The PennGrade1 AMRA American Motorcycle Racing Association kicked off their 2024 season of Harley-Davidson drag racing at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana, with the Cajun Nitro Nationals on April 5-7. You can find nitro coverage in a previous article, but here you\u2019ll find the backbone of the sport. Gasoline classes\u2014both sportsman and pro\u2014are what fill the pits and staging lanes and make events like this great season opener possible.<\/p>\n
Riding a Jeremy Williamson whip, Rick Hunnicutt qualified number one with an 8.52 at 162 mph and won Zipper\u2019s Performance Pro Bagger, beating New Orleans tattoo artist Jeremy Justice on a holeshot in the final. Hunnicutt\u2019s .008 light was a superb cut of honey indeed. Justice\u2019s .145 set himself a hurdle he couldn\u2019t clear, putting his 8.80 at 166 behind at the stripe to Hunnicutt\u2019s much slower 8.92 at 151.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to thank Jeremy Williamson for giving me the opportunity to ride \u2018Ole Heavy,\u2019\u201d said Hunnicutt. \u201cWe had a very challenging weekend. We did not have time to test before leaving Indiana for the opening race at No Problem. We fought a couple new engine issues, resulting in barely making Q2\u2014which we ended up qualifying number one.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing into raceday, we knew the bike was hurt and was very conservative with the tune-up. Going into the finals with Jeremy Justice, we knew it was going to be a close race and that it was.<\/p>\n
\u201cMuch thanks to Jason Crisp and his dad for help with parts at the track, probably wouldn\u2019t have made the call without their generosity. Jeremy Justice and Crosby Blair also shared spare parts, both of which race in the same class. Great group of racers, we all have a huge respect for one another and frequently share knowledge, parts, and often dinner.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso thanks to Williamson Racing, GRC, Brian Murray and Murray Performance, Rodney \u2018Bubba\u2019 Shrum, Melissa Cressler Shrum, Revolution Performance, onefortyonespeed, Jason Clasquin, and C S Speedshop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lafayette\u2019s Scott Tomsu is the Louisiana face (and hair) of Bagger drag racing, and looked prepared to defend his home turf with lane choice in the Thundermax Street Bagger final. But fellow finalist Keith Evans was right there with him, ready to pounce if Tomsu should falter.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s what happened. Tomsu had a slight .013 reaction time advantage but gave up .023 to the 60 foot. Totally recoverable, but things went really south for Tomsu when his kill switch lanyard got sucked into his velocity stack. While he struggled with that, Evans cruised to the win.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Darren Sheffer\u2019s bike from Sheffer Performance Shop,\u201d Evans said about the brilliant blue Bagger. \u201cHe asked me to ride for him this year, and the first time I ever rode the bike was Friday night. We wasn\u2019t able to get any testing up here in Indiana.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe built a monster though. I knew after the first pass we really had something. With a few tweaks I knew we could go rounds, but to end the weekend with a win was absolutely awesome! Hopefully it will be the first of many for us as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Virginia racer Jason Crisp qualified number one and out-dueled a spirited Axtell Cylinders Hot Street field to take the win. Runner-up Casey Smith took the tree by .038 but gave up .069 to the 60 foot. His 9.48 at 131 came up short against Crisp\u2019s crisp indeed 9.20 at 140.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the help of Dan Daffner at Axtell Cylinders and Phil Darcy of Darcy Racing Services and myself, we were able to get a cylinder head program together late last year that really worked for us,\u201d said Crisp.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started making some 9.0 passes, so we basically left the bike alone all winter and showed up in Louisiana ready to race. We did make three test passes the Saturday before the race at No Problem and set a new personal best time. We didn\u2019t make any 9.0 passes this weekend but we were very consistent in the 9.1s.