Flipping Out
The race was on this past November between two motorcycle daredevils on opposite sides of the world competing to be the first to backflip a Harley-Davidson XR1200 motorcycle. Australia's Kain Saul beat American Chuck Carothers to the punch when he accomplished the feat in Sydney on November 27, just a day ahead of Carothers' successful jump in Prague. Saul's jump is believed to be the first ever successful backflip for any full-size street motorcycle (non-motocross or dirt bike). Search YouTube for the video links.
At the Race
The conclusion of the 2009 AHDRA Screamin' Eagle Championship Series at the Screamin' Eagle Jim McClure Nationals was a real nail biter. Rolling into the Rockingham, North Carolina Dragway 13 different classes of competition had a points spread that made it mathematically possible for a number of racers to snag the national championship title. Three classes-AHDRA Pro Drag (Chuck Jones), AHDRA 124 Challenge (Mike Roberts), and AHDRA Hot Street (Bruce Croneberger III)-had locked the national championships going into the last event of the season. Tuned and ready to rock, the hunt for a National Championship in the remaining classes was on. After a day of smoke and rubber the results are as follows:
Steve Dorn: Screamin' Eagle Top Fuel AHDRA Nat. Champ
Randal Andras: Rush Pro Fuel AHDRA Nat. Champ
Shaun Reno: Verve Pro Stock AHDRA Nat. Champ
Chuck Jones: Pro Drag AHDRA Nat. Champ
Rick Moore: Rush Pro Gas AHDRA Nat. Champ
Robert "Doc" Goodwin: K & K Marine Pro Modified AHDRA Nat. Champ
Mike Roberts: Right Quick Street Pro and 124 Challenge AHDRA Nat. Champ
Jeff Stevens: Bison Racing/Vreeland's Harley-Davidson Super Gas AHDRANat. Champ
Lou Gerencer: Screamin' Eagle V-Rod AHDRA Nat. Champ
Donnie Huffman: Super Sport AHDRA Nat. Champ
Bruce Croneberger: Hot Street AHDRA Nat. Champ
Brad Croneberger: Rush Super Eliminator & Screamin' Eagle SEP AHDRA Nat. Champ
Nick Gonatas: Jr. Screamin' Eagle V-Rod Destroyer AHDRA Nat. Champ
Bob Drapp: SYN 3 E.T. AHDRA Nat. Champ for the Third Straight Year
Missed all the action this past season? No worries the 2010 season is upon us. Catch all the high-speed action at these events:
| FEBRUARY 27-28 |
Orlando Speedworld |
Orlando, FL |
| MARCH 27-28 |
No Problem Raceway |
Belle Rose, LA |
| APRIL 17-18 |
Firebird Intl. Raceway |
Phoenix, AZ |
| MAY 1-2 |
Atlanta Dragway |
Commerce, GA |
| MAY 22-23 |
Numidia Dragway |
Numidia, PA |
| JUNE 5-6 |
Summitt Motorsports Park |
Norwalk, OH |
| JUNE 26-27 |
Kansas City Intl. Raceway |
Kansas City, MO |
| AUGUST 7-8 |
Bristol Dragway |
Bristol, TN |
| AUGUST 14-15 |
Sturgis Dragway |
Sturgis, SD (non-points) |
| AUGUST 28-29 |
Woodburn Dragstrip |
Woodburn, OR |
| SEPTEMBER 11-12 |
San Antonio Raceway |
San Antonio, TX |
| OCTOBER 8-10 |
Rockingham Dragway |
Rockingham, NC |
In Remembrance
The Motorcycle industry lost one of its most respected brethren this past November with the passing of Hugh H. "Harry" Hurt, who died of a heart attack on Nov. 29. Hurt was 81. Professor Hurt was an award-winning author best known in the motorcycling community for conducting a benchmark motorcycle safety research study in 1981 entitled "Volume I: Technical Report, Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, January, 1981 - Final Report." Commonly referred to as the "Hurt Report," the study was widely viewed to be the most comprehensive motorcycle safety study of the 20th century. In addition to that groundbreaking study, Hurt was the author of dozens of publications in the fields of motorcycle handling, safety, crash analysis, and helmet performance. It was on this basis that Hurt was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2007. ama-cycle.org.
Ooops
Correction, in the Vol.42 No. 1 issue in the Road Test article we stated that the paint on the Deep South Choppers Low Voltage Shocker was done by Airea 5150. While Deep South Choppers does use Airea 5150, this particular paintjob was done by Joe Vincent of Vincent Designs. To see more of Joe's work check out Myspace.com/jovincent, or call (225) 218-3524.