Brian Schultz Remembered

The motorcycle drag racing community is shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of one of its most liked, respected, lifelong veteran and yet still promising members. The loss of Brian Schultz to his family, who so recently lost his father Dave, is almost unimaginable. Brian was killed in a highway accident returning home after a day of testing his new Top Gas bike at Bradenton, Florida, on Monday March 1.

For those who thought Brian’s main talent was to manage his father’s Schultz Race Products business, he started tuning Reggie Showers’ NHRA Pro Stock Bike in 2001 and showed immediate results. With Brian, Reggie scored his first top-ten NHRA plate and also recorded a then-career-best ET of 7.16 and speed of 190.22 mph.

For those who thought Brian’s main talents were as businessman and tuner, he climbed aboard Del Flores’ Hayabusa in Prostar’s Formula Superbike class and immediately made the bike competitive with the then-dominant ZX12R of Chip Ellis and Coby Adams. “Brian’s a helluva rider-I didn’t know that,” Flores said after Schultz runner-upped in his first race on the bike last year at Gateway. Brian finished the Prostar season with both Superbike wins at the MRE Sunshine Nationals/World Finals combo event, nailing an .001 bulb on Ellis in the MRE final to take that one on a holeshot. Brian also runner-upped in Top Gas at the World Finals on Dan Nuzzi’s Kawasaki. “Brian rides fantastic,” Nuzzi said after the pair won at Indy. “He is as good a rider as his dad or better.”

Brian made his NHRA riding debut on Thomas Byrd’s Suzuki at the 2003 Gatornationals, qualifying ninth with a career-best 7.273. In a storybook moment of privateer success, Brain took Eddie Krawiec’s recently purchased Hayabusa to the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and qualified the bike at the most competitive event of the season. His name no longer was automatically preceded with “son of motorcycle drag racing legend Dave.” Though few have been around dragstrips as long as Brian Schultz, he was still an amazing font of unfulfilled potential.

On top of all of his racing accomplishments, Brian was also one of the most well-liked and respected individuals around. A handsome man with a quick smile, Brian was always ready to talk to anyone about anything that concerned them. Brian’s courtship of his charming wife Amy happened partly at the track, and all were very happy when the couple got married. Last year, Amy gave birth to their daughter Alexis.

The Schultz family has been synonymous with motorcycle drag racing for decades. Colon cancer claimed Dave, who scored one last dramatic NHRA win in the middle of his chemotherapy treatments. Brian’s mother Meredith has remained active in racing with the Vance & Hines NHRA Pro Stock V-Rod program and with Vanson Leathers. In addition to Meredith, Amy, and Alexis, 34 year-old Brian is also survived by son Ryen, 10, daughter Riley, 6, and sister Kim.

Funeral arrangements are pending.