four tenths on last year's
field during their very first pass of the 2002 season.
 At
the second race of the year in Atlanta, Georgia, it appeared as
if Rick McWaters and the Terry Reed-motored Harley Davidson
(pictured right) had made history by becoming the first Hot Rod
Cruiser team into the 9-second zone. However, that run would
prove to be illegitimate later in the season, after Prostar
deemed the bike illegal due to valve angle alterations within
the cylinder head.
Although the rider did not receive the proper accolades at the
time, the first true Hot Rod Cruiser 9-second pass occurred at
the third race of the AMA/Prostar tour in Richmond, Virginia, as
Mark Underwood posted a 9.97 in qualifying on a brand new
motorcycle.
"That bike came straight out of the crate," stated
Underwood. "The bike arrived at the track on Friday night,
after being shipped overnight from California. That bike had
never seen anything but the dyno, and it went right into the
nines."
Since a rider cannot see his elapsed time, speed, and down-track
incremental data until he collects his time slip, real-time cues
from the motorcycle such as tire spin, wheelies, or the harmony
of the engine, often tell a rider the quality of the run. Some
of the riders talk about how they can literally feel a good run.
Because Underwood and his massive Yamaha Road Star Warrior weigh
over 800 lbs, it is harder for him to differentiate the good
runs from the bad ones when he crosses the finish line. This was
the case with his first ever 9 second blast.
"Typically the fast runs don't feel so fast," affirmed
Underwood. "That particular run really didn't feel like a
nine. Because the bike was so new, we didn't have a lock-up
clutch yet, so I had to play with the clutch a lot because of
the different power band."
 Underwood
continued to have solid outings the rest of the year, making it
to the semis at every race. Although Underwood went on to win
the championship after McWaters forfeited all his points for the
season, Underwood retains a certain amount of frustration that
comes with knowing he had had the quickest legal bike in the
category all year, yet did not collect his first win until the
final race.
Underwood declared, "I am very happy to have won the
championship, it makes all the hard work worth it. Coming into
the race in Alabama we were stuck in second place, so it was
very nice to have a turn around. However, I do have some mixed
emotions and can't help but thinking that we were cheated out of
a dream season. The only two bikes I lost to all year were
illegal; we could have won every race. It was a lot of hard work
and stress for Nigel Patrick and I, but it all paid off in the
end."
Despite McWaters and Reed stealing some of team Yamaha's
thunder, Underwood and Patrick remain upbeat. Underwood is more
concerned with the competitiveness of the class for next year,
and how the window of opportunity may have been slammed shut for
average privateers that want to participate in the class.
"This season really hurt the rest of the field,"
stated Underwood. "We were forced to raise the bar on the
rest of the competition so quickly, it will be very tough for
the other guys to catch up. This category was designed to be
sportsman class and the average guy should be able to go buy a
bike, make a few modifications, and become competitive. That
whole philosophy is now ruined since we had to raise the bar so
quickly trying to catch the illegal bikes. Looking back, the
bike we had in Gainesville was probably good enough to win the
championship on. It was great and very street-able. You could
ride it around town. Then we were forced to start building bikes
that ran on the edge."
Next year's performances should be even more impressive than
last with the new rules allowing the bikes to be 50 lbs lighter.
Underwood stated, "Right now both of our bikes are going on
a diet over in California. We should be able to pick up a couple
of tenths without doing anything but taking the weight
off."
Underwood is very excited about the upcoming season and as a
16-year veteran genuinely values his current position with
Yamaha and Nigel Patrick.
 "This
is an opportunity of a lifetime for me," said Underwood.
"Yamaha's big markets are in motocross and roadracing, we
are very happy to have them in drag racing. It was nice to work
with Nigel Patrick too. He is a great guy to work with; I like
to call him a mad scientist, in a good way of course. He is
truly an innovator. Also, my family has sacrificed a great deal
for me. They have put up with me spending money on things I
shouldn't have for the last 16 years. They never quit believing
in me."
Underwood and Patrick may have been cheated out of a dream
season, but the second best alternative was still quite
respectable. The end result is Underwood possessing both ends of
the record with a 9.86 at Richmond, and a top speed of 133.51 in
Gainesville, at the World Finals. Regardless of controversy, the
dynamic duo of Underwood and Patrick achieved the primary goal
they set for the season by winning Yamaha their first ever
AMA/Prostar championship.
With constant battles of bragging rights, over who has the
quickest and fastest street bike occurring at bike shops, street
corners, and taverns all over the country, only time
slip-possessing drag racers can justly support their "trash
talking" by proving their machine's true capabilities. If
actions speak louder than words, the most deafening instance
concerning the street bike performance boasters took place this
year in Atlanta.
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Kent
Stotz runs the quickest and fastest
street bike pass of all-time
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A total of seven
AMA/Prostar records were set this year at the Star Nationals in
Atlanta, due to the ideal weather and track conditions.
Honda-backed Streetbike Shootout pilot, Kent Stotz was among the
group of racers benefiting from these superb conditions, as he
clicked off a total of three passes in the 7.60s. Stotz'
outstanding performances led him to the final round, where he
met up with his Kawasaki-sponsored nemesis, Rickey Gadson. Stotz
and his CBRXX crossed the finishing line first, collecting his
second win of the season and posting the record for the quickest
and fastest street bike with a remarkable 7.645 at 192.33 mph.
Although the conditions were near perfect in Atlanta, Stotz
attributes his success to finding the right tuning combination.
