Corrales, New Mexico, 11/20/07- Two weeks on the road, two events-back to back and the 2007 All Harley Drag Racing Association season came to an end in Las Vegas at the RUSH Performance Las Vegas Nationals November 16 – 18, 2007.
Viva Las Vegas! What an incredible YEAR…Greg Krenik takes TWO –2nd Place National finishes in Two Pro Classes!
Wayne Pugh joined the Desert Dawgs for his final race. He had all of his family in attendance for the event and he did NOT disappoint them. Wayne ran his Destroyer in the $15,000 Screamin’ Eagle Shootout, Super Gas and ET.
In Super Gas, Pugh qualified near the bottom with the higher altitude holding his bike back and went out in the first round. In the ET class he took his V-Rod Destroyer to the finals for the second event in a row but his red light gave him the runner-up finish. Wayne said, “I had luck on my side again this weekend to get by some very tough competitors, Norlin, Walker and Drapp.” Wayne finished the season in the Western Division 3rd in SG, 5th in ET (only two races) and tied for 11th in V-Rod Destroyer.
“I have had a great time racing in the AHDRA over the last nine years. I've made some great friends and will miss racing with them, without a doubt. It’s due to the support of my friends, family and sponsors alike that I have been able to enjoy the racing success that I have had. I'm very impressed by Greg’s ability to ride the bikes the way he has and by Steve’s ability to make those bikes as fast as they are, add Karen to the mix and they prove to be very tough to beat. I expect they will contend for many championships in the future. I am very thankful for all they have done for me over the years and wish them great luck in the future.” said Wayne. “I hope Wayne is only taking 2008 off.” said Greg. “He’s a great racer and friend. Wayne got me started racing in 2002 running ET and it was he who I have tried to emulate.” he added.
The other Dawg, Greg Krenik, was running his best 60 foot times on the Pro Mod with the incredible track prep at “The Strip” at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway! Greg, needing to win the event to win the National championship and was very optimistic about his chances. After qualifying #2 and making it to the semi-finals the Dawgs were ready to rock. With some final tuning they needed to get to the finals to face Randy Borho. Greg cut his best 60’ time of 1.22 seconds, but the bike failed to make the 2nd to 3rd shift thus ending Greg’s chances for the championship. “That was the hardest trip down the return road all season.” said Greg. He added “Steve really had the bike in the zone, we thought we fixed the shifting problem but I guess not…it just wasn't meant to be this season.”
Greg took his Pro Stock all the way to the finals to race Junior Pippin one more time. Greg beat him on the tree and was ahead to the 1000’ before Junior inched by him for the win. “We did everything right on that run, Steve had the clutch perfect and I hit the shift points right on.” said Krenik. “Except we had a little too much jet in it, it fell off a little at the top end and Junior got by us…damn.” he added.
“Steve Allstaedt did an incredible job this season tuning both bikes, he’s is used to doing just one bike but we got him into a new groove…a crazy one. With 26 chances to be in the semi finals this season we were in 22, at that point you take your best guess because you're working on both bikes and time is short in-between runs. Sometimes we just had to pick one bike to work on because we have only one lift and the two of us to do the work. He is an awesome tuner, I am so very happy with the outcome for our first year running with the Pro’s.” said Krenik.
“Karen Raffa, my wife, did a fantastic job of finding my launch spots this season. After all the time she’s had at race-tracks she has mastered the job and took a real close look at every starting line and found me the absolute best spots. We had incredible 60 foot times all season. She also got us to the lanes ‘on time’ on more than one occasion because we were so busy trying to get the bikes ready. Oh YES, she also shopped, cooked, was travel coordinator and then did her real job as the Contingency Manager with the AHDRA.” said Greg.
At the AHDRA Awards Banquet, besides the list of awards below… Steve and Greg were presented with a couple extra awards. The Pro Stock Racers Association awarded them “Bob Shay, Wrench of the Year” and “George Walls, Rider of the Year”, respectively. In honor of an outstanding tuner and a rider who passed away this year. What an Honor!
Final 2007 AHDRA National Points - Greg Krenik
Pro Mod - #2
Pro Stock - #2
Final AHDRA Western Points – Greg Krenik
Pro Stock - #1
Pro Mod - #2
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson: www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates: www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc.: www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros: http://home.comcast.net/~abqleadingedge
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
Outlaw Race Fuels: 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires: www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil: www.redlineoil.com
Bandit Machine Works: www.banditmachineworks.com
CP Pistons: www.cppistons.com
Lyndall Race Brakes: www.lyndallracingbrakes.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANK YOU!
For more info check out www.ahdra.com
WHAT a YEAR… LOOK at all those awards!
The OLD days…Thanks for the Memories Wayne! We will MISS YOU!
Greg practicing in the OFF season!!
Until 2008…Have a wonderful Holiday and thanks for reading and supporting The Desert Dawgs Racin’ endeavors! We have done very well this season and we had LOTS of FUN too!
Greg, Wayne, Steve, Karen and Sadie
Greg Krenik
Desert Dawg Racin', LLC
AHDRA Harley Drag Racing Team
184 Camino Rayo Del Sol
Corrales, New Mexico 87048
505-922-0105 home
505-235-9338 cell
www.desertdawgracin.com
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson: www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates: www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc.: www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros: http://home.comcast.net/~abqleadingedge
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
Outlaw Race Fuels: 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires: www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil: www.redlineoil.com
Bandit Machine Works: www.banditmachineworks.com
CP Pistons: www.cppistons.com
Lyndall Race Brakes: www.lyndallracingbrakes.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
Greg Krenik
Desert Dawg Racin', LLC
AHDRA Harley Drag Racing Team
184 Camino Rayo Del Sol
Corrales, New Mexico 87048
505-922-0105 home
505-235-9338 cell
www.desertdawgracin.com
Greg Krenik #1 Qualifier in BOTH Pro Modified & Pro Stock and WINS Pro Stock!
Corrales, NM 10/15/07- The AHDRA Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Nationals in Rockingham, NC October 12 – 14 was a very busy weekend for Greg Krenik and Steve Allstaedt - the Desert Dawg Race Team! Good weather, great crowd and plenty of riders turned out for a perfect weekend of racing.
Friday’s Test & Tune session was very busy. The Dawgs had left the bikes with Steve Allstaedt (SA Racing) after Richmond to do the last tune up this season in addition to repairing the damage to the Pro Mod from the shifting incident at that last race. At the Rock, they put new clutches in both bikes and hoped they would be able to get them dialed in. The first pass on the Pro Stock, Greg broke the tire loose and took out the 330’ timing block, denting the exhaust in the process. Now… that was FUN!
The first pass on the Pro Mod they watched the same thing happen except Krenik got off the throttle to avoid that centerline block. They ran six passes and Greg didn't come close to going straight on any of them. “We almost put the old clutches back in both bikes.” said Steve. “Greg didn't want to, he said that we have three passes on Saturday to get it right.” added Allstaedt.
