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Bowers goes to great heights to display his 2011 number one plate.
"I can't explain it. I've said before that it's been two years coming. I worked really hard last year just to get the points lead I had and get close to winning the title, then it just slipped through my fingers. I had to work all summer to just recover and get back on the bike, go to rehab, and then come back to try and win it this year. I started off a little slow, but once I got that ball rolling, it was rolling good... I'm just happy to finally get it this year and just wrap it up. All the hard work for two years straight has finally come together." That was what the 2011 Arenacross Champion, Tyler Bower, from team Babbitt's Kawasaki had to say after overcoming last year's heartbreak.
Tyler Bower used last season's heartbreak as a motivator, capturing his series-leading 12th win of the season and the Arenacross Championship in Des Moines.
The 2011 K&N sponsored AMA Arenacross Series wrapped up inside Well Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Concluding weeks of frenzied, bar-banging, shenanigans, Tyler Bowers, the picture of consistency all year long, finally put the exclamation point on his championship winning season by capturing his series-leading 12th win of the season.
For Bowers, 2011 has been year of redemption, and he came into it with a clear understanding of what he left up for grabs in 2010. Last season, the rising star established himself as the rider to beat in the championship hunt, winning nine victories and holding a strong advantage heading into the final month of competition.
One of the happiest guys at Des Moines was Team Manager Denny Bartz who said "I'm very happy with tonight's race, it was great to have two guys on the podium."
However, a broken leg suffered during practice during the week ended Bowers' title hopes. Bowers was in his hospital bed as teammates Josh Demuth, the eventual 2010 champion, and Chad Johnson surpassed him in the standings. Gray Davenport, team Babbitt's other team rider finished the season in seventh.
Bowers put his heartbreak to good use though, using it as motivator to attack the championship with even more aggression and commitment than ever. Said Bowers about last season, "It was crazy. I laid in the hospital bed for two weeks just to get everything dialed in so I could be released to go home to Kentucky. By that point Josh had already wrapped up the championship and Chad (Johnson) ended up second in points, while I was third. They're two good guys, Chad and Josh both. I respect them both a lot and I think that they are even two of my favorite riders to be beat by. It wasn't that bad when that happened - I guess that kind of cushioned the blow a little bit . . . They called me in the hospital to see how I was doing. It sucks, but at the same time, what can you do? Its motocross racing and you're going to get hurt. At least I got beat by guys that I like."
After the wrapping up the championship and the season in Des Moines, Bowers raced the final three AMA Supercross rounds in preparation for his next attack of that series.
"We want to reward the new 2011 AMA Arenacross Champion for his outstanding performance this year and taking the championship in dominating form," said Team Owner Eddie Babbitt. We also want to give our sponsors more than what they had planned on. We truly hope to have a Supercross Team in the future; as well as have the top team in AMA Arenacross! The team has put what we feel is the best product possible under Tyler, and are both excited and grateful for some added involvement from Kawasaki"
Team Manager Denny Bartz added " Eddie and I are both on the same page with getting additional exposure for our sponsors, as well as giving Tyler a bit of a reward for doing so well in Arenacross, and winning the 2011 Championship. Someday we would fully like to be in Supercross, so it will be very fun for us to dabble with it a bit this year. Kawasaki has really stepped up some support; along with a few other sponsors. I think that it's going to be good for us - Kawasaki, Tyler, and our other sponsors!"
The final thoughts regarding the 2011 AMA Arenacross season come from Babbitt who said, "I am excited about Tyler doing the final three Supercross rounds - then it's on to next year!" I want to thank all of our sponsors for another unbelievable season, without all of your help we could not do what we do at this caliber."
The win at Attica Raceway was Henry's second straight feature victory on his home track.
When you're feeling it, it seems like nothing can hold you back from getting to the front. That's how Ada, Ohio, driver Jon Henry has been rolling this year. Henry won again for his second straight weekend at Attica Raceway Park, at his home track. With 27 Late Model cars on the track, Henry started fifth in the second heat race and finished first. Then he started ninth in the feature and he again found the checkered.
Jon Henry says he's comfortable with his car and with hi driving ability this year, and along with that comes even more confidence.
"Things were a lot different from last weekend," remarked the K&N sponsored driver. "The racing surface was much slower this. Starting back in ninth position for the feature created more of a challenge than starting in second last weekend."
Still, Henry was able to quickly work his way towards the front, and by the fourth lap he was sitting in third place after the first caution flag. On lap five Henry took over the lead and systemically separated himself from the field. With three laps remaining, Henry began to feel some pressure from UMP National Champion, Rusty Schlenk, but he was able to hold him off to the checkered flag, winning his second straight feature at the Attica, Ohio Raceway.
For the season the Jon Henry Racing LTD team has already collected four wins, and a second and third place finish.
Said Henry, "I'm just very comfortable with my racecar right now, and with being comfortable with your ability, comes confidence. Patience has very much been the key. I know if I keep my nose clean, I have a fast enough racecar to get me to the front."
