2008 Ground Zro Racing News

October - Rockingham, NC - The AHDRA Finals of the year were held  on October 10th, 11th & 12th in Rockingham, NC at the "ROCK". This track has a reputation of breaking records & Boy! did it live up to that. The Top Fuelers made it into the teens for the first time & the 114 cu. in. Pro Mods set a new record of 8.47. What a great weekend of Harley Drag Racing.
The team was looking for some great action with the bike coming back from the ANDY SIMMON stables.
As the qualifying started on Friday afternoon the air seem right for some good passes. Seems those race Gremlins got most of the Pro Stock guys as only a few had posted good times. Ground Zro came out strong only to have the front wheel cock on take off causing it to get a little squirrely at mid track, but we made a pass 9.30. When we took it back to the pits we found we had damaged the rocker arm, so we went to work on repairing that & the push rod.
Saturday looked like a wash out as rain came in the morning. As the afternoon skies cleared the track officals got the track prepped & the qualifying rounds started again. The next pass for us we managed to do an 8.4 this gave us the 3rd best qualifier for the weekend.
We would like to THANK the Red Dragon team for hosting the Saturday night dinner it was delicious!
You would have loved the cooker with the saddle bags & all the harley stuff!
Sunday started out down right chilly for the Florida team. It was a nice change to have fall in the air. We drew the 2nd pair out & had lane choice. As the lights went green we left together & it looked like a good race only to have the bike start missing, later we found that the ignition failed. Another GREMLIN!!!!
We want to THANK everyone who supports Harley Drag Racing & the team finished 6th in National Points & 4th on the EAST Coast. We are looking for sponsors for the 2009 season if interested please contact us!!

September - Dinwiddle, VA - The team headed to the AHDRA Jim McClure Nationals in Dinwiddle, VA. The weather in Virginia was just perfect & perfect racing weather to set new records. We have been plaqued with engine trouble all season, but we thought we had a good chance this weekend. Needless to say the BIG gremlin got us again, this time we busted a cam! Repairs were made with Thanks going out to the Headblade team for the cams. Shawn & Ricky really lent a hand in the repairs along with Tony from the Red Dragon team. Really makes you feel good when your competitors help to get you ready to race them! We made a good pass with an 8.4 run but things kept getting worst as the weekend went on.
The Headblade Team had the dinner for the Pro Stock association & what a feast!
As the weekend went on we found that the valve seat had slammed into the head causing loss of power.The bike went back to Simmon Performance for a freshup of the motor & should be ready for the season Finals at Rockingham, NC on October 10, 11, 12th. This will be the best race of the year with all classes looking for that Champion Rider & Team. So if you want to take a nice ride for the weekend, head on up to Rockingham for some FAST Harley drag racing at its BEST!!!
Thanks to everyone who gave their support & sponsorship for another year with the GROUND ZRO Racing team - see ya at the ROCK!!!!

August - Bristol, TN - The team was finally back for the "Thunder in the Valley" at the Bristol Raceway on August 10th & 11th. The weather & racing conditions were perfect. It has been since May that the team made it to an AHDRA event. In May at the Georgia race the motor exploded and it took 2 months to get all the parts together. WE want to give a BIG! Thanks to Andy at SIMON PERFORMANCE for getting the bike completed for this race.
The team has struggled this year due to gas prices & lack of sponsorship money, but we have not given up. The team of PeeWee & OJ showed over the weekend they are back. As the qualifying sessions started we had to start from scratch with no base line at this time. On the first pass the bike performed well & OJ hit all the shift points & had a good .073 reaction time. On our last qualifying round the bike was performing well. The bike launched & carried the wheel past the 60' mark and OJ hit all the shift points to get an 8.4 pass & qualified #4 for the weekend. The bike had a 60' of 1.19 which is a great starting point. The team was really happy to have a good base line so PeeWee could put a good tune for Sundays' eliminations. We want to congratulate Eddie Lee & Southwinds race team for getting the # 1 qualifying spot. GOOD JOB!
On Sunday the weather was still perfect but getting a little hotter. PeeWee elected to put a little more clutch in it for the first round. Round #1 we went up against Greg Krenick and he can cut a good light but only ran an 8.3 so we knew we had a chance. The bike launched great with OJ 's .033 light but Greg cut a .009. As we headed to the traps the bike hit a small dip in the right lane that shot the bike toward the wall. OJ tried to stay into it but things got a little squirrelly & he elected to back off and not damage him or the bike. All in all the weekend was a huge success & the team is looking forward to Virginia in September. Congratulations to Shaun Reno & the Headblade team for another fine win!
The team is still looking for sponsors for 2009 so if you or your business want some exposure call us. HARLEY RACING RULES!!!!!

