Our site is not fully compatible with Internet Explorer. We strongly suggest using Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.

Rob Garcia XDA ProXtreme Motorcycle Drag Racing - New Race Program including FuelTech, Innovative Performance Racing, and William Cavallo

May 06, 2024

FuelTech Blog: Rob Garcia XDA ProXtreme Motorcycle Drag Racing - New Race Program including FuelTech, Innovative Performance Racing and William Cavallo

Author: Rob Garcia

As the winter of 2023 rolled in, we found ourselves facing a monumental task: rebuilding our entire race program from the ashes, quite literally. A devastating shop fire in November 2022 left us with little more than our memories and our bare Timblin chassis, which at the time of the fire was undergoing modifications back at Timblin’s shop.

During the forced hiatus from racing in 2023, I found myself contemplating the future of our team. With everything to rebuild, it was a chance to reassess our approach to racing. It was during this period that I began to re-think our entire racing program.

Enter Shane Smith, a seasoned tuner and crew chief, whose partnership breathed new life into our team. With Shane on board, the pieces of our new program began to fall into place, seamlessly.

Innovative Performance Racing took the reins in crafting our new bike over the winter months. Shane Smith and Terry Stemper, armed with unwavering ambition and determination, greeted the bare chassis with a vision for greatness. Our first decisions included a new FuelTech ECU and a complete newly designed turbo system by Terry Stemper and William Cavallo. Drawing on William Cavallo's expertise in engineering and fabrication, they set out to create something truly remarkable.

The result? A marvel of engineering, featuring a bespoke plenum fabricated by Cavallo himself, complemented by innovative dual-fuel rails and a state-of-the-art Comp turbo. William Cavallo was instrumental in fabricating these crucial components envisioned by himself and Innovative Performance Racing. It was a testament to the power of collaboration and the resilience of our new team.

Rob Garcia's ProXtreme Drag Racing Motorcycle

Fast forward to the first race of the season which snuck up on us so quickly. We loaded the bike onto the trailer and set our sights on Maryland International Raceway on April 17, 2024. Despite the tight timeline and the lingering scent of wet paint, we were ready to put our new build to the test.

Rob Garcia tunes his ProXtreme Motorcycle for the drag strip.

Arriving at the race track, we were greeted by a buzz of activity as fellow competitors made their final race preparations. For us, however, the goal was clear: to get the bike from point A to point B and iron out any kinks along the way. With each pass down the track, we gathered invaluable data from our new FuelTech ECU. Shane masterfully fine-tuned our setup with each adjustment.

Despite a few hiccups along the way, our new build showed promise, hinting at the potential for greatness in the races to come. We made it into the finals this first race with our brand new untested build! We finished runner up and are starting this season 2nd in points.

As we prepare to hit the track once again for the 2024 XDA Racing ProXtreme season, we do so with a renewed sense of purpose and a machine built to defy all expectations. The road ahead may be challenging, but with our new program and bike build, we're ready to conquer whatever lies ahead. Our class has some of the best Pro motorcycle drag racers in the world competing. We think we may have something for them this year. Time will tell.

Stayed tuned, this story is just begining…

Many thanks to all who make this race program possible: My wife Kristy Garcia, Innovative Performance Racing with Shane Smith, Terry Stemper, William Cavallo, Larry Marks, FuelTech, Walt Timblin of Timblin Chassis, Wes Nyce, Gordon Automotive, Dale Brown, VP Racing Fuels, Robinson Industries Transmissions, Vance and Hines, Comp Turbo, MTC Engineering, Dan Wagner of DTM Performance, Fast by Gast, Web Cam Shafts, Abbi Electric, XDA for the best racing series in the world and Harley Haul Motorcycle Transport.

P.S. Bring back 1/4 mile racing! My ultimate personal goal is to run a 5 second 1/4 mile pass!