04/24/2024
Congratulations to Team HTP on a great weekend of racing!
Team HTP kicked off the 2024 XDA season at Maryland International Raceway April 18-21! The weekend began on Thursday with a day of test sessions for three new Pro Street bikes and one new Real Street bike. The weather couldn't have been better, with sunny skies and temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. All four bikes were brand new, and Cecil began by fine-tuning the real street bike's clutch and gearing with soft 1/8 mile hits.
Friday started off with Travis Wood encountering some issues with his bikes, sidelining him for the weekend. Meanwhile, David and Chris continued to make passes, adjusting each bike to suit their riding styles. During Friday night's Q1, David and Chris encountered traction issues with their Pro Street bike at half track, forcing them to abort their runs. However, the Real Street bike performed exceptionally well, with David laying down a 7.51@180mph run, securing the number 1 spot for Q1 in the Real Street category.
Saturday brought unexpected overcast and cold weather, with temperatures hovering around 58 degrees Fahrenheit, presenting a tuning challenge. Despite the conditions, Chris managed to make his best pass of the weekend, hitting 6.81@201mph, though he had to end his run prematurely due to the bike drifting towards the wall. David also hit 6.81@186mph but encountered a significant half-track wheelie, leading to an aborted run. As a result, the Real Street bike fell back to the 2nd place, with Rickey Gadson claiming the top spot after becoming the first street bike to exceed 200mph.
Sunday had more cold weather, with the DA for R1 at -400 feet. Chris and Cecil devised a plan as he prepared to face Darion Payne in the first round. While we managed to get the bike to make a clean, straight pass, it wasn't enough to put Darion on the trailer.
The spotlight then shifted to David Fondon on the newly built HTP Real Street GSXR1000. David navigated through the field to face Jason Iannotti from GForce Race Engines. Ultimately, David emerged victorious with a 7.46@179mph run!