For the season thus far, Jon Henry Racing LTD has already earned four wins, a second and a third place finish.
"You can't ask for much better than the way our year started for us at home," Henry adds. "My main goal now is to continue to be consistent."
Henry told K&N Race News that to prepare for this year he and the team focused on all the "little things" during the off season. "Our spring and shock combination, thanks to Eibach, Ohlins and Accuforce, really helped to up our program. And Hawk Performance hooked us up with new brake pads that really appear to help a lot too."
Looking at the big-picture Henry and the team see 2011 as a building season for their future in Dirt Late Model racing.
"I plan to race as much as I can this season and work on bigger and better things for 2012," continues Henry. "Right now my goal for 2012 will be the UMP Summer Nationals, which consists of 27 races in 30 days. It requires a lot of man-power and money in order to be prepared and to be successful."
The coming weekend of May 13 through the 15th will be a busy one for Jon Henry Racing LTD.
"We start at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio on Friday, on to Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio on Saturday, then the Allstar Late Model Series invades Millstream Speedway in Findlay, Ohio, for $4,000 to win." Adds Henry, "We are praying for no more rain!"
Forsberg also got a 410 win in Chico in the A&A Motorsports no. 92.
Andy Forsberg and the Forsberg Racing team recently traveled from their Auburn, California home to Petaluma, California for round one of 360 Civil War Series. The California Sprint Car Civil War Race Series features limited 360 cubic-inch Sprint Cars competing in multiple events, at several different California Speedways, between March and October. The series started back in the early '90's and has recently grown astronomically in popularity among both racers and spectators.
The Car Civil War Series win was only Forsberg's third night out in the F&F X1, and it was the team's first ever win at Petaluma Speedway.
The K&N sponsored Forsberg posted the time to beat, and went on to finish third in his heat race. Then, for the second consecutive evening an eight-pill was drawn for the A-main inversion, positioning Forsberg on the outside of row four. The track was uneven and heavy, but fast. Forsberg picked his way through the field and on lap 24 he made his move for the lead. He never looked back for the remaining six laps, claiming the victory in only his third night out in the F&F X1. The win was the first ever for the F&F X1 team at Petaluma Speedway, and their first Civil War victory since May of 2008.
The F&F X1 is owned by brothers-in-law Steve Tucheli and Alan Bradway. Both men have a long and storied family history with racing, and both raced up until 2002, when they decided to quit racing and join forces as car owners. The result is the Friends and Family (F&F) team. They opted to use the X1 number that Bradway's dad, Dave Sr., used for many years. Dave was a multiple Northern California Modified champion. And the family connection runs even deeper, as Forsberg's dad, Richard, raced against all of them and the families were all good friends. Forsberg also raced against Tucheli and Bradway growing up and would joke how one day he would drive for them. It took nine seasons, but he finally got his chance, and he didn't disappoint.
"Things are going pretty well so far this season, we have two wins under our belt, the Civil War win at Petaluma, and a 410 win in Chico in the A&A Motorsports no. 92," Forsberg told K&N Race News.
"The X1 team and I seem to be working well together and I think we can keep getting faster as we learn more about each other. Our goals for 2011 are to race for the Placerville Track Championship, and the CA Civil War Series Championship, along with various open 360 shows throughout the season. We race the A&A Motorsports no. 92 410 on Fridays in Chico, California and during the winter."
During the off season Forsberg kept busy building his own car, reviving the traditional red Forsberg no. 92. It's been since 2004 since that the Forsberg family has fielded their own car. Forsberg raced the first four National ASCS races in February, and ran a few Non-Wing USAC races early in the season before the F&F and A&A season got underway.
"We set an 82 race schedule for 2011 split between the 3 teams, F&F X1, A&A Motorsports, and the Forsberg no. 92," said Forsberg. "The F&F X1 races are all the Civil War and Placerville point races, the A&A Motorsports no. 92 races are all the Friday Chico 410 races, as well as a few King of the West shows and the World of Outlaws when they come to the Gold Cup. The Forsberg Family no. 92 races anywhere the other teams don't. It is definitely a crazy schedule, but we have a great group of guys, great sponsors doing everything they can, and lots of support from all the families involved."
Forsberg will be back in the F&F X1 on Friday May, 13th for a Civil War race and on the 14th the F&F X1 and Forsberg will be in Placerville, California for a 360 points race.
Tommie Phillips wins the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Texas
While Forney, Texas resident, Tommy Phillips will be the first to admit his 2011 season didn't start off the way he had hoped, he has more than made up for it with his latest streak of wins. The first being his double up at the IHRA Nitro Jam event in San Antonio, TX where we won both the 8.90 [Quick Rod] and 9.90 [Super Rod] classes and earned berths into the IHRA Tournament of Champions later this year. More recently, Phillips added another victory to his 2011 resume with his Super Comp win at the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Texas, the twenty-second NHRA National Event of his outstanding career. The Wally also marked his third consecutive triumph at the annual event winning in Super Gas last season and Super Comp in 2009.
