Team
Extreme Calls Out L&W
By: Jack Korpela
Photos:
Dragbikephotos.com
Team Extreme Performance
sent a challenge to their arch-rival L&W Motorworks after
dominating the Outlaw Pro Street field at the Fish's Custom
Fall Nationals from Rockingham, NC.
Team leader Matt
Smith won the event over teammate Chris Moore with a blazing
7.28 to Moore's on-pace 7.32. The run of the weekend came
in qualifying when Moore motored his Team Extreme Suzuki to
the quickest Outlaw run of-all-time with an unbelievable 7.25.
"I want L&W
to know that we have the baddest bikes out here hands down,"
Smith said.
The recent summer
dominance of L&W has caused some controversy which prompted
long time Team Extreme loyalist Dave Norris to switch to L&W
motors. Although not happy to lose Norris, Smith believes
Team Extreme's last showing should dispel any notions that
it can not compete with L&W.
"It's clear
now that L&W will not dominate an event when Team Extreme
shows up," Smith said. "They talked a lot of trash
on us this summer when we took a couple months off. Now we
come back and we dominate. We had an all-Team Extreme final
and we took the record."
Team Extreme has
added Waldorf, MD based veteran Robert Hunnicutt Jr. to the
squad, and plan to have him running with the front-runners
very soon.
"Rob had a
tough weekend but we are really close to getting him down
in the 7.40s and 7.30s," Smith said.
Smith, still bitter over losing the elapsed-time record to
L&W last spring, was more pleased to recapture the record
than to win the event.
"Joe Long
might have only let me have that record for a day last spring,
but now we've got it for at least the next two months,"
Smith said.
Team Extreme now
prepares for the final race of the year, The Lee's Performance
Fall Nationals, Nov 22-23, back at The Rock. Smith looks forward
to clashing with L&W and the rest of the Outlaw field.
"We still
got plenty more left," Smith said. "We plan to do
the same thing we did at the last race. I think you are going
to see that record come down once again."
Team Extreme
extended a special thanks to its sponsors and primary sponsor,
Red-Line Oil.
