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Chip Ellis qualified his DRAG Specialties/S&S powered Buell number one and was the Pro Stock Motorcycle performance leader at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Ellis went to the finals of the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, the semis of the U.S. Nats, and began his assault on the NHRA's Countdown to the Championship during the course of a very long and very busy weekend at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.
Friday
The DRAG Specialties bike was quick right off the trailer, and led qualifying from the very beginning in Friday's lone round against a stiff headwind.
qualifying round 1
1st Chip Ellis right lane 6.970 at 188.78 mph
Saturday
Saturday's schedule included the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, an all-star race of Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying leaders. The Battle is run concurrently with qualifying, and as Ellis went rounds he also maintained his position at the top of the order.
Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle round 1
(W) Chip Ellis .014 7.068 at 188.28 mph
Craig Treble .002 7.158 at 189.52 mph
qualifying round 2
1st Chip Ellis left lane 7.068 at 188.28 mph
Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle round 2
(W) Chip Ellis .006 7.020 at 186.12 mph
Angelle Sampey .030 7.056 at 185.74 mph
qualifying round 3
1st Chip Ellis right lane 7.020 at 186.12 mph
The Pro Bike Battle final round is reserved just for the finalists, with no qualifying. Ellis had lane choice against defending Ringers champ Andrew Hines.
Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle final
(W) Andrew Hines .038 7.005 at 189.31 mph
Chip Ellis .059 7.069 at 186.64 mph
Chip's light in the final was acceptable, but the bike slowed down. "I've lost in the finals three times in three years," groaned Ellis, who has now lost to G.T. Tonglet once and Andrew Hines twice. "I hate to lose, but overall I had a good day. I'm very pleased with the way I rode, and thanks to George Bryce for helping me get back on track with my driving and helping me cut lights."
"We believe, after downloading all the information and comparing the last run to the previous three runs, that there is something wrong with the motor," said G2 co-owner Bryce. "George Smith (G2 crew chief) made a better tune-up every run, and Chip rode the bike real well."
"We had better tune-ups each round, but couldn't get back to that .97 we ran yesterday," said Smith. "Chip said the motor felt a little soft in the round against Angelle, but we were still low for the round, so we left it in. The result was we should have changed it.
"We're unhappy we didn't win the Pro Bike Battle, but on the bright side, we feel good because Chip is running better than ever. And out of 29 bikes, we're still qualified number one for a national event. And we got farther than six of the other bikes in the Ringers.
"The team worked together very well. Ken Johnson, with Dale Ellis's help, prepared the bike flawlessly. George Bryce lent his expertise to help Chip out of his slump, and I'm starting to get the hang of the tune-up.
"So let's see how we do tomorrow. If we can get the performance back that we started the weekend out with and then some, I can safely say that our program is making headway."
Sunday
qualifying round 4
2nd Chip Ellis right lane 6.990 at 188.78 mph
Sunday morning's 6.99 shot was short of what the team was expecting from the new motor, and G2 customer Hector Arana went to the top of the charts on his S&S powered Buell. But back in the pits, Ellis was pleased. "It's fast," said Chip, staring at the bike. "It shut off on me twice, shut off for almost 3/10ths of a second, went through the traps not under power, and still ran a .99. It's fast!"
So with an ignition glitch repaired, Ellis headed out into the hottest conditions so far of the weekend knowing he was sitting on a pretty stout piece, but not sure he could end Arana's Cinderella ride at the top. He did.
qualifying round 5
1st Chip Ellis left lane 6.948 at 192.00 mph
"I'm really pleased," said Chip. "It's hard to tell what you've got when you get an interruption in power like we did in round 4, 'cause our eighth mile time was about the same. I believe if it hadn't cut off on that first run, it would have gone a 6.91 or 6.92. But in the heat, I didn't think it would go a .94. I was thinking a .96 or .97. I feel bad for Hector. I built his bike and it's great to see it run well."
"I told Hector and Forest Lucas (of Arana's sponsor Lucas Oil) in the staging lanes before the last round that we had to make Hector the G2 poster boy," said Smith. "We're really pleased for Hector. He's paid his dues for a long time, and now in his first year with a G2 Buell he's qualifying near the top of the field and almost qualified number one at the U.S. Nationals."
"Hector's whole family was here to see him perform so well," said G2's Jackie Bryce. "And his crew chief Jeff Prock is coming into his own as a Pro Stock Motorcycle tuner."
"I'm most proud of the guys at the shop," Ellis said about his own bike's performance. "They've been working hard to find more horsepower, and they've found it at just the right time. The bike actually spun a little bit on the .94, and it wasn't a perfectly straight run. But after I put it in third gear, it went pretty straight. George Smith put a good tune-up in it and it was making beans."
