2009 Season, My Last.... 

Well the season is officially over for me and by the looks of things so is my full time Professional race career. I have decided to resign from the team as they require more time than I am able to give. Project K Racing is in full blown race mode and Dave wants to make this a future GNC contending team. I gave it my best but as an older Married family man with obligations and a full time work career I am unable to commit to an entire season. Dave is very aggressive and for good reason as developing a new bike takes blood, sweat and tears. I gave him all I was able but he needs more, a rider whom has  more time and willingness to race week in and week out and unfortunately I am not.

I feel I am still fast enough to race with the big boys but in these trying times I am sure finding a ride for select events will be difficult. I am currently looking at my options and will decide what direction I will take over the winter months. I am also having an issue with my left hip socket that is currently under review by a great surgeon so that will also play into my decision to carry on with racing in general. Either way I've had a great career and don't regret any of the paths I've chosen. I will say that if I had to do it all over again I would have played golf and made good living being an average golfer. I wish I would have taken racing more seriously as a kid as I think I had the potential to be better than I have become. But that’s why they say hind sight is 20/20.

I would like to thank my good friend Dave Waters for all the years of great support and his belief in me. I sometimes think he is more confident in my skill that I am, but that’s what makes him such a great friend. I will miss riding for him and all the great times we had at the races for the last two seasons. I worked hard, rode hard and am sad that I never made a main event for him. Damn we were close at LIMA ...

I hope to see all my racer friends at the tracks from time to time as I may travel to a few races to help the team move forward with the bike. Jeremy Higgins is a great young man who will no doubt make Dave a great team rider and he has the potential to do great things. I wish him the best of luck and wish I was there with him helping carry the torch, go get me kid...

As for this site, it costs a lot of money to keep it up so as of Jan 1 2010 it will be shut down. There will be no reason to keep it up as I am unsure if there will be anything to update. I would like to thank all my sponsors, friends, family and wife Casey that have always supported my racing career through and through. I have some of the best people around me and look forward to being around to spend more time with all of them at home. And hey if it all works out you may see me strap on a steel shoe for a few races that I like to ride, Lima owes me one...

Thanks All,

RJ 

Again, this is not racing related but very important to me. Casey and I just lost our second dog ( Patch, aka - Bubba) he was a beautiful Boxer and he was our buddie for the past ten years. We just lost his mother two months ago and now he has gone to see her. I hope thats the case anyways cause he missed her real bad since she left him :( ...As have we...

So as you can imagine,  I am not in a race mood at all and thank god I do not "have to race" till Hagerstown.

See everyone in a few weeks.

RJ

 Race Report:  LIMA OHIO

Lima Ohio National is now complete and all I can say is WOW! I made a prediction that we would make the main event and we were so close I could taste it. The KTM is working the best it ever has and the team is figuring the setups better and better every weekend. I cannot thank the team enough for all their hard work and devotion.

We started the day qualifying 20^th overall… 20^th!!! That’s our best effort to date, but even more importantly we were the fastest non Harley Davidson in the field. That’s an awesome feat and proved that we can run at the GNC level. I felt great on the bike with the settings we chose and thanks to RLJ Racing the motor was running real strong.  Next task put it in the main event.

Unfortunately we did not make the top eighteen in qualifying and that’s required to get a front row start for the heat race. A front row start in this field of competitors is a must, besides at Lima, the spray will set you back if you get too far behind so I was in for a war. I started the heat running 7^th or 8^th and went to battle trying to get closer to the front. I worked my way by a few guys ending up 6^th. This was good for front row in the semi qualifier where they take three more to the main event. Now this is where the story gets good, the semi was an epic race for Project K Racing.

We lined up third from pole for the semi and went to work. I got a horrific sideways start that left me watching the front row leave me on the line, but I grit my teeth and burned it off into turn one under everyone and left turn two in the lead. I ran it into turn three a bit light testing the track surface and got passed by two guys. That was not to happen again. After that there was five of us battling for the lead and transfer spots. We changed the lead four or five times a lap in an awesome battle and I was right In the middle of it. I ran it in deep on the last lap and ran into the back of Logan Myers and that ended my run for the last transfer spot. I worked my tail off and am disappointed that we didn’t get the spot in the main like I had predicted, but I am also very excited because we have made so much progress with the KTM…

LETS GET READY TO

RUMMMMMBLE !!!!!

