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INDIANAPOLIS (March 26, 2008) – Schumacher Electric Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Chip Ellis is eager to get back to racing at this weekend's NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, the second of 17 races scheduled for the class during the 24-event 2008 POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule.
Ellis enters the Spring Nationals fourth in the point standings after a strong semifinal showing two weeks ago at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., the traditional season-opener for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Unfortunately, the Schumacher Electric Suzuki suffered a broken crankshaft as Ellis fired up the motor for his semifinal stanza, ending his day. Despite the mechanical problems, Ellis was pleased with the performance of his new team.
"It was a good weekend for us and a good start, especially for a new team," said Ellis, reflecting on his first race with Don Schumacher Racing. "We've been back at the DSR shop working hard and trying to get all our stuff together so we can go out and continue to perform well."
Ellis also welcomes a return to the sea-level conditions of Houston Raceway Park, the site of the quickest run of his career when he first began racing motorcycles.
"Houston is where I made my fastest lap ever on a motorcycle," remembers Ellis. ”When I was racing on the Pro Star series In 2001, I ran in the 6.50-second elapsed-time zone at over 200 mph on a Funny Bike. The track at Houston has usually been pretty good to me and I'm looking forward to getting there."
The Florida native is pleased to be fourth in the points, but he knows there's still plenty of drag racing ahead.
"I'm happy where we're at in the standings, but it's too early in the season to be counting points right now. The Schumacher Electric Suzuki team is just concentrating on making our motorcycle run as quick and consistent as possible. We just want to go rounds and win races."
The Schumacher Electric Suzuki will continue to run the in-line four-cylinder motor as DSR and Suzuki continue their development work with the Hayabusa V-Twin motor scheduled to debut later this season.
"Everything with the Schumacher Electric Suzuki team is looking good and we're just ready to get to Houston and start racing," Ellis concluded.
CHIP ELLIS QUICK FACTS
* Enters Houston fourth in the point standings after one race
* Career round win/loss record is 69-46
* 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 career in seven 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
EVENT SCHEDULE: Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 2 and 5 p.m. on Friday, March 28. Qualifying continues at 11:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 and final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 30.
ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise qualifying highlights at 4:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, March 29. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, March 30. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise the race beginning at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, March 30.
ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at NHRA.com.
SCHUMACHER ELECTRIC SUZUKI RIDER ELLIS SEEKS TO CONTINUE FAST SEASON START IN TEXAS
INDIANAPOLIS (March 26, 2008) – Schumacher Electric Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Chip Ellis is eager to get back to racing at this weekend's NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, the second of 17 races scheduled for the class during the 24-event 2008 POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule.
Ellis enters the Spring Nationals fourth in the point standings after a strong semifinal showing two weeks ago at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., the traditional season-opener for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Unfortunately, the Schumacher Electric Suzuki suffered a broken crankshaft as Ellis fired up the motor for his semifinal stanza, ending his day. Despite the mechanical problems, Ellis was pleased with the performance of his new team.
"It was a good weekend for us and a good start, especially for a new team," said Ellis, reflecting on his first race with Don Schumacher Racing. "We've been back at the DSR shop working hard and trying to get all our stuff together so we can go out and continue to perform well."
Ellis also welcomes a return to the sea-level conditions of Houston Raceway Park, the site of the quickest run of his career when he first began racing motorcycles.
"Houston is where I made my fastest lap ever on a motorcycle," remembers Ellis. ”When I was racing on the Pro Star series In 2001, I ran in the 6.50-second elapsed-time zone at over 200 mph on a Funny Bike. The track at Houston has usually been pretty good to me and I'm looking forward to getting there."
The Florida native is pleased to be fourth in the points, but he knows there's still plenty of drag racing ahead.
"I'm happy where we're at in the standings, but it's too early in the season to be counting points right now. The Schumacher Electric Suzuki team is just concentrating on making our motorcycle run as quick and consistent as possible. We just want to go rounds and win races."
The Schumacher Electric Suzuki will continue to run the in-line four-cylinder motor as DSR and Suzuki continue their development work with the Hayabusa V-Twin motor scheduled to debut later this season.
"Everything with the Schumacher Electric Suzuki team is looking good and we're just ready to get to Houston and start racing," Ellis concluded.
CHIP ELLIS QUICK FACTS
* Enters Houston fourth in the point standings after one race
* Career round win/loss record is 69-46
* 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 career in seven 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
EVENT SCHEDULE: Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 2 and 5 p.m. on Friday, March 28. Qualifying continues at 11:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 and final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 30.
ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise qualifying highlights at 4:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, March 29. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, March 30. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise the race beginning at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, March 30.
ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at NHRA.com.