Saturday’s Qualifying was another day of wild rides for Greg and thrashing in the pits for both Steve and Greg to try and get the bikes to hook up the way they wanted them to. Fellow competitors were accusing him of taking the scenic way down the track….going the long way. They finally got the PS clutch figured out and Greg’s first qualifying run was good enough to put him in the #1 position with a Personal Best 8.14, then the shifting gremlins returned to haunt them. They struggled during their other two qualifying passes with shifting issues. This was Greg’s 4th time as the Pro Stock #1 Qualifier! He also won the Pro Stock Reading Reaction Time Contest with the best overall average in the three qualifying runs.
The PM qualifying went down to his very last run. They could not get the bike to hook up. The launches were so violent that Greg’s left foot kept coming off the foot peg thus making things worse. Even with all the problems, he was in the #2 position after two rounds of qualifying. “The way the rules are set up, we have to be heavier than the single cam big twin because we are running a 4 cam motor.” said Greg. “We are 70 lbs heavier and we just can't get the 60’ times that the lighter Big Twins get, so we have to get more horsepower out of the bike to get to the top end. We've got 187 hp in this bike and getting that 7” tire to hook is tough, especially with a new clutch.” added Krenik. On the final qualifying pass Greg went straight and got the #1 Qualifying spot with an 8.68…just 0.06 seconds from the National record. “I keep telling Greg his times will be faster if he goes straight, you know, the shortest distance thing.” joked Steve.
Saturday night after the PS dinner, Steve and Greg went to work on the PS to find the shifting problem. After a few hours of work and adjusting and reassembling they thought they had it. “I guess we'll know tomorrow if it works.” said Krenik.
Sunday’s Opening Ceremony had Greg on the starting line being introduced as a DOUBLE #1 Qualifier (PM & PS) with the other #1’s. Then Eliminations began, the Dawgs first bike down the track was the PS and it was time to see if the fix worked. Greg ran a personal best 8.12 and winning the first round. YES, it DID!
The PM was next and the Dawgs wanted their record back. Greg ran a record breaking 8.60, with his 8.68 in qualifying as the backup, this was now the official National record. Greg went on to win the second round with both bikes slowing slightly during the hottest part of the day. The only down side to the second round was that Randy Borho reset and took Greg’s PM record, the same guy that Greg is in the chase for the championship with. Next up was the Semi-finals. The Dawgs needed to get an edge somewhere so they went to a lighter weight oil to reduce piston friction in both bikes. Greg had a bye run with the PS and the bike slowed considerably. Steve was real worried that they had started to seize the motor and was worried that they were about to hurt the PM, but there was no time to change anything. Greg was racing Randy and he needed to get him on the tree in addition to beating him down the track. Greg got him on the tree but lost. Same thing happened with the PS, the bike slowed drastically. The Dawgs scrambled back to the pit and changed the oil back to what they were using before in the PS because they still had to race in the Finals.
In the PS final, Greg got the holeshot WIN on James Surber by 0.006 seconds. “Greg did his job by cutting that light.” said Steve. “That was one of the closest races I've seen.” he added. Karen Raffa, Greg’s wife and spotter said “This event was very deceiving to find the spot to launch Greg from. With all the clutch issues, I thought it was me lining him up wrong. Greg said to just keep doing it the way I've been doing it all season and it'll all work out. He was right, he had his all-time fastest 60 foot times on the PS today.”
The Dawgs will head out for back to back events, first to Pomona, CA for the California Nationals on November 9 & 10 and then onto Las Vegas, NV for the Las Vegas Nationals November 16-19 for the final event of the 2007 season.
2007 AHDRA Western Points Chase
Pro Mod- #1
Pro Stock- #1
National Points Chase
Pro Mod - #2 behind by 72 points
Pro Stock- #2 by 120 points
Greg on the starting line with the other #1 Qualifiers
Greg & Steve doing the between round thrash to get both bikes ready
Greg on the Pro Stock as the #1 Qualifier and the event winner
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen.
Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson: www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates: www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc.: www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros: http://home.comcast.net/~abqleadingedge
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
Outlaw Race Fuels: 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires: www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil: www.redlineoil.com
Bandit Machine Works: www.banditmachineworks.com
CP Pistons: www.cppistons.com
Lyndall Race Brakes: www.lyndallracingbrakes.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
For more info check out www.ahdra.com
Greg Krenik
Desert Dawg Racin', LLC
AHDRA Harley Drag Racing Team
184 Camino Rayo Del Sol
Corrales, New Mexico 87048
505-922-0105 home
505-235-9338 cell
www.desertdawgracin.com
Krenik takes the #1 Qualifier Position for the 5th AHDRA National Event in a ROW!
Corrales, NM 9/29/07- The 10th Race on the All Harley Drag Racing Association’s circuit, took Greg Krenik to the S & S Cycle Jim McClure Nationals in Richmond, VA in a quick 30 hour drive from New Mexico! With a short-stop in Asheville, NC at SA Racing to pick up Steve Allstaedt, crew chief for the Dawgs and pick up the Pro Mod that had needed a few adjustments to keep her in the number one spot. The Dawgs were excited to be racing again after the month off and wanted to put some more distance in between the ‘riders on the heels’ of Krenik.
Friday’s Test and Tune was shortened due to rain but the Dawgs got one pass on each bike. Things were working the way they were supposed to, even with the high humidity.
Saturday’s qualifying started out good but the track went away (the track was only prepped once) especially the left lane, no traction at all. Greg started out running an 8.685 on the PM which was only 0.06 sec from the record. His third pass was an 8.680 which left them ready for Sunday. That pass was also good for the #1 Qualifying spot again…5th event in a row! And his Pro Stock qualified #2 again! The third pass saw the belt shred again…this time only after 6 passes. The tune for Sunday on the PS was going to have to be a guess and the tranny was having trouble shifting into 2nd gear…Greg had to double tap it to get it to work but by that time the bike was in the rev limiter and slowing down….just more stuff to figure out.
During the first round of Sunday’s Eliminations, Greg discovered that he was having trouble shifting the PM. They thought it was the tranny so they went to work to fix it. The PS (also) had to be double tapped into 2nd but they won the round.
The 2nd round of PM saw the unbelievable happen, Greg lost, the bike failed to shift at all. It turned out that a 50 cent part on the shift button came loose, when Greg pushed the button it went out the back of the bracket. “I couldn’t believe it!” said Greg. “We were going for the record and then all of the sudden we had lost the national points lead not to mention the damage to the motor because of the over-rev.” added Krenik. On the PS it still had to be double tapped but they went to the semi’s. Whew!
The semi’s found the PS in a close race but with tire spin and then the shifting problem, it just wasn’t meant to be. “Looks like the first two gears in the tranny are pretty messed up, kind of like what happened in Commerce, GA this year.” said Krenik. “It looks like those gears only last four races before they have to be replaced.” added Greg.
“This race was a shock to us with the PM.” stated Steve Allstaedt. “We just did the service to this bike before this race and we were trying to get the record back from Randy. We qualified #1 and were going in the right direction. When Greg shut the bike down at the 60 ft mark, we just sort of stood looking. “Did he really shut it down and we lost? But racing in two classes, you have to get your head back in the game and not let it get to you.” added Steve.
