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As with everywhere he goes, there was much interest in Belli's Zaeta motorcycle.
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest auto race in the United States, weighing in at 12.42 miles through 156 turns from the start gate at 9,390 feet, to the summit finish at 14,110 feet. Each year would-be conquerors converge from around the world in hopes of etching their names on the infamous mountains history. Italy's Marco Belli has been here five times and on three of those occasions he landed on the podium. Impressive indeed, yet what marks Belli's efforts as extraordinary is that he isn't a part of a big-money, brand-name endeavor, he in fact competes on a motorcycle of his own creation.
Marco Belli and his handmade Zaeta have made it to the podium 3 of the 5 times he's competed at Pikes Peak.
Depending on the season, Marco Belli is either a well-known Italian Flat Track specialist, or another highly motivated vanquisher of the Peak. And, the enormously dedicated K&N sponsored racer gets it done on a 530cc four-stroke Zaeta, which he exclusively designs and engineers himself in Italy. His races essentially are one continuous high-speed test lab. The personalized feedback that Belli collects on the peak or track, he immediately applies to the ongoing evolution of the Zaeta. This year, for the 91st running of Pikes Peak, Belli and his two-wheeled creation were challenged as they hadn't been in the past. Belli and his diminutive Zaeta had to compete against the big dogs in the Heavyweight Supermoto class.
Despite having to run with the big dogs this year, Belli still managed to finish 5th in his class and 43rd overall.
"Racing at Pikes Peak is always a big emotion," says Belli. "This was my fifth time on the mountain with already 3 podium finishes in the past, so I'm always a bit optimistic about the result, even if the competitors are really tough and the race itself is always more for street bikes. During the entire week of practice we found a good set up for the bike, running with new 17 inch wheels and slick tire, which I'm not use to, but they did give a good grip and good corner speed. So by the end of practice we would gain the 5th place on the starting line, hoping to gain a little bit more during race day."
The K&N sponsored racers vows to make some adjustments to his Zaeta motorcycle before returning to Pikes Peak next year.
On race day Sunday morning Belli and his crew woke up at 3:30 am, which gave them enough time to prepare and make the drive up to the pit area by 5:00. Keeping in mind at all times that the weather is always a key contender here at high altitude, where the conditions can change dramatically from sun to ice every five minutes.
"On the mountain before us were the 1200cc superbikes and then the Heavyweight Supermoto bikes, which are a bit more competitive then my bike. But that's the new rule and we have to make adjustments for that next year," remarks the forward thinking Belli. So fill the gas tank, put your head down, and go."
"By the end I had a good run, cutting my previous record, so I can be satisfied, even if a 5th pace is not what I really expected as a racer. As a guy from Italy, riding his own handmade bike, it's a big result, but we want to write our name in the story of this race, so the new challenge is already on. In 2014 we are coming back to Pikes Peak, see you there!"
Related K&N News Articles about Marco Belli and Pikes Peak:Marco Belli Wins Opening Round of the Newly Formed Italian Flat Track Championship; K&N Backed Marco Belli's 750 Zaeta Earns Third Place at 2011 Pikes Peak Hill Climb; Italy's Marco Belli on Leading the Italian Championship and Riding with Fast Freddie; Rhys Millen Racing Returns to Pikes Peak Hill Climb to Defend Hyundai Record
Workout programs like Insanity and a healthy diet keep Gifford in top physical condition, and he believes that gives him an advantage over his competition.
Cody Gifford knows the odds aren't in his favor, but that's not stopping him from trying. The 17-year-old from Eustis, Florida, is trying to make racing quads a career, and it's not easy.
"ATV racing doesn't have the following that dirt bikes do, so (ATV racers) have to work twice as hard for less money," Gifford said. "But I wouldn't give it up for the world."
Cody Gifford's 8th place ProAm finish in Round 5 at Sunset Ridge MX proved that all of his training was paying off.
Cody Gifford started riding before he could walk, he says. "My parents bought me a battery powered four wheeler," Gifford said, when asked about his first bike. But despite all of the family trips to the trails and all of the hours on the quad, Gifford never showed interest in racing, until 2010.
"A friend of our invited us to a local race. My first race I grabbed both hole shots and both moto wins, and from there on out I've been hooked."
