Dorn leads class entering Pittsburgh Nitro Jam next month
NORWALK, Ohio (April 12, 2011) – They are the true daredevils of the sport, modern day masters of the impossible.
Reaching the fastest speeds in the world among the two-wheeled community with no traditional safety nets to speak of, the riders of the Nitro Harley division are renowned for their death defying 220 mile per hour passes, incredible showmanship and parity among the racers.
And all of that has been on display and then some on the IHRA’s Nitro Jam tour this season.
Steve Dorn leads the Nitro Harley division with three wins and six finals
Through four Nitro Jam events already completed in 2011, all four Nitro Harley riders have tasted victory and all four have taken their turn at the head of the pack. Beginning with Steve Dorn at Palm Beach through Randal Andras’ big win in San Antonio earlier this month, the Nitro Harley riders has proven the most competitive of the quintet of Nitro Jam classes and they are showing no signs of slowing down entering the second wave of races beginning next month.
“It has been a good year so far. We started the season off strong with some big runs earlier in the year and have fallen off a bit as of late, but overall the racing has been great amongst the guys,” said current points leader Steve Dorn. “Nitro Jam has given us a platform to showcase our talents and put on a show for the fans and we are always striving to make the most of that opportunity.”
And if anyone has shown the ability to separate from the pack, it is Dorn. Through four events and eight total races, Dorn leads the class with three wins and six finals, giving him a grand total of 233 points and an early lead in the Nitro Jam championship standings by 20 points over Andras.
Dorn has also been the most consistent of the four drivers on the track with a season best pass of 6.306 seconds at 220.01 miles per hour, just three hundredths off of the national record set by Doug Vancil back in 2002 and a little less than one mile per hour off of the speed record also owned by Vancil.
Randal Andras had a breakout event in Texas, going to the finals both nights with a win on Saturday
Even more impressive for the rider out of Oregon is the fact that he has won once at every track with the exception of his less than stellar outing at the most recent race in Texas and is currently 10-6 in rounds this year.
“We are certain we have a bike that can go out there run away with this thing, we just have to put the pieces together and get it done,” Dorn said. “Either way, the fans have been treated to a great show so far as these guys have really stepped it up and pushed these machines to their limit.”
Just behind Dorn is Louisiana’s Randal Andras who won for the very first time in Nitro Jam competition at the recently completed San Antonio Nitro Jam. Andras went to the finals both nights in south Texas, defeating Dorn on Saturday and coming up short to Jay Turner the day before. Prior to his win Andras had an additional runner-up finish in Baton Rouge.
In third place with 208 points through four races is Canadian racer Mike Scott. Scott has two wins and two runner-up finishes this season, although he has yet to put together a consistent weekend throughout. Scott joins Andras at 8-8 in round win-loss record in 2011.
Rounding out the class is former world champion Jay Turner, the most veteran rider of the field. Turner has suffered through a bit of inconsistency through four events, but when he is hitting on all cylinders he is capable of putting down some of the quickest and fastest laps in class history. While Dorn has posted the fastest lap of the year so far, Turner has been the quickest with a 6.302 pass coming at Palm Beach back in January. Turner is currently in fourth place behind Dorn by 56 points with two wins, but is perhaps the most capable driver in the field of putting together a late-season charge for the Nitro Jam championship.
Calling the Canadian province of British Columbia home, rider Mike Scott has had a successful season so far
“We never panic. This is a tough group of guys, but we are just as capable of turning things around and making a run as any of them,” Turner said. “We have been very fast this season, but we have also hurt some equipment. If we can just turn that luck around I think we can be a contender as the season winds down.”
Turner’s biggest hurdle to date has been learning a new bike as his primary machine was badly damaged in a high-speed crash at State Capitol Raceway back in February.
Next up for the Nitro Harley division is a stop in Pittsburgh, Pa. for the Pittsburgh Nitro Jam May 20-21 at Pittsburgh Raceway Park. Joining the stars of Pro Fuel and Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car, the riders of the Nitro Harley division will be a featured attraction at the eighth-mile competition coming up next month in Nitro Jam’s Pennsylvania debut as the battle for the Nitro Jam championship takes shape with four races remaining.