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very happy with the bike and looking forward to the rest of the year and what we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJason was on a rocket with great numbers all weekend, but we made it to the finals against him,\u201d said Smith. \u201cOn the way there, I hit a hole in the track, which broke the front header off the bike in the semis. Got it off, and my buddy Ryan Peery was able to take time and weld it up for me. Got it back on just in time to get back up for the finals against Jason. Without being able to look at the last pass, I just went with what we had in it. Turned on an .03 reaction light but just didn\u2019t have it turned up enough to match that big 124 cubic inch motor in the other lane.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hot Street runner-up Casey Smith also entered his no-bar bike in Zippers Performance Modified, where he qualified number one with a 9.54 at 127 and took the win over Kimberly \u201cK-Charm\u201d Deshields.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was one for the books for GEN2 Smith Racing,\u201d said Casey. \u201cCome off the trailer fighting some traction issues in Q1 of both classes. Calmed her down a little and put an A to B pass in it for a 9.26 ET in Hot Street. I never could better that lap.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Mod, I put down a 9.50s pass just to get some eighth mile data. Saw myself and Kimmie in the finals, which she is no easy win. Laid down a 9.40 ET to win my first ever Modified race with AMRA. I\u2019m really looking forward to running it this year at a few events.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of all, I couldn\u2019t do it without the help of Chad Hart from XLXBHORSEPOWER and the #TwinZter set up we are running. He dreams up the HP and I just hold on.<\/p>\n
\u201cAndy Simon at Simon Motorsports helps me with our bottom ends to get that power to the rear tire. Harley-Davidson of Macon, Georgia, is a big supporter of my program as well with parts from the OEM side. If it wasn\u2019t for those guys, I wouldn\u2019t be as fortunate to get the few wins that we have.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the only entrant, Billy Doherty had an easy path to the Pro Modified win and number one qualifier. \u201cThis year the owner of AMRA made a decision to allow people to drop a race during the season,\u201d said Doherty, a Lake Charles H-D dealer. \u201cThe majority of my class lives up north and chose to not drive to the race this past weekend because of the distance. Where normally if you were going to contend for a championship you had to go to all the races.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doherty showed great consistency all weekend, running 8.88, 8.810 and 8.819 on a V-Rod instead of his familiar yellow Buell. \u201cI built the motor for my PMFR V-Rod the week of the race. I will be racing some races on my V-Rod and others on the Banana.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doherty was racing his home event with mixed emotions. With his cat sick in the hospital, he panicked every time his phone rang. \u201cShe made it through the weekend and I picked her up, but yesterday morning she passed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis race is the closest for my mother to come to and get to see me race, and my customers and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Outlaw Street winner and number one qualifier Al Dula had few words to say about his Outlaw Street win over Scott Ianaro. \u201cEverything fell into place and good reaction time,\u201d said Dula, who\u2019s .048 was miles ahead of Ianaro\u2019s .392. Dula also ran a 12.16 at 107 to Ianaro\u2019s 14.15 at 90.<\/p>\n
Crank Lanktree qualified number one and won Top Eliminator 9.30, despite a .318 light against runner-up Monty Garrelts\u2019 .055 in the final. Garrelts\u2019 9.97 was far off the number, allowing Lanktree to coast to the win with a 9.66.<\/p>\n
Donnie Huffman has a stranglehold on Super Gas 9.90 index at No Problem Raceway, winning the class for the fourth straight year. This year\u2019s final was a classic Huffman vs. John Shotts match-up, and Shotts buckled with a -.007 redlight. Chris Martin qualified number one.<\/p>\n
Huffman also collected the Thundermax Street Eliminator 11.50 win, qualifying number one in that class as well. Donnie got a .035 to .072 jump on fellow finalist Josh Maikranz and powered to an early advantage. Maikranz came on strong at the end, crossing the stripe 14 mph faster than Huffman. But Donnie\u2019s 11.56 was closer to the number than Maikranz\u2019s 11.61.<\/p>\n
Donnie thanked Vanson Leathers, R&R Cycles, Huffman Motorcycle Museum, and Huffman Performance and Restoration.<\/p>\n
Shotts also runner-upped in BK Electric Super Pro 10.30. Rick Miller won that one riding Jim Vanfleet\u2019s NAPA \u201cChristine\u201d bike normally ridden by Heather Jendruch.<\/p>\n
