NHRA Pre-race: Angelle & Star Racing look to harvest a
win in the Napa Valley
Event: 15th Annual Fram-Autolite NHRA Nationals
Location: Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA
Date: August 2-4, 2002
Angelle Savoie
Star Racing Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle
2000 & 2001 Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion
1. Angelle & Star Racing look to harvest a win in the Napa Valley
Racers such as Angelle Savoie and the Star Racing team are, by nature,
extremely competitive. On or off the racetrack, any time they are presented
the opportunity to finish ahead of someone else, they grab it.
Therefore, it is easy to see the attraction that this year's Fram-Autolite
Nationals holds for the NHRA's two-wheeled warriors. As the inaugural visit
by the Pro Stock Motorcycles to the Napa Valley, this weekend's event offers
the winning team a unique honor. In addition to the prestige accorded any
national event winner, the victors' names will be permanently ensconced as
the first to ever win a drag race on two wheels at Infineon Raceway. Others
may win in subsequent years, but their names will always be placed after this
year's champions.
"There is always extra motivation when you race at a track for the first
time. We were fortunate enough to do that in Las Vegas and it was a real
thrill. There are no special awards, points or money associated with being
the first winner, but it's nice to have your name first in the history books.
I also think the fans remember the first winner more easily, which is
another added bonus."
But in order to gain this coveted distinction, they must first find the
proper combination to master the Sonoma quarter-mile, a racetrack Angelle and
the Star Racing team will not even see until their arrival on the weekend of
the event.
Located just north of San Francisco, Infineon Raceway has a rich and storied
history encompassing many forms of motor racing. Over the past twelve
months, the facility has undergone many improvements as part of owner Bruton
Smith's plan to cement its place as one of the premier racing venues in the
country. Included in these changes is the extension of the drag strip's
concrete "launching pad", offering the potential for even quicker times than
seen in years past.
Although they have no data from racing on the actual surface, the men
responsible for tuning Angelle's Suzuki, team owner George Bryce and crew
chief Ken Johnson, have implemented a plan which should allow them to make
the most of their first qualifying pass, establishing a competitive baseline
from which they can launch their attack.
"The first thing we'll do is study the track," explains Bryce. "We'll find
the entries and exits, see where the turn off is, check the grade, find out
if and how the track slants, and whether the surface is bumpy or not. I hear
Sonoma is a very smooth track, and if it is, we won't have to make any
adjustments to the motorcycle for bumps as we do at other tracks.
"Another measurement we'll start taking right away will be with the barometer
and the wet and dry bulb to figure the humidity and come up with a corrected
altitude. Once we do that, I will look back through the computer and our
logbook to find a race with similar atmospheric conditions, which will help
us decide what gearing, jetting and timing we should use.
"My logbook has the full spectrum, from 500 feet below sea level at
Englishtown to 10,000 feet in Denver, so I'm pretty confident that we'll find
something that will give us a starting point for the first session on
Friday."
Bolstering Angelle and the team's outlook for this weekend is their solid
record in previous inaugural races. Since Angelle's debut in 1996, she has
competed in NHRA national events on seventeen different tracks. During her
first visit to each of those facilities, she has scored two wins in six final
round appearances, along with three semi-final finishes and five No. 1
qualifying efforts.
One of those victories came at the NHRA's most recent race track debut, when
Angelle piloted her Star Racing Suzuki to the winner's circle at The Strip at
Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the spring of the year 2000, a performance she is
most eager to duplicate this weekend at another Bruton Smith-owned facility,
Infineon Raceway.
"I normally start to think about the track we're going to race on before I
leave my house, so that I can concentrate on my driving once I get there.
Obviously I can't do that this weekend. Therefore, the first thing I will do
when I arrive at Infineon Raceway will be to take one of our pit bikes and
familiarize myself with the facility.
"Each race track seems to have its own personality as far as the fans are
concerned. Some tracks, such as Indianapolis and Englishtown, really enjoy
the Pro Stock Motorcycles and welcome us when we race there. I'm looking
forward to seeing the fans' reaction to the bikes in Sonoma - hopefully we
can show them what we're capable of and meet a lot of them in the winner's
circle."
