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INDIANAPOLIS (April 23, 2008) – Following semifinal-round finishes at the first two NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle races of the season, which earned him a fourth place in the point standings, Chip Ellis is optimistic heading into the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway this weekend for the third of 17 races in the PSM class in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
"I'm fired up about Atlanta, I'm ready to get there," said Ellis, who rides the Schumacher Electric Suzuki for Don Schumacher Racing. "We've had two semifinal finishes in the last two outings and I'm ready to take my Don Schumacher Electric Suzuki all the way this time.
"We haven't gone out testing, but we've been working hard at the DSR shop and I've been working on my practice tree.
"Atlanta is going to be a whole new surface compared to what we've been used to running on in the past. It's flat, it's black and it's straight, so I like it," Ellis said of the surface changes the track has undergone since 2007.
The NHRA implemented weight changes for the PSM class prior to the category's last event (at Houston), but Ellis feels they had little effect on the competition.
"The Buells are still really fast," he said. "I think the NHRA just needs to leave it like it is for a while and see how it plays out. I think that things are pretty good right now and I'm not going to complain about it."
After a couple of races of working with a new team, riding a different bike and working with a different crew chief, Ellis is feeling comfortable at this early stage of the season.
"Our team is working really well together and I'm pleased with that,” he said. "I've got a great bunch of guys; they work hard and they're dedicated to our team and our sponsors. I think everything is going really well with the DSR Suzuki team. The more we work together and hang out the better things are getting and I don't have any complaints.
"We just want to go to Atlanta and continue to qualify well, go some rounds on Sunday and keep plugging away. If we can stay in the top three or four in the points I'm going to be real happy about it."
CHIP ELLIS QUICK FACTS:
* Enters Atlanta fourth in the point standings after two races
* Began the 2008 season with back-to-back semifinal finishes
* Qualified third at the 2007 Southern Nationals and raced to a semifinal finish
* Career round win/loss record is 71-47
* 2008 first season with Don Schumacher Racing
* Recorded second 6.8-second run (6.892) in Memphis in 2007
* Finished career-best third in the points last season, just eight points shy of winning the championship
* Went down to the final round at the final race to decide the 2007 championship
* Qualified for all 51 NHRA races he has competed in
* Qualified No. 5 at the 2007 Spring Nationals, lost first round to Chris Rivas
* Qualified No. 3 at the 2006 Spring Nationals, advanced to the semifinals
* Qualified No. 4 at the 2005 Spring Nationals, advanced to the quarterfinals
* A graduate of the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School at Gainesville Raceway
* Competed in 51 NHRA national events since 2004
* Third in 2007 point standings, with two runner-up finishes and five No. 1 qualifiers
* Won five races in seven career final-round appearances
* Qualified No. 1 12 times
* Won first national event at Las Vegas 2 during his rookie season in 2004
* Qualified No. 1 in his NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle debut at the 2004 U.S. Nationals
* Ran an abbreviated 2004 rookie season with a No. 1 qualifier at U.S. Nationals, No. 4 at Reading, No. 2 and event win at Las Vegas and No. 1 qualifier and semi-final appearance at Pomona
* Born in Daytona Beach, Fla., on 2/20/70
* Lives in Brownsburg, Ind., with wife Kathy and daughter McKenzie (10/23/01)
* AMA/Pro Star Formula Super Bike champion in 2003
* AMA/Pro Star Funny Bike champion in 2002
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, April 25 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2 and 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, April 26 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, April 27 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, April 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday April 27, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 27, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, April 25, 9:30-10 p.m. (ET) – Horizons 2 / Transponder 12K (12160 MHz, vertical)
Saturday, April 26, 6-6:30 p.m. (ET) – Horizons 2 / Transponder 12K (12160 MHz, vertical)
Sunday, April 27, 7-7:30 p.m. (ET) – Horizons 2 / Transponder 12K (12160 MHz, vertical)
ELLIS HAPPY WITH CONSISTENCY OF SCHUMACHER ELECTRIC SUZUKI HEADING INTO ATLANTA
INDIANAPOLIS (April 23, 2008) – Following semifinal-round finishes at the first two NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle races of the season, which earned him a fourth place in the point standings, Chip Ellis is optimistic heading into the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway this weekend for the third of 17 races in the PSM class in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
"I'm fired up about Atlanta, I'm ready to get there," said Ellis, who rides the Schumacher Electric Suzuki for Don Schumacher Racing. "We've had two semifinal finishes in the last two outings and I'm ready to take my Don Schumacher Electric Suzuki all the way this time.