 "Basically
a lot of things came together," stated Stotz. "It
started at the World Finals the year before. After performing
well there, I looked at everything over the winter to see why.
When we arrived at Atlanta I just applied what I thought would
work." Judging by his extraordinary performance, Stotz'
combination must have been dead-on, as he was less than eight
mph away from making a two hundred mph pass on a DOT street
tire.
Despite posting such a dazzling speed and lap time, Stotz became
sidetracked by the controversy and debate circling the class
which came to a head in Atlanta. According to the AMA/Prostar
rulebook, Streetbike Shootout competitors are required to make
mandatory stops at the tech trailer after each run to check the
wheelbase, weight, and ground clearance of the motorcycle. Due
to what appeared to be an uneven concrete surface in the Atlanta
tech area, some of the bikes such as Gadson's factory-backed
ZX-12, were not passing the ground clearance test. After
noticing the rough surface of the clearance-test bay, Prostar
become conscious that their findings may have been inaccurate.
In an attempt to be fair, Prostar gave the potentially
disqualified bikes another chance on a predetermined level
surface. This decision angered many of the privateers, claiming
that Prostar was catering to the factory-backed riders. Stotz,
who serves as rules committee advisor for the category, became
center of the controversy, as fellow racers congregated around
his trailer demanding him to use his authority.
"People came to me and wanted Rickey Gadson thrown out. Now
surely I would have loved to see Rickey out of the race, because
he is one of my toughest competitors," proclaimed Stotz.
"However, I wasn't going to make an unfair decision. We
were being checked on a cement scale. Anyone that has ever
poured cement knows how hard it is to get it flat. Rickey did
not pass the clearance test the first time, but the cement was
touching the bike in places that it would normally clear. It
wasn't a level surface."
Stotz' display of sportsmanship confirmed that he is an
excellent representative for the rules committee. After
analyzing the situation, Stotz is more disturbed with the
overall tech procedure. He wants to see Prostar improving the
system and making sure the rules are enforced properly.
 "Prostar
did not check ground clearance on Saturday. When you do not do
something in qualifying, you should not do it in eliminations. I
set my bike up so I am over the minimum ground clearance to make
sure that I am legal, but I would still prefer being checked on
Saturday as well. Anything that is going to be checked on Sunday
should be checked on Saturday too," said Stotz.
Adding to the disagreement, people began to accuse Stotz of
cheating for using a two-step rev limiter. Although these
devices are not typically used by street bikes, the rules of the
class do not prohibited the use of them. With all the commotion
and debates back in the pits, Stotz' success on the track was
somewhat tainted.
Stotz proclaimed, "The controversy made it hard to enjoy
going rounds, but by the final when I ran the 7.64 most of the
people that were giving me a hard time had went home, so I was
able to enjoy the win."
Stotz has been around racing for quite some time and has even
experimented with wheelie-bared, drag bikes. After riding each,
Stotz prefers the unique and exhilarating feeling that only the
world's fastest street bike could produce.
 "It's
awesome," stated Stotz. "The biggest thrill is that
you can feel the power through the handle bars and the entire
bike. I feel more g-force exerted upon me on this bike than any
other. The feeling of hard acceleration without a wheelie or
tire spin is awesome."
Stotz is one of the few riders that has taken the sport of
motorcycle drag racing to the next level by alluring valuable
sponsorship from one of the major manufactures. He has a genuine
enthusiasm for the sport and thanks Honda for giving him the
opportunity to represent the "Red Riders."
Stotz stated, "The first two years of factory support was
basically just a test to see if Honda would like to get into
drag racing. They accepted what we have done for them and
recognize that motorcycle drag racing is a great form of
exposure. I want to thank Charlie Keller and the Honda Riders
Club of America, for believing in me. They will be with us next
year, and would really like to see the VTX become competitive in
the Hot Rod Cruiser class."
After winning the Streetbike Shootout title two years in a row,
giving Honda their first pair of AMA/Prostar championships,
Stotz will pass the Streetbike Shootout torch to his new
teammate, Barry Henson. In turn Stotz will concentrate on his
VTX thumper that he will race in Hot Rod Cruiser next year.
"I will be focusing on the Cruisers for next year,"
declared Stotz. "In order for me to be competitive, it will
take quite a bit of my time, energy, and focus. I don't want to
short-change Honda or myself.  So
regarding Streetbike Shootout, the class is still very exciting
for me, but Honda really wants the V-twin championship and if I
can't give one hundred percent of my attention to Shootout, let
me help someone that can. Barry Henson is very hungry, he wants
his first number-one plate as bad as I did."
Like any
great champion, Stotz has an exceptionally formidable staff on
his side. "My crew chief, Mark Harrell, was there for me
all year long," stated Stotz. "He is one of those guys
that gets me whatever I need, whenever I need it; he is always
there. Also, Bill Hahn Jr. did a great job building and
designing my bike. A lot of people criticize Bill for not
keeping up and regularly attending races, but they can't deny
that his bike has won the championship the last two
seasons."
Stotz is very optimistic about the 2003 season. The newly formed
team of Stotz and Henson hope to have the bikes ready to go by
mid-February for testing in Florida. With the combination of the
support from the factory, two exceptional riders, and the
quickest and fastest street bike on the planet, look for team
Honda to be quite a force in 2003.
Stayed
tuned to Dragbike.com for the Jack's 3rd and 4th greatest
moments of the 2002 AMA/Prostar season.
Jack can be contacted by e-mail at Lumberjack@dragbike.com
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