2007 AHDRA National Points Chase
Pro Mod - #2 behind by 10 points
Pro Stock- #2 by 57 points
Western Points Chase
Pro Mod- #1
Pro Stock- #1
Next Race: The Dawgs will be at the Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Nationals in Rockingham, NC on October 12 – 14
Greg Krenik and Steve Allstaedt discuss the next round on the PS Photo: Vicki Furber
Back in the Desert Dawgs Pit, the Dawgs download pertinent information. Photo: Vicki Furber
Krenik Takes the #1 Qualifier Position for the 5th AHDRA Race in a Row! Photo: Vicki Furber
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson: www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates: www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc.: www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros: http://home.comcast.net/~abqleadingedge
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
Outlaw Race Fuels: 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires: www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil: www.redlineoil.com
Bandit Machine Works: www.banditmachineworks.com
CP Pistons: www.cppistons.com
Lyndall Race Brakes: www.lyndallracingbrakes.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
For more info check out www.ahdra.com
Greg Krenik
Desert Dawg Racin', LLC
AHDRA Harley Drag Racing Team
184 Camino Rayo Del Sol
Corrales, New Mexico 87048
505-922-0105 home
505-235-9338 cell
www.desertdawgracin.com
‘Personal Bests’ times 2 …
Plus a Runner-up for the Desert Dawgs
Corrales, NM 9/4/2007- A trip to the Pacific Northwest for the Salem Harley-Davidson Northwest Nationals in Woodburn, OR was another leg in the AHDRA (All Harley Drag Racing Association) schedule and this time Desert Dawg - Wayne Pugh rejoined the team racing his V-Rod Destroyer and sharing in the 25 hour drive to the track.
The air was clear and the weather was perfect for everyone. In Qualifying, Greg Krenik once again took the #1 Spot (5th Race in a row!) in Pro Mod and #4 in Pro Stock. The bikes were acting up…but Steve Allstaedt was there to calm them down and concentrate on the bike that has been the least amount of trouble this season…the Pro Mod. “She has had the least amount of attention put to her, mainly because the Pro Stock is always ‘whining’. So, the decision was made to give the record holding PM the energy and keep her strong to finish the year as a National Champion.” comments Steve. “We just couldn’t get the tires to hook up.” says Krenik. “We took so much clutch out of both bikes to try and get them to keep from spinning off the line it was ridiculous…we found out the PM tire was not round…I guess you get a bad tire every once in a while…we were just doomed with that tire but it was all we had and we did our best.” added Greg.
Wayne had some great runs and on Sunday ran his Personal Best, a 137.78 mph run which made him feel like he was back in the game. “It is really tough only running 6 events in 10 months, plus the Destroyer class is so competitive and most of the riders are going to all 14 AHDRA events and they have lots of seat time. I will be in two more events this year…and hope to learn more about the Thunderbird Harley Davidson Destroyer.”
On Sunday, Elimination Day, Wayne went a few rounds and even put out a few riders that were in the points chase! “That felt good!” exclaimed Wayne. Greg was having a great time putting a few of the ‘local boys’ on the trailers in the PM class and then making it to the finals against the man who is right on his heels for the Championship, Randy Borho. Randy was running better than he had all weekend and beat Greg in the finals thanks to Greg's ‘red light’.
In Pro Stock, Greg didn’t qualify where he wanted on Saturday. “I just couldn’t shift the bike when I was supposed to on the 1st qualifying run so I aborted the run, the 2nd pass was okay except for the tire spinning and then we shredded the belt on the 3rd pass, but on Sunday we got the bike to ‘hook up’ and had two personal best times.” says Krenik. “We got to the semi’s but Junior ran his best run of the day to put us on the trailer…we’ll get him in Richmond.” added Greg.
2007 AHDRA National Points Chase- Greg Krenik
Pro Mod - #1 by 49 points
Pro Stock - #2 by 36 points
Western Points Chase
Pro Mod - #1
Pro Stock - #1
The Dawgs will be in Richmond, VA next for the S&S Cycle Jim McClure Nationals on September 21, 22 & 23.
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson: www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates: www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc.: www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros: http://home.comcast.net/~abqleadingedge
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
Outlaw Race Fuels: 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires: www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil: www.redlineoil.com
Bandit Machine Works: www.banditmachineworks.com
CP Pistons: www.cppistons.com
Lyndall Race Brakes: www.lyndallracingbrakes.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
For more info check out www.ahdra.com
Greg Krenik
Desert Dawg Racin', LLC
AHDRA Harley Drag Racing Team
184 Camino Rayo Del Sol
Corrales, New Mexico 87048
505-922-0105 home
505-235-9338 cell
www.desertdawgracin.com
Krenik Qualifies #1 in PS & PM for the third consecutive race and Heads home with a win and a runner-up
August 13, 2007, Corrales, NM - The Desert Dawgs, returning from the S&S Thunder in the Valley Nationals, in Bristol, TN the 8th event on the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) schedule, where they kept their momentum going into the second half of the season. This was their second event within six days with a little more than a day to drive from Sturgis, SD to the Bristol Dragway, TN and it had to be done during 100 degree temperatures. Once in Bristol, they reunited with Crew Chief- Steve Allstaedt who was anxious to see what Greg had done to the bikes in Sturgis and to get them ready for test and tune.
In Thunder Valley, with an adjusted altitude of over 5000’ at times and temps over 98 degrees it was going to be a challenging weekend to get the bikes to run fast, especially with the air/fuel sensors not working on the Pro Stock. Friday’s test & tune was fun, meaning they didn’t break anything. They also found out they would be running a few tenths of a second slower than at past tracks because of these air conditions.
Saturday- qualifying day was perfect! Greg’s Pro Modified ran the three fastest runs in the field and he became the #1 qualifier. The Pro Stock ran the two fastest runs in the field before developing transmission problems. BUT, Greg still finished Saturday as # 1 Qualifier in both classes…..this being the third event in a row he accomplished this feat! Can you say “On A ROLL!”
That evening at the Pro Stock Racer's Association dinner, Greg was declared the reaction time winner, which is calculated from time slips submitted by all the PSA members riding this weekend. After dinner, the PS transmission was looked at and it was determined that the shaft that shifts the bike was broken.
On Sunday morning, Ziggy Spencer welded the shaft at Doug Vancil’s pit. That gave the Desert Dawgs a bit of confidence to make it through the first round on Sunday and luckily the 1st round opponent was ‘broke’ and did not make it to the line, because when Greg launched the PS it would not shift into 2nd gear. They found out that it was ‘binding up’ so they re-attached the air shifter in a different location hoping to get down the track and win round 2….and they did! That put them in a great position (remember Greg was #1 Qualifier) with a ‘bye run’ to the FINALS in PS…which was needed because the shaft broke again during the 2nd round and the transmission was stuck in 5th gear. So, back to the pits to fix the bike just to get it into 1st gear for the 3rd round/ ‘bye run’ (Greg only needed to break the beam under power) then go back and re-weld and reassemble for the Finals.
All weekend, the PM must have been feeling very left out with all the attention given to the PS. Greg’s PM bike has been so dependable this season that the Dawgs decided to leave it alone and run it the way it was set up, mainly because there was no time to make any tuning adjustments and Greg had won his first two rounds convincingly with that tune-up. So, for the 3rd round Greg had a ‘bye run’ (earning that again as #1 Qualifier) and Crew Chief Steve decided that they should just break the beam, and save the tune up for the final round (at that point they did not care about lane choice) they had BIGGER problems (fixing the PS) and they needed BOTH bikes ready for the finals and only had 40 minutes to do that!
