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2006 Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals March 17th, 2006 Ryan Schnitz made a fast lap
in round 1 and a hairy one in round 2 and wound up second in the first day
of Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying at the Gatornationals in Schnitz led the first round with a beautiful 7.04 pass in the left lane right off the big red Muzzy's trailer. "That pass equates to four months of focus," said Schnitz. "That's what dedication will do for you." Ryan and team boss Rob Muzzy worked extra hard in the shop and in the boardrooms during the off-season, as they seek major sponsorship for the red Buell that won three races last year. Schnitz had his hands full in the second round when the back tire debeaded at speed in sixth gear. "I crossed the finish line, pulled the clutch in, and the bike skated all over the place," reported Schnitz. "I first thought it might be oil on the tire. I felt something hit my leg, and I think it was a bead screw. I got within about a 1/2 inch of Andrew (Hines, in the left lane) at about 140 mph!" "I think everybody will improve tomorrow," continued Schnitz, who noted that the weather forecast called for cooler temps. "We should see some low 7 second passes, maybe a 6." Schnitz expects to improve tomorrow also, as his round 1 leading pass was not a perfect one. "We had a brand new clutch, and it didn't slip at all. On the first pass they're usually very grabby, so the bike spun the tire through every shift. If it hadn't done that, I'd say that would have been a 7 flat." March 18th 2006 Yesterday's scary top end tire problems didn't slow down Ryan Schnitz a bit today, as the young Decatur, Indiana rider rode the Team Muzzy's Buell straight to the top of the charts in round 3 and stayed there through round 4 for Ryan's second Pro Stock Motorcycle #1 qualifier. Schnitz predicted a performance improvement for himself and the field for Saturday, and he delivered with a career best 7.012. "It was a really good pass, but through the first three gears I was hanging off the bike to the left a little bit because it wanted to go to the right. But it was a good run. I think the right lane is crowned just a little bit to the right." As expected, round 4 was warmer and slower. "The track was hotter and conditions were worse. Although Antron (Brown, the #2 qualifier) had, in my opinion, a perfect pass. But most of the teams slowed down." Schnitz will face Joe DeSantis in round 1 of eliminations. The field is just .009 of a second shy of the quickest field ever. "Obviously, anybody out there is gonna be a tough competitor," continued Ryan, who singled out former Team Green Kawasaki/AMA Prostar teammate Chip Ellis as a particular concern. "I don't think you'll see a 6 second pass, but I think you'll have to run .0's all day to continue on." March 19th 2006 Ryan Schnitz came up short on the race track at the Gatornationals, but the exposure he got on TV by qualifying No. 1 and making a stunning top-end save has extended his season aboard the Team Muzzy's Buell for at least one more race. "Rob Muzzy told the driver to
turn the truck around and head towards But on Sunday, Schnitz was disappointed that he wasn't two steps further along in the race program. "In the first round, we had a nice, clean pass with no problems at all," Schnitz said. "In the next round, we thought we had a good tune-up to repeat what we had, but the bike just didn't run as fast. Either something softened up in the motor, or the weather changed and we were just off on the tune-up. "All the V-Twins slowed up that round, including Chip Ellis and Andrew Hines. It might be that the carburetor guys had a better handle on the weather changes. But it bothers us. We want to find out what made us slow down and use it to our advantage next time." Schnitz listed some of the things that can cause a motor to soften: "Piston rings wearing out, or the piston scuffing the cylinder wall. Maybe the valve springs weakening up, or a transmission bearing or main bearing starting to seize a little bit. Basically, anything that could create drag and result in lower pressure in the combustion chamber." Ryan's arrest of the Buell's lurid, side-to-side, top end slide (following a debeaded rear tire) in qualifying received a lot of airplay and reminded railbirds of his teenage days aboard the small-tire, nitrous-fed Top Eliminator bike that initially established his reputation. "The difference is that with the Top Eliminator, it was in the first 60 feet that the bike fishtailed," Schnitz said. "This time I was slowing down and the rear end came around and tried to pass me. Andrew (Hines, in the other lane) didn't realize how close I'd come to him 'til I went past him, then he tried to move over as best he could. "But this past weekend we got a lot of exposure. A lot of potential sponsors saw that we could run fast and get a lot of TV time. We also got a lot of support from fans who came to the trailer."
Archived News 2006
Race Season |
