NEW ZX 14 Pro Street Joins Record Setting Orient Express Hayabus
John Flood will return to active duty aboard the completely new Team Orient Express Yellow Corn Kawasaki ZX 14 Pro Street! Joe Hahn has been busy incorporating many new innovative features to the machine. Check back soon for details, updates, and photos!
The record setting combination of Mike Kavos aboard the Joe Hahn built and tuned Orient Express Pro Street Hayabusa will return to battle for 2010 with several improvements and changes. Hard work throughout the 2009 season brought 2nd place overall in the AMA Dragbike final standings, and we are looking to improve on those results for 2010.
Celtic Racing Teams With Orient Express To Field PJ Jacobsen in
Celtic Racing's 16 year-old PJ Jacobsen will compete in his first full season of AMA Daytona Sportbike competition in 2010. Orient Express is proud to support PJ and we look forward to his continued racing success. In PJ's 2009 Daytona Sportbike debut, he qualified on pole - announcing his presence with authority! PJ has worked extensively with Celtic Racing since he began racing , and has numerous motocross, supermoto, and road race championships under his belt already. Since 2000 PJ has raced almost every class from 50cc to 250cc, riding two-stroke and four-stroke machines. Orient Express is excited to support Celtic Racing and PJ - stay tuned for more information and great results!
Expanded Drag Racing Support Program For 2010 With Budgell & Van
Team Orient Express would like to officially welcome Rob Budgell and his dad, Bob Budgell, to the Team Orient Express Family! Rob's record setting and track champion Hayabusa incorporates many innovative components and design features. Budgell will fill a needed role in product development for select Orient Express products and equipment. Budgell will campaign a 2008 Hayabusa in Pro Street at national and local events.
Returning in 2010 with a completely new machine, Dave Vantine will continue to contest the Pro Mod class in AMA Dragbike. John Ganey and his crew from PCW are working hard on the new Pro Mod. Orient Express is certain the new machine will carry forward the tradition of success!
Orient Express Renews Pro Street Sponsorship With AMA Dragbike &
Orient Express is very pleased to announce continued support in 2010 for the popular Pro Street classes in AMA Dragbike and MIROCK racing series. Pro Street features the quickest and fastest street bikes on the planet, with speeds over 200 MPH and elapsed times hovering just over 7 seconds. Everyone expects blistering performance and new records to be set at every event this season! We look forward to seeing you at the races! With many new bikes and teams competing, 2010 is sure to be an exciting season!
Orient Express will expand our contingency program for the 2010 racing season to include additional in-house and exclusive products! In AMA Dragbike, we will offer contingency support on our Billet Quick Access Clutch Covers, and the new Orient Express NextUp Ignition Kill Module.
For AMA Pro Road Racing competitors, Orient Express is offering contingency for the newly introduced K-Tech Suspension components.
Racers seeking product support sponsorship are encouraged to email a current race resume and proposed 2010 racing schedule for consideration.
Have a great 2010 season! We look forward to seeing you at the track!
Team Orient Express Wraps Up 2009 Season With SUCCESS!
For Team Orient Express, one weekend in Georgia equals success! World Record! 2nd Overall National Championship! Shootout Win! ProStreet Runner up! The Orient Express ProStreet Hayabusa Turbo, piloted by Mike Kovacevich reset the ProStreet top speed record at an astounding 207.50 mph, backed up with two passes at 206.51 mph! The turbocharged beast has been fast since the beginning of 2008, and held the record previously, so we knew it was just a matter of time before all the pieces were in place for another incredible pass. Crew Chief Joe Hahn with assistance from Waylon Dempsey, had the tuneup dialed in for the weekend to go along with heads-up eyes-wide-open riding by "Kavos".
Orient Express offers congratulations to Mike Slowe on his fourth consecutive ProStreet championship! Team Orient Express fought hard for the entire 2009 season to secure second place in the championship, and with consistent work, it all came together at Valdosta! As always, competition in the AMA Dragbike ProStreet class is serious and intense. Team Orient Express wants to thank all of our sponsors, for the incredible support and teamwork that made second place possible. Our sponsors have provided high quality race ready components that withstood the demands of competition. We want to thank Rush Deal, Carrillo Rods, JE Pistons, Spectro Oils, EK Chains, McIntosh Swingarms, Sato Racing, Marvic Wheels by Yoyodyne, World Wide Bearings, Vortex, Cycle Paint & Metal, and Michelin Tires and RMR Racing.
