NHDRO Summer Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park

The NHDRO Summer Nationals held at Indianapolis Raceway Park was an event to remember in many ways.  Cool temperatures, lots of fast dragbikes, and amazing competition made for an event that people will be talking about for years to come.  Team Van Sant/Trick-Tools made some memories of their own…..some good and some they would like to forget.

The event started out with a bang with a $16k shootout on Friday where 64 bikes compete in a bracket race with no qualifying or time trials.  The class is divided in two where half of the motorcycles are using electronics (delay boxes) to aid their starting line reaction times and the other half is relying strictly on their ability to time their launch with the lights on the tree.  Commonly known as Box vs. No-box, each side of the elimination ladders work there way down to winners on each side before Box side and No-box side face off in a runoff.  Chase was entered in the No-box side of the race on the team’s orange Hayabusa street bike and worked his way down to the semifinals before being eliminated by eventual winner Kevin Adams. 

Friday night and Saturday also included qualifying for Pros and Sportsman where Chase was pulling double duty in Super Comp and Pro-Ultra 4.60.  Despite a few rain delays the event organizers were able to get all 3 qualifying sessions in for all classes.  Pro Ultra qualifying was incredibly tight with 33 bikes shooting for the 4.60 number and many of them hitting it dead on.  Changing conditions caused the Van Sant team to struggle during the first two sessions running just under the index with a 4.58 both Q1 and Q2.  Q3 was the opportunity to grab a top spot for the team but shifting gremlins kept Chase from making a full pass as he slowed to a 4.83 elapsed time.

After working late into the night to ensure the bike would shift, Sunday morning eliminations had the team paired up with Chad Otts who had qualified well and was running extremely well.  Both bikes ran low 4.60 runs and Chase’s brilliant .000 perfect reaction time secured a round one win!  Feeling confident after the bike shifted properly, things changed quickly when the starter nut spun loose in the burnout box while paired against Deshawn Wheeler.  A simple repair but no opportunity to rectify the situation once the bike is across the ready line at this racetrack.

All was not lost though as the focus changed to Super Comp (8.90 quarter mile index).  Still learning a new MaxxEcu system and engine combination in the black Hayabusa Super Comp bike, the team relied on advice from master tuner Ryan Schnitz and made some good progress with consistency.  When the dust settled at the end of the day, it was Chase up against a formidable Jeremy Teasley in the finals.  Chase did everything in his power by cutting an .013 light and leaving first, crossing the finish line with a margin of .019 seconds, only to breakout by slightly more. Chase ran a  8.95 to Teasley’s 8.96, handing the win to the former champ.

 Thanks to all the quality people and companies who support us and help make this possible.