State Of The Class Address: Pro Extreme Motorcycle

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After a season filled with world records, incredible hot streaks and spectacular racing, the 2010 ADRL season has come down to one month and two racesEight places are up for grabs for the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI in October, making it a perfect time to see how each class stacks up heading into “The Battle For The Belts.”Call it the State of the Class Address or call it whatever you like. Either way, these final two races before the world finals - Simpson Dragstock VII at Rockingham Dragway (Sept. 10-11) and the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV (Sept. 24-25) - have plenty on the line.Today, we take a look at Pro Extreme Motorcycle and get a glimpse of what’s in store for this wild finish. TODAY: Pro Extreme MotorcycleTHURSDAY: Extreme 10.5WEDNESDAY: Pro NitrousTUESDAY: Pro ExtremeHOW IT GOT HERETo be blunt, Ashley Owens (pictured) and his Fast by Gast team has dominated Pro Extreme Motorcycle and that might be putting it lightly.He’s re-set E.T. and speed world records, he’s won six of the seven 2010 events, he recorded a double-win weekend in August and his 4,022 points are 1,700 more than the No. 2 driver in the points standings.Owens has been remarkable and deserves all the adulation and praise that has come his way through this marvelous stretch now going on seven months.But foolish would be the perfect term to describe anyone who thinks Owens’ world championship is already wrapped in a bow, signed and delivered.Owens might have three wins in the last four races, but the field got exponentially better over the four-race, two-week stretch in late July and early August.Kim Morrell (pictured) has improved in every race and now sits fifth in the standings behind Travis Davis, Eric McKinney and Terry Schweigert (pictured, bottom), who has shown his own glimpses of brilliance.Sure, he’s lost to Owens in three finals this year, but one was a holeshot loss and Schweigert has been a top qualifier in that span to move to the second spot.Morrell advanced to her first finals at the Gateway Drags and has been one of the best drivers in the class all season.Others are lurking, too, even if the points race might not indicate it.McKinney always boasts a powerful bike and that might be enough to advance in key spots.In the fourth position, Travis Davis has the only non-Owens win in the 2010 calendar year.He shocked plenty by beating Owens in eliminations en route to a Dragpalooza title, but Davis has been capable of fast times all year.The rest of the top eight includes Lance Hines, James Helton and Ronald Procopio, who has no plans of letting that eighth position go.Others plan to have a say and there’s plenty of talent on the outside looking in at the moment.Charlie Prophit, Scott Gray and Billy Vose all have a chance to jump into the top eight and all have the capability.Bad luck has been Gray’s biggest nemesis in 2010, but his 2009 World Championship is reason enough to consider him a threat.Vose ran a number of 4.17s at Gateway - and that’s with not getting everything out of his bike. Vose is currently in 11th, but he could be a major dark-horse contender.To this point, though, Owens has owned the class and everything he has done until now is worth celebrating.WHAT LIES AHEADMcKinney won at Rockingham last year, but Davis also had an enjoyable experience at the fast track, setting what was at the time a new world E.T. record.Owens has since shattered that, going 4.05 in May, but it shows that both Davis (pictured) and McKinney are seasoned and can perform under pressure.Paul Gast won the Ohio Drags in 2009 and the last winner at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk was Vose, who won the Ohio Drags in 2008.He has some big plans for the final two races of the year, but also don’t expect Owens and his team to stand pat, either.They plan to debut a new engine design at Dragstock, which means Owens’ bike may get faster and more consistent.Will that be possible after everything he has already done this year?That remains to be seen, but the rest of the field hopes to be consistent, make their own improvements and catch Owens napping.Vose thinks he can make big improvements on the 4.17 he ran in Gateway, while others have plans to keep in the 4.10s to hopefully get Owens on an off run.Another interesting aspect is seeing where this field goes in cooler temperatures.They delivered unbelievable times and speeds during the hottest part of the year in Houston and St. Louis, meaning something out of this world could happen in September at fast tracks with cool(er) temperatures.Three of the top five quickest fields were set during that four-race stretch, with the No. 16 qualifier at Gateway going 4.29.Fans were also treated to one of the closest fields in PXM history in Houston, where .127 separated the 16 bikes.It should make for a thrilling finish, but one question will loom over everything: Can anyone catch Owens?Tomorrow: A look at Extreme Pro Stock heading into the final stretch of the 2010 season (Photos by ADRL/Richards)

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