Honda Scores a Victory in Alabama
By: Jack Korpela
Photos: DragBikePhotos.com
The Stotz/Velocity Honda Drag Race Team scored a huge event
victory at the AMA/Prostar Fall Nationals, putting an end
to Kawasaki-backed Rickey Gadson's winning streak.
On a slippery Montgomery
Motorsports Park racing surface, Barry Henson outperformed
Gadson's 8.09 with an 8.01 in the final.
"The track
was very tricky and never really came around," Henson
said. "The bikes just wouldn't hook at all. Still, a
win's a win and I'll take it anyway I can get it. We did the
best we could with what we had to work with."
Typically soft spoken defending class champion Kent Stotz
uncharacteristically predicted a victory prior to the race.
"I knew this
would be the race," Stotz said. "Barry has been
testing very aggressively and we have made a lot of progress
on his bike. Barry and I have very different riding styles,
so it has taken some time to find him the right clutch set-up,
but I think we are finally there."
The victory was
Henson's first ever Prostar Street Bike Shootout win, after
frustratingly finishing in the runner-up spot three times
this season.
"When I went
across the line I was about ready to jump off the bike I was
so happy," Henson said. "I feel like it's the beginning
of many more to come."
Henson qualified
just five-hundredths behind the pole-sitter, in the number-two
spot with an on-pace 7.84 at 180 mph. Henson went on to defeat
quality opponents Eric Sanzottera, James Lauer, and Rocky
Anderson en route to advancing to the final.
"We were trying
to be as consistent as possible," Henson said. "It
was extremely difficult to run good numbers on this track."
Stotz,
focusing on research and development for next season, qualified
eleventh and was defeated by Chuck Cunningham in round one.
"We have learned
a great deal this season," Stotz said. "I think
that from the knowledge we gained we're ready to put together
a pretty nice package for the next race."
The team now looks
to carry its momentum into the tour's final stop in Gainesville,
FL. This year's World Finals will be a double header and also
contest the rain postponed Sunshine Nationals on November
13th-16th.
"I would like
to see us go down there and break the record," said Stotz,
who holds the both the elapsed-time and speed records with
a 7.64 at 192.33 mph. "We have never pushed a Blackbird
to the point of breaking. If we sacrifice one motor to the
aluminum gods to find that limit, it would be nice to break
my records in doing so."
"We feel very confident heading into Gainesville,"
Henson said. "Our bikes are more set-up for a quality
track like Gainesville. We're going to go for a double win.
I think we can run consistent 7.60s"
The Stotz/Velocity Honda Drag Race team thanked all
of its dedicated sponsors for supporting the quickest street
bike team on the planet. The team thanked; Honda Riders Club
of America, Stotz Street Extreme, Velocity Racing, Honda Pro
Oils, Star Racing, Pingel, Falicon, RC Components, Schaumburg
Honda, JE Pistons, Garrett Turbos, Joe Rocket, Airtech, and
HyperPro Suspension.
Velocity Racing
is a manufacturer of premier turbo chargers. Velocity Racing
can be reached at 1-866-41-SPEED. For more information log
onto www.velocityracing.com
