Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Chris Bostick is an inspiring example of perseverance as he continues to vie for positioning in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. Despite a number of early setbacks with new engines, Bostick is determined to make the very best out of his Countdown experience with his wife, Teri, by his side.
Bostick and his team were working with a relatively new engine in his Chris Bostick Motorsports Suzuki as he entered the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway this weekend. He and his team had their work cut out for them as they went through trial and error to determine the best tuning combination on the Billet engine.
Despite entering the event with all of the unknowns that come with determining the right setup in a new engine, Bostick qualified in the No. 13 spot. He faced Angie Smith in the first round of eliminations. A mechanical issue caused Bostick’s bike to jump the gun early, giving Smith the first-round victory.
“We had a mechanical failure that caused the motorcycle to instantly leave when I tried to put the engine on the two-step rev limiter,” explained Bostick. “Typically, after you stage, you go wide-open on the throttle, with the clutch in, then leave by releasing the clutch. But even though I had the clutch completely pulled in, the motorcycle left when I went to put the throttle on the two-step position.”
An early exit on race day is never something a racer wants to experience, but Bostick’s signature optimism will prevail as he continues to look forward. He had some stellar reaction times during his qualifying passes so he knows that as they become more familiar with the new engine, his performance will most certainly improve.
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will continue Countdown competition next week at the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis.
This story was originally published on September 25, 2023. 