Monday
Monday broke hotter and more humid yet. The cool, dry conditions that enveloped ORP the first couple of days were now completely gone. The DRAG Specialties/S&S Buell didn't seem to notice, and opened the day in the 6 second zone.
eliminations round 1
(W) Chip Ellis -.005 6.994 at 189.90 mph
Michael Phillips -.027(R) 7.171 at 189.07 mph
eliminations round 2
(W) Chip Ellis .020 6.994 at 190.86 mph
Antron Brown .002 7.061 at 189.39 mph
"What I like about Chip today is that before that round, I asked him what kind of light he was gonna cut and he said 'An .020,'" reported George Bryce. "And he went out and cut an .020." And rode the bike to a duplicate ET of round 1.
In the semis, Ellis faced former teammate Matt Smith, the 2007 points leader. Chip's light wasn't up to par with what he'd been cutting all weekend, but neither was the bike.
eliminations round 3
(W) Matt Smith .033 7.050 at 187.94 mph
Chip Ellis .079 7.056 at 187.78 mph
"We lost vacuum during the run and it probably cost about 4 to 5 hundredths of ET," said George Bryce. "That would have bean enough to drive around Matthew. Chip said to me 'If I'd had another .02 light, I'd still have beaten him with the vacuum leak.' But I was pleased that Chip was able to step up and drive more up to his potential, more like the Chip of old. He drove better than he has all year. And I believe that George Smith has an excellent handle on the tuning duties."
"It's hotter and more humid today, so everybody was slowing down," said Smith. "But we were right up there at the head of the pack every round. Overall, the team did well. George Bryce did a good job coaching Chip on the lights, and Chip made good headway after struggling the past several races. Ken, with Dale's help, did their usual excellent job prepping the bike, and overall I made pretty good tune-up calls. Matt Smith did a good job on the tree in the semis and we just came up short."
"It's great to see Matt continuing to do well, and we appreciate him acknowledging G2 and the bike being a part of his success," said Jackie Bryce. "Our guys at the shop have been working overtime and on the weekends to make more horsepower for us and all of our customers."
"The good news is, we're well positioned in the Countdown for the Final Four," said Smith. "We also won the Full Throttle award again, and moved up near the top in the season point standings. And our prize money winnings were the most we've gotten all season.
"Our sponsor support has been great, and I'd like to thank DRAG Specialties, S&S Cycle, Doc's Harley-Davidson of St. Louis, as well as all our other supporting sponsors. My brother Ken and his wife Evelyn were here cheering us on every step of the way, and it's always great having them in the pits.
"Or goal was to continually improve our performance and peak at Indy, and overall we've done a good job. We want to keep the momentum going moving into Memphis."
Ellis and the G2 team race next at the O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals, Sept. 14-16_Memphis Motorsports Park, Memphis, Tennessee
G2 Motorsports Sponsors
Everyone at G2 thanks DRAG Specialties Drag Specialties, S&S Cycle S&S Cycle Home Page - Welcome, Doc's Harley-Davidson of St. Louis Welcome to Doc's Harley-Davidson, MAC Tools Initializing, Gates Corporation The world's most trusted name in belts, hoses & hydraulics | Gates Corporation, Itelligence, Inc. Homepage itelligence Inc. | itelligence, Mazak Corporation Mazak Committed to Manufacturing Excellence, RK Racing Chain Welcome to FTM Enterprises, SAP SAP - Business Software Solutions Applications and Services, Andrews Products Andrews Products - Main Page, Vanson Leathers Vanson Leathers - Textile and Leather Jackets, Racing suits & riding apparel for men and women: Vanson Leathers America's leading producer of motorcycle clothing., and Carley Foundry Aluminum Castings Carley Foundry, Inc..
G Squared Motorsports can be seen on the web at G2 MOTORSPORTS
NHRA Countdown to the Championship Point Standings
3rd Chip Ellis 2108
Full Throttle NHRA Pit Crew Championship Point Standings
2nd Chip Ellis/George Smith/Ken Johnson 372
G2 Motorsports History
Named for the two George's, George Bryce & George Smith, G2 Motorsports was initially formed in 2003 as a collaborative effort between the pair to field an S&S Cycle powered V-Twin NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle. The company has since evolved into the development of late-model hot rod V-Twins for both the street and strip. G2 Motorsports also stocks a full line of S&S Cycle engines and support parts for drag racing enthusiasts, as well as for other motorcyclists, dealers and distributors. The G2 Motorsports web site (G2 MOTORSPORTS) is continually updated with the latest race press releases, photos, engines in stock and information on complete turnkey motorcycles.
