Framecrafters Racing - 2015

 NOLA-Louisiana  

The first race of 2015 was a new track for us, NOLA. In Saturday's races we took wins in both the Sound of Singles 2 and Formula 500 classes aboard our Yamaha F450rr and Yamaha RD400. In the Sound of Thunder 2 race aboard the Apex-Triumph 675r we hung on to the front runners for the first 2 laps and slowly fell back finishing in 5th. Sunday's racing was a bit different. We won our Formula 500 race and were leading in the SOS2 race when disaster struck. A significant sudden loss of oil caused the piston to start seizing. Being hammered by the crank the piston eventually gave out and essentially broke in half earning a DNF.

On a more positive note our SOT2 race aboard the Apex-Triumph 675r machine was a big leap of progress Sunday. Dropping nearly 3 seconds from Saturday's race we ran in 3rd place for the first 2 laps and finished in 4th. Everyone in the Framecrafters pit was quite happy with the results and the progress we made over the weekend.

 Road America-Wisconsin  

Our first race on Saturday was in Sound of Thunder 2 with the Apex-Triumph 675r. Gridded at the back of 21 riders we made a fantastic start falling into 4th headed into turn 1. An excellent battle took place with Apex rider Carlos Gonzalez. Trading positions a few times and pushing hard the entire race we eventually took the 3rd podium spot at the end.   Next up would be the FC-BMGP framed F450rr. A red flag on the warm up lap brought us into pit lane. While sitting there the exhaust system sitting too close to the fairing set it on fire. Quick actions by the grid marshals put it out quickly with essentially no damage to the machine aside from the now burnt fairing. Our team quickly broke out the burnt portion of the fairing with a screw driver and pocket knife. As the other riders took their warm-up lap we restarted and went to our grid with the marshals approval. Sitting on the grid, the radiator decided to puke fluid all over which permanently side lined us for the Sound of Singles 2 race.

A positive and strong finish aboard the 67' 250 Aermacchi CRTT GP machine put us back on top, taking 2nd place with the win going to the ever fast Jack Parker and his Yamaha.    We then moved our attention to Formula 500 with the FC-framed Yamaha RD400. This was now the 4th race row for us ! A great start to the Formula 500 race put us in the lead heading into turn one with fellow RD rider Ryan Hunt closely following. As we pulled away from Hunt and the rest of the field on lap one bad luck would have its way breaking the wrist-pin clip and damaging the right cylinder side-lining us on lap 2.   

Saturday night our Ace mechanic Flexi Flier repaired the 450 super-mono machine and swapped motors on our RD400. Bill Bailey and his nephew Adam Jones swapped motors on the Aermacchi looking for a few more ponies for Sundays race.  

Sunday brought on heavy morning rain. After a last minute unsuccessful search for a rear rain tire to fit to the Apex-Triumph 675r we made the decision to run the smaller F450rr fitted with rains in the SOT2 class. The decision paid off as we took another 3rd place against the bigger and faster machines.

The sun began to shine after that race drying the track but we would be up again in the next race with no time to swap back to our race slicks for the Singles race. Luck would be on our side with another red flag (although under the most unfortunate circumstances) in the warm up lap. Grid marshals sent us back to our pits and the FC team quickly worked to swap tires fitting the race slicks. A restart with confidence now, sailed us to a win while turning the 2nd fast lap time of the race.   

Jumping from the F450rr back to the 250 Aermacchi was a challenge. Everything is quite different between all 4 of these machines. With the new motor fitted we stood a better chance for a win. Lap one of the 250gp race was close but showing Parker and his Yamaha a wheel too early he quickly tucked in and pulled away leaving us to finish in 2nd place once more.   Lastly, we would ride the RD400 once more for the weekend with the spare motor fit. With another great start we pulled away from the rest of Formula 500 field and began passing the 500gp and Premier 500 guys that started in the first wave. One at a time we picked them off finishing first overall and taking the checkers.