GAME ON - LIME IS NEXT !!!

STAY TUNED !!!!!!!!

Race Report:  Medina, New York

Crusaders Motorcycle club.

The third race at my home track is now in the books and I feel the best I have in years. I have been the track champ at this track quite a few times and everyone says I am the guy to beat there. I have been beat plenty of times at the fast little TT track and I have also won my share in the process. Last race I got my butt handed to me by a couple of local up and comers, so I was ready for this race to make sure I still have what it takes to win there. The expert class is a stacked field of local fast guys and the occasional Canadian & AMA fast guys showing up.

The weather here was rainy all week leading up to this race so I figured the track would be fast. I adjusted my Steve Beetie 26 suspension and gearing and went to work. I won my heat by a large margin setting some good times for fast heat of the day. Jeremy Higgins and Brad Hazel were also on pace (as usual), so I knew I needed to get a start and ride my own race. That's what I did, I handedly took the win in the open expert class and I accomplished one of my goals for the day, I showed the young studs, I'M NOT DONE YET... I love those kids but sorry, I really like to win more.

My other goal for the day was to see if I could run down Ryan Wells in the Grand Prix final. Ryan is a super fast am rider that during this race I have to give a ½ track head start. Let me tell you he does not need that big of a head start! I lined up for the 15 lap go for broke race and put my head down early. I was in third place by lap five and catching Ryan seemed like a reality. I tracked him down with five to go and we raced for a few laps, even exchanging thumbs up for some added fun and crowd enjoyment. I got by him and had three laps to negotiate the lappers and have a great win and confidence builder under my belt. That was not to be, a lapper got in my way on the last lap and crashed in front of me entering the hairpin turn. What the hell, I was just laughing my ass off, Ryan re-passed me while I dislodged my bike and there I was, chasing the kid - Again. As we finished the last lap I had a chance to re-pass him over the second hill but because I was unsure if I could do it safely, I chose not to risk his great ride and just let up. I have had some great rides in my career at this track and even though I didn't win the last race, this one was right up there. I proved I am the fastest guy there when my head is in the game, and that was my goal.

Congrats to Ryan Wells for his second Grand Prix win, and hey kid, I had a blast...

RJ

Crusaders Motorcycle Club's season got under way this past sunday with a huge rider and spectator turn out. Rumor has it there was 1100 people through the gate, thats a great way to keep dirt track alive and well. There was great racing all day, but I am here to tell you how mine went..

First off I need to thank the Luczak family for lending me a ripping fast 250 for the 250 expert class. I had a real challange with Jermey Higgians on my ass all the way till the end...That makes it fun. He and his family are great people and I like to race him so I look forward to the challange as long as I have a bike to ride.

The open expert class saw 20 riders, This is the most I can remember in my 22 years racing here. There were top guys from the AMA GNC circut and I was a bit nervous. I had great starts all day and my new Waters Auto body/ 5 Star Fab & Steel Honda kept me out front all day. I won the main by a comfortable margin and was off the the dreaded Grand Prix final.

 In the Grand Prix the club starts the 125 am class in the front and us Experts in tha back. I got 15 laps to catch them..Not always enough time if you know what I mean, I need to pass ten riders to get to the front all the while catching the amatures that get a hell of a head start. I have won alot of these races but every now and then a kid comes along that is just to fast  to catch in the aloted time..That kid this season is Ryan Wells. He is sick fast and I will be having troubles all season with him, but nontheless you can Bet your ass I will be comming every time and giving 110%...I ended the day with a 3rd in the grand prix and ended a great day without any brusies or broken bones..THANK GOD !!! I STILL HAVE TO WORK FOR A LIVING...Unlike these damn kids I gotta keep up with.. :)... Next Sunday is race two, hopefully we can start a streak..Stay tuned....RJ 

 We are here!!! Springfield weekend 2009!!!With all the changes we made the big bike is working great. We had a great practice session at Geneva last wensday night and I am looking forward to getting it on the mile..Steve Beetie got my suspension tuned up on the Honda 450 and he says its going to put me right in the main event....

