The Dragon Racing Fuels
– 1-866-KTM-PART Team consisting of Taylor Futrell
(64) and Tevin Tapia (211) came into Atlanta with great
expectations. Both riders are sitting top twenty in the East Coast Lites
Supercross Series and are ready to better their previous results and points
positions.
The Georgia Dome in Atlanta brings in a consistent 70,000 fans and turns the
home of the Atlanta Falcons into a hotbed of enthusiasm for Supercross. The
fans are as true as Team Dragon Racing Fuels - 1-866-KTM-PART bikes are orange.
With the first sign of fans passing through the pits, a new feeling overcame
the area. With this being the first open pits on the East Coast Series, the
riders and fans were feeling the excitement in the air. Autographed shirts and
posters could be seen everywhere as the smiling faces of fans young and older
walked through to see the riders that they follow so closely. A large gathering
around the Team Dragon Racing Fuels - 1-866-KTM-PART pits could be seen as fans
admired and took pictures of the bikes donning the custom tailored wheels by
DUBYA (www.dubyamc.com). There was a lot of talk about the pictures of the black
and orange wheels from Indy and this was their first chance to see them in
person. Fans talked in depth with Keith Struzinski
(DUBYA/KSR Wheels) about the wheels he constructed exclusively for the Team and
are now available to the public. DUBYA is your one-stop shop for all
aftermarket parts and accessories. DUBYA offer’s great products from
brands you can trust, like Dunlop, FMF, Talon, QTM, and so much more.
Eric Sebastian from MGX Unlimited graphics (www.mgxunlimited.com) was on hand
to answer questions about the Team’s brand new graphic designs. MGX
Unlimited are not only handling the graphics for Team Dragon Racing Fuels -
1-866-KTM-PART, they have started the complete design work for the Champion
Cycles -1-866-KTM-PART Junior KTM Amateur Team and will debut their new designs
at the upcoming Texas rounds. Keith Brown, owner of MGX Unlimited always puts
the Team’s needs first in coordinating exciting new designs for the
racing community!
Pitted with the Team Dragon Racing Fuels - 1-866-KTM-PART riders were the up
and coming riders of the Champion Cycles -1-866-KTM-PART Junior KTM Amateur
Team. Riders Daniel Baker, Colten Ford, Mason
Collins, Brandon Wollenhaupt and JP Tortorigi spent the day as Future Supercross Stars pitting
with Taylor Futrell and Tevin
Tapia and having the chance to do the track walk with all of the professional
riders, including the Greatest Of All Time, Ricky
Carmichael.
Getting down to the business at hand Taylor and Tevin
hit the track for practice and qualifiers. Taylor got to work quick and put
himself in great qualifying contention and was dialing in the track. Tevin was at work in the second qualifying session and was
ready to secure his transfer spot to the Heat Races when coming through the
final rhythm section he was landed on by another rider. Tevin
flew off of his bike and fortunately landed well enough to not be seriously
injured. Unfortunately he could not return to the session and his qualifying
time did not hold up putting him at the 41st position and missing the Heats by
one spot.
The First Heat Race lined Taylor up against a solid group led by Stroupe, Barcia, Regal and Wilson. The drop of the gate and
the rising cheers saw Taylor get another solid start he came clean around the
first turn. Taylor rode completely consistent and concentrated on putting in
good laps. As he took the checkers Taylor clinched the eighth transfer spot!
As Taylor lined up for the Main Event, the Georgia crowd rose to their feet. As
the gate dropped, Taylor’s number 64 shot
towards the first turn and the Spike Holeshot marker.
With camera flashes lighting the entire stadium, Taylor got pinched coming
around the corner and had to start the work of climbing through the pack. After
clearing the bikes, Taylor grabbed the throttle to make up for lost time. While
the Georgia Dome was watching one of the best races in the Lites class this
year the battle up front and changing positions were drawing huge roars of
satisfaction from the fans. Meanwhile the atmosphere in the middle was the same.
Positions were changing almost every lap. As the riders approached the
checkered flag on the fifteenth lap, Taylor came in at sixteenth. Although the
disappointment was evident in the pita area on
Taylors face he immediately refocused his attention on the challenge at
hand…Daytona.