Joe Khoury has paid tribute to his Trivett Harley Destroyer for the remarkable consistency he has enjoyed recently in Modified Bike.
Currently joint leader of the two-wheeled Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series category, Khoury says his brand of Harley is an “unbreakable machine” and it’s hard to argue when he consistently troubles the scorers at the pointy end on race day.
“The beautiful thing about the factory Harley Davidson Destroyer is it’s an unbreakable machine,” says Khoury. “For the money that you pay for them to go racing every month and honestly I don’t do a lot to it.
“I will change the oil and the filter maybe every three meetings, I haven’t even looked at the clutch in one season. I’ll probably go through three rear tyres in one season with all of the racing I’m doing locally and nationally. It is a machine that you just hit the button and she’ll fire up first go. Short of dropping it, that’s probably the only way you’re going to do some serious damage.
“I’ve been on Destroyers for about five years now and I started like everyone else when you get them, unsure how to ride it, hitting the rear gears at the wrong time. But as you become one and more confortable it starts to operate how you want to operate it and hence it’s made me consistent and that is the key.”
Khoury has enjoyed a long and successful partnership with Trivett Harley Davidson following a chance meeting at a local bike show in NSW. He floated the idea of teaming up with a local racer and given his proactive approach to promotion either on his own, with other racers or alongside ANDRA, the partnership has flourished aided in no small measure by good results on the track.
“They hadn’t really got into the racing side of things and I got talking to the manager at the time and told him who had race teams and why wouldn’t a big corporate company like that, not so much want a race team but a sponsorship to show people they are prepared to put back into the community that is prepared to buy from them. As soon as I said that they asked if I was interested and I said I’d come and see them. It just grew from there.
“I dangled the carrot I’d do the national series, which was expensive, but it would give them national TV coverage if I got into the semis and the finals. In doing that I also gave them a couple of street bikes under my Joe Khoury Racing sponsored by Trivett banner. I also brought in a Junior Dragster because I sponsor Bianca Humphreys. Okay it’s not a Harley but its the exposure it gets from the promotional side of things with kids.
“I always go to all the bike shows, I take my street bike which is a supercharged Fat Boy which is a very expensive bike that wins every show it goes to plus I take the drag bike, plus I take the Junior Dragster so not only am I at a bike show I’m promoting the sponsor. And I like doing the ANDRA displays too. ANDRA has given me back the opportunity to help them promote events, which keeps me drag racing. If I can put something on display that looks good for ANDRA and for my sponsor, it can only be good for the sport.”
Already occupying joint first in the Modified Bike championship on the maximum 160 points for this shortened ANDRA Championship season, Khoury can relax going into the Nitro Champs this weekend (May 2-3) at Sydney Dragway. Not that he will relax of course.
“It certainly does take the pressure off but looking at the points anyone of 10 people can take the title in the final at Willowbank. They only have to do well in Sydney, it still doesn’t make myself, Edgell (Mallis) or Ian Read safe. It gives us an advantage but it’s still anyone’s game at Willowbank as well.
“I want to do a bit of testing this Wednesday that will help us on the Saturday and Sunday. Testing is always good but there’s still going to be pressure just not as much pressure being on the spot.”
The Nitro Champs is the penultimate event of the 2015 ANDRA Drag Racing season and will be held at Sydney Dragway May 2-3. Nine Top Fuel and seven Top Fuel Motorcycle teams will battle it out for nitro glory alongside 16 additional ANDRA Drag Racing Series and Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series brackets.