This year Gifford brought his talents to the national stage for the first time. Running in the AMA ATV National Championship ProAm and College classes, Gifford has been strong when mechanical incidents haven't plagued the team.
Cody Gifford brought his talents to the national stage in the AMA ATV National Championship ProAm and College classes
Cody Gifford currently sits fourth in College points, where he has a pair of podiums. In the ProAm class, Gifford isn't racing so much for a championship, but rather for experience.
"If I can finish in the top three in College and continue putting together top tens in ProAm, it will be a successful season," Gifford said.
Round 5 at Sunset Ridge MX in Walnut, Illinois, proved to be the most important race for Gifford so far. His 8th place finish in ProAm proved that all of his training was paying off. Cody Gifford trains as much as he can, and not just on the bike. Workout programs like Insanity and a healthy diet keep Gifford in top physical condition, and he believes that gives him an advantage over his competition.
Cody Gifford is looking forward to the upcoming race at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan
"Fitness is very important in this sport because you want to be able to go as fast as you can for as long as possible, but as rough as these tracks get, your body needs to be abe to take a beating and not get tired.
"That's why I like running the ProAm class. They run 15-minute races, plus one lap. This really caters to me because even though I'm not always the fastest, I'm consistent. I make most of my passes in the second half of the moto's."
By comparison, the Amateur divisions only run four lap races, and while Gifford might be faster in that class, it also doesn't play into his strengths.
Cody Gifford is looking forward to the upcoming race at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan, which reminds the youngster of many of his home tracks.
"RedBud has huge jumps and gets really rough, so it shows who has been putting in the hard work. It's a sand track, so it's really similar to a lot of the tracks down in Florida that I'm used to."
Gifford thinks he's closing in on that first Nationals win, and he credits a lot of that to K&N Filters.
"K&N is by far the best filter I've ever used," Gifford said. "Not only do they increase horsepower, but they are so easy to clean. The K&N filter is reusable and they hold up to anything I put them through, from rain to mud and sand to clay. K&N has never let me down. They really pay for themselves."
Related K&N News Articles about AMA ATV National racing:AMA ATV National Racer Chad Wienen Takes Overall Win at ATVMX Series Opener; Team PCS Performance/Can-am's Josh Creamer to Race AMA ATV National Motocross Racing Series; K&N's Dalton Millican Caps 2012 with Strong Showing at AMA ATV National Race Loretta Lynn's ATVMX 450A Event; Chad Wienen Takes Top of Podium During Second Round of AMA ATV National Race at Muddy Creek
P.J. Groenke completes the newly expanded three-driver team.
Ardent competitor, articulate and respected spokesperson for women in motorsports, and tireless charity champion - Shea Holbrook's plate is jam-packed. Yet, she still manages room for more. Shea Racing Team, with its newly expanded three-car squad, kicked-off their 2013 season with very promising results in the Pirelli World Challenge tripleheader weekend at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The newly expanded team left the highly technical 2.3 mile short course with cars in fourth, seventh and eleventh in the Championship point standings.
New Shea Racing driver Jon Miller.
"I absolutely cherish this opportunity to operate our own racing team. It feels like it's been a long time coming!" Holbrook remarked. "It had always been an aspiration of mine to expand Shea Racing into a team effort with additional cars and drivers and this year that became a reality. We have two great drivers, Jon Miller and P.J. Groenke. It's definitely a lot being a driver and co-owner, but the reward is double when we're going well. It's an amazing feeling knowing we have so much support from our friends in the paddock and fans on our new undertaking. I look forward to further growing the team and moving up throughout the ranks."
The Circuit of the Americas is without question a top notch facility on which to introduce a new team and start a new season, and from Shea Holbrook's perspective "the track looked like a flowing ribbon of red, white and blue with a lot of technicality!" Shea Holbrook came into the tripleheader weekend confident she could deliver a strong performance, in large part, because the team worked relentlessly to prepare the cars in the weeks leading up to the event. Still, the first woman to ever win a Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car race, winning the 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix, wasn't wholly content.
The Pirelli World Challenge with 20-plus cars going bumper-to-bumper brings a smile to Holbrook.