Ellis and G2 are Indy's Performance Leaders
Chip Ellis qualified his DRAG Specialties/S&S powered Buell number one and was the Pro Stock Motorcycle performance leader at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Ellis went to the finals of the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, the semis of the U.S. Nats, and began his assault on the NHRA's Countdown to the Championship during the course of a very long and very busy weekend at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.
Friday
The DRAG Specialties bike was quick right off the trailer, and led qualifying from the very beginning in Friday's lone round against a stiff headwind.
qualifying round 1
1st Chip Ellis right lane 6.970 at 188.78 mph
Saturday
Saturday's schedule included the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, an all-star race of Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying leaders. The Battle is run concurrently with qualifying, and as Ellis went rounds he also maintained his position at the top of the order.
Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle round 1
(W) Chip Ellis .014 7.068 at 188.28 mph
Craig Treble .002 7.158 at 189.52 mph
qualifying round 2
1st Chip Ellis left lane 7.068 at 188.28 mph
Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle round 2
(W) Chip Ellis .006 7.020 at 186.12 mph
Angelle Sampey .030 7.056 at 185.74 mph
qualifying round 3
1st Chip Ellis right lane 7.020 at 186.12 mph
The Pro Bike Battle final round is reserved just for the finalists, with no qualifying. Ellis had lane choice against defending Ringers champ Andrew Hines.
Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle final
(W) Andrew Hines .038 7.005 at 189.31 mph
Chip Ellis .059 7.069 at 186.64 mph
Chip's light in the final was acceptable, but the bike slowed down. "I've lost in the finals three times in three years," groaned Ellis, who has now lost to G.T. Tonglet once and Andrew Hines twice. "I hate to lose, but overall I had a good day. I'm very pleased with the way I rode, and thanks to George Bryce for helping me get back on track with my driving and helping me cut lights."
"We believe, after downloading all the information and comparing the last run to the previous three runs, that there is something wrong with the motor," said G2 co-owner Bryce. "George Smith (G2 crew chief) made a better tune-up every run, and Chip rode the bike real well."
"We had better tune-ups each round, but couldn't get back to that .97 we ran yesterday," said Smith. "Chip said the motor felt a little soft in the round against Angelle, but we were still low for the round, so we left it in. The result was we should have changed it.
"We're unhappy we didn't win the Pro Bike Battle, but on the bright side, we feel good because Chip is running better than ever. And out of 29 bikes, we're still qualified number one for a national event. And we got farther than six of the other bikes in the Ringers.
"The team worked together very well. Ken Johnson, with Dale Ellis's help, prepared the bike flawlessly. George Bryce lent his expertise to help Chip out of his slump, and I'm starting to get the hang of the tune-up.
"So let's see how we do tomorrow. If we can get the performance back that we started the weekend out with and then some, I can safely say that our program is making headway."
Sunday
qualifying round 4
2nd Chip Ellis right lane 6.990 at 188.78 mph
Sunday morning's 6.99 shot was short of what the team was expecting from the new motor, and G2 customer Hector Arana went to the top of the charts on his S&S powered Buell. But back in the pits, Ellis was pleased. "It's fast," said Chip, staring at the bike. "It shut off on me twice, shut off for almost 3/10ths of a second, went through the traps not under power, and still ran a .99. It's fast!"
So with an ignition glitch repaired, Ellis headed out into the hottest conditions so far of the weekend knowing he was sitting on a pretty stout piece, but not sure he could end Arana's Cinderella ride at the top. He did.
qualifying round 5
1st Chip Ellis left lane 6.948 at 192.00 mph
"I'm really pleased," said Chip. "It's hard to tell what you've got when you get an interruption in power like we did in round 4, 'cause our eighth mile time was about the same. I believe if it hadn't cut off on that first run, it would have gone a 6.91 or 6.92. But in the heat, I didn't think it would go a .94. I was thinking a .96 or .97. I feel bad for Hector. I built his bike and it's great to see it run well."
"I told Hector and Forest Lucas (of Arana's sponsor Lucas Oil) in the staging lanes before the last round that we had to make Hector the G2 poster boy," said Smith. "We're really pleased for Hector. He's paid his dues for a long time, and now in his first year with a G2 Buell he's qualifying near the top of the field and almost qualified number one at the U.S. Nationals."
"Hector's whole family was here to see him perform so well," said G2's Jackie Bryce. "And his crew chief Jeff Prock is coming into his own as a Pro Stock Motorcycle tuner."
"I'm most proud of the guys at the shop," Ellis said about his own bike's performance. "They've been working hard to find more horsepower, and they've found it at just the right time. The bike actually spun a little bit on the .94, and it wasn't a perfectly straight run. But after I put it in third gear, it went pretty straight. George Smith put a good tune-up in it and it was making beans."