Keep looking back and check the status of our weekend. Its 4:30 pm here on friday and we are going to the TT track to support Ryan & Timmy Wells at the amature TT races tonight !!!!

Remember to leave a comment on my blog....Later....RJ

May 10th.... Hello folks, here is a team update... We are hard at work on the bikes, Dave and Rhonda Waters have been burning the midnight oil getting everything back and assembled. Special thanks to Mike Luczak and Guy Ruger for all the help and late nights.. We are going to be cutting it close for Springfield but I have faith in our team. We have made changes to the entire bike but as usual these changes have taken more time than we originally planned.

First off the KTM 950 super enduro gets an all new J&M Swing arm for 2009. This change required us to take the bike to Maryland to the J&M race headquarters to have the swing arm fabricated and shock mount moved. This change has gained us an enormous amount of swing arm angle and a much shorter wheelbase. This was a much needed change since traction was an issue during the 2008 season. We have also replaced the front end with a more conventional dirt track setup. The stock front end had a leading axel and was creating a turning issue with the big twin. The new front end is very trick, using the Bear Racing triple clamps that adjust on the fly. This is also a huge move in the right direction for the handling of the KTM.

With the rule changes for 2009 we are now required to run restrictor plates, much like NASCAR. These plates are supposed to bring parity to the sport of GNC Racing. I hope their plan works, but so we are still in the horsepower range required to run upfront, we hired RLJ Racing from Holley NY to flow the KTM heads to get back what we might loose with the restrictors. We are thinking we are going to be close to the horsepower of the Harley Davidson's but now with the new swing arm we should be able to put the power to the ground.
The KTM also gets a new Race Tech Gas tank. This change is huge because the stock gas tank is very oversized and heavy for dirt track racing. The tank is being custom made at race tech and we hopefully will have it mounted for Springfield. These changes are going to be huge improvements for the 09 season. I am very excited for this season and think we are going to get even more press then our 08 rookie season. Thanks to everyone who stayed on for 09, we all know how bad the economy is and due to its downturn we have lost some very valuable support. I hope these companies's can find their way back to financial stability and jump back on board soon.

Other big news, The KTM gets a Twin brother...That's right; we have two KTM 950 dirt trackers for 2009....Stay tuned for the big announcement!!!!!!

Daytona 2009....Troubles in paradise!!!!!

Words no one wants to here right? Well we sure had our troubles at this year's opening rounds. Mike Luczak and I went to Daytona with high hopes of making a main or two but ended up watching both full programs.  This year the new rules have everyone on stock MX bikes that I have ridden my whole life so we thought we had a great shot but in reality all it did was narrow the field to race that much closer. The margin from the fastest rider to us both nights was .6 seconds. That's one small amount of time to make up but not an easy amount in this company of pro racers.

We also found out from my buddy Steve Beattie that the new bike we built had the wrong suspension on it, (from my old bike) and that was an issue that could have been the result of my handling troubles. Steve agreed to work up my correct suspension so I will be ready for the next round.

I can say Mike and I had a ton of fun, we did make progress on the bike even with the wrong components, he is a great guy and I appreciate his help. So now it's back to the shop to re-do the Honda suspension and reassemble the KTM for Springfield, ILL in May... Stay Tuned....RJ

WOW. What a great weekend for Grand National Flat Track racing. Sellout crowd, good weather, and a great race track made for what had to be the best attended and most exciting race of the season. Our team is considering this the start of great things to come for the oldest form of motorcycle racing in the world. We saw an amazing amount of new faces, media and foreign spectators that came to their first Flat Track race, all of which now understand why we still play in the dirt.

We normally see fans during the open paddock hour and after the race program is complete but we saw a non-stop flow of people which was an awesome sight. We gave out KTM team can coolers and I signed what seemed to be a thousand autographs. We even meet some fans from Austria who were in awe of the KTM 950 Flat tracker. It was great for our team along with our sport; the AMA did a great job with the program and kept the fans into the show the entire time. I cannot say enough about the whole day except if you missed it, shame on you!