In the PM Final, Krenik went up against the man that is chasing him for the Championship, Randy Borho. We all know the saying “I'd rather be lucky than good.” Randy had some problems with his clutch and it pulled him through the staging lights too quickly giving him a ‘red light’ thus giving Greg the WIN. Greg didn't even know he had WON until he reached the finish line, both competitors were racing their bikes clean and hard and Randy’s ET was faster. “We took a chance our PM bike would hold up all day, but Randy found some speed for the finals and would have won if not for his clutch problem.” said Krenik. He added “It’s about time we had some luck today.”
In the PS Finals, he was once again up against Junior Pippin. Greg got the ‘holeshot’ but the transmission fix didn't hold and the bike wouldn't shift…giving Junior an easy win and the Dawgs a runner-up which is still great considering what they had to do to get that!
“Steve did an incredible job of getting the PS to the finals and Karen finding my launch spots with the track temperature over 125 degrees. They make me look good.” said Greg. The intensity of Sundays rounds were incredible for all involved, the Desert Dawg pit was always hopping and many fans and family members were there to cheer them on!
Steve Allstaedt stated, “This team is really building momentum going into the 2nd half of the season. Greg’s riding improves with every race and the bikes are running strong. We aren't going to let up now even though we've had some bad luck. I think the best is yet to come.”
Greg’s Current Position for the AHDRA National Championship
Pro Modified #1 – 88 point lead
Pro Stock #2 – 37 point lead over 3rd & 297 behind 1st
Greg’s Current Position for the AHDRA Western Division Championship:
Pro Modified #1 – 44 point lead
Pro Stock #1 – 38 point lead
The Desert Dawgs are pumped and ready to Chase both AHDRA 2007 Championships- Pro Modified and Pro Stock, but the budget is running out…ANY help, prayers, product and cash are needed …so please send anything their way! Thanks!
So, the quick recap is …4000 miles, 10 days, FOUR #1 Qualifier awards, 3 WINS and 1 Runner up!!! What a trip…stay tuned! The next AHDRA Event is the Salem Harley-Davidson Northwest Nationals in Woodburn, OR on August 24 – 26.
Greg’s Harley Race Bike Class Specs:
The Pro Modified: 45 degree 114 ci max motor, 4” max bore, single carb with max size venturi, weight per cubic inch, spec fuel, 7” tire
The Pro Stock: 45 degree 122 ci max motor, dual carb-single intake, weight per cubic inch, spec fuel, 10” tire
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson: www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates: www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc.: www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros: http://home.comcast.net/~abqleadingedge
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
Outlaw Race Fuels: 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires: www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil: www.redlineoil.com
Bandit Machine Works: www.banditmachineworks.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
For more info check out www.ahdra.com
Greg receives BOTH #1 Qualifier awards on the Starting line!
Greg and Steve waiting to be called to the water box for the finals. (cartoon version)
Steve getting ready to fire the Pro Stock. (photo’s
by Karen Raffa)
Karen Raffa
184 Camino Rayo Del Sol
Corrales, New Mexico 87048
505-922-0104
505-922-0105 fax
505-980-4710 mobile
Reporting from the road, somewhere in Missouri.
August 9, 2007- Knowing they were hitting the road for 10 days with back to back All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) Events, and being off the bikes since the rain-out in Seattle (late June), Greg Krenik and his Desert Dawgs were ready to ride and see some sights along the way. The drive to Sturgis seemed short and along the way Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse called them off the main road to see a bit of history. “South Dakota is a beautiful place, they have trees there and HUGE heads carved out of Mountain sides!” claimed Krenik.
After a few days of that, the Dawgs arrived in the land of Motorcycles-Sturgis- where there are at least 100 bikes to every car! They made sure they rode into town so that the AHDRA Contingency Manager-Karen Raffa, could say ‘hello’ to the incredible stream of sponsors and potential sponsors at the show along Lazelle Road in Sturgis. If Karen had brought her chaps and boots, she could’ve tested some new S & S 124 model Harleys at the Dragstrip this week or just ‘strutted the pits’ like the other babes!
Just three miles outside town is the AHDRA’s Sturgis Dragway’s 1/8 mile track it is beautiful, smooth, well maintained and a blast to ride on and is where this weeks Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Race at the Rally was contested!
Krenik decided not to ‘Test & Tune’ to reduce the possibility of having anything go wrong…mainly because Steve Allstaedt-Crew Chief was not in attendance (but will meet them in Bristol), so Crew Chieftress Karen (wife, co-pilot, cook and dog-walker) could not add many more tasks to her already full list: AHDRA Contingency Manager, umbrella girl, starter cart pusher and starter, liner-upper, videographer/photographer, go get your rider and bring him from top end back to the line AND overall reminder of anything Greg might forget (these are very technical jobs, you know!) BUT, between the two of them they pulled it off …Greg qualified #1 in BOTH Pro Stock (PS) and Pro Mod (PM) …this is the second event in a row for Krenik to do this!
Greg mentioned “ Because it was such a short distance from the water box to the staging lights, I was able to do long Smokey burnouts across the starting line for the crowd, as they went wild! And then adding a new task to the routine - backing up to stage with no rearview mirrors, was good for a laugh.”
This race was a Tuesday / Wednesday race and qualifying the PM was smooth as usual. On the other hand, as usual, the PS had issues. In the first round, it seems that Greg had forgotten to ‘tighten’ the cam cover bolts hence he spewed oil out at the finish line and narrowly missed every center cone on the track, coming so close that he blew the reflector off the foam block, but he never touched the cone! WHEW! Of course, he was a bit panicked because he was covered in oil and wasn’t sure what the problem was because the bike was also covered in oil. He had just had a cam and rear head repaired and knowing Steve was not there to diagnosis it- led him to some worry. Until after he cleaned up, settled down (almost), looked at the oil leakage and then ‘laughed at himself’ and fixed the problem.
Thanks to a short rain delay, Krenik made the PS second round and ran his #1 Qualifying pass, while heavily leaning to the left to keep his foot pegs and handle bar grips from ‘HITTING” the cement wall. A very exciting run for the crowd!
The fans were aplenty and many were in the Desert Dawg pit and also scattered all over the staging lanes. They had lots of questions and were really loving the bikes. The women wearing their ‘non-functional’ shoes were everywhere and others with their leather chaps were a blast to watch in the 95 degree weather!
“The AHDRA and Greg had me busy all weekend, I was running hard and sometimes, just going in circles wondering where I was supposed to be and what was I supposed to be doing. This Crew Chief ‘thing’ was all new to me, and because Greg was in BOTH Class Finals and WON BOTH, I was having to do the contingency for the 32 bikes in between his runs. THANK heavens for racers that understand and they were ‘cheering’ us on!” claimed Raffa. She added she was looking forward to having Steve back as Crew Chief next week in Bristol “ I Miss Steve” she cried.
THIS was the Non-POINTS and FUN race in our AHDRA Schedule….and they sure did have a BLAST!
