An early exit for Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran, Karen Stoffer at the 35th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia this weekend. Stoffer, who is still running a limited schedule due to lack of sponsorship, started the weekend off well in qualifying but was just too aggressive off the line, losing at the tree on Sunday.
All-female opening round
During qualifying, the 2015 Gatornationals winner was able to post an impressive 6.875 second elapsed time at 195.59 mph, earning her the top qualifier position. The pole marked Karen Stoffer’s third career No. 1, and the first this season. This would pair her first round against No. 16 qualifier, Angie Smith. Though Stoffer carried the advantage entering the first round of eliminations, a 7-0 record over Smith, she was a touch too early off the starting line, turning on the red light and handing the win to Angie. Karen left 0.002 seconds before the tree, a false start making her 6.861 second 195.3 mph pass invalid. Meanwhile, Angie would have trouble down track, running a slower but winning 7.199 second E.T. at 162.98 mph.
Seeking Sponsorship: Help Karen Stoffer
Karen entered Atlanta Dragway No. 3 in points, but is still lacking sponsorship to put together a full-schedule. Despite her position in the championship points chase, she is unsure of where her “limited schedule” will take her for the 2015 season. The team is still aggressively seeking marketing partners to secure a full-time schedule.