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2007 Ground Zro Racing News

OJ Races to finish 6th in the Nation

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER - HAPPY HOLIDAYS to All the Harley race fans! The team has completed a successful season & managed to finish 6th in National Points. We also are Thankful to be #2 on the East Coast. The season had alot of learning curves but thanks to Pee Wee & the sponsors we had a good 2007 season. The team is eagerly looking for area businesses that would like to be part of the RACE TEAM for 2008. We have opportunities for Biker Friendly Businesses to advertise on our 30' trailer for less than what you would get for ads in the local mags. We will be traveling across the United States with everyone knowing you back Harley Racing. What makes it nice we have 3 great Bike Events in the area that draw bikers from across the United States & it would benefit ALL Biker Friendly Businesses.
We want to take this time to thank the sponsors that helped make 2007 so succsssful: Harvey's Bobcat Service has been helping the team ever since we got started in 1997. So if you need any dirt hauled or bobcat work give Harvey a call!!! The other sponsor that has done so much for the team is Sinclair Design Studio. Carla keeps the website up & helps with all the fliers & any design work, so give her a call if you need any work done. S&W Permitting has been on board for a long time, Doug has followed the team & helped with the benefit runs so if you need a commercial permit call him!! Imperial Drywall came on board & thanks goes out to Keith & Dawn for the much needed support to get us thru the year. Jonny Rotten has been the local Bar that has been with the team since we started in one way or another. And the shop that helps keep the bike running is ACE CYCLES in Sanford they have expert mechanics and can work on all makes & models. See PeeWee for all your needs.
THANKS & Happy Holidays to all!!!! WE are getting ready for the 2008 season opener in Gainesville Feb 29, March1st & 2nd. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