Stay tuned for the S & S Cycle Thunder in the Valley event in Bristol, TN starting tomorrow. They are on the road headed that way!
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson: www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates: www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc.: www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros: http://home.comcast.net/~abqleadingedge
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn www.novi.com
Outlaw Race Fuels: 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires: www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil: www.redlineoil.com
Bandit Machine Works: www.banditmachineworks.com John and Randy
What an amazing place!
Assistant Crew Chieftress-Sadie standing in for Greg’s PS spot while Greg stands in his PM spot with all the #1 Qualifiers on the starting line on Eliminations Day
Final Round and the FIRST win for this Pro Stock in 007!
Hauling Greg with one Bike at a time to the Winners Circle ...YIPEEE!
Yes, those are pig-tails on the Crew Chieftress, just one of those fun weekends!
Greg Krenik
Desert Dawg Racin', LLC
AHDRA Harley Drag Racing Team
184 Camino Rayo Del Sol
Corrales, New Mexico 87048
505-922-0105 home
505-235-9338 cell
www.desertdawgracin.com
Corrales, New Mexico, 6/25/07- The 24 hour trip to AHDRA Kresto Nationals at Pacific Raceway Inc. in Seattle, WA was a smooth ride for the Desert Dawgs. Wayne Pugh, Desert Dawg #1 was in the driver’s seat for 1/3 of the way as he joined the other Dawgs for the all-night road trip. Everyone was ready to race in the cool air of the Pacific Northwest to see what kind of records could be taken.
During Friday’s ‘test and tune’, Desert Dawg #2, Greg Krenik had some clutch problems with his Pro Stock, the bike that had just come out of SA Racing’s trauma center. Steve Allstaedt decided that a 10 inch Mickey Thompson tire could be the trick this weekend. The bigger tire brought more bite but also needed more clutch and the old clutch just didn’t have enough. The Dawgs would like to thank Jack & Karen Wagner for having the right clutch plates in their trailer to get the bike to hook up on Saturday.
The Pro Mod was eager to run and again Krenik broke the Pro Mod National Record during ‘test and tune’ (which does not count). This made the Dawgs bark with excitement, and great promise to do the same during the National event.
Wayne ran his V-Rod Destroyer in the Super Gas and Destroyer classes. Pugh worked intently on studying how he was releasing his clutch for maximum performance and by the end of ‘test and tune’ had run some great numbers. “ This is my first race using the new Outlaw Race spec fuel for my classes, and the fuel made a HUGE difference in the performance of the bike giving me my best runs to date on this Brand New Destroyer” said Pugh. This is Wayne’s ‘rookie year’ on the factory built race bike.
Saturday turned out to be RACE DAY. Wayne qualified 6th in Super Gas and 13th in Destroyer. His bike was ready to take home some trophies. His overall improvement was over 3-tenths from the first two events he raced in the 007 season. He had his bike running a 9.595 - its best!
Krenik, for the first time, riding as a AHDRA Pro, took the number ONE qualifying spots in both Pro Stock and Pro Mod! On the 1st Pro Mod qualifying pass he obliterated the existing National record of 8.787 sec, which he set in Atlanta, by running an 8.634 and backed it up with an 8.702 on his second pass. By the 3rd pass, the track prep had gone away and he broke the tire loose on the launch and the first shift thus only running an 8.76. All three passes were faster than the previous record. Greg also reset the 1/8 mile ET & MPH records with a 5.451 sec run at 125.74 mph. “You’ve got to love that Outlaw Race Fuel that Jim and Bummer have provided to us, the bikes just love it.” said Krenik.
The Pro Stock, once again had issues…she is still in rehab after her month long stay at the SA Racing trauma center. BUT, Greg ran his personal best 8.17 sec run on the first pass and Steve was glad to see the new clutch worked. Just when they were ready to get the bike really tuned… the front cylinder’s exhaust cam broke as Greg was getting ready to stage on his 2nd qualifying pass…and luckily he shut the bike off at the first abnormal sound the motor made. “If this had happened as Greg was going down the track, we would’ve had some major problems.” said Allstaedt. “Greg’s got some good reaction times and not just off the line, he saved the motor by shutting it off when he did.” added Steve.
Saturday night was ‘almost’ an early night, but never a dull one. The Dawgs diagnosed the problem and searched the pits for a cam that would fit ‘close’ to what they had. Big Dave Brill (a fellow PS racer) just happened to have a cam that would do it and the crew got it back together and running before dinner. “She sounds funny but she runs.” said Krenik.
Saturday evening was a time to be grateful for all the good runs & records and a time to celebrate Wayne’s Birthday with friends. Greg’s brother in-law, Ira, and friend Dan, joined in the festivities as well as becoming part of the Dawgs crew. Wayne’s Mom made sure the Dawgs had the right Birthday cake recipe to make it all the more special!
On Sunday, the All Harley Drag Racing Association waited as long as possible to be able to get the race ‘in’ before calling it ‘off’. With on and off heavy rain, track drying time and a 5:30 pm track curfew it all worked against them. This was disappointing to all the riders who came so far to race on such a great track, to pick up points and get a possible edge on the Eastern division racers, that didn’t want to make the long trek. Instead of a win that could have given the winner 110 points. Every rider was given first round loser points…30 plus qualifying points. Greg picked up as many as he could for #1 qualifier and setting the ¼ mile ET record.
Points, points, points…it’s all about points. Greg watched his chance to pull away in the Pro Mod class and some gain in the Pro Stock class wash away with the rain. With the second half of the season now starting, the Dawgs are looking to keep this momentum going and chase the National Championship.
AHDRA Next event: (a month off for Good Behavior!)
Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Race at the Sturgis Rally, South Dakota August 7-8
S & S Cycle Thunder in the Valley Nationals, Bristol, TN August 11-12
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
Thunderbird Harley-Davidson: www.thunderbirdhd.com
Mark Goodwin & Associates: www.goodwinengineers.com
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Unique Services Inc.: www.uniquesvcs.com
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros: http://home.comcast.net/~abqleadingedge
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn www.novi.com
Outlaw Race Fuels: 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Mickey Thompson Tires: www.mickeythompsontires.com
Red Line Oil: www.redlineoil.com
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
Karen Raffa
184 Camino Rayo Del Sol
Corrales, New Mexico 87048
505-922-0104
505-922-0105 fax
505-980-4710 mobile
One Semi Final, Two Broken Bikes & Three Pounds Of Ice Cream
June 14, 2007, Corrales, NM - The Desert Dawgs arrived at the AHDRA Roeder Harley Davidson Bike Week Nationals in Norwalk, OH via Asheville, NC after visiting Greg Krenik’s Pro Stock bike at the SA Racing Engine Trauma Center. The bike is still waiting for machine work and to be put back together for the Seattle race in 1 1/2 weeks. So, immediately upon setting foot on the Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park (which is completely renovated to accommodate the NHRA event in 3 weeks), Greg set out to find a bike that would be able to get him the irrevocable qualifying points needed to stay in the Pro Stock game. Bailey Whitaker just happened to have a Purple HD chopper with V-rated tires that could be modified mildly to meet the AHDRA Rulebook specs. Greg and Steve Allstaedt removed the mirror, fabricated a chain guard- took off the rear tail-light and license plate, added a kill switch and wheelie bars. And though it looked really weird it served its purpose. It goes to say Greg qualified last in Pro Stock! That spot put him against the #1 Qualifier Junior Pippin in the first round on Sunday…Greg asked Junior to give him a 1/8th mile head start! Junior’s time was 8.21 and Greg’s time was a 16.31 and the Desert Dawg had some trouble shifting that bike too! With no air shifter Greg had to foot shift and when he did, he missed it, he almost hit his chin with his knee! Laughs were abundant, we have video…BUT, he got his points.
