jkrell
12-13-2008, 02:38 PM
Team ATK Had A Tough Final Race, But Wins The Currie Cup Championship!
Team ATK had a tough final race of the season at the Best in the Desert Henderson Fabtech Desert Classic this past weekend in Henderson, Nevada. In spite of the disappointing Henderson race the overall season performance was enough to net Team ATK a Currie Cup season championship. The Henderson race started off great -- there was an exciting drag race start with competitors Mike Barnett (Jeep J10) and Gale Pike (Dodge Ram Charger) starting in the front row and the Team ATK Wrangler lining up second beside Greg Jackson (Jeep Cherokee). The ATK powered wrangler was the only vehicle in the field without V8 power but no matter, the ATK stroker 6 cyl made short work of the competition and by 3 miles into the first lap the ATK Wrangler with Jon Krellwitz and Pat Smith in the cockpit had passed all class competitors and were running away with the race. After two smooth laps creating a 25 minutes lead on the competition the ATK wrangler pitted to take on 20 gallons of Sunoco Fuel and co-driver change with Pat Smith getting out and Matt McCallum getting in. The third lap was going great until disaster struck just a few miles out from the main pit area. The ATK Wrangler clipped a ridge with the left front tire sending the vehicle over and ending the teams hopes for a finish. The Best in The Desert recovery crew was on the scene in minutes to get the vehicle righted but the damage sustained in the accident prevented the vehicle from continuing on to the finish. Team ATK driver Jon Krellwitz noted after the race, "It is very disappointing to come out to Henderson and not finish but overall we had a great rookie season, the whole team worked really hard, and we are here at the end with three class wins, a Baja 1000 win, and the Currie Cup Championship. That's a pretty great year for a new race car and team."
A tremendous thank you to everybody at Team ATK that made this season a success:
Clive Skilton - Jon Krellwitz - Matt McCallum - Skyler Gambrell - Patrick Smith - Adam Butterfield - Kris Hernandez - Russ Ficker - Kevin Davis - Chad Fryman - Ted Moncure - Nick Moncure - Allen Russell - Mark Sasaki
Also a HUGE thank you to our supporters that continue to made this program a success:
ATK Engines - Redlands Auto Center - Currie Enterprises - KC Lights - BFG Tires - JE Reel Drivelines - Advanced Engine Management (AEM) - Howe Steering - King Shocks - Beard Seats - Harmon Racing Cells - Full Traction Suspension - PWR - American Racing Wheels – Borla Exhaust
Team ATK had a tough final race of the season at the Best in the Desert Henderson Fabtech Desert Classic this past weekend in Henderson, Nevada. In spite of the disappointing Henderson race the overall season performance was enough to net Team ATK a Currie Cup season championship. The Henderson race started off great -- there was an exciting drag race start with competitors Mike Barnett (Jeep J10) and Gale Pike (Dodge Ram Charger) starting in the front row and the Team ATK Wrangler lining up second beside Greg Jackson (Jeep Cherokee). The ATK powered wrangler was the only vehicle in the field without V8 power but no matter, the ATK stroker 6 cyl made short work of the competition and by 3 miles into the first lap the ATK Wrangler with Jon Krellwitz and Pat Smith in the cockpit had passed all class competitors and were running away with the race. After two smooth laps creating a 25 minutes lead on the competition the ATK wrangler pitted to take on 20 gallons of Sunoco Fuel and co-driver change with Pat Smith getting out and Matt McCallum getting in. The third lap was going great until disaster struck just a few miles out from the main pit area. The ATK Wrangler clipped a ridge with the left front tire sending the vehicle over and ending the teams hopes for a finish. The Best in The Desert recovery crew was on the scene in minutes to get the vehicle righted but the damage sustained in the accident prevented the vehicle from continuing on to the finish. Team ATK driver Jon Krellwitz noted after the race, "It is very disappointing to come out to Henderson and not finish but overall we had a great rookie season, the whole team worked really hard, and we are here at the end with three class wins, a Baja 1000 win, and the Currie Cup Championship. That's a pretty great year for a new race car and team."
A tremendous thank you to everybody at Team ATK that made this season a success:
Clive Skilton - Jon Krellwitz - Matt McCallum - Skyler Gambrell - Patrick Smith - Adam Butterfield - Kris Hernandez - Russ Ficker - Kevin Davis - Chad Fryman - Ted Moncure - Nick Moncure - Allen Russell - Mark Sasaki
Also a HUGE thank you to our supporters that continue to made this program a success:
ATK Engines - Redlands Auto Center - Currie Enterprises - KC Lights - BFG Tires - JE Reel Drivelines - Advanced Engine Management (AEM) - Howe Steering - King Shocks - Beard Seats - Harmon Racing Cells - Full Traction Suspension - PWR - American Racing Wheels – Borla Exhaust