OCTOBER - Rockingham, NC - The team traveled to one of the best tracks on our circuit on October 13th & 14th for the Screamin' Eagle Parts Nationals in Rockingham, North Carolina. The Fall weather was a great change from the HOT & muggy weather in Florida. We knew the weekend was going to be a good one for all classes with the air as crisp as it was. The team was looking for some good numbers with the setup we had after getting the bike back from Simmon Performance. The bike was making a lot more power & OJ was having trouble with his timing on the shift points. The team managed to qualify 9th & was eager for some good passes. The way the bike was launching, OJ had 1 second to get into 2nd gear & the G-force was keeping him back too long. We should have run in the teens but only got in the 30's. We are scheduling some Bradenton test & tune sessions in the latter part of November or early December.
The team was satisfied with the bike's performance.  The Pro Stock is a very competitive class & we now have the bike to stay with the rest of the class. We are happy with the accomplishment we made this year & should end up with 5th place in points & 2nd on the East Coast.
We want to THANK all of our sponsors & everyone for the support we have received throughout the year & we will be ready for the opener in Gainesville in March 2008.
The team is looking for SPONSORS for the 2008 season so give us a call if you have any interest.
BE WATCHING FOR OUR "Annual Mission Impossible Run" in January!!!!!!
OJ Races at Richmond
SEPTEMBER - Richmond, VA - The team headed to Richmond,Virginia on September 20th for the Jim McClure Nationals. The team went up without the bike as we had Simmon Performance do some maintenance on the bike. Andy Simmon found alot of stuff wrong and went over the whole bike. On Saturday's first round of qualifying the bike really showed alot of improvement. The shift points are so fast now it had OJ's timing off. The team managed to qualify 10th out of 14 bikes in the Pro Stock Class.
On Sunday the team got the Southwinds Team of Eddie Lee from Atlanta. Eddie is a great competitor & good friend who also has been struggling this year. As the teams did the burn out & approached the lights Eddie got a hole shot on OJ & managed to run a great 8.16 to our 8.3. It was the fastest time of the weekend. We learned alot about the bike & chassis set up over the weekend. A big THANKS goes out to Andy Simmon for all his help. The team knows what needs to be done & OJ needs to react to the shift points. We are looking forward to Rockingham, North Carolina Screamin' Eagle Parts Nationals on October 13th & 14th. WE also want to THANK Virginia John & Shelby for helping over the weekend. Shelby got some great pictures.
The team is looking for Sponsors for the 2008 season & there are a number of ways to support the team! CONTACT  OJ or PeeWee for the available package. SUPPORT HARLEY DRAG RACING!!!!
AUGUST - Bristol, TN - The team headed to Bristol, Tennessee on August 12,13th for the "Thunder in the Mountain Nationals". The team was looking for a great weekend after coming off with the win in Ohio. PeeWee did some routine maintenance on the motor & we thought the first pass would be another 8.3, but things never go as planned. The first qualifying pass OJ cut a good light but did not shift into 5th at the end of the track & we ran an 8.6. On the next pass the engine started to run on one cylinder & OJ killed the motor. When we went back to the pits we found the valves had messed up so we installed new shims. The last pass of the day we had another disappointment as the bike did the same as before. Back to the pits we go & to work we went. We disassembled the heads & installed new springs & shims in hopes on improving the runs. After everyone finished we ended in 8th place on the qualifying ladder. This weekend was hard on a lot of bikes. Eddie Lee blew a motor up, the top qualifier Greg Krenik had a shifter mess up and Jack Hallenback loaded up & left Saturday night. It seemed everyone had some issue with their bike. The #1 in the class Junior Pippin had his backup bike there due to getting parts for his championship bike.
We want to Thank Tom Caldwell for hosting the Pro Stock dinner on Saturday night it was GREAT!!
On Sunday we drew #7 qualifier James Suber from California & this is the 3rd time we raced him this year. In Gainesville we won & Texas he won, so we were looking for a win. As we staged the bike, it had a weird sound in the burnout box, but OJ tried to clear it up on the line. As the lites went green the bike stumbled & would not return so we lost. After all the hard work of tearing down & installing new parts the team was highly disappointed. That's RACING & we will be ready for Richmond, Virginia on September 22nd & 23rd. It is sad that the team lost sponsorship from the Seminole Harley Owners Group. We want to thank those members that do support the sport of Harley Drag Racing.
JUNE - Norwalk, Ohio - The team headed north to Norwalk, Ohio on June 9th & 10th for the AHDRA Roeders Harley "Ohio Bike Week Nationals." The weather was just picture perfect. The team had their work cut out for them as we broke in Atlanta. As we unloaded and set up for the weekend the parts we needed arrived. Thanks to Shaun Reno & the HEADBLADE team for getting the heads ready for the weekend. PeeWee & OJ worked into the night to get things ready for qualifying on Saturday. On Saturday the weather & track seemed to be perfect & first rounds were underway. As the Ground Zro Team went to the stage lane for their first round, the bike went sour. It started to run on one cylinder after the burn out, so OJ killed the motor & back to the pits we went. We want to THANK a lot of people but especially Steve Kutch from Jessel Valve Train for all the expert help. We found that the valve keepers had pulled thru the retainer. Steve had the parts, but that meant we had to remove everything we just installed. So to work we went. We have to THANK Shaun & Steve for their help as we tore them off they were installing the new keepers & retainers. Matt Perry helped PeeWee & OJ get the heads back on & get ready for the final qualifying round. The team made the last round and qualified #6 with an 8.5. The day ended with OJ's Navy friend bringing 2 delicious strawberry pies to celebrate his birthday. Thanks CJ we all enjoyed that!
On Sunday, which just so happened to be OJ's birthday, his sister, brother & family showed up with a bunch of old friends from Dover, New Philadelphia to cheer him on. As the rounds got started we got Shaun Reno in first round & managed to win that round. What a great start to the day after thrashing on Saturday. PeeWee had the clutch set up right & if the shift points were hit right we could have a good day! In round 2 we got Jack Hollenback who just beat Eddie Lee #2 qualifier after the bike broke at 1/2 track. As OJ's wife Bonnie got him staged, the lite went green & the win light went to Ground Zro. That was a BIG win as the next round we got a bye due to the ladder. Next up was Junior Pippin, the champ, & he went against Mark Venia to see who we matched up with. Mark red lit so Junior & OJ were in the FINALS. This is the first time in A LONG time the team had made it to the FINALS & everyone was so pumped up!!!!! PeeWee set the clutch with the help of Matt Perry & things looked good for the final match of the day. Both teams approached the burnout box with the anticipation of a win. As they did the burnout, Oj went into the stage lites, only to see Bob Taft, Junior's crew chief give the broke sign & OJ blasted to the WINNERS CIRCLE. "It was the best birthday present that I could have ever received," said OJ in the winners circle.
Thanks to everyone for the help on Saturday, you guys are great! Thanks to our sponsors S&W Permitting, Sinclair Design Studio, Seminole HOG, Imperial Drywall, Harvey's Bobcat Service, Ace Cycles, Bar Out Back in Sanford and my lovely wife Bonnie for ALL of their support!!! SEE YA IN BRISTOL, Tenn. August 11-12thWinning Photo in Ohio
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MAY - Commerce, GA - Stone Mountain Harley Davidson Southern Nationals was held on Memorial Weekend. The team was ready for a great weekend. On Friday we got 3 sessions of test N tune in & the bike was performing great, until the last round. Sparks felt OJ missed his shift points but he kept telling them something seemed wrong. When we took the valve cover off the Jesel assembly, we found the rear exhaust spring had collasped. We did the normal thing & started looking for parts to make the repair. Tom Cauldwell had a valve & Mike Lozano had the springs. The teamed worked into the night & finished it in the morning. We missed first round of qualifying but managed to get round 2 in, only to find out we did not turn on the gas. On round 3 the team made the field with an 8.45. That placed the team in 8th place with 11 bikes in the field.
On Sunday's first round of eliminations the team was up against HeadBlade Shaun Rheno. As the light went green OJ pulled a holeshot on Shaun only to loose on the big end. We found that the front springs went away. Not a bad weekend, as we ran a 1.21 60' & the bike was performing well. We are in the process of installing new 3 spring valve springs & getting ready for the Buckeye Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio on June 9 & 10th. Stay tuned for more adventures with Ground Zro Racing.
Race Photo at Ennis, TxMAY - Ennis, TX -The team headed west for the Rucker Performance Lonestar Nationals at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas on May 5th & 6th. The weekend turned out to be a good performance one for the team as we got our 60' mark down to 119. The weather played a big part as the winds & threat of rain delayed the sessions for awhile. When it was done they made a decision to run the Pro classes on an 1/8th mile due to cross winds at the end of the track. This put a little dampener on our performance as we hardly ever tune for an 1/8th mile. The bike was doing great & we ended up qualifying 6th. OJ had great reaction times in all 3 passes but was late on the first shift points. In a 1/4 mile that is not that bad cause the bike has time to recover & we make a lot of horsepower at the big end. When you don't hit your mark on an 1/8th mile run you loose it all.
On Sunday we were the last pair out & OJ got a huge hole shot on the competition but again DID NOT wait for the light to shift & lost by .002 seconds. It was a big disappointment for the team, but we learned a lot on the performance side. The team is looking forward to the trip to Commerce, Georgia over Memorial weekend for the Stone Mountain Nationals. The team is currently 2nd in points on the East Coast & 6th Nationally. You can check the standings & the weekend highlights by going to AHDRA.com. The TEAM is still looking for sponsors for the rest of the season, so if you are interested look at the portfolio & give the TEAM a call.

