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SCREAMIN? EAGLE/VANCE & HINES TEAM HOT IN HOUSTON–Hines Sets New Track ET Record, Retains Pro Stock Bike Points Lead.
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 18, 2004) – The Screamin? Eagle/Vance & Hines team put in a strong performance in Pro Stock Bike competition at the 17th Annual O?Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals, as riders Andrew Hines and GT Tonglet advanced in the elimination rounds. Series points leader Hines was the top qualifier aboard his Screamin? Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod with a run of 7.072 seconds at 190.03 mph that set a new track ET record for the Pro Stock Bike class. Tonglet qualified his Screamin? Eagle V-Rod fifth at 7.104/190.06, and also bettered the previous ET record of 7.132 seconds.
Coming off his victory at the Pro Stock bike season-opener in Gainesville, Fla., on March 21, Hines opened with a strong 7.130/188.04 run to beat Fred Camarena (7.301/179.18) in the first round of eliminations on Sunday. Tonglet, the runner-up at Gainesville, posted a time of 7.216/186.20 and advanced to the second round on a red-light start by Blain Hale (7.289/181.76).
Round two saw Hines (7.132/189.52) beat Mike Berry (7.239/184.67). In his second-round match, Tonglet (7.184/187.68) posted an outstanding reaction time of 0.009 seconds, but his quick start was not enough to beat Karen Stoffer, who was off the line in 0.016 seconds and ran a 7.134/185.82 to nip the Harley-Davidson rider and move on to face Hines in the semi-final round.
It was Stoffer with the quick draw at the light in round three. She backed up a reaction time of just 0.001 seconds with a 7.196/184.98 run to hand Hines (0.030/7.215/177.00) his first defeat of the 2004 season, due in part to an engine bearing failure during the run, according to the team. Stoffer (7.159/186.38) defeated Antron Brown (7.176/186.05) to claim the first final-round victory of her career.
?This was a really competitive weekend,? said Matt Hines. ?We had good air and an even track that didn?t favor one style of engine.”
?The bikes were really responsive to our tune-ups, and as a result they got quicker during qualifying,? said Vance & Hines team owner Byron Hines. ?We did have some trouble with rear tire shake that we’re working on, and we look forward to the next race.?
After two rounds of Pro Stock Bike competition, Hines leads the series with 196 points. Tonglet is fifth with 150 points.
The next Pro Stock Bike event on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series is the 24th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, May 14-16, in Atlanta, Ga.
INDICTMENTS IN 2002 RIVER RUN SHOOTOUT EXPECTED TO BE UNSEALDED–Murder indictments against at least nine members of the Hells Angels and Mongols motorcycle gangs were expected to be unsealed this morning in connection with a 2002 shootout at the Laughlin River Run that left three people dead, authorities said.Some have told authorities they plan to surrender, and those who don’t will be sought by police and apprehended, authorities said.
Police and agents from the federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began making arrests over the weekend, authorities said.The charges also include gang-related offenses and firearms violations.
The unsealing of the indictments comes eight days before the second anniversary of the fatal fray at Harrah’s, which occurred April 27, 2002.
This year’s River Run begins Wednesday and lasts through Saturday. Fewer police officers will be on hand but they will be using additional techniques in an effort to find bikers who are wanted and to snuff out potential violence.
Last year more than 500 officers monitored the event that drew about 80,000 attendees.
Sgt. Bob Kenney of the Connecticut State Police, a nationally recognized expert on Harley Davidson theft, will be at the rally for the third year in a row watching for stolen motorcycles.
Last year, Kenney helped recover 20 stolen bikes, Smitley said. Ten were reported stolen, but four were suspicious, he said, and fraud was suspected.
By Jen Lawson,LAS VEGAS SUN
I see Sgt. Bob Kenney from Connecticut was in Laughlin. This guy goes to motorcycle events all over the country at tax payers expense . It said he recovered 20 bikes 10 of which were reported stolen, but 4 were Suspicious and Fraud was SUSPECTED. What were the other 6? I believe this is the total they recovered for the YEAR. NOT a very good record for all the money they spend.
–ROGUE
JON TOWLE LIVES–And recently drew this for the Allman Brothers. He’s a god with a pen.
NEW CUSTOM HARDWARE FROM IMAGE MOTORCYCLE PRODUCTSCamarillo, CA — April 15, 2004– Check out the new CUSTOM HARDWARE line from Image Motorcycle Products. Something new, and always different, CUSTOM HARDWARE has the same dedication to quality and artistic principals that make all IMP products unique. Applications for CUSTOM HARDWARE are endless; the designs work as a Pendant, Zipper Pull, Keychain, or any other use, you decide! The IMP CUSTOM HARDWARE line consists of 28 designs, each about 2.5-inch with selected designs also available in 3-inch.
For more information, contact: Image Motorcycle Products, 918 Calle Portilla, Camarillo, CA 93010, (800.304.5838),
http://www.imagemotorcycle.com
mailto:imagemotorcycle@hotmail.com
FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM BIKERNET– A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company:
– The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them.
– If someone takes your check book they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the “For” line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won’t have access to it.
– Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks (DUH!) you can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
– Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine, do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel.
– Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad.
– We’ve all heard horror stories about fraud that’s committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards, etc.
Unfortunately I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more.But here’s some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:
We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them easily.
– File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was stolen, this proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).
But here’s what is perhaps most important: (I never even thought to do this).
Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name.
The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done.
There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves’ purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend. (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them in their tracks.
The numbers are:Equifax: 1-800 -525-6285 Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742 Trans Union : 1-800-680-7289
Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
–from Joan C.
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