Stotz Racing–Man Cup World Finals Report

Man Cup World Finals Report

After our runner-up finish at the 24th annual Haltech World Cup Finals – Import vs. Domestic presented by Wiseco race, we headed home knowing we had an electrical gremlin to find. Frankie pulled the motor and inspected everything electrical on the chassis while Kent rebuilt the motor. They changed all of the sensors but wouldn’t know if their efforts would prove fruitful until the next time down the track at the Man Cup World Finals in Valdosta, GA on Nov. 21-24.

Web Cams sent us a new grind to test in our V&H head with new JE Pistons, but the electrical gremlins were not fixed. Fortunately, the MaxxECU had error codes that also indicated what might be the problem, and Steve Nichols of MaxxECU USA saved our weekend. With the use of the MaxxECU and guidance from Steve Nichols, we found that when we changed the cams and timing, our reference point went out of the normal window. Nichols recalculated the timing points and voila, the bike ran perfectly! This change took us from not getting off the starting line to the number three qualifier!

Kurt Sikora of Sikora Precision Machining offered up his new truck and trailer rig to travel as teammates in 2020 and this race was the test voyage. Our Stotz/Honda-Sikora Precision manufacturers midway looked great! Joe Koenig of Trim-Tex vinyl drywall products based here in Chicagoland helped us out with a new helmet for Frankie, and support at the LucasOil/MavTV filming of the Man Cup World Finals. Dave Dunigan and Scott McKinney, long time racers and supporters of Motorcycle Drag Racing, put up the money to also have it live-streamed right into your computer or phone. Larry “Spiderman” McBride’s Trim-Tex/Pingel Top Fuel bike started the testing off in amazing fashion, shooting to the World’s Quickest and Fastest Motorcycle pass ever! 5.50@265 mph. It was the most perfect Top Fuel pass we or anyone has ever seen!

Even struggling with electrical gremlins and Mother Nature we qualified #3 and won the first round of eliminations. In the process of winning, we blew a head gasket and hurt our last set of Millennium Cylinders putting us out of competition. Jeremy Teasley and Team DME Racing qualified #1 and went to the finals on Monday. Unfortunately for Team DME, the bike wouldn’t start and Gabe Frederick won the final with a career-best 6.58@226mph. With this being the last race we now continue our plans for our new bike coming out in April of 2020. Speaking of new bikes. Honda’s new 2021 CBR1000RR-R Fireblade is packed with horsepower and has everyone talking. We can’t wait to get our hands on one!

Now FIVE Time AMA Pro Street Champions Stotz Racing, first 200mph record and first Turbo Pro-Street in the Sixes (6.98) thank American Honda, prohondaoils.com, Sikora Precision, DME Racing, Al Lamb’s Honda, BST Wheels by Brock, Robinson Industries, JE Pistons, Air-Tech Streamlining, M2 Shocks, Worldwide Bearings, ARP, Win Racing, Millenium Technologies, mobiledynamometer.com, Steve Nichols & Maxxecu.com, Web Cams, and Vance & Hines!