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Race at St. LouisApril - St. Louis, MO - On April 28th & 29th the team went to the mid west for the Gypsy Rendevous Nationals in St. Louis. This time it was just PeeWee & OJ just like in the beginning. The weather was just GREAT and the track was prepped just right. On Saturday the team made three qualifying rounds and each round kept improving. We ended up qualifying 4th out of a full 16 bike field. The team also had the 2nd fastest mile per hour pass of the weekend. It is always nice to go to this track. The big Arch is in the background & an old friend always comes over for a visit. Tommy Miller & his wife Sue showed up to support the team. Tommy & OJ go way back to the times they spent in the Navy together. It was a nice reunion!
On Sunday we paired up with our good friends from Myrtle Beach, Stump & the KMA Race team. They just started running in the PRO STOCK class this year. Round one went to OJ & Team Ground Zro. As the afternoon went on the track was starting to hook up good so PeeWee did a number on the clutch. In round 2 we got Shaun Reno & the Head Blade team. They are always tough & Shaun can cut a good light. When the light turned GREEN, OJ got a huge HOLE SHOT on Shaun and the win went to Team ZRO. But the weirdest thing happened - the chain broke at the 1000' mark and tore up the bike. The body got damaged, it broke the wheelie bars & chain guard. This is when your true friends come in. Stump, Mike & Big AL helped get things off & Andy Simmon came around to help weld the wheelie bars back in place. With everyone's help we made it to the line to face #1 Junior Pippin. As we tried to fire the bike it would not GO! So the weekend came to an end with the team placing 3rd. Just want to THANK Everyone who helped get us to the line!!