May - Commerce, GA - The team headed to Commerce, Georgia for the Georgia Nationals on May 24th Memorial weekend. The team was looking forward to a good weekend after finding all the things wrong with the bike setup. We had high hopes of getting rid of the race gremlins and having a great weekend. The bike had just come back from SIMON PERFORMANCE due to the rocker arm busted. As we went to qualify for the first round things seemed fine, at half track oil was everywhere. After checking the bike out we found it had too much oil in it & it blew the oil out the breather. Again our racing luck this year has gone away! We managed to make the field with 9 bikes in attendance. But the last pass was the best, after the launch the bike took off like a rapped ape & all the shift points were right on. Then ALL hell broke loose at 130mph the bike started to shake soooo bad I thought my eye balls would POP out. OJ managed to shut the bike down & coast to the end. This was going to be bad, after looking at the engine the crank would turn but the pistons did not move. Well, back to the shop it would go!
The gas prices have really hit alot of the racers. We have managed to get to the races but the breakage is really costing us big time. The team is still looking for that individual or business that would want to be a marketing partner & enjoy being part of an American Drag Bike Team.
Please call if you have any interest!! The team will be going to the Buckeye Nationals in Norwalk ,Ohio on June 13th & 14th. 

MAY - Ennis, TX - Here it is May already and the team traveled across the States to the Lonestar Nationals in Ennis,Texas which is just outside of the Dallas area. The team was looking for a great weekend after the St. Louis race. The weather turned out to be something else again. This time it was tornados that touched down just as we made it thru the town of Canton, Texas. But the track conditions were perfect.
As the gremlins keep chasing us, PeeWee & OJ came up with a game plan to see if we could chase a few of them away.
During qualifying OJ  was going to shift the bike as fast as he could to see what the computer data would give us. On that first round the bike did not respond to what was needed so PeeWee started to chase the problem. After checking things we decided to check the new shift minder that was installed at the beginning of the season. LOW & BEHOLD the minder was set up backwords & causing all the problems with the shift light. With the help of Shaun Reno with the HEADBLADE team & Ricky his crew chief, PeeWee was able to get that gremlin repaired. The next round was another problem, now we blew the clutch away. After setting up a new clutch to go with the launch RPM & the shift minder set, OJ felt confident that he could get back to the way the bike was before.  Round #3  was going to be our test to get rid of those race gremlins. As OJ did the burn out to get set for our last qualifying round; the bike went dead. We took it back to the pits & started to tear it   down to see what happened. The thought was a pinion gear broke & that could be repaired. But after taking the valve covers off we found a roller on the rocker broken & after taking the side case off the pinion shaft had twisted OFF! The team was done for the weekend, but alot of positive stuff came out & we are looking forward to the Atlanta race on May 24th & 25th.
THANKS to the Headblade team for their win in Texas & the help on getting the bike set up properly.
Happy Birthday to Doug Wells with S&W Permitting Services & all the fine sponsors.
Also, THANKS to April with BLINKEYE WARE for coming to the track with some new sunglasses & sponsoring the team for another year. Check out all of our sponsors on the web site.  THANKS TO ALL for the SUPPORT!!!!

