Abbotsford, BC’s Terry Schweigert, pilot of the DTM Performance nitrous-injected Suzuki Pro Extreme Motorcycle, started off the season in great form at the American Drag Racing League season opener ‘Dragpalooza IX’ at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.
Schweigert qualified second out of 19 motorcycles on the grounds at ‘The Rock’ with a personal best 4.072 seconds at 174.50 mph in the eighth mile, just one thousandth of a second behind top qualifier (and 2012 PXM champ) Eric McKinney. He followed that with another 4.07 in round one of eliminations before improving his career-best lap to 4.061 seconds to earn a berth in the semifinals. There, he took out 2011 champ (and current elapsed time record holder) Ashley Owens with another 4.07.
That set up a final round match between the #1 and #2 qualifiers, McKinney and Schweigert. Another 4.07 by the Canadian wasn’t quite enough for the defending champ, who turned in low elapsed time and top speed of the meet at 4.032/176.70 mph en route to the winner’s circle.
“Dan (Wagner, crew chief) added a couple things to bike this year, and it’s working very good,” Schweigert told Inside Motorcycles after the race. “He has one more top secret to add for next race, and we will be going faster.”
Schweigert, a popular driver on the ADRL tour thanks in part to his patriotic half Canadian/half American paint scheme, was quick to thank Vance & Hines, Lectron Carburetors and his entire team for their success at The Rock. He plans to run the entire ADRL tour in 2013 after taking a break for the majority of 2012.
— Exclusive to Inside Motorcycles
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