The Pro Mod showed great promise at TNT on Friday night – once again Krenik broke the AHDRA National Record, this time with an 8.77 sec run, but for it to count it has to be on race day, so it looked like it was going to be a great weekend. Saturday, the Pro Mod just wouldn't do the numbers it was capable of. During the 3rd round of qualifying, Greg hurt the PM motor, he missed the shift to 3rd gear, tattooed an imprint of the valve on top of the piston - this is not a good thing. That worried both Steve and Greg, but Greg still qualified #2 despite the problem. “When the bike didn't shift, it created some internal damage that we couldn't deal with at the track." said Steve. "The rear cylinder was leaking 35%. All we could do was run it and hope for the best. In spite of this, Greg managed to run consistent 8.80’s and remained in the hunt.” added Allstaedt. “We tried something new for this race and it worked in the beginning but not in the long run. We messed up the heads pretty bad, so it’s back to the drawing board so to speak.“ said Greg. Sunday eliminations on the Pro Mod were going well. The Desert Dawg had the fastest time of the first round and even ran faster than his qualifying time. He made it to the Semi’s on the hurt motor and decided since the motor is hurt and they have to fix it anyway…”Let’s do everything we can to make it to the finals.” said Krenik. Greg was racing Randy Borho (the rider just behind him in points) and he knew it was all or nothing. The rear cylinder was 35% down on compression and Steve would be taking the heads back to NC on the plane. “We did everything we could and lost by 0.03 sec (6.5 feet).” said Greg. Krenik’s reaction time was a .036 and he had a hole shot on Randy, but watched it slip away after the 1/8 mile. The horsepower just wasn't there with the rear cylinder down.
It looks like the win streak of 3 in a row has come to an end. “In Seattle we need to start a NEW streak!” says Krenik. “The motors on both bikes will be back together but we'll have to see what kind of condition Steve will be in after working non-stop to get everything ready. He’s the key ingredient to these bikes working the way they do.” adds Krenik. The good news is the #3 Desert Dawg, besides her work in the DDR pit, and her real job at the AHDRA as Contingency Program Manager, Karen Raffa got to see old friends from the IHRA in Ohio and visited with Bill Bader Sr. and Paula Motolik and Family (husband Jim and Carson –10 mos old and another in the oven). Even spent some time with old friends Don Lampus and John Russell (ex AHDRA/IHRA Top Fuel riders). And she made 3 trips to the “pound of ice cream for a $1.00” stand!
Did you know???…. The race track is 1320 feet long
Greg travels at 220 feet per second when he crosses the finish line at 150 mph
His closest race was lost by mere inches and .007 ( 7 thousands of a second!) or 18”
Greg’s bikes are 130 in. long from center of the front wheel to the end of the wheelie bars
His back tires are 7” wide on the PM and 10” wide on the PS
He must shift the FIRST time on the PS just ONE second after leaving the starting line.
In the first second on the track, he has traveled 55 feet
He gets 18 passes on one belt (which is 2 inches wide) on the PS
He gets 18 passes on a back tire on the PM
He will use a quart of fuel on one pass
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn
Outlaw Race Fuels- 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
Next AHDRA National Event: Kresto Pacific Nationals, Seattle, WA June 22-24
KRENIK IS HOT IN ATLANTA
TWO RECORDS - TWO FINALS - ONE WIN
Commerce, GA 5/29/07- Once again the Hospitable South at the Stone Mountain Harley Davidson Southern Nationals seemed to be a proving ground for Desert Dawg Greg Krenik. The 26 hour trip from New Mexico to Commerce, GA was smooth and the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) race couldn’t have come soon enough. After setting and breaking Krenik’s own record in St. Louis and then again in Dallas, Crew Chief Steve Allstaedt had no idea what they would be in store for in Atlanta. The weather was bearable with plenty of humidity, plus the Southern Georgia and Florida fires, which were a scourge to most of the local residents, actually helped bring the race track surface temperature down from a scorching 138 on Saturday to a more tolerable 105 on Sunday by providing a smoky haze.
The Desert Dawgs decided to make some tuning changes to the Record holding Pro Mod and not as much effort on the Pro Stock. The call was a good one because the first pass on Saturday, Greg broke the ¼ mile ET record with an 8.804! The 2nd pass was the ‘back up’ at 8.809 and yet the 3rd pass netted an 8.787, breaking it again!!! And for bragging rights he also set the 1/8th mile MPH record @ 124.72 MPH on the same pass. As a side note: For the FIRST time, during qualifying on Saturday, Krenik’s PS bike broke the 160 mph barrier at 160.38 mph!
After second round on Saturday, Greg was holding the #1 Qualifying spot in both PM and PS… Steve (Crew Chief Dawg) wanted to get the Qualifying sheets - get naked and roll all over them! When the Dawg dust settled, they qualified #2 in PS, which marks the second event in a row that Krenik took the #2 spot in PS. Krenik Qualified #1 in Pro Mod….putting him on the starting line for the opening ceremonies.
The bikes were running wonderfully, the air was at 3200 ft and the PM was “a dream to ride… remember this is my ‘sporty’, the bike I rode in SS and SG for the last 5 years. It’s like home to me”, says Krenik. “Working on the practice tree at home, has helped with my shift light reaction times; the 2 bikes are so different ‘to shift’ that I really have to remember what bike I’m on and BE ALERT!”
Friday and Sat nights were relaxing and we celebrated Steve’s 55th Birthday dinner with friends. “We wondered if we were really at the track- because we weren’t scrambling for parts to repair something” said Allstaedt. It was more like a night to return parts to friends from the previous race.
Sunday was a hotter day for Greg, not because of the weather, but because of the amount of exercise required to run 2 Pro Classes ... ALL the way to the FINALS with Both Bikes! After 2nd round Greg had to push and run with his PS bike from the top end of the track to the scales to get weighed and was then towed down the return road at 30 mph to his PM for the next pair. He was actually pouring water down his leathers to cool down!
In the Pro Stock finals his bike was once again up against the number 1 plate holder – and once again had to take a back seat when it came to taking the win…bummer. Greg’s RT was a .003 but the air shifter failed and was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back, the motor over revved and got hurt, he coasted to the top end. This was the second event in a row that Greg took his PS to the finals and this motor will now be in the SA Racing Engine Trauma Center in NC until the AHDRA Seattle event, thus missing the event in Norwalk. There are some broken & bent pieces, the team is praying for a miracle to get it up on its tires sooner. “We’ve had exceptional performance from our Pro Stock motor”, says Allstaedt. “We are competing against teams with bigger budgets and more advanced valve train components. We have to run our combination on the ragged edge to be competitive, which we are. In spite of this, that motor has hung in there without so much as a whimper for the first part of the season. This will be the first time it has needed attention. The damage it received isn’t fatal. We’ll have it out there competing with the best of them in short order. We just hate to miss an event since we got our momentum going pretty well right now”, said Steve.
