CVEC Racing Report: Angelle & CVEC Suzuki
team look for a Columbus three-peat
(Note: The following will be sent as a text attachment in a separate e-mail.)
CVEC Racing Report
Contact: Jon Knapp
(704) 662-3121
J2Racing@aol.com
Event: 38th Annual Pontiac Excitement Nationals
Location: National Trail Raceway, Columbus, Ohio
Date: June 13 -16, 2002
Angelle Savoie
Star Racing Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle
2000 & 2001 Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion
1. Angelle & CVEC Suzuki team look for a Columbus three-peat
The Star Racing team has been a fixture in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle pit
area for over twelve years. In that time, they have developed a well-earned
reputation for building powerful, championship-winning motorcycles. Led by
team owner George Bryce, the Americus, Ga. based team has accumulated five
championships and 58 wins in 102 final round appearances. It is an
organization with an unparalleled commitment to excellence.
The 2002 incarnation continues this proud tradition. Carrying the colors of
new primary sponsor CVEC Power Systems, Angelle Savoie and the Star Racing
Suzuki have been virtually unstoppable since Atlanta. In three races, they
have logged two wins, three No. 1 qualifying efforts, and reset the national
elapsed time record.
However, rather than providing Angelle with an added sense of security, the
two-time and defending NHRA champion sees this apparent performance edge
actually increasing the pressure of competition. But much like adjusting
their tune-up for the conditions, Angelle and the CVEC crew remain focused on
the task at hand, and come to Columbus with a solid lead in the POWERade
points standings and looking to score their third consecutive Pontiac
Excitement Nationals win.
"My CVEC Suzuki is an awesome motorcycle. Every week, the people at Star
Racing work non-stop to give me a bike that can win the race. While that
certainly boosts my confidence, it's also a little scary. I know when we
arrive at the track that the crew has already won and it's up to me to get
the trophy.
"That's why I take losses caused by driver error so hard. If the bike
breaks, that's one thing, but I just can't handle it when I red light, short
shift or get out of the groove. Having the dominant bike actually puts more
pressure on me.
"In the past, George (team owner Bryce) has told me that I could probably win
races easier with a slower bike, because I wouldn't be as worried about
making a mistake and costing us the race. That's something we have both
worked on. George has tuned our CVEC Suzuki so I can really push the tree,
and instead of worrying about mistakes, I now concentrate on the positives
and focus on doing my job. I think our results speak for themselves."
2. In Angelle's Words -
On racing in Columbus -
"Last year, my mom and grandmother came to the race with me, and we had a
weekend like this last race in Chicago where we blew everyone away. It was
really hot, and George (team owner Bryce) did his usual awesome job of tuning
the bike. We've been fortunate to win the last two years, and I'm hoping we
can make it three in a row with our CVEC Suzuki.
"Hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate so we won't have problems with rain
as we have in the past. Whether it's hot or cold, I'm confident the CVEC
team will have my Suzuki flying.
"But I'm looking forward to going back to Columbus for more than just the
race. I made a lot of good friends in previous years at the Corporate
Challenge race, and it will be good to see those people again."
On tying Terry Vance on the all-time Pro Stock Motorcycle win list -
"I normally don't keep track of records. In fact, last year I wasn't even
aware that I was closing in on Shirley Muldowney's record until someone told
me about it.
"However, it is exciting when I sit down and see myself tied with Terry
Vance. When I was fourteen years old, I had a poster of Terry and his Pro
Stock Bike on the wall of my bedroom. I know he's embarrassed to hear that,
but I thought he was just awesome.
"It's a great feeling to know that I'm tied with him. Now my goal is to win
more races than he did, and to chase down whoever is next on the list."
On racing on Father's Day -
"It would be really cool to win on Father's Day, because it's really his
fault that I'm out here. He put me on a motorcycle when I was six years old,
and to this day is probably tied with my mom for being my biggest fan.
"I believe I get a lot of my racing personality from him. He can't even be
around on race day because he gets so nervous, and so wants me to win. I get
my passion for winning from him, and if I can win the race on Father's Day,
it would mean a lot to the both of us."
