Ken Martin's new bike is a real eyeful
Ken Martin of Brainerd will have one of the more customized motorcycles at the Colonel's Brainerd International Raceway sportsman drag racing season opener this weekend.
His highly modified purple Kawasaki belonged to NHRA Pro Stock Bike racer Blaine Hale from Midland, Texas. Hale finished ninth in the Winston Pro Stock Bike season points two years ago.
Martin, a salesman at Brothers Motorsports, purchased only the rolling chassis from Hale.
He described this chassis which sits 2 inches off the ground as "high tech and phenomenal" compared to his former bike's chassis.
Hale kept his 320 horsepower motor valued at $35,000.
"A walking time bomb," Martin said about this engine.
Martin's goal is to obtain his Pro Stock Bike license this weekend with three quarter-mile passes over 170 mph or under 7.7 seconds. To obtain his competition license earlier, he had to go over 130 mph or make the pass in less than 10.99 seconds.
He said he wants to test his new bike and "try and get more seat time" this summer. His ultimate goal is to lease a motor from Hale and attempt to qualify in the Pro Stock Bike class at the NHRA Nationals at CBIR in August. The cost to lease the motor for the weekend would be $5,000.
His fastest speed so far has been 135 mph at 5.5 seconds in an eighth-mile at Grove City Raceway in Litchfield. His former bike's 60-foot time was 1.35 seconds compared to his new bike's time of 1.2 seconds. "It launches unbelievably hard," he said.
Snyder places third
SAUK CENTRE -- Trent Snyder of Ironton raced his 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo to a third place finish in the 30-lap late model feature at I-94 Raceway's season opener last Saturday.
The 18-year-old Snyder, who earlier placed fourth in the Fast Dash, was among 19 racers in the feature. Shawn Koranda won the feature.
With his finish, Snyder also tied with track owner Tim Olson for second place in season points with 42 each. Koranda has 50 points.
Snyder will have competition in this Saturday's race. Olson wrote in an e-mail that he is expecting four to six more late model entries including former Brainerd racing standout Nate Thiesse. Thiesse, a crew chief for an American Speed Association racing team from Lakeville, finished second in the 100-lap October Nationals Super Late Model Feature at the raceway last fall.
Fredrickson finishes third
Dan Fredrickson, whose crew chief is Thiesse, finished third in the American Speed Association's fourth round at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., Sunday.
Fredrickson, who posted his best finish so far this season, started ninth in the 300-lap feature race. He is one of two racers on the LaFavre Racing team of Lakeville.
Jones, Stidham win at Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Paul Jones and Jackie Stidham won in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series West Central Division season opener at Heartland Park last Sunday.
Before the event, Californian Jones had made it to one final round in five races. He defeated division points champion David Wells of LeMars, Iowa, in the final.
Another Iowan and the No. 1 qualifier, Cy Chesterman, in his Pontiac, lost to Stidham in the final. This was Stidham's season debut in his Chevrolet Camaro.
The series returns to CBIR June 7-9. Pre-race entrants include 14-time points champion Vern Moats in Funny Car and Scott McVeigh also in Funny Car. Wells is the defending dragster champion.
Scott Quick, CBIR general manager, said he expects defending Funny Car Champion Jay Payne to make the event.
Hayden sweeps at Sears Point
SONOMA, Calif. -- Nicky Hayden, aboard his Honda Superbike, swept both Superbike finals in rounds four and five of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship at Sears Point Raceway last weekend.
He was followed by another Honda racer, Miguel Duhamel, and Eric Bostrom, on his Kawasaki, in the first race. Aaron Yates, on his Suzuki, and Duhamel were second and third in the second race.