In the ProMod final Greg was ON and ready to race! Greg’s RT was a .010 and he took the WIN thanks to a -0.002 red light from Randy Borho, his final competitor. This is his 3rd win in a row with the PM, the competition is fierce and that is what makes it so much fun for Greg. Breaking the records has helped to keep Krenik in the points lead and he likes the sound of the PM ET Record of 8.787 seconds…and hopes to keep ahead by breaking it again and again…and keeping it away from the riders that are nipping at his heels.
The race weekend was incredibly exhilarating and exhausting, the Desert Dawgs had some great help from Justin Lail, the lead tech at Gene Lummus Harley Davidson in Asheville, NC and realized how GREAT it is to have some more help, they will be looking for a few extra hands in the coming races, so sign up NOW!
June Races:
Roeder Harley Davidson Buckeye Nationals, Norwalk, Ohio June 8-10
Kresto Pacific Nationals, Seattle, WA June 22-24
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn www.novi.com
Outlaw Race Fuels- 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
PLUS all the AHDRA Contingency Sponsors…THANKS!
Check out videos of the finals here.....Pro Stock Final ......Pro Modified Final
Desert Dawgs DIG Dallas…
Win & Re-sets Record
Ennis, TX 5/7/07 - The AHDRA Rucker Performance Lonestar Nationals event gave the Dawgs a back to back chance to break records and take home wins.
Fridays test & tune session was full of excitement. Wayne Pugh was back running the Destroyer as Greg Krenik’s team mate. Things were going great until the second Pro Stock pass where the clutch throw out bearing & pushrod assembly seized together. With some help from fellow racers they were able to get a new part and modify the damaged ones to get back on the track for Saturday’s qualifying which was good for Greg, he put himself in the #2 spot in both the Pro Mod and Pro Stock classes.
The bikes performed very well this weekend. Greg’s reaction times keep improving. In fact, his total average RT in Qualifying was 0.024, that is 0.028 for the Pro Stock rounds and 0.020 for the Pro Mod rounds. “It’s only taken 4 races and a lot of patience from Steve Allstaedt (Crew Chief-engine builder) for me to figure out how to shift the bikes. The shift points are so different between the two bikes and HITTING them when I’m supposed to has taken quite a few adjustments. Steve has pointed out what I’ve done to the motors and how close we are- to really hurting them.” says Krenik.
This weekend, the Pro Classes were contested on the 1/8th mile because of 30 mph cross winds on Saturday, enough for the AHDRA to make a safety call. Conveniently, Greg broke his own ET record for the 1/8 mile at 5.530 sec in the second round on Sunday. Running 2 Professional Classes is pretty exciting, the Pro Stock and Pro Mod classes have 3 other classes between them. But, from the 2nd round to the finals, as the fields get smaller and bikes are eliminated, the event speeds up. In the Pro Mod Finals- Greg WON (back to back from St. Louis!) and very quickly, Steve had to tow him back on the return road, to make it for the finals in Pro Stock. Seven minutes between runs, it was crazy! Racing back for the Pro Stock final and wanting the double win Greg was up against the #1 plate holder. Steve had proven that when Greg shifts- when he’s supposed to- they can compete with them. To see engine builder vs. engine builder it sure was a great accolade to see how damn close the race was or would have been if Greg didn’t red light. "I think that having back to back race weekends helped Greg stay focused. He was able to cut excellent lights, actually winning the Pro Stock reaction time contest, and really improved on hitting the shift points correctly. The weather at Dallas made finding the tune up challenging, but we found it and made a pretty good showing.” said Steve.
Desert Dawg Wayne Pugh joined us for his 2nd race in the Western Division and saw big improvements in the V-Rod Destroyer. "I was able to improve my 60 foot times and overall ET compared to the last race by and average of 0.100 seconds and considering the weather conditions in Dallas, I believe that was a big step in the right direction." Coming from the ET, SE and SEP classes for the past 9 years, he says, “I really like the ‘all-out’ racing with no concern for breaking out. The guys at the shop, Thunderbird H-D, will be helping out a lot to find more power in the Destroyer and I think I will see another big improvement for the Seattle race. I need some more seat time to get more competitive, as this is a transition year for me with this bike and just six events” Wayne will compete in the remaining 4 more events in the West and Greg has 10 National events to go.
This weekends accomplishments moved Krenik to the AHDRA Pro Mod National points lead and in the Pro Stock class he is #3. In the Western Division Greg is 1st in ProMod and tied for 1st in Pro Stock in points. It sure was great to have our two new sponsors come on board. Mickey Thompson Tires made it possible for us to put a new tire on the Pro Mod after qualifying #2. The tire was going away and we really needed a new one. That was the BIG reason we got to the winners circle. Outlaw Race Fuels stepped up to provide us with a cleaner fuel than we have been running and is also the New Official Fuel for AHDRA, we noticed the difference right away, both bikes were running quicker in worse conditions. Once we got the tune for the new fuel…it all worked!
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
SA Racing Inc.: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn
Outlaw Racing Fuels- 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
Krenik takes the AHDRA Samson Exhaust Pro Modified WIN & Breaks MPH Records!
Corrales, NM 4/30/07- The 16 hour trip to Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis, MO for the AHDRA Surdyke Harley Davidson Rendezvous Nationals turned out to be a continuation of success for Desert Dawg Greg Krenik. In Friday’s Test & Tune things did not go according to plan…..do they ever? The Pro Stock bike shredded the primary belt on the first pass when shifted into 2nd gear. Greg mentioned, “Now we know how long a belt lasts, 12 passes are good, 13 passes are not good!” On the ProMod, Greg’s 1st pass he broke the tire loose and the bike started to go into ‘tank slap’ (for non-riders, that is when the front wheel is going from side to side very quickly and therefore the handle bars want to hit the gas tank!) So, Greg had a wild first ride on both bikes.
Saturday’s qualifying saw both good and not so good. Greg ran the Pro Mod very consistent and ended the day with the #1 qualifying spot. They could not find the clutch setup for the Pro Stock and qualified mid pack. Sunday Morning- Greg was awarded his #1 qualifying spot on the starting line at the “AHDRA Opening Ceremonies” in front of the crowd with the #1’s from the fifteen other competition classes. Steve Allstaedt, Greg’s tuner and engine builder, was very pleased with the results. He’s kept very busy wrenching to get both bikes ready and being sure Greg knows what he’s supposed to do (sometimes Greg even listens). “We are very happy with the Pro Mod right from the start” says Allstaedt. “It’s done very well. We’ve done nothing to it since Gainesville except change jets and the shift points. As long as Greg shifts when the light comes on and he goes straight, he’s going to be fast. The clutch has performed and Greg has taken us to the record breaking runs.” Sunday, Greg had the bike to beat in Pro Mod breaking both the 1/8 (123.73) & ¼ (153.13) MPH records (not once but 3 times!). His reaction time got quicker with each run during eliminations which led to Randy Borho (Greg’s final round opponent) to say “I knew I had to cut a light to beat you but I guess I pushed too far and got the red light.” Greg now holds all the records in the Pro Mod class. The Pro Stock made it to the quarter finals where Greg raced the defending national champ and current record holder Junior Pippin. Greg had a big hole shot but the bike had trouble shifting into 2nd gear and that was the end of that race, not rider error this time. Greg would like to thank his wife, Karen Raffa, for finding and lining him up on the optimum spot on the starting line. “It’s the perfect way to start each run” says Krenik. The Desert Dawgs are looking to keep the momentum going in Texas next weekend (May 5 & 6) at the Rucker Performance Nationals at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, TX where they will be joined by partner Wayne Pugh.