We started the race day with a slippery dry track and were trying to figure out what the track was going to do late that night. I had some problems with traction and turning in the qualifiers which made a front row start hard to get. We made the main program no problem, but we were going to start back row in the heat race which is tough. The track crew watered for the heats and the track came to me like I had hoped. We were on pace with the pack in the heat race and worked up to sixth before a mistake and dropping to seventh at the finish. We nailed the setup and would have been front row for the semi except the shortened program eliminated the semis and we were done. BUMMER!!! I understand why they did it but it figures that it had to happen like this when we were this close.

I am very pleased with the night and the year in general. We have made forward progress every week with no major sponsorship support. We really feel with some factory support and the continued product support we are receiving we can be a contender next season. With the new restrictor rules for 2009 we are in great shape to be one of the new teams to watch. I am very confident that we will be in many main events next year, and I hope we can obtain enough support to compete in the entire season so I can achieve a life time goal of a top twenty season.

This was our last Grand National race for 2008 so we will be disassembling the bike to see what need to be done for 2009. We are hoping to obtain a second 950 or even a 990 Fuel injected bike for 09 but we are on a limited budget so time will tell. If you are interested in our team and have the ability to support our project please do not hesitate to contact me or Dave Waters. We are in this for the long haul and with more support we can make this a winning team. We have done so much in 7 months it excites me to see what we can do over the winter break.

My next reports will be about the rebuild of our current 950 and possibly the building of a second KTM 950 Flat tracker. Thanks to everyone for the support in 2008 and I hope to have you all back on board in 2009. Till then.....

Monicello, NY

Another race is in the books for the Project K Racing squad. We are making leaps and bounds with our project bike and our team is working together like seasoned veterans. I have made good progress with becoming more comfortable on the big bike and seem to get more aggressive every time I ride it. I am still having troubles relaying the problems I am having to my tuner/mechanic Dave, so we are asking guys like Steve Beattie to watch and give his feedback on the setups, thanks Steve. Everyone we ask for information or knowledge about bike setup and geometry has been great, even other teams tuners are giving us tips and want to see KTM as a mainstay in the Grand National Twins pits.

Well unfortunately Monticello did not go as well as I had hoped. It's my home town track and I wanted to be in the main event real bad. I set pretty high expectations and it sometimes gets me down when I don't reach them. We started the weekend by watching the rain on Saturday and spending the day in the hotel room. We got to the track real early Sunday morning and the track crew was already watering the track...? That's not good seeing how we got five inches of rain on Saturday. The track is very banked so the rain ran right off making the day even harder for the promoter and his crew. They kept the track good for the entire day but it was a dry slick type of track and we have a real hard time finding traction in those conditions.

I qualified well, (.9 seconds from the fast qualifier), the gap to 30th was a second. this is tight racing and we are beginning to realize it. The heat race was uneventfull as we made a gearing change and it made things worse. The semi almost got ugly for me. Don Taylor missed a shift (or three), and I ran square into him going into turn one. My bike stalled from too much rear brake and I was done. The good thing is that the guy that was behind us did not side swipe me, (IT WAS REALLY CLOSE) ,that would have been bad, VERY BAD.!!! Needless to say the semi was over for me so I took advantage of some more practice laps and got a few more notes for the next time.

We were close again, I'm thinking that I have to be more aggressive yet as a rider and attack the track a bit harder. I like to ride hard but try to play on the safer side as to not injure myself or anyone else. Problem is most of these guys and girls throw caution to the wind and let her rip. That's my new agenda for INDY! I am going for it because it's our last national of the year and I got nothing to lose. Not only that the team needs a great finish to hopefully obtain enough sponsorship to run the entire 2009 season.