"It was a bit of a frustrating weekend because I performed well, but the results didn't show that. The Touring Car B class is what you would call a showroom stock spec class. After sharing and reviewing data with one of the stronger competitors (he also was experiencing challenging power ratio issues) we found we both drove the cars to their potentials. I love good competition, but all drivers and cars should have a fair shot at competing equally. Pirelli World Challenge and Honda Racing HPD are working together on getting the parity the class needs, and I can't wait to get back out there to compete because I must say, 20 plus TBC cars bumper-to-bumper, door-to-door is a ton of fun!"
This Bell Helmet with Kocher Custom Paint is being raffled off to benefit Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.
As a realist aware of the shortcoming, Shea Holbrook is also an absolute professional, focused on the many positives the team took away from COTA. "Going from one car to three cars definitely hit us on pit lane," said the dynamic young K&N sponsored driver. "The crew also did a solid job on accommodating all three cars. It's awesome having a teammate to work with on track, especially someone you can trust and strategize with. The cars were prepped well which made our (the drivers) jobs easier. We'll all get to the front of the pack sooner rather than later. It will take a combination of parity amongst the class and us diligently working on how to be faster in the car."
Next up on the Pirelli World Challenge schedule is the July 4th weekend at Lime Rock. "I'm very excited for Lime Rock being that it will be a new track for me. It's unique in that it's a fairly rough track and from what I've observed, and heard, it's tough to be fast there. The fast guys are going to check out quickly. The TCB class is all about drafting and utilizing cars on track to gain an advantage. It should be a very interesting weekend."
"I also would like to send a special thank you out to Bell Helmets and Kocher Custom Paint. I'll be raffling off a signed helmet this season in benefit of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which is near to my heart as it affects my family. To enter to win buy a raffle ticket go to our website." http://community.parentprojectmd.org/events/shea-holbrook
Related K&N News Articles about Shea Holbrook: Pirelli World Challenge Racer Shea Holbrook Prepares for 2013 Race Season; K&N's Shea Holbrook Streams Live In-Car Video from Her TrueCar and Virgin Sportscar; Pirelli World Challenge Racer Shea Holbrook Experiences A Stellar Season; Shea Holbrook Slated as Celebrity Contestant in Epic 2012 Fireball Run AdventuRally
The record setting drag racer and Team Pro-Motion combined skills in an effort to teach riders how to be more complete racers.
Ten years ago, resurfacing after a nine-day coma, Ashon "Capo" Dickerson experienced an epiphany leading him to restack the building blocks of his life in a new configuration. The motorcycle crash that nearly ended things couldn't shake his childhood fervor for two-wheels, but it did redirected his approach (K&N Filters Supports Dragbike Racer and World Record-Holder Ashon Dickerson).
K&N sponsored Ashon Dickerson is the first person to put a Pirelli road race tire in the 7-second zone on dragstrip.
Ashon Dickerson continues to evolve and his path to motorcycle enlightenment has taken him to a new endeavor, as he joins forces with Team Pro-Motion, the largest road racing school on the East Coast.
"Back in 2011 I was approached by a guy who asked me if I wanted to be involved in some research and development with using the Pirelli road race tire on the dragstrip," details Ashon Dickerson. "I am always looking for a performance advantage so I jumped at the opportunity. At that point I really started to pay attention to the road racers. Also, at that time I was just getting involved with SportBikesInc Magazine, which covers a lot of road racing material."
Ashon "Capo" Dickerson says he has a great deal of respect for what road racers do as professional riders, but during all the footage he reviewed there was one consistent common denonator, there weren't any real launch techniques. "It's a drag race until you reach the first turn," he says. "So, I figured that having worked to become the first person in history to put the Pirelli tire in the 7-second zone on dragstrip was all a part of a bigger plan to bridge the gap. I wanted to provide my knowledge and my years of experience on how to properly launch a motorcycle effectively."
Ashon Dickerson's overall concept for "bridging the gap" includes getting all the wanna-be racers off the street and into a controlled environment so they can be taught properly. "Mental preparations, take away the fear of the wheelie, build confidence, work on body position, throttle and clutch control, and after the time with me, these guys are more complete riders. That's why we teamed up with Team Pro-Motion to cross promote our sports and hopefully to get some drag racers out to bend corners, and get some road racers out at the dragstrip. More fans in the stands, more complete racers, makes for great competition and it's a great way to grow both our sports."