Monday
Monday broke hotter and more humid yet. The cool, dry conditions that enveloped ORP the first couple of days were now completely gone. The DRAG Specialties/S&S Buell didn't seem to notice, and opened the day in the 6 second zone.
eliminations round 1
(W) Chip Ellis -.005 6.994 at 189.90 mph
Michael Phillips -.027(R) 7.171 at 189.07 mph
eliminations round 2
(W) Chip Ellis .020 6.994 at 190.86 mph
Antron Brown .002 7.061 at 189.39 mph
"What I like about Chip today is that before that round, I asked him what kind of light he was gonna cut and he said 'An .020,'" reported George Bryce. "And he went out and cut an .020." And rode the bike to a duplicate ET of round 1.
In the semis, Ellis faced former teammate Matt Smith, the 2007 points leader. Chip's light wasn't up to par with what he'd been cutting all weekend, but neither was the bike.
eliminations round 3
(W) Matt Smith .033 7.050 at 187.94 mph
Chip Ellis .079 7.056 at 187.78 mph
"We lost vacuum during the run and it probably cost about 4 to 5 hundredths of ET," said George Bryce. "That would have bean enough to drive around Matthew. Chip said to me 'If I'd had another .02 light, I'd still have beaten him with the vacuum leak.' But I was pleased that Chip was able to step up and drive more up to his potential, more like the Chip of old. He drove better than he has all year. And I believe that George Smith has an excellent handle on the tuning duties."
"It's hotter and more humid today, so everybody was slowing down," said Smith. "But we were right up there at the head of the pack every round. Overall, the team did well. George Bryce did a good job coaching Chip on the lights, and Chip made good headway after struggling the past several races. Ken, with Dale's help, did their usual excellent job prepping the bike, and overall I made pretty good tune-up calls. Matt Smith did a good job on the tree in the semis and we just came up short."
"It's great to see Matt continuing to do well, and we appreciate him acknowledging G2 and the bike being a part of his success," said Jackie Bryce. "Our guys at the shop have been working overtime and on the weekends to make more horsepower for us and all of our customers."
"The good news is, we're well positioned in the Countdown for the Final Four," said Smith. "We also won the Full Throttle award again, and moved up near the top in the season point standings. And our prize money winnings were the most we've gotten all season.
"Our sponsor support has been great, and I'd like to thank DRAG Specialties, S&S Cycle, Doc's Harley-Davidson of St. Louis, as well as all our other supporting sponsors. My brother Ken and his wife Evelyn were here cheering us on every step of the way, and it's always great having them in the pits.
"Or goal was to continually improve our performance and peak at Indy, and overall we've done a good job. We want to keep the momentum going moving into Memphis."
Ellis and the G2 team race next at the O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals, Sept. 14-16_Memphis Motorsports Park, Memphis, Tennessee
G2 Motorsports Sponsors
Everyone at G2 thanks DRAG Specialties Drag Specialties, S&S Cycle S&S Cycle Home Page - Welcome, Doc's Harley-Davidson of St. Louis Welcome to Doc's Harley-Davidson, MAC Tools Initializing, Gates Corporation The world's most trusted name in belts, hoses & hydraulics | Gates Corporation, Itelligence, Inc. Homepage itelligence Inc. | itelligence, Mazak Corporation Mazak Committed to Manufacturing Excellence, RK Racing Chain Welcome to FTM Enterprises, SAP SAP - Business Software Solutions Applications and Services, Andrews Products Andrews Products - Main Page, Vanson Leathers Vanson Leathers - Textile and Leather Jackets, Racing suits & riding apparel for men and women: Vanson Leathers America's leading producer of motorcycle clothing., and Carley Foundry Aluminum Castings Carley Foundry, Inc..
G Squared Motorsports can be seen on the web at G2 MOTORSPORTS
NHRA Countdown to the Championship Point Standings
3rd Chip Ellis 2108
Full Throttle NHRA Pit Crew Championship Point Standings
2nd Chip Ellis/George Smith/Ken Johnson 372
G2 Motorsports History
Named for the two George's, George Bryce & George Smith, G2 Motorsports was initially formed in 2003 as a collaborative effort between the pair to field an S&S Cycle powered V-Twin NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle. The company has since evolved into the development of late-model hot rod V-Twins for both the street and strip. G2 Motorsports also stocks a full line of S&S Cycle engines and support parts for drag racing enthusiasts, as well as for other motorcyclists, dealers and distributors. The G2 Motorsports web site (G2 MOTORSPORTS) is continually updated with the latest race press releases, photos, engines in stock and information on complete turnkey motorcycles.