Team FC riders Rex Wagner, Nick Blasel and Mike Shallcross all had great weekends too. The motard class was won by Shallcross with Wagner and Blasel filling the 2 podium positions !

Grattan Raceway-Michigan 

The AHRMA national road race at Grattan Raceway in Michigan was not run under the most ideal conditions. Continuous rain and high humidity made it hard on everyone. We madethe best of it and took home 2 first places on the FC-Yamaha RD400 in F500, a win on the Yamaha F450rr in SOS2 and two 2nd place finishes on the Apex-Triumph 675r in SOT2.

New Jersey Motorsports Park 

Purple-Heart Vietnam Veteran “Uncle Robert” showed up unexpectedly and was quite the personal treat this year at NJMP. We went to the event with a light load. Still having trouble with the FC-framed Yamaha F450rr machine and needing to preserve our vintage racers, we brought the Yamaha 450 motard machine to at least get on the grid in the Sound of Singles 2 class. A light turn out made for a fairly easy 1st place finish both days.

The Apex-Triumph 675r was to be our main focus for the weekend. With a grid of nearly 25 riders we finished 6th and 7th. Fast laps were set by Michael Eaton, Frank Shockley and potential 2016 team mate Robbie Scudder. It was a tough and experienced group of guys to keep pace with!

The rest of the FC crew did well too. Brian Wagner finished 2nd and 1st aboard his GS1000 VSBK machine while Steve Jackson took 7th both days dropping 6 seconds off his practice times! Nick Blasel finished 3rd and 2nd aboard the FC framed Yamaha-250 M3 bike and entertained us all on Sunday battling with Chicagoan Paul Elledge in the Motard class for the top position the entire race and eventually having to settle for 2nd both days.

Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (Mosport)- VRRA, Ontario, Canada

We had tough start to the weekend with an early morning crash on the Fc-framed Yamaha RD400 in Friday's practice put me (Karsten) out for the day with a left foot that would not bend! It was quite disappointing considering all the work that went into our Honda CBR600F1 project for the two hour endurance race that Friday afternoon. Fortunately, Rex Wagner and Paul Elledge pulled together to carry our team, finishing 10th in class.  

Saturday morning we got out for practice on the RD400. Although stiff and sore we were able to ride. The heat race for P4-F3 (Lightweight) would be first. Fighting hard to just keep the front runners in sight, we rode in 5th place until the last lap when we dropped down to 6th. Our next heat for P3-Lightweight (main class) proved to be much better. While 2+ seconds off last years pace we managed to take the win, giving us the pole-position for Sunday's final.   

We made a few changes Saturday night including fitting a smaller front tire. This ended up being a mistake! In our P4-F3 final we overrode the front tire in nearly every corner. On lap 2 we pushed a bit more losing the front completely in turn 9 resulting in a DNF.  

Over the following hour our team worked hard swapping back to the big front tire, repairing the crash damage, and making a few small final adjustments. With a battered body and mind we got out on the track for the final in P3-Lightweight.  

Ty Waller was riding for his father Brent aboard their CB550 Formula bike, and we knew he would be a tough competitor. At the drop of the green flag we pushed the RD400 hard! Trying to squeeze everything out of the beaten RD, we led for the first 3 laps, eventually being passed by Waller. We passed him back in turn 4, but Waller would easily motor by us on the back straight. We closed the gap trying to make a pass but could not make anything work. As the laps clicked off the RD exhaust broke, losing a can in turn 3. Then a loose peg and shifter would further hinder the battle. Keeping our head down, we held on and finished 2nd.

Barber-AHRMA Vintage Festival

Our racing program went well for the final event of 2015 at the Barber Vintage Festival, which had a record attendance of nearly 80,000!  We placed 1st both days aboard the FC-BMGP framed Yamaha F450rr. In addition to our F450rr we raced the Apex-Triumph 675r.   