"Now I get the attention of the road racers too, because we have something in common," Dickerson adds. "Also, with me cross promoting in the magazine with my column Capo's Cut every month, these guys are familiar with what I do and they take me serious."
"As for K&N, I have always used the best products for my machines. So I've always used and have been successful with K&N Filters, even before the sponsorship. This includes all our tow vehicles. I tell all the guys, why run no air filter and risk your motor, when you can make the same power with a K&N air filter and be safe. And why run expensive oil with a cheap filter when you can run the best oil filter!"
Related K&N News Articles about Pro Class Motorcycle Riding:Pro Class Motorcycle Riding - Pflum and Wagner Racing Sets 2012 SCTA Special Construction Fuel Class Record; Pro Class Motorcycle Riding's Jeremy Teasley Wins Top Fuel and Supersport Class at AMA's MTC Elmer Trett Nationals; Pro Motorcycle Riding's Team Peterson Conquers Glen Helen Pro NAHA Hillclimb Professional; Motorcycle Riding's Rickey Gadson Wins in his Kawasaki ZX14 at Pingel Thunder Nationals
Daniel Suarez crosses the finish line at Columbus Motor Speedway for his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory.
Daniel Suarez won his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio. Cale Conley posted his best finish of the season and Dylan Kwasniewski is starting to run away with the lead in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings.
Suarez, a 21-year-old from Monterrey, Mexico, took the lead from Kwasniewski on lap 65 and was out front for the remainder of the NAPA 150.
Daniel Suarez led 88 laps of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race NAPA 150 Columbus Motor Speedway.
"It's amazing. I cannot explain this feeling," said Suarez, driver of the No. 6 Toyota for Rev Racing. "I worked really hard for this moment. I'm really happy for this result. I am really happy too for all these guys. They are working really hard for this result. Just try to keep this momentum going."
Suarez also won the NASCAR Toyota Series race in Monterrey, Mexico on June 30. His win at Columbus Motor Speedway was the first in 24 starts in the K&N Pro Series East. He became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race since Rogelio Lopez at Nashville in 2007.
Conley, who won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Columbus Motor Speedway last year, was second, his third top-five finish in eight races.
Daniel Suarez celebrates his win in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Columbus Motor Speedway.
"Daniel was super fast," Conley said. "May have been able to get to him, but Dylan had such a good restart, he was right on his butt and I was blocked out."
Kwasniewski won the pole and led the first 64 laps of the race. Suarez worked his way from the seventh starting spot to challenge Kwasniewski for the lead. There were only three caution periods in the race for 17 laps.
Daniel Suarez shows off his trophy after winning the NAPA 150 at Columbus Motor Speedway.
"(Suarez) was so good on the long runs," Conley said. "Who would have thought Columbus would be a long-run race. And it was. We weren't bad. We had a second or third place car."
Conley dominated the race at Columbus Motor Speedway last year. He started on the front row and took the lead on the first lap. He led every lap and won the first race of his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East career.
This time around, he ran with the leaders, but had trouble matching Suarez.
"Not the same story as last year, but totally new team, totally new shop," Conley said. "This year, we've struggled. This was our highest finish we've had all year. We started from zero and now we're getting second places halfway into the year. It's not where we were last year, but from where we were at early, this feels like a win for us. If it wasn't for the guys, we wouldn't be here."
With his third-place finish, Kwasniewski padded his lead in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings. He is 23 points ahead of Brett Moffitt, who finished seventh at Columbus Motor Speedway. Ben Kennedy, who was ninth at Columbus, is 30 points behind Kwasniewski after eight races.
"We had a good car. It was close," Kwasniewski said. "I was just trying to conserve my stuff as long as I could. I knew it was just a matter of time before we got passed by Suarez."
Kwasniewski won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship in 2012.
The next NASCAR K&N Pro Series race is at Iowa Speedway on August 2. It will be the second race for the drivers and teams from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West.
Related K&N News Articles about Columbus Motor Speedway and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East: Cale Conley Wins First NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Race at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio; NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Racer Dylan Kwasniewski Wins at Langley Speedway in Virginia; Darrell Wallace Jr. Wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Race at Columbus Motor Speedway; NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Racer Ben Kennedy Wins NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 at Bowman Gray Stadium; Driver Ryan Gifford Wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race Blue Ox 100 at Richmond International Raceway