To complete an already successful weekend, Mike Kovacevich on the Orient Express Hayabusa won the Dunigan ProStreet Shootout. "It's great to end the season with a strong weekend like this, it feels awesome!" Mike said enthusiastically. "We are already looking forward to next season and planning our racing program for 2010!" said Orient Express president Skip Dowling. Orient Express looks forward to seeing you at the races!
Orient Express Claims AMA Dragbike ProStreet Victory At Atco NJ!
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The past weekend at Atco Raceway in Atco, NJ has concluded, and Orient Express is pleased to announce our first victory of the 2009 AMA Dragbike season! Please visit the Race Pages and the Media Gallery for more information and some pictures of the weekend's events! Click the link below to go to the Race Pages directly.
Celtic Racing Closes Out AMA Pro Road Racing Season Strong!
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Visit the Race Pages to see all the details and some photographs from the last AMA Pro Road Racing event of the season at NJ Motorsports Park over Labor Day weekend 2009. Click the link below to go there now!
2009 AMA Pro Street Sponsorship Program Extended W/Contingency
Orient Express Extends 2009 AMA Pro Street Sponsorship Program With Contingency!
The Orient Express Pro Street class was extremely popular among racers and spectators over the 2008 AMA Dragbike season. Featuring 200+ MPH machines capable of low 7” passes in street legal trim, the Pro Street class claimed the fastest and quickest street bikes at every event. For the 2009 AMA Dragbike season, a revised purse structure will provide larger payouts to racers during the season – we expect even tighter competition in Orient Express Pro Street as a result! Orient Express owner Skip Dowling added enthusiastically that “response to the Pro Street class has been terrific – we love seeing so many folks in staging before each session! The fans love the 200+ MPH passes and close racing!”
Orient Express will also extend racer support with a contingency program for racers who have purchased an Orient Express Quick Access Clutch Cover from us, and installed it on their machine. $50 will be paid to win, and $25 for runner up, with the Orient Express decals required to be present as well. “We’ve had a great deal of positive feedback regarding our Quick Access Clutch Covers, and this is a great way to reward folks who have supported our products” explained Orient Express owner Skip Dowling.
Orient Express has been actively supporting professional motorcycle drag racing since 1973, and has built its business supporting racers, developing innovative products, and providing the finest in high performance hardware to the market. “Orient Express has been helping racers reach the next level since 1973, and we are very pleased to welcome them back to AMA Dragbike for the 2009 season. The Orient Express Pro Street class promises to capture everyone’s attention this season” said Scott Valetti, AMA Dragbike President.
The 2009 AMA Dragbike series gets started March 7th at the B&B Bike Week Nationals, South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Georgia, and runs at total of eight events over the season, returning to Valdosta November 13th for the season finals. For further information, please visit our website - www.OrientExpress.com - in the Race Pages section or AMA Dragbike - www.AMADragbike.com - to see the entire schedule. Please call 800.645.6521 to speak with our knowledgeable sales and technical staff if you have any questions.
2009 MIROCK Pro Street Sponsorship By Orient Express!
Orient Express Returns To MIROCK With Pro Street Sponsorship In 2009!
Responding to popular demand among racers and customers, Orient Express is pleased to present the MIROCK Pro Street class for 2009 at all eight MIROCK Superbike Series events. Orient Express owner Skip Dowling commented that “the explosion of competition and participation in the Pro Street category has been tremendous. We felt there was an opportunity to provide Pro Street machines with an additional place to compete. Everyone loves watching these 200+ MPH low 7-second monsters storm down the strip!”
The Orient Express Pro Street class will feature the same rules package as the AMA Dragbike Orient Express Pro Street class, making it easy for teams to compete in both series over the course of the season. Accommodations, adjustments and provisions have been made to convert existing Outlaw machines into the new Orient Express Pro Street class with minimal changes and expense.
Orient Express Pro Street is certain to be one of the most hotly contested classes for 2009. Already the 2008 season at MIROCK was incredibly competitive and exciting! MIROCK Promoter Jason Miller added “Orient Express brings over 35 years of racing experience every time they unload their machines at MIROCK. We are really excited to have their support behind the Pro Street class!” Orient Express will continue to support the fastest and quickest street legal machines in the 2009 MIROCK Pro Street class, and we are working to prepare our machines for the first event of the season! The field is certain to be thick again this year – everyone’s bodywork bulging with turbos and bristling with extended swingarms. Do you have a monster horsepower machine? Bring it to MIROCK!
The 2009 MIROCK Superbike Series comprises eight events at two IHRA National Event tracks. These events are split evenly between Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville MD, and Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham NC. The season runs from March 28th-29th to November 7th-8th and attracts drag racers from the entire eastern United States. For a complete 2009 schedule and rules please visit www.mirockracing.com or www.orientexpress.com (in the race pages!).
