Team
Green Hat Trick
By Jack
Korpela
Photos: Dragbikephotos.com
Chevy Trucks/Team Green Kawasaki Drag Racing capped off a
storybook-like season with a strong showing at the final AMA/Prostar
race of the year in Gainesville, FL. A season of hard work
and dedication led all three members of the team to championships
in their respective categories.
“The guys
did a tremendous job all year long,” first year team
manager Reid Nordin said. “They did their homework and
accomplished what we set out to do.”
After a dominant
season, Street Bike Shootout rider Rickey Gadson needed only
to qualify to lock up the championship. Gadson did much more
than he needed to do during the weekend’s double header;
he came away with five round wins and a runner-up finish.
Gadson, who has more professional event victories than any
other rider in the history of the organization, was extremely
pleased to capture his elusive first Street Bike Shootout
title.
“We have
been chasing this championship for a couple years, but now
the number-one plates are coming home with us,” Gadson
said. “The team did an unbelievable job. We never stopped
fighting.”
Gadson, aboard
his turbo-charged ZX-12, finishes the season with six national
event victories and two runner-ups, out of the tour’s
nine races.
Also riding a ZX-12,
Chip Ellis handed Kawasaki its second straight championship
in the Formula Super Bike category. Ellis’ three event
victories and four runner-up performances place him 199 points
ahead of the competition at the season’s end.
“It was an
awesome year,” Ellis said. “We put in a lot of
work but had a lot of fun in the process. I am thankful I
had the opportunity to go out there and do this on such a
quality motorcycle.”
Kawasaki continued
its stranglehold on the 600 Super Sport category as Chip Hunter
won Team Green its ninth consecutive number-one plate in the
category. Kawasaki has won the class title every single season
since the inception of the category in 1995.
Hunter battled
Team Yamaha’s Ed Krawiec all season long, but solid
finishes at the last two races gave him a 25 point lead.
“It
was a tough season but we proved we had the competition covered,”
Hunter said. “Three of my four event wins came against
Krawiec’s Yamaha. We did it the hard way, but in the
end it feels great to give Kawasaki another championship.”
Members of Chevy
Trucks/Team Green Drag Racing celebrated their championships
at the AMA award banquet in Las Vegas, NV. However, not long
after the banquet the team’s mind was already focused
on the 2004 season.
“We have
plenty of plans for next year,” Nordin said. “We’re
not ready for any announcements just yet, but we have a lot
in the works.”
Team Kawasaki expressed
its appreciation for all of its dedicated sponsors and is
proud to present them with three championships. The
team thanked; Motul, Muzzy’s, Thunder, Progressive Suspension,
Cometic Gaskets, NGK, Air-Tech, Dyna, and Kawasaki Accessories.