3. Facts on Angelle & Star Racing entering National Trail Raceway -
- This will be Angelle's 6th appearance at National Trail Raceway, where
she and the Star Racing team enter as the two-time defending event champions.
- One year ago, Angelle "swept" the Pontiac Excitement Nationals, capturing
the No. 1 qualifying position, setting the low elapsed time and top speed of
the race en route to winning the event for the second year in a row.
- Angelle holds the National Trail Raceway elapsed time record at 7.196
seconds, which she set in 2000.
- Angelle recorded the quickest elapsed time in Pro Stock Motorcycle
history at 7.049 seconds on May 18, 2002 in Englishtown, N.J., bettering the
previous record by five hundredths of a second.
- After five of 14 Pro Stock Motorcycle national events, Angelle leads the
NHRA POWERade Series Points standings with 508 points, seventy-four points
ahead of second place Craig Treble.
- Angelle's 24 national event wins are the most ever by a female driver in
NHRA Drag Racing competition, tying her for fourth on the all-time Pro Stock
Motorcycle win list with Terry Vance. Angelle and Vance are also tied for
15th on the all-time win list, one behind No. 14 Gary Scelzi.
- Angelle's twenty-four career victories have come at thirteen different
tracks. The only two facilities on the 2002 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle
schedule where Angelle has yet to reach the winner's circle are Brainerd and
Sonoma, where the bikes will race for the first time in 2002.
- Angelle has not suffered a first-round setback since August 22, 1999 at
Brainerd, Minn. That span of 38 races represents the longest streak in NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing.
- Angelle has qualified in the top half of the elimination ladder (eighth
or better) at every one of the 81 races in which she has competed in her Pro
Stock Motorcycle career.
- Angelle will be looking to score back-to-back wins for the sixth time in
her career, having last accomplished the feat in the fall of 2001 when she
won the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and the Pep Boys Nationals
in Reading, Pennsylvania.
- Angelle has won 21 of her last 51 national event starts, has appeared in
28 final rounds and owns a 135-30 (.818) elimination round win record during
that span. In that same period, she has also recorded 22 low qualifier
efforts.
- Angelle's .773 (194-57) elimination-round win percentage ranks second
among all active drivers, trailing only Matt Hines (.785).
- Angelle's seven national event wins in 2001 are the most ever in a single
season by a female competitor in NHRA history.
- Star Racing Suzuki owner George Bryce made his 102nd career final round
appearance as an owner at this year's Chicagoland Dodge Dealers Nationals in
Joliet, Il. Bryce has accomplished this feat with six different riders: John
Myers (56), Angelle Savoie (38), Jim Bernard (3), Steve Johnson (3), Fred
Collis (1) and Bryce himself (1).
- Angelle's fastest career pass: 192.44 mph, May 14, 2002, Englishtown, New
Jersey.
2002 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle
Points Standings (after 5 of 14 events):
1. Angelle Savoie - 508
2. Craig Treble - 434 (-74)
3. Antron Brown - 377 (-131)
4. Shawn Gann - 340 (-168)
5. Matt Hines - 321 (-187)
6. Geno Scali - 264 (-244)
7. Reggie Showers - 262 (-246)
8. Mike Berry - 225 (-283)
9. John Smith - 222 (-286)
10. Steve Johnson - 199 (-309)
2002 K&N Filters Pro Bike Klash Points Standings
1. Angelle Savoie - 1505
2. Matt Hines - 1405 (-100)
3. Shawn Gann - 1375 (-130)
4. Antron Brown - 1340 (-165)
5. Craig Treble - 1270 (-235)
6. Mike Berry - 1125 (-380)
7. Geno Scali - 1120 (-385)
8. Reggie Showers - 1115 (-290)
9. Steve Johnson - 885 (-620)
10. Joe DeSantis - 690 (-815)
Television Coverage:
Qualifying: Saturday, June 15, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
Eliminations: Sunday, June 16, 8:30 - 11:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
In addition, the NHRA2Day weekly magazine show will air from 11:00 - 11:30
a.m. on Sunday, June 16 on ESPN2.
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