Orient Express Titanium Exhaust & Teasley Set Record @ 8.981!!!
There was only one exhaust in both lanes at the 2008 AMA Dragbike Finals at Valdosta - the Orient Express Titanium full exhaust for the Suzuki GSXR 1000! You can run the same exhaust that Eddie Murphy and Jeremy Teasley use to win races and set records. Teasley set the new SuperSport record at an amazing 8.981 with our exhaust fitted to his MSP Suzuki GSXR 1000. You can have the same full titanium construction, tapered head pipes and 4-2-1 design that provide maximum flow and incredible power across the RPM range. Stunning hand welded joints are incredibly smooth and practically eliminate restrictions in exhaust gas flow.
Orient Express congratulates Eddie Murphy and salutes Jeremy Teasley again on a stunning 2008 racing season! Good luck next year!
Team Orient Express Rush Deal Wraps Up Solid 2008 Season
Team Orient Express Rush Deal completed the 2008 AMA Dragbike season with both machines holding the national number 6 positions in the standings.
Mike Kavos aboard the Suzuki Hayabusa ProStreet Turbo machine had a strong season, guided by the experience and wisdom of Joe Hahn, with great assistance from Christian Price. For most of the season, this combination held the MPH record in the hotly contested ProStreet class at 201.46 MPH!
John Flood rode the Kawasaki ZX 14 Ninja SuperStreet Turbo machine to the limit with each pass, finding a bit more speed, traction, and power as the season went forward, with Joe and Christian carefully monitoring every pass.
Team Orient Express Rush Deal attended all the 2008 AMA Dragbike events, and the MIRock events at Maryland International Raceway. This demanding schedule meant that the crew was on the road most of the season, and working long hours in the shop getting things prepared.
Everyone would like to thank the many sponsors that made this 2008 season possible. Please support these sponsors as they make it possible for us to support the sport and participate with you at the track!
Rush Deal - Amazing motorcycle apparel from Japan, style and function in one package!
Mr Turbo - Our trusted friends in Texas make horsepower under pressure easy! Decades of turbocharged experience, incredible craftsmanship, and the highest quality components.
Cycle Paint & Metal - Concours quality paint-work for motorcycles, superb quality and amazing details!
Spectro Oils - When the competition gets hot, and the boost is cranked, you can rest easy knowing Spectro has you covered! The finest oils and chemicals for competition use or street cruising!
Marvic Wheels - On the leading edge of lightweight aluminum and magnesium alloy motorcycle wheels since 1983 - available from YoyodyneTi - the exclusive US importer and distributor.
McIntosh - Hand built custom swingarms for motorcycle drag racing, engineered to provide maximum control and traction out back.
Carrillo - The standard in high performance connecting rods for severe competition use. Ensures your bottom end has what it takes to hold together under the most demanding conditions.
Sato Racing - CNC machined rearset controls for drag racing and road racing. Sato rearsets are precision machined works of art that allow the rider to find a comfortable position for maximum performance.
Vortex Racing - CNC machined sprockets for every application on the market. Strong enough for 600+ horsepower! A wide range of billet parts and accessories too!
EK Chain - The strongest chains on the market, in any length you need. Unparalleled performance, and incredible reliability - exactly what a chain needs to offer!
Worldwide Bearings - Super low friction wheel and transmission bearing kits for all late model sportbikes. Every ceramic bearing reduces frictional losses and puts more horsepower to the pavement!
Please visit our Media Gallery for some great images from the 2008 season, featuring pictures from Matt Polito!
Gladstone & Germana Finish Strong Season Of 1000cc Supersport!
Orient Express congratulates Jimmy Germana and Joey Gladstone on a fine season of 1000cc Supersport competition! Both riders campaigned GSXR 1000's with Orient Express titanium full exhaust systems fitted for maximum power and unmatched performance. Both Jimmy and Joey traveled to most of the 2008 AMA Dragbike events, as well as selected MIRock races. Not only did Joey make the finals twice, but he notched his first national win at the Orient Express US Nationals at Atco NJ! Joey won the StreetET class at the end of a long hot weekend of racing in southern New Jersey! Orient Express congratulates Joey and Jimmy on a great 2008 season, and we look forward to more great results for 2009! Nice work guys!
Dave Vantine Takes National #3 In AMA Dragbike ProMod
Dave Vantine rode his John Ganey tuned Orient Express ProMod machine to a solid 3rd position in the AMA Dragbike series this season. The Orient Express sponsored Kawasaki 1500cc monster required every ounce of skill from Vantine to muscle down the track. Keeping it all together was a year long exhibition of tuning wisdom by John Ganey and his crew, finding innovative solutions along the way. Orient Express is proud to continue a long relationship with Vantine & Ganey, and we all look forward to a strong and fast 2009 season! Nice work Dave!
