Need for speed: Road racing a rush for Summerville's Crawford
For Dan Crawford, the first few seconds of a motorcycle road race are the best.
"It's that adrenalin rush," Crawford said. "When the flag drops, you come off that line and you are passing guys and trying not to get anything wrong. You have to have confidence to go into that first turn elbow-to-elbow with other guys going 100 mph."
Crawford's skill at negotiating the first moments of a race -- learned from his days as a drag-racer in his native Indiana -- is a big reason the Summerville resident won two national championships this year on the WERA Motorcycle Roadracing circuit, the equivalent of NASCAR's "minor league" Nationwide Series.
Backed by local team Chad Walton Racing, Crawford won titles in the 750 Superbike Novice and 750 Superstock Novice divisions of WERA's National Challenge Series, finishing off the eight-race series at the Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta in October.
Not bad for a 39-year-old guy in his first full season of road racing.
"I wanted to do one full season, just so I could say I knew what I was talking about," said Crawford.
"I didn't know how it would go, but it ended up working well for me."
Expensive hobby
In his daily life, Crawford is a married father of three and a weld inspector for Force Protection, the builder of armored military vehicles headquartered in Ladson.
But on weekends during the racing season, he cuts an imposing figure in a black racing suit and dark glasses, aboard a powerful black-and-yellow Suzuki GSX-R 750, a racing machine that can reach up to 170 mph on the straightaway.
It's a thrilling hobby, but an expensive one.
A new bike like the one Crawford rides could cost more than $12,000. He bought his bike, which had been totaled by an insurance company after a minor accident, for $1,200 and modified the engine for racing with the help of Charleston's KWS Motorsports.
"Between tires and building a motor and other expenses, fuel and hotel stays, you can spend $25,000 or $30,000 during a season," said Crawford, who got his start in racing on drag strips in his native Indiana.
Motorcycle Insurance With Engine Modifications - News
A new bike like the one Crawford rides could cost more than $12000. He bought his bike, which had been totaled by an insurance company after a minor accident, for $1200 and modified the engine for racing with the help of Charleston's KWS Motorsports.
There are all sorts of reasons motorcycles can be dangerous, but the SAAQ's method of handling it made little sense: no consideration for training, experience, engine modifications, no HP restrictions for new riders I could go on but I trust my
Hundreds of other vehicles will also be on display during the day including Aston Martins, Jaguars, Lamborghinis and Ferraris along with a number of modified and customized cars, trucks, classic cars and motorcycles, and an aircraft exhibition.
But did you ever wonder how those fanciful body modifications and awesome paint jobs came about? Well, I found one of the sources for this automotive artwork right here in Carson City, out on Highway 50 East. The business is called No Coast Customs and
Based on the engine that made its debut in 2008 in the award winning Grand Vitara, the engine has been updated with increased power for Kizashi with modifications to inlet valve lift and also improvements to the shaping of the exhaust port.
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