Presented by Humboldt Performance Cycle

GRAND SLAM ELIMINATOR – JUNE 11, 2006

Thirteen motorcycle racers and one future competitor who chose to “test & tune” turned out for the Grand Slam Eliminator at Eureka’s historic Samoa Dragstrip. Overcast skies, some drizzle, and a chance of rain (surprise!) were no match for these fierce competitors as they vied for the coveted points. Trophies, and prize money.

The Black & White Motorsports team of Wayne Cox and John Widmann excited the crowd, for more reasons than one, during qualifications. Enroute to his #1 qualifying effort with a near perfect .001 reaction time, Cox veered to the right from the tower lane and cleanly “mowed down” every cone, reflector, and sensor at the finish line. The mishap resulted in a 45 minute delay during qualifications, as well as a humorous “traffic citation” being issued to Cox. Charges included “destruction of property”, “hit and run”, “unsafe lane change”, and “failure to signal properly”. In fact, the only one offering any kind of a “signal” was Widmann (in the spectator lane – dodging but still struck by flying debris), who offered a “one-finger wave” to his teammate in the shut-down area. Luckily, no one was injured, and Widmann later claimed stake to the “Fastest Qualifier” award (of all classes) with a blazing 8.85 second pass at nearly 150 mph.

Eliminations began soon after the “delay”. Kirk Speelman, a quiet but staunch competitor aboard his 2001 Suzuki Hayabusa, was again the victim of a re-run caused by a computer input error. In the rerun, Speelman eliminated Widmann, then went on to defeat Josh Terebesi and George Brooks in subsequent rounds. Cox, from the other side of the ladder, defeated Ronny Klewin and first time semi-finalist Jesse Quinionez.

The final round of Speelman vs. Cox was a close one. Cox held an early advantage with an .024 reaction time to Speelman’s .038, but broke out, losing the final by running 9.102 on a 9.20 dial in. Speelman’s consistency and ability to overcome distractions (four reruns in the past two races) resulted in not only an event win, but he unseated Cox for 1^st place in overall points (160-152). James Surber (113), John Widmann (112), and Mike Pettit (110) round out the top five in season points.

Current points standings for the Sportsman Motorcycle Class can also be accessed by clicking “RACE RESULTS” at www.blackandwhitemotorsports.com.