Pro Stock Motorcycle newcomer Ken Van Buren has his eyes set on improving his performance this
weekend as the NHRA travels to the wine country of Sonoma, Calif. for the FRAM-Autolite NHRA
Nationals. In just his third start as a pro, Van Buren said he is getting more and more comfortable
with his AGP Turbo Suzuki GSXR 1000 and the new Vance & Hines engine.
"Two weeks ago, in Denver, we were really dealing with two issues: one was getting comfortable with
the new setup, and two was me trying to figure out how to adjust for the altitude in the way I
shift and ride the bike," Van Buren said. "It kept us from qualifying, but we did move out of last
place, which is a step in the right direction.
"This weekend, we should be in much better shape, because I won't have to try adjusting for the
altitude's effects on the motor's performance, so I will be able to do what I do without worrying
about anything else," he said.
"Mitch (Lippen, crew chief) and Ben (Kriegsfeld, team owner) and I all spent time over the week off
working out our strategy, and I'm really confident we've got what it takes to make it into the show
during qualifying and possibly even go a round or two," he said.
Kriegsfeld said, "We knew coming in to this season that we were looking at just testing and
figuring out our roles on the team. Now that we have a few races under our belt, things have really
started to jell, and I'm sure we will have a great weekend. How can you not have a great weekend
in Sonoma, at the racetrack - right? I mean, it's more than 20, almost 30 degrees cooler here that
it is at home in Phoenix, so, just getting away from the 110-degree weather is great for us."
Kriegsfeld, Van Buren's son-in-law, is a drag racer himself as well as team owner and a successful
entrepreneur. He said he started the team because he has always loved drag racing and motorcycles.
"I've been a fan of racing since I can remember, and I have just always loved being at the track.
Ken has done so much for me in my business and just in life, that when the opportunity presented
itself to put him on a bike and start building a program, I just jumped at it.
"This weekend will be just another step on the road to next season, when we hope to run the whole
Full Throttle series. We are using each of these events near our home-state of Arizona as
opportunities to work out the kinks and get things all dialed in, and so far, I have to say I'm
really pleased."
And for Van Buren, it's always good to have a happy sponsor, not to mention a happy son-in-law.
Key Facts:
* Quickest ET: 7.362
* Fastest Speed: 175.84
* Home Town: New River, Ariz.
* Racing to support "Committed to Freedom", an organization that provides abuse survivors with
spiritual tools to help them move beyond their circumstances.
* Won Sportsman Motorcycle Summit Championships in 1997 and 2005
* Raced at Speedworld in Ariz. and won the track Championship 2 times.
* Finished 2nd in Division 7 Sportsman Motorcycle in 2004
* Best Sportsman ET on a small tire turbo bike was 8.32 seconds at 165 mph
* Height: 5'4"; Weight: 160 lb
* Held the American Powerlifting record in the 181 lb class of 50-59 years old in the bench press
at 353 lbs.
* His total for all three lifts (Dead lift, Squat and Bench press) was 1230 lbs.
* The most he ever benched was 420 lbs.
ABOUT COMMITTED TO FREEDOM
Abuse survivors have difficult questions, and the damage is physical, emotional, relational, and
Spiritual. Committed to Freedom offers Spiritual tools to help survivors of childhood or adolescent
abuse - especially sexual abuse - move beyond their abuse experiences through various programs,
including retreats, seminars, self-help curriculum, support group studies, and other sources of
information and encouragement. For more information, visit their website:
www.committedtofreedom.org.
ABOUT AGP TURBO
Headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., AGP Turbo is an aftermarket performance company specializing in
niche turbocharger applications. For more information about the company, visit their website:
www.agpturbo.com.