You would not believe how many spectators come to the KTM pit and tell us how cool it is to see a different brand in the GNC Twins. They are asking us all sorts of questions about the bike, the team, our sponsors, and if we are going to the next race. I have also had my best summer for the website; the hits are through the roof. We are super excited to be part of this ground breaking time in Grand National racing, and even after the Indy test with the new AMA, the 2009 season are looking better for us that we could have ever expected. Well enough for now, till Indy, Gas on Feet Up!!!!

Thanks to our sponsors: Waters auto body, Five star Fab and steel, Matto Cycles, Shoei, Elf, SuperTrapp, G2, NJK, She Loves Racing, RLJ Racing engines, D&D Powersports, Has Racing, Hartway Motors, American Harley, Steve fortunate, Stacy and Jenna, and everyone else who stood buy us for the season!!!! Thank You, Hats Off!!!

Another great race weekend in the books for the 2008 season and we are very pleased where we stand at the present time. Every weekend we get closer to putting the big KTM 950 in a Grand National Main event. I was so close in times this weekend that I could taste it.

We started the weekend at the short track. That race was tough as the IMDA threw a real barn burner at us. I have never raced a short track that was so fast but you had to shift for the corners as they were so tight. We struggled with our old Hondas and did not put it in the main but it was fun and got me loosened up for the miles.

The mile was super fast and we were hoping for good things. We spent most of the first day getting the setup working and showed well rounding the day inside the top thirty. The second day I took a full second off my lap times and quailified much better. We were still inside the top thirty but just as the first day I was telling Dave that the bike felt "lazy". Well we found nothing wrong so we were stuck with what we had. I ended up finishing the day with a bad run in the semi because I shifted one to many times and ran sixth gear for a half a lap. My times were super close to the mid pack main event riders so that made us pretty happy.

So then we went to The Indy mile for the test and tune on Tuesday. We had to start the day by putting the bike on the dyno and we understood why I was saying the bike was "lazy". The bike was really down on horsepower, I mean 11 hp down from normal !!! We were jetted for our tempature and elevation, and not Illinois !!!!! Duh!!!! If nothing else it made me feel better knowing this cause I know I was riding my but off. This was defiantly our issue as Springfield is a big motor track. It's a real bummer but its again an R&D season for us and we have to take it in stride. As far as the test goes we were real fast with the new restrictors they made us try and I think with the Harleys getting slowed down we are going to have a great season next year. I ended the test as the fifth fastest rider only .5 seconds behind King Kenny Coolbeth...!!! I cannot wait for next season to start!

So now were are getting ready for Montecello, NY on Saterday so log as the rain holds off. Please come check us out in the pits, stop and get a poster, picture with me or the bike, whatever you may be interested in. we are working on new products to be given away at the race track so stop by , you never know what we may have.

What a great weekend we had! We had a ton of fun, we talked to ton of people and made new fans. We also turned some serious heads on the big mile race track. We even got our pictures taken for a magazine and our race shots were posted on AMA pro Racing's website, www.amaproracing.com. All in all we are very pleased with the weekend.

Thanks for the continued support!

RJ Overholt #97

I have not made a main event thus far this season which really puts the pressure on me for this race weekend. One of my personal goals was to get back the National Number 97. I can say I have only raced the big bike class so far this season and with all the R&D we have been doing it's been tough. I really think we have a great chance on the mile track this weekend as we have all the needed power and this track is so wide that I should be able to match those damn Harley's corner speed. The short track is a great opportunity also as I have made many main events at this track in the past and I've even been on the front row for the main. So needless to say I am on a mission! This is my weekend, and I am not holding anything back. Please don't give up on me quite yet, we are getting closer every week and this team is working so hard.

I will be trying to update the site all weekend so please stay tuned for more news and results. Also check out www.amaproracing.com for live scoring and up to date pictures.