2. In Angelle's Words -
On Pro Stock Motorcycle's first visit to Infineon Raceway -
"I've never been to the Bay Area before, so I'm really looking forward to
going there. With all the traveling we do throughout the year, you take some
of the interesting places we go to for granted, but I'm really excited about
seeing San Francisco.
"I'm also looking forward to racing at Infineon Raceway for the first time.
It will be a challenge for the entire Star Racing Team to figure out the
racing surface. Naturally, we have no data to tune from, but I'm confident
George (team owner Bryce) will have things well under control.
"In fact, George told me that if the weather cooperates, there's a
possibility we could get in the sixes, which would be awesome. Ever since
Mickey Thompson posted that prize for the first bike to break into the
six-second range, the whole Star Racing team has been focused on making sure
our bike is the one to do it. We came close in Englishtown, and I'm hoping
we have another chance in Sonoma."
On her mindset at having a 121-point lead in the NHRA POWERade points
standings-
"We're in a groove right now, and we've learned so much over our six years
together that we're capable of getting by no matter what the circumstances
are. The points aren't really an issue to me as they were in the past, where
I would worry about doing something wrong.
"I'm really enjoying my career right now, and don't feel any pressure. I'm
having fun right now, and know my competitors are the ones struggling to find
a way to beat us. I know that as long as I stay focused, and keep my head
straight, they won't be able to catch me."
3. Facts on Angelle & Star Racing entering Infineon Raceway -
- 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 eight of 14 Pro Stock Motorcycle national events, Angelle leads the
NHRA POWERade Series Points standings with 801 points, 121 points ahead of
second place Craig Treble.
- Angelle's 25 national event wins are the most ever by a female driver in
NHRA Drag Racing competition, and is fourth on the all-time Pro Stock
Motorcycle win list. Angelle is also tied for 14th on the all-time NHRA
professional win list with Gary Scelzi.
- Angelle has qualified in the top half of the elimination ladder (eighth
or better) at every one of the 84 races in which she has competed in her Pro
Stock Motorcycle career.
- Angelle's twenty-five 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 41 races represents the longest streak in the
history of NHRA POWERade Drag Racing.
- Angelle has won 22 of her last 54 national event starts, has appeared in
30 final rounds and owns a 144-32 (.818) elimination round win record during
that span. In that same period, she has also recorded 24 low qualifier
efforts.
- Angelle's .775 (203-59) elimination-round win percentage ranks second
among all active drivers, trailing only Matt Hines (.786).
- 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 104th career final round
appearance as an owner at this year's Mopar Parts Mile High Nationals in
Denver, CO. Bryce has accomplished this feat with six different riders: John
Myers (56), Angelle Savoie (40), 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 8 of 14 events):
1. Angelle Savoie - 801
2. Craig Treble - 680 (-121)
3. Antron Brown - 620 (-181)
4. Matt Hines - 593 (-208)
5. Shawn Gann - 546 (-256)
6. Geno Scali - 380 (-421)
7. Reggie Showers - 380 (-421)
8. Mike Berry - 363 (-438)
9. John Smith - 340 (-461)
10. Steve Johnson - 293 (-508)
2002 K&N Filters Pro Bike Klash Points Standings
1. Angelle Savoie - 2020
2. Matt Hines - 1910 (-110)
3. Shawn Gann - 1825 (-195)
4. Antron Brown - 1760 (-260)
5. Craig Treble - 1715 (-305)
6. Reggie Showers- 1495 (-525)
7. Mike Berry - 1490 (-530)
8. Geno Scali - 1370 (-650)
9. Steve Johnson - 1185 (-835)
10. Joe DeSantis - 935 (-1085)
Television Coverage:
Qualifying: Saturday, August 3, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Eliminations: Sunday, August 4, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
In addition, the NHRA2Day weekly magazine show will air from 11:00 - 11:30
a.m. on Sunday, August 4 on ESPN2.
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