Undaunted Schweigert Still Shooting For Owens, World Title

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Four different times this season, Terry Schweigert has tried to unseat the seemingly unstoppable Ashley Owens.Four different times, Schweigert has come up shaking his head, wondering what it will take to beat him.Schweigert has advanced to four finals in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, but each time has fallen just short of topping Owens.The latest came in Norwalk at the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV, where Schweigert took second for the fourth time this season.Still, he remains undaunted as he guns for his first World Championship at the Speedtech “Battle For the Belts.”“We blew up all our motors and completely destroyed the motor in the final against Ashley (at Norwalk),” Schweigert said. “We are just having a bit of hard luck and pushing things to the limit. But the field has been set now for the ‘Battle of the Belts.’ The top eight have a chance to be champ and we are in second place.”Schweigert (pictured) and his DTM Performance team aren’t about to let up from that second position.In fact, DTM builder/tuner Dan Wagner is prepared to do whatever it takes to win.“Three rounds and you’re the champ,” Wagner said. “If we have to use three motors to win three rounds, I’ll do it. We’ve made it (this) far.”To make it to this point Schweigert, a third-generation dairy farmer, has been solid all season.The man affectionately known as the “Milkman” has put every opponent out to pasture, all except Owens, of course.He’s impressed everyone along the way, capturing two No. 1 qualifier spots during 2010.“Terry’s doing a heck of a job riding this bike,” Wagner said. “For a rookie rider, a guy who has never ridden anything of this caliber, it’s just amazing how well he’s picked it up. From day one, he’s just put it together.”Schweigert made it to his first finals in May and has been consistent all season.He’s been just as strong at the end of the year, running a career-best time in Rockingham.He went 4.10 pass there, which would put him .02 better than the career-best 4.12 Kim Morrell ran in Norwalk.Schweigert’s 4.10 is certainly impressive, but improbably still has him trailing Owens’ world record 4.02 that he ran in Rockingham by a substantial margin.“We’re going to have to pick up about a tenth,” Wagner said. “I think we have half that left in this new second stage, but a whole tenth-I’m going to have to work on that 60 foot. “Three-second runs are also on the horizon, but it wasn’t happening in Rockingham. Owens and his 4.02 came close, but nobody else was within striking distance of the first 3-second pass.That kind of blistering pass will have to wait - possibly in Ennis or possibly in 2011.But Wagner sees the potential.“It is all here now, as long as it works and we don’t break anything,” Wagner said. “But that’s part of it. You’ve got to figure it out and we broke two motors testing. I can get it right by the ‘Battle Of The Belts,’ and get this thing right on the fine line of going fast and breaking stuff.”The rain in Rockingham allowed for more testing for Schweigert, who has taken to the more is better approach when it comes to testing.It obviously helped as Schweigert advanced to the finals one more time at Summit Motorsports Park.That first career ADRL win eluded him once again thanks to Owens, but Schweigert knows all of that disappoint would be erased with one magical performance at the Texas Motorplex.One world championship would make the season - as would one other achievement.“And that first three second pass,” said Schweigert, his eyes glistening at the possibility. “The first guy to do that, that’s gonna be a big deal.”(Photos by ADRL/Richards)

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