SCHUMACHER ELECTRIC/XXX RACING FUELS SUZUKI RIDER ELLIS FIGHTS FOR PSM CHAMPIONSHIP IN TEXAS
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/c_ellis_814944.jpg" alt="c_ellis_814944" align="right"borders="0"/>
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 17, 2008) – Schumacher Electric/XXX Racing Fuels Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Chip Ellis will be working hard to gain ground on the points leaders this weekend at the 23rd annual NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas, the second of five races for the class in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Countdown to 1 playoffs.
Ellis endured a tough opening race of the playoffs at the Inaugural Carolinas NHRA Nationals in Concord, N.C., last weekend, losing in an upset-filled first round when he was disqualified for a red-light start. Five of the top 10 riders in the Countdown lost in round one, which helped ease the pain for Ellis, who is just 64 markers out of No. 1, despite the early exit.
"It's just going to be business as usual when we get to the Texas Motorplex," said Ellis, who is No. 6 in the points. "I'm just going to go out there and try and turn on some green lights. That seems to be pretty tough in Pro Stock Motorcycle these days.
"As always, the Schumacher Electric/XXX Racing Fuels Suzuki is running great. I just need to go out there and be 'race ready' on Sunday. I feel like I'm that way every Sunday, but it's just tough out there. I guess I need to try a different strategy in order to cut green lights on race day. My Schumacher Electric teammate Craig Treble said he was going to help me with that and I'm going to hold him to it. We'll work on a practice starting tree and on the actual bike."
Ellis was the No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock Motorcycle at last year’s Texas Motorplex event.
CHIP ELLIS QUICK FACTS:
* Enters the second of the five-race Countdown to 1 playoffs No. 6, 64 points out of first place
* Finished third in the 'regular season' point standings after 12 of 17 events (one victory in two final rounds, five semifinal, two quarterfinal, and three first-round finishes)
* Qualified No. 1 at last year's event at the Texas Motorplex, advanced to the semifinals
* No. 1 qualifier for the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle in Indianapolis, advanced to quarterfinals
* Clinched spot in the Countdown to 1 in Brainerd, Minn.
* Qualified No. 1 in his NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle debut at the 2004 U.S. Nationals
* Has won six races in nine career final-round appearances
* Career round win/loss record is 86-57
* 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 wining the championship
* Went down to the final round at the final race to decide the 2007 championship
* Qualified for all 63 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
* Qualified No. 1 12 times
* Won first national event at Las Vegas 2 during his rookie season in 2004
* 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/ProStar Formula Super Bike champion in 2003
* AMA/ProStar Funny Bike champion in 2002
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/c_ellis_814944.jpg" alt="c_ellis_814944" align="right"borders="0"/>
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 17, 2008) – Schumacher Electric/XXX Racing Fuels Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Chip Ellis will be working hard to gain ground on the points leaders this weekend at the 23rd annual NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas, the second of five races for the class in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Countdown to 1 playoffs.
Ellis endured a tough opening race of the playoffs at the Inaugural Carolinas NHRA Nationals in Concord, N.C., last weekend, losing in an upset-filled first round when he was disqualified for a red-light start. Five of the top 10 riders in the Countdown lost in round one, which helped ease the pain for Ellis, who is just 64 markers out of No. 1, despite the early exit.
"It's just going to be business as usual when we get to the Texas Motorplex," said Ellis, who is No. 6 in the points. "I'm just going to go out there and try and turn on some green lights. That seems to be pretty tough in Pro Stock Motorcycle these days.
"As always, the Schumacher Electric/XXX Racing Fuels Suzuki is running great. I just need to go out there and be 'race ready' on Sunday. I feel like I'm that way every Sunday, but it's just tough out there. I guess I need to try a different strategy in order to cut green lights on race day. My Schumacher Electric teammate Craig Treble said he was going to help me with that and I'm going to hold him to it. We'll work on a practice starting tree and on the actual bike."
Ellis was the No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock Motorcycle at last year’s Texas Motorplex event.
CHIP ELLIS QUICK FACTS:
* Enters the second of the five-race Countdown to 1 playoffs No. 6, 64 points out of first place
* Finished third in the 'regular season' point standings after 12 of 17 events (one victory in two final rounds, five semifinal, two quarterfinal, and three first-round finishes)
* Qualified No. 1 at last year's event at the Texas Motorplex, advanced to the semifinals
* No. 1 qualifier for the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle in Indianapolis, advanced to quarterfinals
* Clinched spot in the Countdown to 1 in Brainerd, Minn.
* Qualified No. 1 in his NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle debut at the 2004 U.S. Nationals
* Has won six races in nine career final-round appearances
* Career round win/loss record is 86-57
* 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 wining the championship
* Went down to the final round at the final race to decide the 2007 championship
* Qualified for all 63 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
* Qualified No. 1 12 times
* Won first national event at Las Vegas 2 during his rookie season in 2004
* 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/ProStar Formula Super Bike champion in 2003
* AMA/ProStar Funny Bike champion in 2002