Greenville is a great race track and a perfect place to unleash the Beastly KTM 950 Motor. We were expecting a good showing but we never expected to be as good as we were. We started the show with a great qualifying run and ended the session in 21st...!!!!! That's right off
the truck. I felt great on the bike and the new additional power was awesome. During the day we worked on the setup some more to adjust for the slippery conditions and learned some much needed new tricks. We ended up having an interesting heat race as we were moving forward but a red flag stopped the music. We had a single file restart and when we took off I about ran into the bike in front of me. I had to get out of the gas a by then the back row went flying by. We went forward a few positions but I was not satisfied with the result compared to the qualifying, we were going for it in the semi!!!
This is one of the weekend's highlights... We started from the back row in the semi and I was not happy about that. I was looking for a great night and this was not a good spot to be in for that kind of result. I got a great back row start and went to 6th. I was working on 5th when he
went high and I made my move. Later in the race his bike broke along with almost every other bike toward the back. Not us though, the KTM was on fire and running strong. As a matter of fact I was catching a great running Harley toward the end and that bike also let go giving us 4th!!!! THE BEST FINISH AT A NATIONAL SO FAR!!!
We did not make the main this time but we were leaps and bounds closer than we have been in the past. I am super excited for the next race at Hagerstown, MD this coming week, so we can make sure it was not a fluke. I really believe we are making progress and if results are the tell tale sign then we are in. I really want to thank the Project K Racing team and all its supporters for their support and never give up attitude. Unfortunately it's easy for a rider to get down and out as the riders job is to produce on the race track. My team has been great and very understanding that this is a new and unchartered endeavor that may require some more time than others. I cannot wait to reward the team with a great finish...

Keep tuning in for more for the race team and our progress... Thanks for the continued support and keep the dream alive... Thanks for the visit ans thanks for the photos JG...

The day started out looking bleak as far as the weather is concerned but things turned around and it was another stellar race day! Dave raced the senior class and I again rode the Open Expert class both on our Honda 450's. Dave had to change out the motor on his bike since I blew it up at Rochester, NH a couple of weeks ago. His bike was not running right all day and he struggled to find the problem. We tried to even change his gearing to change the rpm range he was in, but nothing seemed to work. He rode a great main event considering the bike situation and ended up 6th, not to bad with a sick motor!!!!!!!!!!!!

I on the other hand I had a great heat race coming from the back row and having a great battle with Bryan Newman. I came out on top but not by very much... In the main event I got a great start and started to pull away for the win, my dad always stands at the bottom of the second hill and he was giving the "big lead" sign. I started to relax and make sure I did not throw away the race on the slippery track, but in the mean time my little brother started a charge. I had to pick the pace back up on the last lap or two and came home with another win.

The grand prix was going to be interesting as Ryan Wells and his 125 were on fire. He gets about a half a lap head start and I knew he was going to be hard to catch. I also had to contend with the other experts that were on 250's namely Jeremy Higgins who was also on fire today. At the start I caught the 250's quick but on the 4th or 5th lap Cody Johncox went down hard and the red flag stopped the race. He was ok and would continue but due to the staggered start of this final race they have to start the race over with all the laps to make it a fair race. Now we were doing 20 laps instead of 15...GRRREAT!!! We restarted the race and I was again on pace but the track got very rough and slick and the 450 was just a handful to say the least. No excuses but I was wiped. Ryan Wells got his first Grand Prix win, and he may be the youngest to do it on a 125..??? He will be a hard one to catch but I am up for the challenge, I have to rebuild the bike during the three week lay over and I'll be ready to get after it with a fresh RLJ motor!!!

The track workers did a great job once again putting on a great show and beating Mother Nature as they do from time to time. I am looking forward to getting back on the big bike and riding some fast ½ mile tracks again. I hope to be writing the next report fresh from our first GNC main event appearance!

Till next time...Gas on Feet up!!! RJ

The team went to the famed Crusaders motorcycle clubs first TT race of the season and had another stellar
time with some great results. The track is tucked in the heart of Orleans counties farm community and has a
great turn out of both riders and fans.

We were not riding the 950 KTM at this track but we are a team and Dave Waters the team owner has helped me at this track since I started racing motorcycles. I rode my 04 Honda crf 450 and Dave rode the Rockets rmz
450 loaner bike.