"We haven't gone out testing, but we've been working hard at the DSR shop and I've been working on my practice tree.
"Atlanta is going to be a whole new surface compared to what we've been used to running on in the past. It's flat, it's black and it's straight, so I like it," Ellis said of the surface changes the track has undergone since 2007.
The NHRA implemented weight changes for the PSM class prior to the category's last event (at Houston), but Ellis feels they had little effect on the competition.
"The Buells are still really fast," he said. "I think the NHRA just needs to leave it like it is for a while and see how it plays out. I think that things are pretty good right now and I'm not going to complain about it."
After a couple of races of working with a new team, riding a different bike and working with a different crew chief, Ellis is feeling comfortable at this early stage of the season.
"Our team is working really well together and I'm pleased with that,” he said. "I've got a great bunch of guys; they work hard and they're dedicated to our team and our sponsors. I think everything is going really well with the DSR Suzuki team. The more we work together and hang out the better things are getting and I don't have any complaints.
"We just want to go to Atlanta and continue to qualify well, go some rounds on Sunday and keep plugging away. If we can stay in the top three or four in the points I'm going to be real happy about it."
CHIP ELLIS QUICK FACTS:
* Enters Atlanta fourth in the point standings after two races
* Began the 2008 season with back-to-back semifinal finishes
* Qualified third at the 2007 Southern Nationals and raced to a semifinal finish
* Career round win/loss record is 71-47
* 2008 first season with Don Schumacher Racing
* Recorded second 6.8-second run (6.892) in Memphis in 2007
* Finished career-best third in the points last season, just eight points shy of winning the championship
* Went down to the final round at the final race to decide the 2007 championship
* Qualified for all 51 NHRA races he has competed in
* Qualified No. 5 at the 2007 Spring Nationals, lost first round to Chris Rivas
* Qualified No. 3 at the 2006 Spring Nationals, advanced to the semifinals
* Qualified No. 4 at the 2005 Spring Nationals, advanced to the quarterfinals
* A graduate of the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School at Gainesville Raceway
* Competed in 51 NHRA national events since 2004
* Third in 2007 point standings, with two runner-up finishes and five No. 1 qualifiers
* Won five races in seven career final-round appearances
* Qualified No. 1 12 times
* Won first national event at Las Vegas 2 during his rookie season in 2004
* Qualified No. 1 in his NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle debut at the 2004 U.S. Nationals
* Ran an abbreviated 2004 rookie season with a No. 1 qualifier at U.S. Nationals, No. 4 at Reading, No. 2 and event win at Las Vegas and No. 1 qualifier and semi-final appearance at Pomona
* Born in Daytona Beach, Fla., on 2/20/70
* Lives in Brownsburg, Ind., with wife Kathy and daughter McKenzie (10/23/01)
* AMA/Pro Star Formula Super Bike champion in 2003
* AMA/Pro Star Funny Bike champion in 2002
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, April 25 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2 and 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, April 26 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, April 27 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, April 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday April 27, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 27, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, April 25, 9:30-10 p.m. (ET) – Horizons 2 / Transponder 12K (12160 MHz, vertical)
Saturday, April 26, 6-6:30 p.m. (ET) – Horizons 2 / Transponder 12K (12160 MHz, vertical)
Sunday, April 27, 7-7:30 p.m. (ET) – Horizons 2 / Transponder 12K (12160 MHz, vertical)
