HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1995-08-09, Page 15Times -Advocate, July 19, 1995
This Week in Sports...
. • Barracuda Swim Team results - page 15
• Hole in one at Exeter Golf Club - page 16
Dan Butters revs his Top Fuel Nitro Funny Bike on the starting line at Grand Bend Motorplex on Sunday. Butters set a
new record for the fastest bike in Canada after he raced his motorcycle down the quarter mile track in 7.05 seconds at
181 mph beating the previous record by .02 of a second.
Fastest man on two wheels
Dan Butters shatters Canadian record at Motorplex
Chris Skalkos T -A staff
GRAND BEND - When you in-
vite the top two motorcycle drag
racers in Canada to your racetrack,
you're bound to have a record brok-
en.
Two of the country's fastest mo-
torcycles were at Grand Bend Mo-
torplex on the weekend battling for
cash prizes and track supremacy.
Dan Butters and Geoff Pollard
pitted their drag racing skills and
their machines against each other
at Motorplex's Mid -summer Rock
and Roll Shoot-out on August 5-7.
The Funny Bike showdown be-
tween Butters and Pollard ended
when Butters shattering the record
for the fastest motorcycle in Can-
ada.
Butters raced his Top Fuel Nitro
Funny Bike down the quarter mile
track in 7.05 seconds at 181 mph.
Pollard held the previous record of
7.07 seconds; a record he set over a
year ago at London Motorsports
Park with his Alcohol Turbo
Charged Funny Bike.
"It really hasn't sunk in yet," said
Sports-
Lite
Butters shortly after his record
breaking run. "We've been so close
so many times and we couldn't get
over the hump, but today was our
day," he said.
Pollard wasn't upset his record
was broken by .02 seconds and he
commended Butters for a perfectly
executed race.
"He deserved it. He did a nice job
riding the bike. I take my hat off to
him and his crew," Pollard said.
The record-breaking race against
Butters on Sunday was Pollard's
first pass with his newly modified
Kawasaki Funny Bike at the track.
The bike kicks out approximately
470 horsepower and has a top
speed of 194 mph; however he and
his crew were still ironing out the
bugs.
Pollard said he still had a chance
to beat Butters during the elimina-
tion race the next day and regain
his Funny Bike crown, but he ad-
mitted he was up against a con-
sistent competitor.
"My chances are pretty good, but
the way Dan has been riding it
could be a pretty tough race." he
said.
Pollard, who has been racing
bikes for 12 years, estimates it
costs $30,000 in operating cost to
race his bike for one year.
"That's if you don't break any-
thing," he added. His pit crew con-
sists of his wife Cheryl, his brother
Greg, his nephew Neil and friend
Frank Allen.
"It's a family run operation. they
don't miss a race," said Pollard.
Butters, on the other hand, es-
timates it costs him $1,500 in oper-
ating costs to race his nitro Funny
bike for a year. The highly com-
bustible nitro methane fuel he runs
in his bike costs $50 dollars a gal-
lon and the bike consumes two and
a half gallons per pass, essentially
costing him $150 every time he
makes a run down the quarter mile
track. That doesn't include the cost
of spark plugs and oil filters which
are replaced after each race.
Butters said the high cost of oper-
ating a Top Fuel Funny Bike is the
main reason why there are not
many around. He figures there are
only 15 of these two wheeled racers
in North America and many of
them are not active competitively.
"Only so many people can spend
that kind of money on a bike, but
this sort of bike is the grand -daddy
of the sport. This is as big as you
can go with motorcycles," he said.
Butters considers his drag racing
career a weekend hobby and he
credits his crew of Mike Law and
Doug Snyder for his success in be-
coming the fastest motorcycle racer
in the country.
"I just ride the thing, they do all
the real work," he said.
Butters said he enjoys racing
against Pollard because they are
actually good friends. But when it
comes close to race time the two
friends quickly become rivals.
"When we roll up to the starting
line there's no more friendship,"
said Butters. "It's very competitive
that way."