I started the day running late due to the lack of sleep from our big trip to Rochester NH, so I signed in
late and got put on the back row for the heat race. I ended up finishing third which was bad seeing how that
puts me on back row for the main. I got a great start in the main and worked my way into second with two
laps to go. I tried everything I could to pass the leader but without a little rough racing it was not going
to happen. Since it was father's day and the leader was my younger brother Ryan, I thought it would be
better to stay in second and give my bro his first big bike win at our local track, besides it gave Dad a
great father's day gift!!! Plus It was a great battle and the fans were going nuts so we did our job...

In the Final Grand Prix race of the day (where the track allows amateurs and experts to race together giving
the am's a head start and the experts have 15 laps to catch them), I got a great start and finally passed
Cody Johncox on the final lap for the win!!! He rode great and I think he's going to be one hard kid to beat
later in the season.

Dave's day was much simpler, he rode the barrowed Suzuki to an easy second in the heat and won his final
going away! The team owner got another win for the season and we both had a great time.

We were unable to bring the KTM 950 over to display due to a shock project we are currently working on. The
next race is this Sunday 6-22-08 and we are planning to bring it over for the local fans to see and ask
questions about. We hope to drum up some more local support!!!

Till next time...Gas on Feet up!!! RJ

We started the day watching the amateurs and our team leader was even taking to the track in the senior "a" class. I was the tuner for the morning program and we again worked well together and learned more about the way we need to operate our Grand National Team. From there we went into the Pro night program getting the KTM 950 ready for the show. We set the suspension up very stiff as the track was the roughest we've seen so far. I went out in practice and we started to adjust gearing and such.

We pulled the second heat race and we off the line second to the Aprila. We were sticking to the rear wheel of their bike and with three to go I made my move for the lead out of turn two. I lead the next lap starting to pull a bit and then kayos let loose, I went into turn three a bit harder than the prior laps and one of the holes swallowed the front wheel. I rode it out and somehow saved the situation from a major high side! The crowd seemed to love as Dave said they went nuts for the quality riding. I even got an interview asking how I was able to pull it off! Nonetheless we were able to stay on the track and salvage a third and a front row for the main event.

Kenny Coolbeth the National Champion was in attendance and we were defiantly not going to be in his range of lap times. We were however looking for a top five as our lap times and heat race efforts were in that area. I lined up for the main as the last pick on the front row. I was unable to get a "clean spot" so I knew I was in a bit of troubles as this bike has so much torque I need a surface to grab. Well I was right and I blew another start. I was watching back row guys go buy as I was spinning to the first corner. I gathered things up rounding the second corner in last. I worked my way through the pack and ended up finishing sixth. I was completely out of tear offs and was running the high line to avoid the bumps. The bike worked well up in the high line but we were still struggling in the bumps at the bottom of the track. We need to look at some suspension changes and possibly different components.

Well we are getting better and better every time out, and the fans smothered the pits after the race to see the KTM 950 and to ask me how the heck I saved the potential high side! We were very pleased with the night and the fan response we are feeling like part of the series. I really hope you can all come out and see the bike at a race to see how well it looks and how well it works. !!!

The next race on our schedule is Bedford PA & Lima Oh. Bothe Grand National events and both a great place for us to make our first Grand National main event. I am super pumper up and ready to get back my national number for 2009. Please contact us if you are interested in attending a race and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Thanks,

RJ Overholt

www.rjoverholt.com

www.projectkracing.com

Prior to race day, several flat track stars including Project K Racing's pilot RJ Overholt will display their bikes, meet and greet the fans and deliver autographs at Heritage Harley-Davidson in Concord.

Coming off their first AMA Grand National Flat Track twins race in Vernon, New York; Project K prepares for the half mile working out the mishaps and striving for a successful finish.

New this year, Rochester will feature multi brands in the line up. The KTM, Aprilia, Suzuki ,Triumph and of course Harley-Davidson will take to the field showcasing their strengths for a favorable show amongst spectators.

Spectators will not only be treated to the best rumblings, roost flying, lead changing racing of it's kind in the New England area; a new midway of vendors and food will be a must stop during the show. This action packed program prepared by Sideways Promotions will keep the fans entertained during the down time of track preparations with The Bay State Harley Pullers attempting to pull their weight transfer sled 200'. These custom made 2 and 3 wheelers are the perfect track addition .