Dave Vantine and Joey Gladstone had a great weekend at the AMA Dragbike Fall Nationals at Norwalk OH.
First and foremost, congratulations to Dave Vantine and crew for a great race win. Riding the John Ganey tuned Kawasaki 1500cc ProMod monster, Vantine worked his way through three rounds of eliminations to get to the finals against Jack Young. Posting a 6.846 second pass at 194.07 secured the win for Vantine! Way to go Dave!!!
Joey Gladstone, fresh off his first national win at Atco in September, also worked his way to the finals aboard his Suzuki GSXR 1000 Super Sport machine. Tuned by Joe Hahn and Skip Gladstone, and sporting a TiForce / Orient Express titanium exhaust, Joey's GSXR 1000 rocketed through eliminations and brought him to the finals against Keith Dennis. While only posting a runner up position this time, Orient Express is confident Joey will be back for more!!!
Preparations For Orient Express US Nationals Under Way!
Friday September 12 through Sunday the 14th brings the AMA Dragbike season to Atco NJ. The Orient Express US Nationals are the oldest and most prestigious event on the calendar, and we expect a huge crowd of competitors and fans to turn out for this event.
Team Orient Express Rush Deal will be on hand with all the bikes, as well as a full selection of Rush Deal apparel for you to see and try on. Orient Express will also have a large selection of high performance parts and accessories for sale at the track. Need something delivered to Atco or would like to save on shipping costs? Make sure to get your order in before Wednesday 9/10 so it gets on the truck! Check out the great exhaust package deals in the specials section of this site and SAVE!
Friday night will feature an Ignition Seminar with MSD Powersports Ray Corral. Starting at 5:30, Ray will explain everything you need to know about the latest in high performance ignition systems, including the amazing new SB-6 for the ZX 14 and Hayabusa. Ray will be on hand all weekend to answer any questions you have and assist with technical know how. Please stop by and take advantage of this opportunity to speak with the expert!
As soon as we can photos will be posted to the Media Gallery following the event. If you have some great shots or would like pictures of your bike included, please email them to us!
Orient Express is pleased to offer visitors to our site a selection of images from recent events and projects in our new Media Gallery section. You can follow Team Orient Express Rush Deal over the course of the season, or keep track of a 2008 Hayabusa turbo project bike for a customer overseas. We will also use the gallery to present some classic images from our archives - slides and photographs we have scanned into digital. If you have some great pictures, please let us know, and we can add them to the site.
Many of the racing images featured in our Media Gallery were taken by renowned motorsports photographer Matt Polito, please visit his websites - Racing Perspectives and DragBike Photos- and purchase any images you would like to keep.
Orient Express ProStreet Hayabusa Gets The Win At MIRock!
It was a hot weekend at the end of July, with track surface temperatures climbing steadily all weekend. Joe and Christian spent hours working on making everything perfect. Clutches were checked and reset, maps were verified and adjusted, and every detail was analyzed. In the end... it all came together. The skills of Mike Kavos, the countless hours of tuning, just the right combination. The turbo charged Hayabusa ProStreet took it's first win of the season!
Congratulations guys! Job well done! Now let's get another!
John Flood continues to make solid progress with the Mr Turbo powered ZX 14 - we can feel a win is close! Joe and Christian have made some changes that really helped John become more comfortable on the ZX14.
Dave Vantine and John Ganey have been developing their new ProMod Kawasaki over the past season and as we enter August, they have made it to the finals twice. First in Bristol TN, and most recently at Indianapolis. Consistently fast, the monster ProMod machine received a bold paint job that really stands out. Orient Express is proud to sponsor Vantine and Ganey, and congratulate them on they awesome results! It always takes a lot of hard work, and now it's paying off! Nice job!
Orient Express ProStreet Hayabusa Sets New Record! 201.46mph!
Congratulations!!!
To The TEAM!!! Joe, Christian, Mike & John - Nice work!
Team Orient Express Rush Deal set a new MPH record at Memphis Motorsports Park, Sunday May 4th, 2008. At 201.46mph, the new AMA Dragbike ProStreet top speed record sets the new mark for the competition. New records don't come easily or often, especially in the heavily contested AMA Dragbike ProStreet class. Orient Express would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors for the 2008 season. Without their support, we could not have achieved this so early in the season. Special thanks to Rush Deal and Ronnie Mitchell/RMR Racing for all their help! Please take the time to support our sponsors and remember, they make it possible for us to provide support to you and the series.
