All Suzuki Show at NHRA Thunder Valley National

Top Qualifier Angelle Sampey takes Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki to Final Round

BREA, CA – June 20, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Angelle Sampey launched her Suzuki Hayabusa to her second top qualifying performance of the year and a final-round appearance of the season at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on Sunday in Bristol, Tennessee.

Top Pro Stock Motorcycle class qualifying in Thunder Valley went to Angelle Sampey (2) aboard her Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki Hayabusa.

After posting a 6.784-second/196.04 mph run to qualify in the number one spot for the 55th time in her career, the most of any rider in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, Sampey began her charge to the final round with a 6.866-second/195.05 mph pass in the first round to eliminate 2010 Pro Stock Motorcycle champion LE Tonglet. In the second round, she defeated Ryan Oehler with a 6.900-second/194.80 mph pass. Sampey earned a trip to her 79th final round appearance by defeating Marc Ingwersen with a 6.907-second/197.54 mph run in the semi-final round.

The all-Suzuki final between Angelle Sampey (2) goes to Jerry Savoie (401).

Sampey faced fellow Louisiana racer Jerry Savoie in the final round, but a red-light foul at the starting line ended her hopes of repeating her 2021 win at Thunder Valley, handing Savoie, who also races a Suzuki, his 14th career Pro Stock Motorcycle win. Suzuki congratulates Savoie on his victory.

“Andrew (Hines) did a wonderful job tuning me to number one qualifier, and then today I was on a roll. First and second round, I was doing my job along with the team always doing a great job,” Sampey said. “In the third round, I got lucky. It was a decent run, but I was late leaving the line. So it was a good thing that Marc slowed up and I was able to go to the final. I consider that my lucky round.”

“In the final, I knew exactly what I had done to mess myself up in the third round. I wanted to make sure I fixed that and reminded myself of all the things I wanted to do right. I really felt I had done everything right. When I released the clutch and saw the red light come on, I don’t really have an answer for that,” she said. “Even with the disappointment, this weekend is a confidence builder. I know we have everything we need to win. I have the confidence to know that I can do this. That’s what I learned today. I made a mistake. I’m going to learn from it, and I’m going to move on….