Brock’s Team Suzuki Caps off Successful Season
By: Jack Korpela • Photo: Matt Polito, www.dragbikephotos.com

Team Suzuki/Brock’s Performance Products concluded a successful season at the AMA/Prostar World Finals from Gainesville, FL, Nov. 5th-7th, where each team member earned a top ten number plate.

“We had a good showing this year,” Davidson said. “We set out to represent American Suzuki positively at the drag races and we did.”

Team rookie Dustin Clark finished third in the 1000 Super Sport points standings.“It was harder than I thought coming back to racing for the first time since 1999,” Clark said. “I’m pretty happy with a third place finish. We came a long way this year.”

“Dustin was transformed from a street racer to a professional this year. He did a fantastic job and I am extremely proud of him,” Team owner Brock Davidson said. “At the end of the season we even had him riding Vince’s 2002 GSX-R 600 which was totally new to him.”

Clark recorded the first ever GSX-R1000 sub 8-second pass during Thursday’s test session but was unable to repeat the feat in eliminations.

“I wanted to do it during the race real bad to get it in the books for bragging rights,” Clark said. “It was a real number and I have it on paper. It made me really happy to get into the 8s.”

Clark lost to Rickey Gadson by mere inches in round 3 when Gadson’s .085 light and 9.095 was enough to hold off Clark’s .099 and 9.092.

“You can’t get much closer than the race between me and Rickey,” Clark said. “We were dead even the whole way down the track. It was a disappointing way to lose. Especially because if I won I would have had a chance to lock up second place in the points.”

Despite the successful year Clark has decide that is time to take a break from the rigors of motorcycle drag racing.

“I’m getting out for now,” Clark said. “I’ve sold all of my personal bikes. I may get back into cars for next year. I want to thank all of the sponsors that helped us this year.”

600 Supersport Class champion Chip Ellis filled in for the injured Davidson and motored the second of the two Brock’s Performance Parts GSX-R1000s to a the category’s first official 8 second Suzuki pass with an impressive 8.99 in round 1.“I’m proud to say we now have two 8 second GSX-R1000s,” Davidson said. “That was a big accomplishment for us.” Davidson Continued “Crew chief Marc Huelsman created his own software program to optimize our shift points for use in conjunction with our Brock’s Performance/BPD ECU’s. Marc and his math knowledge is one of the most important assets any team could ever have. I would like to personally thank his wife Tina in addition to Jonathan, Anthony and Michelle for allowing Dad to be gone so often.”

Despite an unusual first round loss Vince Woska placed a career high fourth in the 600 Super Sport point standings.

“This was my best year so far. I hate to see the class go away,” said Woska, the four year veteran of the category.

“Vince has really matured as a rider,” Davidson said. “He did a great job. He got the bike into the 9.70s like we had hoped.”

Woska ran a personal best 9.79 in round 1 but couldn’t get by Chad Millholland’s rapid 9.75.

“If I had to lose first round that was definitely the best way to do it. We re-shimmed the valves and put a really good tune-up in the bike and I ran my best time ever at 9.79,” Woska said. “It made the loss a little easier to take knowing we did the best we could.”

Woska will now turn his focus to the quicker 1000 Super Sport category for the 2005 season.

“I think we can carry this momentum into next year,” Woska said. “I’m really excited about running in the 1000 class.”

Despite suffering a severe knee injury this summer Davidson was able to hang on to the number-8 plate in 1000 Super Sport.

“I was on a bike that Mike Slowe was gracious enough to let me borrow,” Davidson said. “My leg still wasn’t 100 percent so I wasn’t able to ride to the best of my abilities. But I met my goal of staying in the top ten in points.”

Davidson says the 2004 season was a success and Suzuki’s track side support was a big hit with the racers.

“We were able to provide all of the parts a racer could want from Suzuki,” Davidson said. “At this race we sold out of nearly everything that we had.”

Davidson’s 2005 plans are still unclear, but don’t count on not seeing at the drag strip.
“I’m not exactly sure what is going on next year,” Davidson said. “No matter what I will never quit drag racing.”

The Brock’s Performance Crewman of the year award goes to the Boston-based husband and wife team of Mr. and Mrs. (215+) Dave O and Lauren Owen for unwavering dedication during the 2004 race season. (The pair will receive unlimited complementary rumrunnas at our next meeting!)Brock’s Performance is having an ongoing Garage sale throughout the winter months!

The team expressed gratitude towards all of its dedicated sponsors and thanked; American Suzuki Motor Corp., Ohlins shocks, World Wide Bearings, Bates Leathers, NUTEC Racing Fuels, Millennium Technologies, Alisyn Oils, Bazzaz Performance Design and Spiegler Brake Systems USA.

With a yet another VERY special thanks to Dean Shields of American Made Cycles! Davidson owns and operates Brock’s Performance Products which specializes in a vast array of performance products for sport bikes, for racing and street applications.