Tommie Phillips' Tigerflow/K&N Engineering TNT-Suns Super Comp dragster
Wheeling one of his Tigerflow/K&N Engineering TNT-Suns dragsters at Houston, Phillips landed himself number sixteen on the ladder after his 8.953 win in round one. That may not have put Phillips on the ladder exactly where he had hoped, but with the way the rest of the rounds went, quickly changed that thinking with a string of luck that Phillips seemed to be lacking in races earlier this season.
Phillips next shut down Bob Collins in round two by not being too greedy at the stripe and taking a .013 margin for the win light and that moved him on to round three for his first of two redlight round wins.
"Sometimes it just goes your way," said Phillips. "I really haven't had much luck in Super Comp over the last year. This weekend I got a lot of breaks, it was like payback in a way. I guess I should lobby for NHRA to have more races here in Houston," he joked.
In the final Phillips would line up against first time NHRA National Event finalist, Larry Thomason. Phillips used his .017 starting line advantage coupled with some veteran finish line driving to easily push Thomason out and way under the 8.90 index all while posting a safe 8.911 for the Super Comp title.
"I'm just happy to get a win for Tigerflow and K&N, and each of our associate sponsors. Those companies and individuals have really stepped up to bring the Philco Motorsports team to the next level. Without their involvement I wouldn't be out here, much less be able to enjoy this type of success," said Phillips.
Summit Racing/Hot Rod Hardware Pro Stock Pontiac GXP
While it may seem as a common feat to some, there are many drivers who never get to experience the major accomplishment of landing the number one qualifying position at an NHRA National event in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class. Until the NHRA rolled into Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas for the Spring Nationals, Jacksonville, North Carolina's Ronnie Humphrey was still looking to scratch that off his "to-do" list.
Ronnie Humphrey wins NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway
"It was a dream that was unexpected," admitted Humphrey of his career first pole. "My goal is just to be good on Sunday in any position, but to be able to get the number one was a great accomplishment."
Humphrey is part of the KB Racing Pro Stock team and with his qualifying triumph in Houston can now understand the excitement that his Summit Racing/Hot Rod Hardware teammates, Greg Anderson and Jason Line have experienced so many times before.
It's not the norm for the very first qualifying session to have the best air conditions of the weekend, as was the case at Houston. Humphrey sailed to the number one spot posting a 6.571 at 211.16 MPH with Rodger Brogdon on his tail and an identical 6.571 only losing out on the number one with his ever-so-slightly slower 210.93 MPH.
Ronnie Humphrey at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas
Although Humphrey himself may not have a lot of Pro Stock laps down the track at Houston, there is no lack of information that is shared between the three KB Racing teams. "We were right there neck and neck," said Humphrey of he and Brogdon during session one. "Our team just made the right pass at the right time."
The weather and track conditions, while still decent, for the remainder of the three sessions Friday and into Saturday were never quite as good to the teams as session one. Humphrey was unable to improve on his first pass of the event, but he did manage to post the second best ET's of the class during sessions two and four and hung on for the very first NHRA Pro Stock number one qualifier right along with the K&N Horsepower Challenge $3,000 Low Qualifier Bonus.
"It was just all so exciting," he said. "We have great equipment, great crew chiefs and we just have a good driver that's gotta get better. Hopefully we can repeat this, but as we all know NHRA Pro Stock is extremely competitive."
With only a handful of events remaining to qualify for the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge, to be held at Norwalk in June, Humphrey currently sits on the outside with little chance of getting in, other than the fan pick. But for Humphrey, he is already setting the stage to be ready to go for the 2012 Challenge and a shot at the $50,000 payday.
"I just went into this event with a different mind approach," he admitted. "The first two races of the season we were being challenged by the car, the last two races we were running pretty well. But I had been putting a lot of peer pressure on myself to try to make those perfect runs. All I did was stop thinking and just make it happen."
"Actually, I made six good runs," he continued. "When I say good runs, you know where the shift points need to be and that type of thing. I just need to go to the next step, as far as the driver side of it and quit thinking about the starting line and just go make it happen."
The teams have the weekend off for Mother's Day and will return in full force when the NHRA Full Throttle Series rolls into Commerce, Georgia for the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway May 13-15.
Teams are looking to secure their spot in the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge. Current standings shown an extremely close competition throughout the pack and it starts right at the top with Jason Line and Allen Johnson who are tied with 2,380 points, K&N's Mike Edwards trails the pair by a 80 points and Greg Anderson, Ron Krisher, Rodger Brogdon and V. Gaines wrap up the top seven.
While the field may very well still have some bumps and moves over the next several events before it is set, fans can still vote for their favorite NHRA Pro Stock Driver that will fill the eighth and final spot. Also as part of the popular K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstake, eight finalists will win a trip to this year's Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, where they will be randomly paired with one of the drivers in this year's 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge . The lucky finalist whose Pro Stock driver wins the Challenge will be awarded an '11 Explorer courtesy of K&N Engineering and Ford.