APRIL - St. Louis, MO - The team traveled to the Gateway  to the Midwest St Louis, Missouri for the AHDRA Nationals. The trip was one that will never be forgotten as an earthquake shook the St. Louis area. The team has been following a few racing gremlins since Gainesville. The same thing was happening in St. Louis, but we tried to do our best & get some  good passes.
The weather was a big problem when we arrived, the rain came in & it almost felt like snow, but Sunday turned out to be a great day for racing. Saturday during qualifying rounds OJ's Navy friends Tommy from St Charles & Gene from Chicago area brought their wives Sue & Kim and spent some time at the track talking about the Navy years. It was good to see them both.
The team qualified with an 8.6 which is not what the bike should do,  but we made it into the program for Sunday. On Sunday the crowds started to roll in early for a great afternoon of Harley racing. We drew the #2 qualifier for our first round. As OJ went to stage the bike he started to get on the 2 step ignition and the bike QUIT! That was it for the day. We later found out the coil bolt fell out & grounded out causing the bike to quit running.
It was not a total loss, we gained some valuable info for future races. The team would like to THANK Keith with Imperial Drywall for his sponsorship, you really stepped in at the right time. We still have sponsorship packets available so if you or a friend are interested in sponsoring a Harley Race Team give us a call. We head to Texas next month.

MARCH - Gainesville, FL - The first race of the 2008 season has been completed. The team came away with alot of knowledge & some good times. The bike performed well & really is making some great horsepower. The reaction times OJ had were outstanding for the season opener. The bike qualified 7th with a 12 bike field in attendance. The BIG problem is the power the bike is making we are not shifting quick enough. OJ has hundredths of seconds to get the bike into 2nd & 3rd & he is on the rev limiter. We are working on the bike getting ready for our next race in St Louis. The team is eager to get back on the track & try some new things to get the shift points right.The Crew Chief was happy with the  tune up & clutch set up he put in the bike on the last pass. The bike 60' mark was a 117. Pee Wee did a great job getting the bike to perform so well, despite the way he felt after his bike accident. All in All it turned out to be a good weekend & we are looking forward t o a GREAT season with the AHDRA.
The team is still looking for sponsors for the 2008 season & advertisers for the trailer. We have a 30' mobile billboard that will travel around the United States to advertise your products. If interested please call OJ or PeeWee for some great advertising rates. Thanks to ALL the local race fans who came up to Gainesville to cheer the team on!!!! 2008 a WINNING YEAR!!!!

JANUARY - The team would like to THANK everyone that came out to the Bar Out Back on Sunday to help support the Ground Zro Benefit. Doug & Carla along with some good friends helped to make it a great day. The weather hampered the turnout for the ride, but as the day went on more riders showed up & helped make it a successful event. The American Biker TV was on site filming the event for their Sunday morning show on Brighthouse Channel 21. We managed to do the auction and would like to thank  Chrome Specialities, Tucker Rockie, Drag Speciality & Debbie Colson along with Monk from Dixie Biker for their generous donations. The bike games were next & really got the crowd going with the slow race & weenie bite contests. My brother Jimmy was the slowest, Lisa & Warren took the weenie bite plaque. The place was a ROCKIN with the 'Sofa Kings" on stage for the entire afternoon. Chef Doug had the BEST seafood low boil & also some smokin' barbeque for everyone to enjoy. The day turned out to be great with alot of people checking the race bike out & asking alot of questions. See photos from the event. The team will be in Gainesville on Friday February 29th, Saturday March 1st & 2nd. See schedule. You can check the team on display on Thursday, February 21st at the Bar Out Back along with the AHDRA Pro Fuel Drag bike & some discount coupons, so come out for a Thursday Bike Night!!!
We also will be on display for the annual appreciation to the RACERS held at the Foxhead along with the Foxhead sponsored team of Curly Jim & Kim and many of the local racers from around the state. So come out & SUPPORT HARLEY DRAG RACING!!!!!