2006 Mac Tool NHRA U.S. Nationals

Schnitz pondering Saturday strategy

Indianapolis, Friday: On his only qualifying pass of the first day of the U.S. Nationals, Ryan Schnitz nailed a 1.065 60 foot time, then was suddenly off the power very early into the run. "On the 1-2 shift, the bike did a violent jerk," reported Ryan, who sat up in the seat and had a long way to coast to the first turn-off. "My anger grew as I went down the track. When I got to the end of the track I looked down and saw the chain off the sprocket and said 'How did that happen?' The bearing popped out of the wheel hub, bent the axle and cocked the wheel. We're lucky. A potential tragedy turned in to a minor repair."

qualifying round 1
28th: 17.725 at 33.83 mph 

"We high-tailed it back up for the free session for the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle just to get some data. We had a good 1.05 60 foot and slowed up a bit down the track, so we're trying to figure out what that's about. 

Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle test pass
7.219 at 180.65 mph

"We had a lot of variables as to why we slowed-a heavier wheel and tire, brand new chain, and the fuel curve could have been a little bit better. We've just gotta figure out what we're gonna do for the Pro Bike Battle. Where we're at right now isn't really competitive, but we've got all morning to figure out something."

Schnitz jumps to 5th 

Indianapolis, Saturday: Ryan Schnitz may have lost in the first round of the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, but he advanced his position in the four day war that is the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis. Schnitz clocked a smooth 7.06 on the Trim-Tex/Muzzy's Buell, but lost to Matt Smith's blistering 6.99.

Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle round 1/Qualifying round 2
(w) Matt Smith left lane .045 6.994 at 188.70 mph 
Ryan Schnitz right lane .027 7.069 at 187.05 mph
now 5th

"We did a good job on the first pass," said Ryan. "We made a bunch of changes to the bike and helped recover from yesterday. We cut a good light and made a really good pass, it just wasn't fast enough to beat a 6.99. I'm just happy we went that fast. Everybody at the end of the track was upset that we'd got beat. When they said Matt ran a .99, I knew we hadn't got beat by much, so I figured he must've cut a bad light. But when they told me I ran an .06, I was like I'd just won first round. I was happy."

Starting the day 28th in the order and only mustering a 7.21 on a test pass, Schnitz and the Muzzy team decided it was time to make wholesale changes to the bike. A different rim and tire, a fuel setting change, wheelie bar change, new valvesprings, and clutch changes were all part of the laundry list.

Even on the good pass, the Buell bent its second axle of the weekend and caused the bike to drift towards center of the track. "That's never happened to us on a normal pass, so we're concerned about what's causing that," said Ryan. "We took the one out last night that got really bent, and Earl DeGlopper straightened it out for us at his house. So we're gonna use that. Now we'll go back out and see if we can improve."

Q3 was not exactly an improvement for the team, but they lost only a hundredth in a round that saw many teams lose a tenth. They were second best of the second round, behind only eventual Gloves Battle winner Andrew Hines.

Qualifying round 3
5th: 7.079 at 186.64 mph

"I think they (Hines's team) has just got a handle on stuff, and so do we- lucklily. We made small changes that round. We changed the clutch a little bit, the fuel a little bit, and a tire pressure change. We were just looking to repeat the .06. It was getting a little cooler with the sun going behind the clouds. We didn't improve, but other teams lost as much as a tenth.

"Now we're having a lot of fun tonight goofing around. We're going out to get a good dinner tonight, and come back tomorrow and have a good day. I would assume tomorrow morning will be really good weather. If that's the case, we're gonna make small changes and try to improve. I don't see 3:00 tomorrow afternoon being better conditions, so we might try breaking in a tire or something like that then."

Schnitz 5th and ready 

Indianapolis, Sunday: Ryan Schnitz and the Trim-Tex/Muzzy's team were loose all day Sunday, the final day of Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying for the U.S. Nationals. "We had couple of 'malfunctions,'" team mechanic Kurt Matte says jokingly at the end of the day. "Ask Ryan about them." 

A moment later, Schnitz walks up. "Hey Ryan, how was that last pass?" A quick, unnoticed glance over at Matte.

"Uh, it shook the tire kinda hard through first gear," says Ryan. "The shift points might have been a little high."

"Really? They were set too high or they were made too high."

"Made too high," admits Schnitz. "About 150 rpm over where they should be."

"His mind-to-finger reaction time was a little slow," offers Matte. And that's the way it was in the Schnitz/Muzzy pit—lots of laughs and good times. This team, with Schnitz qualified 5th, seemed poised to make a raceday run. 

qualifying round 4
5th Ryan Schnitz left lane 7.091 at 187.70 mph 

After this run, the team added a brand new, freshly overhauled tranny and new chain.

qualifying round 5
5th Ryan Schnitz right lane 7.136 at 184.02 mph 

"The transmission seemed to work alright," said Matte. "Though we lost a little bit on the 60 foot."

"Missing the shift points may or may not have affected the overall performance of the bike," pondered Ryan. "We've tested different shift points and it really doesn't make a lot of difference. But it was a variable that was different from the morning pass. But it may have been the new chain or the transmission that slowed us. It's just another variable.

"We checked the new tranny and it was fine, but we switched back to the other transmission anyway. The chain stretched nicely."

Schnitz starts raceday against Antron Brown, who beat Ryan last time out in Memphis. "Payback's a bitch," grinned Schnitz, who thanked Trim-Tex Drywall Products, Muzzy's, Schnitz Racing, Bates Leathers and NGK.

Schnitz Loses by .004

Ryan Schnitz was licking his wounds and looking forward to his next chance to race after losing by .004 of a second on a holeshot to Antron Brown in round 1 of Pro Stock Motorcycle eliminations at the U.S. Nationals. 

eliminations round 1
(W) Antron Brown .030 7.111 at 185.23 mph
Ryan Schnitz .051 7.094 at 184.22 mph

"We had a really good bike, a good tune-up, and a great pass, but the driver was a little bit late leaving the line," said Schnitz. "This year I've got the best percentage of leaving first in eliminations of all the top 10 riders, and I'm the only one of the top 10 who hasn't redlit. So I really can't complain. Had it been any other round, it might not have mattered, The margin of victory was .004, or about a foot. It was a good race. It happens to the best drivers in the world, so I'm not gonna beat myself up too bad about it. I'm happy we qualified well here and got our consistency back, and I'm happy with our performance this weekend."

Ryan races next at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania September 14-17.

Schnitz, who thanked Trim-Tex Drywall Products, Muzzy's, Schnitz Racing, Bates Leathers and NGK.

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