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Redneck Express Race 1 of 2010 Report AMA Dragbike Bike Week Nationals Redneck Express Sets Top Speed of the event 235.06 The crew for this race consisted of Steve Legendre ,former racing partner and flying ace Denny Hickman and Dick Boxell. Chris and Sharon arrive Friday evening after Chris had a multi-day thrash assembling the 3rd motor. We drop the trailer and grab a bite and get some rest for Saturdays activities. Saturday arrives and we setup the trailer and pit area and get the bike ready for the first round of qualifying. Chris has installed a new timing system and replaced the clutch cannon on the bike. Chris has 3 motors ready, Galahad is in the frame rails with Merlin and Robert E. Lee for backup. We ready the bike get it warmed up, and I am not sure if it’s the 4 months since the last Nitro fix or not, but the bike sounds sharp! The call goes out and we pull into the staging lanes, perform the last minute preparations for our first hit at the great SGMP track. Sharon rolls the motor over as I run the squirter, the bike fires and is running. Steve and Mr Hickman go down track to wait for Chris while I go the the waterbox to wipe the tire and set Chris for the burnout. Chris starts the burnout and rolls it out to where Steve and Denny are standing to push him back, Chris did such a good burnout and the total lack of a breeze I can’t see them pushing the bike back to guide them until they are almost to me, Chris straightens the bike out a little as he rolls to the line, prestages, Sharon Pulls the tape from the vent on the injector hat, Chris stages, the lights flash and the bike fairly explodes off the line, and runs straight with a little correction by Chris about ½ track. Watching the run #1 hole hazes a little but not much.. The bike goes straight and true to a 6.093 @ 235.06 great run for the first one of the year. Steve goes to pick Chris up at the big end, we are stoked with the pass. We pull the plugs and start to blow the motor out, but its won’t turn over, damn! Chris checks it out and we pull the left side off and find the problem, get it so we can turn it over to do the leakdown, the motor defiantly lost a hole for sure the other three are OK. We set to changing the motors and do it deliberately, missing the 2 following rounds of qualifying, we get Merlin installed and fired up, and call it a night. While Steve and I change the motor Chris and Denny get to repairing Galahad as it warped a valve on the previous pass. We set the clutch up on the bench before we reinstall the left side drive. Sunday, Race day and we are ready, Chris hands me some arm weights for the clutch and I install them where Chris tells me to while he is finishing up the repairs to Galahad. |