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet their Sponsors and their products:
SA Racing: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn
Outlaw Racing Fuels- 775-690-3488 Jim MacMonagle
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
Desert Dawg Krenik Breaks AHDRA SAMSON Pro Modified National Record!
April 4, 2007, Corrales, NM - The Desert Dawg Racin’ Team was really looking forward to an event ‘almost’ in their backyard at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix and the 2nd AHDRA 2007 Screamin’ Eagle National Event was just an mere 8 hour ride to a racers dream. In the test & tune session on Friday, crew chief Steve Allstaedt saw that the weather was going to be favorable to get the PM record that they did not ‘obtain-YET”. They ran hard on Friday and found some glitches with the computer and data but they all kept at it.
Saturday Desert Dawg-Wayne Pugh started running against tough fields in the Destroyer and Super Gas classes. This was Wayne’s first time on the bike in 007, so they were hard on him and put him out in the early rounds on Sunday. “Switching from racing an air cooled pushrod V-twin to a water cooled overhead cam twin presents a bigger challenge than I expected, but I'll get it figured out and get back to the winners circle soon!” says Wayne.
Saturday Greg and crew ran both bikes, clutch issues set the Pro Stock back some and they qualified #5. BUT they QUALIFIED # 1 and set the NEW AHDRA PRO MOD record at an 8.815! This is Greg’s First Pro record and he learned quite a bit in Florida on how ‘not to get the record’, so this was done by the book and the motor was pumped and fuel recorded and even the motor was pumped to verify the size was within spec. Being a #1 Qualifier in PM put Greg on the starting line with the 15 other #1 Qualifiers for the Opening Ceremonies. “Hopefully this will be the first of many #1 qualifying spots” says Krenik after obtaining his FIRST #1 qualifier as a Pro rider.
Sunday racing brought lots of rounds and lots of thrashing. It’s hard enough to get one Pro bike ready between rounds let alone two but this crew did their job. “Everyone did great getting the bikes ready for the semi’s, I was just too anxious and didn't do my job right. In both classes I had a hole shot but I didn't shift when I was supposed to” said Krenik.
Wayne will run the Western Division with 6 events in 2007, he has just been promoted at Thunderbird Harley Davidson to Service Manager and can only play a little – this year.
And Krenik will keep the road under the tires and will travel to the remaining 12 AHDRA Screamin’ Eagle National events and hopefully ride his Pro Mod and Pro Stock bikes to the winners circle many times in 2007. The specs for Greg’s Bikes: Pro Modified: 114 max ci 45 degree motor, 4” max bore, single carb w/max size venturi, weight per cubic inch, spec fuel, 7” tire. Pro Stock: 122 max ci 45 degree motor, dual carb-single intake, weight per cubic inch, spec fuel, 10” max tire.
Wayne’s Bike: V-Rod Destroyer: 1300cc overhead cam fuel injected factory race bike, min weight 730 lbs bike and rider.
The Desert Dawgs would like to THANK their ever important sponsors for making this all happen. Meet our Sponsors and their products:
SA Racing: 828-674-6225 Steve Allstaedt,
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros ,
Custom Coating: 505-626-2605 Erin McGonagle,
NOVI Racing: 321-725-4311 Tim Vaughn,
Big Thanks to Chick & Lyn Hancock, the Martin Family and Fleta Thomas!
Desert Dawg Krenik in the finals at 2007 AHDRA Season Opener
March 7, 2007, Corrales, NM- What a long crazy winter it was for Greg Krenik. At the end of 2006 Race season he decided to sell the motor in his sporty that had gotten him 8 wins & 2 runner ups and he moved out of the Sportsman classes –where he dialed in for time and had to stay with in that bracket…to a NEW world –where you just Race as fast as you can! The Pro’s!
These two bikes would be in the Pro Stock and Pro Mod classes of the AHDRA , both engines were built by Steve Allstaedt from SA Racing in Asheville, NC. Krenik and crew drove to SA Racing from New Mexico to pick the bikes up a few days before the first event in Gainesville FL. In NC, late nights and even some dyno time was accomplished putting smiles on both Steve and Greg.
Then, it was on to Gainesville to rent the track the Wed before the event. Not all went well with testing for the ProMod so they decided to stay and test more on Thursday. This proved helpful as they were able to get the bike to shift and run the length of the track. Parking was smooth and the pits were alive with new riders and new motor set-ups and everyone ready to get down the track for some test and tune. But, the weather did not cooperate, so Friday and Saturday were both rained out for the Pro Classes and that ONLY left Sunday – Elimination Day to race!
The ladders were made up from the 2006 points standings and your first time down the track was an elimination round. Sunday, Greg finally got on the track at 12:30pm and ran the Pro Stock to a personal best of 8.197, the fourth fastest time of the first round. The problem was that his opponent was one of the three quicker bikes so he was done with that class for the event. With a change of schedule making his two classes back-to-back he was back in the lanes for ProMod. His first run saw him run an 8.710 and break the record for the Pro Mod class. Pro Mod Live Update from the AHDRA.com website: Greg Krenik can thank a fast working crew for his position in the Pro Mod final. After Krenik lost fire just before pre-staging, an alert Steve Allstaedt, (crew chief) got him re-fired within the 30-second requirement and Krenik went on to defeat Stephen Galati and will take on Randy Borho in the final. Krenik set a new Pro Mod record today with his 8.65 win over Galati in the semi that was backed up by his Round one 8.71 record! Pro Mod Final: Greg Krenik and Randy Borho: What a race… and it was Borho coming out on top after a real close finish. Borho clocked an 8.86 for the win, just ahead of Krenik’s 8.87 and both riders lit the board at 147mph. Margin of victory for Borho was 0.007! Krenik commented he shifted into second gear too soon but was happy with the way the bike ran.
Desert Dawg Racin’ gratefully thank
Leading Edge – The Motorcycle Paint Pros
and Chick & Lyn Hancock all in Albuquerque,
Custom Coating in Roswell
and SA Racing in Asheville, NC
for supporting the Dawgs this 2007 season.
A BIG hand to SA Racing’s Steve Allstaedt for meticulously building and tuning these race bikes for incredible results. The bikes look HOT and run FANTASTIC. Greg Krenik and Karen Raffa 184 Camino Rayo Del Sol Corrales, New Mexico 87048 505-922-0104 505-922-0105 fax 505-980-4710 mobile