Saturday proved to be troublesome on the 675r as we struggled to stay in the front half of the pack, finishing 14th of 30+ racers. However, Sunday would prove a bit different. After a few small adjustments, we put our head down and regained focus. Dropping 2 seconds on our lap times, we placed 9th on Sunday in a field of seasoned veterans and pros. On the Framecrafters side of things, we unveiled the newly built prototype SAMCO Hyper-Adventure bike. The other FC racers did quite well over the course of the weekend as Rex Wagner and Mike Shallcross finished in the top 5 in the Motard class.  

2015 AHRMA Final Results -- National Road Race Series

2nd place, Formula 500, FC Yamaha RD400
3rd place, Sound of Singles 2, FC Yamaha F450rr 
3rd place, Sound of Thunder 2, Apex-Triumph 675r
16th place, 250gp, ZyZx Aermacchi 250 CRTT

2nd place, Formula 500, AHRMA Master of Midwest Regional
1st place, Sound of Singles 2, AHRMA Master of Midwest Regional
3rd place, Sound of Thunder 2, AHRMA Master of Midwest Regional
8th place, 250gp, AHRMA Master of Midwest Regional

3rd place, Formula 500, AHRMA Dixie Cup Regional
1st place Sound of Singles 2, AHRMA Dixie Cup Regional
7th place, Sound of Thunder 2, AHRMA Dixie Cup Regional

Thank-You 2015 Team Sponsors and Supporters

Apex Manufacturing
Cycle-Craft Yamaha
AGV Helmets
Dainese USA
Dyna Tek Ignitions
Barnett Clutches & Cables
Vanson Leathers
Babe Demay Racing
CV Products
Tony Doukas Racing
Scitsu Tachs
Race Tech Suspension
R/D Valve Spring
Webcam Racing Camshafts
ZyZx Motorcycles
The Powder Pro
Samco Motorcycles 

Teddy,Roland, Dan, Rex, Mike, Brian, Jim, and the entire FC Family!

2016 Race Program

As next year's plans come together we would like to ask for everyone's support again in 2016. Riding both vintage and modern machinery in the AHRMA national road race series we need your continued generous support to help secure our joint success. Additionally, we have a few select international events scheduled in 2016 and will publish these dates as they become available. Tentative race machines will include the Apex-Triumph 675r, FC-Yamaha RD400 and for the first time the FC-framed Triumph 500GP machine.

As a sponsor you are not just part of Team FC but a part of Framecrafters business. A successful racing program is a reflection of a successful business program. With each customer's inquiry of Framecrafters' products and services they are naturally exposed to our racing sponsors and supporters.

Each sponsor will be represented in a professional manner on and off track. With our social media and website promotions, sponsors and supporters are given the appropriate industry exposure and associated credit. Furthermore, Team FC continues to use traditional tools of promotion throughout the year such as; banners, stickers, t-shirts, business cards, flyers, and most importantly word-of-mouth.

We are a 4 time national championship road racing team with countless regional titles. We continue to work towards being the best and bringing home more championship wins with your support.

You can visit us on the Web at Framecrafters, or go directly to our Racing page.

2016 Tentative Race Schedule

March 18th-20th NOLA Motorsports Park -AHRMA
April -----TBD
May------TBD
June 3rd-5th Gingerman Raceway; South Haven, MI - AHRMA
June 10th-12th Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI - AHRMA
July 8th-10th New Jersey Motorsports Park; Millville, NJ - AHRMA
August 12th - 14th Mosport - CTMP; Ont, Canada - VRRA
September 2nd - 4th Utah Motorsports Campus; Tooele, UT - AHRMA
October 6th-9th Barber Motorsports Park; Leeds, AL - AHRMA

Photo Credits: Paul Elledge, Adam Jones, Nicole Hale, Etech Photo, Steve Jacking, Michelle Pink, TM Studios, and Howard Lipman Phtotgraphy.