[coverattach=1]XTreme Rebellion/RumBum team looks to clinch Countdown berth in Indy
CLERMONT, Ind. – A first-round loss in Reading coupled with a finals appearance by Michael Phillips combined to put Shawn Gann in ninth place in the NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle standings with only one more race before the Countdown to 1 begins. Adding to the stress level is the fact the final race of the “regular season” is the Big Go.
The North Carolina native has seen success at O’Reilly Raceway Park, winning the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle here in 2001. Last year, however, Gann saw a long week end with a gut-wrenching 17th qualifying position, forcing him to miss the Labor Day classic. Despite the pressure going into the weekend and last year’s DNS, the four-time Nationals winner is stoked about returning to the U.S. Nationals.
“Indy is awesome!” he said. “Indy is, for racecar drivers, one of the highlights of life and I look at it that way. I think Indianapolis is a highlight of my life. I’ve never won there, but I did go to the finals four years in a row. Most of the time, I know I’m going to do well there. I love Indianapolis.”
The pilot of the XTreme Rebellion/RumBum Buell also understands there is more at stake this weekend than winning his fifth Wally. After Phillips jumped three spots to eighth in the PSM standings after making the finals at Maple Grove Raceway two weeks ago, Gann’s place in the Countdown to 1 isn’t as secure as it once was. He knows he has to win rounds in Monday’s eliminations to make his dream of earning an NHRA Full Throttle Series title a reality.
“Us going out in the first round in Reading and Phillips going as deep as he did really hurt us in the standings,” Gann said. “I don’t think we’ve ever felt like we’ve been a sure thing to make the Countdown, but we know we’re better than our results have been. We want put XTreme Rebellion and RumBum in the Winner’s Circle in Indy and we want to get them in the Countdown.”
Gann and the rest of the NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle class qualify for Monday’s eliminations for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Friday at 5:30 p.m. EST. Saturday’s qualifying for the bikes is scheduled to start at 1:25 p.m. with the third round starting at 5:45 p.m. Sunday’s qualifying rounds are 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and Monday’s eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
For more information about the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park, visit them on the Web at OReillyRacewayPark.com. Event qualifying can be seen on ESPN2 Sunday at 11:30 a.m. EST and 5 p.m. Eliminations air at 1 p.m. EST Monday and again Friday at 3 a.m. The race can be heard via live streaming Sunday at NHRA.com.
Fans can follow Shawn Gann at Twitter.com/ShawnGann or on his page on Facebook.
SHAWN GANN FAST FACTS:
CLERMONT, Ind. – A first-round loss in Reading coupled with a finals appearance by Michael Phillips combined to put Shawn Gann in ninth place in the NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle standings with only one more race before the Countdown to 1 begins. Adding to the stress level is the fact the final race of the “regular season” is the Big Go.
The North Carolina native has seen success at O’Reilly Raceway Park, winning the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle here in 2001. Last year, however, Gann saw a long week end with a gut-wrenching 17th qualifying position, forcing him to miss the Labor Day classic. Despite the pressure going into the weekend and last year’s DNS, the four-time Nationals winner is stoked about returning to the U.S. Nationals.
“Indy is awesome!” he said. “Indy is, for racecar drivers, one of the highlights of life and I look at it that way. I think Indianapolis is a highlight of my life. I’ve never won there, but I did go to the finals four years in a row. Most of the time, I know I’m going to do well there. I love Indianapolis.”
The pilot of the XTreme Rebellion/RumBum Buell also understands there is more at stake this weekend than winning his fifth Wally. After Phillips jumped three spots to eighth in the PSM standings after making the finals at Maple Grove Raceway two weeks ago, Gann’s place in the Countdown to 1 isn’t as secure as it once was. He knows he has to win rounds in Monday’s eliminations to make his dream of earning an NHRA Full Throttle Series title a reality.
“Us going out in the first round in Reading and Phillips going as deep as he did really hurt us in the standings,” Gann said. “I don’t think we’ve ever felt like we’ve been a sure thing to make the Countdown, but we know we’re better than our results have been. We want put XTreme Rebellion and RumBum in the Winner’s Circle in Indy and we want to get them in the Countdown.”
Gann and the rest of the NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle class qualify for Monday’s eliminations for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Friday at 5:30 p.m. EST. Saturday’s qualifying for the bikes is scheduled to start at 1:25 p.m. with the third round starting at 5:45 p.m. Sunday’s qualifying rounds are 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and Monday’s eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
For more information about the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park, visit them on the Web at OReillyRacewayPark.com. Event qualifying can be seen on ESPN2 Sunday at 11:30 a.m. EST and 5 p.m. Eliminations air at 1 p.m. EST Monday and again Friday at 3 a.m. The race can be heard via live streaming Sunday at NHRA.com.
Fans can follow Shawn Gann at Twitter.com/ShawnGann or on his page on Facebook.
SHAWN GANN FAST FACTS:
- Gann is a four-time Nationals event winner in the NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle class: Joliet, Denver (2004); Englishtown (2003); Las Vegas (2001)
- Gann is currently ninth in NHRA Full Throttle Series PSM points, 16 points ahead of tenth place Karen Stoffer and 18 points ahead of 11th-place Steve Johnson
- Gann has earned five career top qualifier awards: Las Vegas (2006); Englishtown, Madison (2003); Houston, Pomona (2002)
- Gann’s career round wins record is 118-118, including 12 final round appearances
- Gann round win record in 2009 is 6-11
- Gann barely missed qualifying in the top 16 last year, qualifying 17th
- Gann’s highest finish in the year-end points standings in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class is third (2003) on the strength of one win, one runner-up, and a final round win record of 21-14
- Won the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle at the U.S. Nationals at Indy (2001)
- Gann’s career-best speed is 193.65 (Houston, 2006) and career-best ET is 6.952 (Reading, 2006)