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MARCH - Gainesville - The team arrived ready to do our qualifying first round on Friday but mother nature had stopped that with rain all night. On Saturday we thought things were going to clear up. The weather started to look better & the track crew worked hard to get the track prepped. As the afternoon approached the rain came back to cancel the qualifying rounds for a couple of hours. When the rain stopped they did get the first round of Sportsman qualifying in & we had hopes of the Pro's getting a chance. As the evening went on they canceled the qualifying due to track conditions. We managed to have our Pro Stock Association dinner around 7pm. Thanks to Doug's Smokin Meat for the pulled pork & Junior for the ham.
As Sunday approached we had no idea what to expect! But as we woke up the sun came out & the Sportsman were called to start the day off. The field was established from last years finish. The team was the 2nd pair out & managed to get an 8.3 pass on the new motor. The pilot had the jitters & missed a shift but the pass was a good one. Our next round had us up against Junior Pippin last years #1 finisher. We cut a good light .014 but Junior had a better .004 to take that round. We were happy with our performance & looking forward to Texas. Still looking for sponsorship for the season, if interested contact Pee Wee or OJ. Congratulations to Curly Jim & Kim Fontaine with the Foxhead Pro Drag Bike for the Pro Drag Championship Win!!! Way to start the season!!
February 18, 2007 - Thanks to all of you who attended the Mission Impossible Run and Cajun Boil. It started out as a cold day, and yet, many of you came out and showed your support. The team would like to THANK everyone who helped out at the Mission Impossible Run, especially Richie, Karen and Donna. The weather was not terribly cooperative by being so cold but we did manage to get the run done. Everyone that won was generous enough to donate their winnings back to the team including Debbie Colson who completed the entire run and also donated her winnings to Ground Zro (thanks Deb). We would also like to give Doug Wells and his crew a big pat on the back for the terrific job on the Crawfish Boil and Barbecue. We did not get to participate in our bike games so Miss Lilly did not get a chance to show up the boys! Faye and Walt deserve our gratitude for their generous donation also. Needless to say if it wasn’t for the support of our fellow SCHOG members and our friends we would not have been successful. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all of you. We will be in Gainesville on Friday for the first round of qualifying. The rest of the weekend will be action filled fun. If you want to go on a nice ride, watch some good Harley racing take the back roads to Gainesville and make sure you stop and say hello in the “pits”. Show your HOG card for a discount. Thanks again for your support!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! The team is getting ready for the 2007 AHDRA season opener in Gainesville March 3rd & 4th. The team is still looking for sponsors for the 2007 season - if interested call OJ or PeeWee. The bike is in the shop now, to go over everything. We are planning to get some test & tuning this month & get another session before the season opener. We have been promoting the bike on Thursdays at the Bar Out Back. It has worked out well to get the local bikers interested in drag racing! Mark your calendars for the "Mission Impossible" Run & Cajun Boil on Feburary 18th. Don't worry that it's NASCAR Sunday, the Bar Out Back has a BIG screen that will get you into the action. You will still be able to get that great Cajun food!!!! Come out to BIKE NIGHT & say Hello to the TEAM!

 

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Ready to Race!
2008
Finished 6th in the Nation and 4th on the East Coast!

2007 Certificate
2007
Finished 6th in the nation!
 Bike finished season VERY strong. Looking forward to 2008.

photo
2006
Limited race schedule. Finished the season strong with bike repaired.

2005 certificate
2005
Finished 10th in the Nation!

OJ speaking photo
2002-2004
Did not compete due to lack of funds and expanding shop.


2001
Finished 15th in the nation. Ran a limited schedule of four races.

trophy team
2000
Finished 3rd in the nation. Voted best appearing team in the Pro Modified class.


champs photo
1999
Voted best appearing team in the Pro Modified class. Voted most dedicated team in the Sanction.


1998
Finished 3rd in the nation. Voted best appearing team in the Pro Modified class.


1997
Our first year of racing we finished 5th in the nation. Voted best appearing team in the Pro Modified class.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Last Updated February 12, 2010