Sydney rider Niki Zakrzewski has headed to the USA to compete in the PDRA’s Pro Extreme Motorcycle class this weekend at Texas Motorplex.
Zakrzewski said she was lucky enough to get the word that an ex-Nathan Murray bike was on the market a few weeks ago and organised with American contact Mark Rendeluk to have it picked up.
Together with Chris Wedman from Wedman Motorsports, the bike was completely dismantled and updated as necessary. Among the goodies were a new block and pistons, valves and springs.
The ignition system has been updated, new tyres have gone on and the carbon fibre body has been wrapped with graphics that reflect Zakrzewski’s Cherokee Native American heritage .
“My emotions were in extreme when Mark sent through the video of the bike’s first startup while I was at the Nitro Champs,” she said.
That start up came only six days after taking delivery of the bike and now just a few weeks later Zakrzewski is preparing herself to enter Pro Extreme Motorcycle against the quickest nitrous bike riders in the world.
“I have to pinch myself because I will be racing these guys – I’m pumped and ready,” she said.
The team got some testing time in at Thunder Valley Raceway in Oklahoma over the quarter mile, guiding the bike to a 7.70/165mph.
The PDRA event will take place over an eighth mile and the team have changed the gearing in readiness for the challenge.
“I’m looking forward to continue learning from the best,” she said.
It isn’t the first time Zakrzewski, who competes on an eight second Competition Bike in Australia, has been on something even quickly, as she did the Hawaya Nitro Harley School at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina back in 2014 – and she still has plans to race a Top Fuel Harley one day.
But the laughing gas has provided an interesting distraction from those plans.
“Last year the opportunity came to test a Suzuki NOS bike at the Manufacturers Cup in Valdosta, Georgia with Bill Vose and Jeff Jones’ team Fast Time Racing. I was hooked on NOS and going fast. ‘Go fast or stay home’ resonates in everything I do.”
Zakrzewski plans to ship the bike back to Australia once she has finished in the USA and said she is looking forward to bringing out some USA tuners as well to help her get on top of what should be a six second quarter mile machine.
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