\u201cRick had to fill in for Heather due to her new employment,\u201d said Vanfleet. \u201cHe rode Christine as if he owned her himself. He did a great job!\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller had a ,007 Bond bulb to Shotts\u2019 .120 in the final, pushing John to breakout.<\/p>\n
Chris Phipps scored a quick win after a long day of Pro Eliminator 10.90 racing when Crosby Blair redlit by -.024 in the final.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just a blue collar racer from Southeastern North Carolina,\u201d said Phipps. \u201cI pride myself in building my bikes in my barn and having them able to compete at the national level.<\/p>\n
\u201cGot to thank Chad Hart at XLXBHorsepower for keeping our engines ready to race and being a great friend and sponsor. And Jim Vanfleet for being my mentor, teaching and keeping me focused. He\u2019s a world of knowledge and I\u2019m thankful he shares it with me and has took me under his wing.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of all, I have to thank my wife Danielle for being the mother to our three kids Cayson, Nolan and Emma Katherine. Being a wife and mother is stressful enough but she\u2019s also my right hand when it comes to servicing the bikes, adjusting valves and normal stuff cool wife\u2019s do!<\/p>\n
\u201cWould like to thank my family at P&C Wrecker Service in Loris, South Carolina for always making sure the RV and trailer is serviced and ready to roll and any other thing I need.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan\u2019t thank the AMRA enough for their efforts to give us a place to race and carry on the name and legacy of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles\u2014a true symbol of America. Also thanks to Renegade Race Fuels, Hog Werks Custom Cycles, and KRS Plastics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neither Charlie Ange nor Ray Agent set the reaction time world on fire in their alphabetically-similar-last-names Eliminator Dial-in final. But Ange\u2019s .186 on his \u201899 Sportster was better than Agent\u2019s .260. That gave Ange enough cushion foot-shifting for the win despite Agent being .005 closer to his dial-in.<\/p>\n
\u201cGot off work Thursday afternoon at 5, got the truck and trailer loaded, and my buddy Jeremy and I and another friend Jessie left Mooresville, North Carolina, and drove down to Louisiana,\u201d said Ange.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it comes down to thanking people, it goes down to Jeremy, who has been with me at the track since day one pushing me to go faster.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaven\u2019t really been doing it long so I don\u2019t have many sponsors but my close friends who like to see me go fast. My main man Arthur who always makes sure I make it to and from the track with whatever we need. To Ian and Skinny Wrench for always making sure I have the parts my old bike needs. My close friend Trey, who is always on standby for my carb questions, and to my best friend Fleet, who is always checking in on me and making sure I have everything I need.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy beautiful, loving wife, who supports me from afar \u2018cause we have a couple kids that just can\u2019t take places like the track.<\/p>\n
\u201cI met and parked beside the Mutant Motors by Wolf (trailer) and that was the best experience anyone could ask for. Those guys are what hospitality is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
These gasoline classes complete the coverage from AMRA\u2019s Cajun Nitro Nationals at No Problem Raceway, but the next race at Cecil County Dragway is already called to the lanes. The Maryland Nitro Nationals take the tree April 26-28, so turn \u2018em and burn \u2018em!<\/p>\n
This story was originally published on April 18, 2024. <\/p>\n
The post Gas Coverage from PennGrade1 AMRA American Motorcycle Racing Association\u2019s Cajun Nitro Nationals Season Opener at No Problem Raceway<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated | Drag Racing News, Opinion, Interviews, Photos, Videos and More<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The PennGrade1 AMRA American Motorcycle Racing Association kicked off their 2024 season of Harley-Davidson drag racing at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana, with the Cajun Nitro Nationals on April 5-7. You can find nitro coverage in a previous article, but here you\u2019ll find the backbone of the sport. Gasoline classes\u2014both sportsman and pro\u2014are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92437"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92437\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}