Project K Racing is overly excited to be a part of history, bringing their KTM twin machine to another race track. Eager to get back on track before hitting the next race on the schedule in Maryville, Tennessee will be beneficial in tweaking the machine for a half mile

Race today, buy on Monday has always been their philosophy. A project that became a reality in less than four months can bring more life to the sport with a more economical approach.

Photo credit Dave Hoenig (Flat Trak Fotos)

Jennifer Sierzega

She Loves Racing

1047 Spring Loop Way

Winter Garden, FL 34787

352-223-9610

www.shelovesracing.com

The program was being super rushed and we needed to make a gearing change and a jetting change but did not have the time. We opted not to chance missing the heats or semis and left the bike alone. In the heat race I was competitive and ran to 6th !!! Good enough for a front row in the semi!!! I knew that we were still a bit of the pace of the leaders but we were competitive or first time out. That's an accomplishment all in itself.

I went out for the semi and off the start I blew the tire off and sat on the line spinning, (I blew the start big time). The bike has so much torque that you have to be careful how much throttle to give as not to just dig a trench and sit there. So I was last off the line, got roosted real a bad and could not see well. I was unable to make the passes needed to get into the big show. I stayed with the pack and looked respectable but it's not how I wanted to end the night as we were better than that.

That's that, we did well just not as good as I hoped for. We are working on it and we will get better. More track time, more knowledge about setting up this bike and some more weight savings and we will be in the hunt at Bedford, PA and Lima, OH. Special thanks to Dave, Rhonda, Stacy, Jenna, Casey, Pete D., Steve F. for helping me get through the day and all the crew & family for coming out to see me go. We are planning on the next race being at Rochester, NH on June 13th.

Till Then... R.J.

K Racing Just returned from the Bike day's weekend at Canton Ohio for a two day AMA racing event. The team has planned to use Canton as a stepping stone to get the bike ready for the AMA Grand National circuit.

The team had some minor carburetor issues at their last outing and obtained another sponsor to help with the cost of the new Race Carbs, (Sudco). The team arrived at Canton to do more R&D to the chassis and the carburetors. The racing was a good way to see where we stack up against some other V-Twins and practice starts. The bike again worked pretty well, but because we were still testing we changed some suspension settings and went backwards a few times. No big deal and actually it's good to find out these things at a local race vs. a Grand National...

From Rider RJ Overholt:

"I raced in the open pro and open money classes. The highlight of my weekend was my first heat race win in the first race I ever entered on the bike, (won by a straight away). A real close second highlight was the epic battle with young gun James Respoli, we changed the lead in every corner and every straight for 6-7 laps!!! It was awesome!!!! We race the bike three times in two days and we finished the weekend with a Second and two thirds at our first event... It was a great showing and there were some real fast guys there so we got an idea that we can run with the big guys as long as our setup is close. I got some more much needed seat time that just helps me get acclimated to the weight and power of the V-Twins. I felt more and more comfortable as the racing progressed, so that shows me I am only going to go faster the more I ride the bike. I can't wait to ride it again!"

Well the bike is ready to go....The carb issue is resolved and the racing was fast and fun... We ended up having some great fun and gaining some valuable experience. The team came home with a ton of seat time and a ton of notes about chassis setup. We finished the weekend without any crashes and all our local western New Yorkers had great results.

Special thanks to Photos by Rox, Jenna Waters, Staci Waters, Casey, Dave & Rhonda and Don Waters for all the help in the pits.. These people are the ground floor of our team!!!!

We just finished the first test on the new KTM 950 Super Enduro at Monticello, NY. We got in some great laps and some real needed seat time on the bike. We had to work out some kinks at first and still have a few things we want to change, but all in all the bike is amazing!!!! I can not believe how well the bike handles the track in the stock frame and with very littler modifications. We were also very pleased with the power of the engine as we were never being pulled by any of the Harleys.
We had a great first test and look better to Tomorrow at Vernon Downs on the big mile.

Just a note : We all at Project K Racing Team wish Nichole Cheza a speedy recovery as she had a Real Bad get off at the Monticello test.