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BROWNSBURG, Ind. (June 16, 2008) – Schumacher Electric Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Chip Ellis has plenty to feel confident about these days. He enters this weekend's NHRA SuperNationals third in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series point standings and he's raced to three semifinal and one runner-up finish in four of five starts this season, qualifying in the quick half of the field at every event. But, in addition to his consistently strong performance, Ellis will have one more ace up his sleeve when he begins competition at the sixth of 17 stops for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class on Friday at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.
Ellis will race the same bike that Angelle Sampey (as a member of Don Schumacher Racing for the U.S. Army) rode to a historic NHRA national-record elapsed time of 6.871 seconds during eliminations at last year's Englishtown event. After Ellis joined Don Schumacher Racing for 2008, he inherited a ride on the two-wheeled terror, and has since ridden the NHRA’s quickest Suzuki to a pair of 6.90-second runs and a long list of mid-6.90-second runs.
"I think it's going to be a positive weekend for us," said Ellis. "As long as the air is good I think we'll go really fast in Englishtown.
"The Englishtown track is always nice and smooth; it's really perfect for the bikes," explained Ellis, who was No. 1 qualifier in E-town in 2006. "We always have a great motorcycle and that's because of the hard work and preparation from (crew chief) Steve Tartaglia and my crew guys Jason Jones and Tom Patsis. We haven't had any problems qualifying, knock on wood, and we really haven't had any problems on race day other than last week."
Ellis stumbled for the first time all season at the last event in Joliet, Ill., losing in the opening round of eliminations for the first time all season. But the Florida native, in his fourth full season in the class, has already put that blip behind him and is looking toward future winner's circles.
"I'm looking forward and moving on,” he said. “It was a mistake on my part, but I'm not going to dwell on it. I just want to get back out there and go racing. We've been doing well all year and we just have to get back to that."
CHIP ELLIS QUICK FACTS
* Third in the point standings after five of 17 events
* Qualified No. 1 in Englishtown 2006
* Qualified No. 3 at last year's Englishtown event, lost first round
* Career round win/loss record is 76-50
* 2008 is 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 55 NHRA races he has competed in Pro Stock Motorcycle since 2004
* A graduate of the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School at Gainesville Raceway
* Had two runner-up finishes and five No. 1 qualifiers in 2007
* 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
ELLIS WILL RIDE NHRA’S QUICKEST BIKE IN ENGLISHTOWN
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (June 16, 2008) – Schumacher Electric Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Chip Ellis has plenty to feel confident about these days. He enters this weekend's NHRA SuperNationals third in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series point standings and he's raced to three semifinal and one runner-up finish in four of five starts this season, qualifying in the quick half of the field at every event. But, in addition to his consistently strong performance, Ellis will have one more ace up his sleeve when he begins competition at the sixth of 17 stops for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class on Friday at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.
Ellis will race the same bike that Angelle Sampey (as a member of Don Schumacher Racing for the U.S. Army) rode to a historic NHRA national-record elapsed time of 6.871 seconds during eliminations at last year's Englishtown event. After Ellis joined Don Schumacher Racing for 2008, he inherited a ride on the two-wheeled terror, and has since ridden the NHRA’s quickest Suzuki to a pair of 6.90-second runs and a long list of mid-6.90-second runs.
"I think it's going to be a positive weekend for us," said Ellis. "As long as the air is good I think we'll go really fast in Englishtown.
"The Englishtown track is always nice and smooth; it's really perfect for the bikes," explained Ellis, who was No. 1 qualifier in E-town in 2006. "We always have a great motorcycle and that's because of the hard work and preparation from (crew chief) Steve Tartaglia and my crew guys Jason Jones and Tom Patsis. We haven't had any problems qualifying, knock on wood, and we really haven't had any problems on race day other than last week."
Ellis stumbled for the first time all season at the last event in Joliet, Ill., losing in the opening round of eliminations for the first time all season. But the Florida native, in his fourth full season in the class, has already put that blip behind him and is looking toward future winner's circles.
"I'm looking forward and moving on,” he said. “It was a mistake on my part, but I'm not going to dwell on it. I just want to get back out there and go racing. We've been doing well all year and we just have to get back to that."
CHIP ELLIS QUICK FACTS
* Third in the point standings after five of 17 events
* Qualified No. 1 in Englishtown 2006
* Qualified No. 3 at last year's Englishtown event, lost first round
* Career round win/loss record is 76-50
* 2008 is 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 55 NHRA races he has competed in Pro Stock Motorcycle since 2004
* A graduate of the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School at Gainesville Raceway
* Had two runner-up finishes and five No. 1 qualifiers in 2007
* 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