4*
== Drag
Racing Results
Grand Bend
Sunday, August 6
Super Pro: Wayne Nielson, London, 10.28 at 124.30 defeated Shel-
don Hudson, 10.95 at 121.30
Pro: Tom Craig, Sarnia, 11.84 at 103.92 defeated Mark MacDonald,
Seaforth, 13.35 at 93.95
Street: Mark Brand, Exeter, 15.02 at 85.71 defeated Tom Cruder,
London, 18.46 at 70.20
Bike: Jack Learment, London, 8.71 at 148.51 defeated Frank Alling-
ham, London, 8.96 at 146.58
Jr. Dragster: Jimmy Dunton, 8.48 (dial 8.52) defeated Mitch Elliot,
6.49 (RL 6.45)
Pro Comp Quick 16 Qualifying Times
First: Jim McCann, Stratford, 6.96; Second: Bruce Boland, Std
Creek, 7.42; Third: Shannon Price, Mitchell, 7.43
Monday, August 7
Funny Car Shootout: Paul Noakes, 6:30 at 218.46 defeated Todd Pa-
ton (Broke)
Fram-Autolite Quick Run $1,000 bonus went to Todd Paton for previ-
ous run 6.13
Super Pro: Bill Klomps, Bayfield, 9.04 at 151.01 defeated Rob Atchi-
son, London, 10.31 RL 127.47
Pro: Steve Schrans, Dashwood, 11.98 at 108.69 defeated Fred Ellis,
Stratford, 11.41 at 116.58
Street: Don Major, Woodstock, 14.92 at 82.71 defeated Beth Kremer,
Sarnia, 16.15 at 85.55
Bike: Mike Scharon, Chatham, 14.77 at 80.50 defeated Frank Mathe,
Belleville, 9.67 at 121.29
Jr. Dragster: Clint McAdams, 6.14 defeated Jim Dunton, 8.49
•
Lawn bowling
Exeter
July 25
Lawrence Russell
Shari Palen
Ray Smith
Doris Hamilton
Henry Drachenberg
Marion Dearing
July 27
Marshall Dearing
Ray Hodgson
Roy Triebner
Stan Roth
Shari Palen
July 29
Lorna Spencer
Chad Smith
John Batten
Frank Palen
Howard Johns
August 1
Wilmer Adkins
Bob Thompson
Roy Triebner
Har Brintnell
Marg Deichert
August 3
Peter McFalls
John Cooper
Bob Thompson
Chad Smith
Frank Palen
August 5
Fred Mommersteeg
Gretta Richard
Lorna Spencer
Marshall Dearing
Frank Palen
2W55
2W26
2W25
2W23
2W23
I W45
2W28
2W24
2W23
2W23
1W15
2W22
2W19
2W18
IW12
1W12
2W27
2W27
2W27
2W25
2W24
2W28
2W25
2W22
2W19
1W15
2W29
2W29
2W25
2W25
1W17
Shuffleboard
Exeter
August 2
4 game winners
Pat Davis
Joe Gosar
Doris Miller
Myraline Desjardine
Steve Hrapchap
August 3
4 gan, je winners
Marge McCurdy
Hugh McKay
Gordon Hoggarth
Ann Northey
Gil Northey
Hensall
August I
6 game winners
Pat Davis
Lorne Archer
Hazel McEwan
Gertie Moir -
Ina Williams
Jim Davis
Hugh McKay
John Pepper
334
290
275
263
261
431
373
358
330
317
621
572
519
513
510
508
502
450
Got a sports tip?
CaII the Times -
Advocate
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'Equestrienne shows Arabians
Chris Skalkos T -A staff
Rebecca Darling has a hobby that has become a way of life.
Darling owns and trains two Arabian purebred horses at her barn on
Alexander street in Exeter.
Her horses, Amas, a 18 year-old male, and Gaileecka a 12 year-old
female, are specially trained show horses that Darling trains and shows
herself.
Before she was introduced to horses, Darling tried many hobbies.
She learned how to play the piano, she has tried skating, she has tak-
en swimming and dance lessons, but none have held her interest until
she took her first riding lesson on a Arabian horse seven years ago.
"I've taken other hobbies when I was young but nothing was as thrill-
ing as this," said Darling. "When I first started lessons I fell in love
with the breed. I knew someday 1 would have my own horse."
Darling has been exposed to other types of horses but she quickly de-
veloped a fondness for the Arabians.
"I've tried standard breeds but for me there's nothing like an Arabian.
To see one out in a pasture riding around is exciting, 1 would never
change," she said.
Arabians are characterized by their elegant postured and distinct
chiselled heads. Darling said they sometimes get a reputation for being
hyper because they are very alert, but they are no more hyper than oth-
er breeds:
Darling enjoys working with both her horses, but she admits it in-
volves a great deal of work, and it's very time consuming.
"You can't always depend on the horse. 1t takes a lot of hard work
conditioning the horses to get them ready for a show. The real chal-
lenge is trying to work together as a team. Rider and horse are both
equal parts of that team, you depend on each other rather than de-
pending just on yourself," Darling said.
Many owners hire professional trainers to work with their horses but
she doesn't agree with that because "it doesn't mean that much when
you do very well [at a competition]," she said.
Darling insists on training them herself and consequently it has led to
a strong relationship between her and her Arabians.
"We've developed a strong bond between each other. I've grown very
attached to them. Each one has their own distinct personality," she
said.
Darling attends over 30 horse shows either as a competitor or a spec-
tator and this year her horse Amas did very well the Great Lakes Ara-
bian Horse show held in London last month coming in first or second
in every class event.
"He's done well before but I was really happy with him," said Dar-
ling about her horse's performance.
After graduating from South Huron District High School next year,
Darling would like to go to the United States and work with Mary
Trowbridges, a professional horse trainer. Eventually she would like to
show Arabian horses at a US national competition.
"That's my goal, to be a national champion someday," she said.
Darling is prepared and willing to dedicate her life to working with,
and showing Arabian horses.
"This started out as a hobby but now Fm looking towards a career,"
she said. "I love to be at horse shows all day. That's when I'm the hap-
piest."
Rebecca Doling and her Arabian horse Ames.
•