Ken Stolpmann

Best time 8.33 sec and 161.79 mph

A brief history of my dragracing;

I have always enjoyed drag racing starting like most as a spectator, then getting the chance to crew on a car, and then taking the plunge and bought Jo Bain's Honda 360cc dragbike thinking that it's got to be cheaper than racing a car, Yeah Right! I managed a best of 13.2@98mph and then sold it to Ray and Paula Pratt and started on a Suzuki Katana after being inspired by the 1993 Australian Drag Bike tour, especially Darryl Nuss's Katana and a conversation with Tony Astell shortly after which set the direction I was to take.

The first generation bike was painted up as a pink tiger with a 72" wheel base, back halved the frame with chrome moly, GSX 400 forks TZ250 front wheel,15 x 8 rear wheel with a 26 x 10 Hoosier slick, MSD ignition,1294cc engine with 40 mm Lectron carbs, air box ducted from the front head light, lock up clutch, overhead oiling system,1-2-3 auto gearbox and a one piece carbon fibre body and fairings. All up weight of 205kgs from memory. This combination was built with the intention of breaking Steve Burton's A/Pro record of 8.924@148, I was able to get an 8.928 out of this combination with Ian Hilder crewing. As a thank you to him for crewing I let him have a ride at the end of the season with the result of him smashing the record going 8.581 and 151.05  BUGGER!!

The second generation of this bike was painted all blue and was built to get the A/Pro record which still eluded me, I back halved the frame again, rebuilt the back wheel because I had twisted up the hub and fitted a Koenig front end and RC Comp front wheel. I made a new wider carbon fiber body, aluminum wheelie bars, full fairings for the bike (belly pan, lower half fairing, carbon panels for the wheelie bars) and a bigger better sealed air box, leaving the engine combination the same with the theory that a lighter bike with me on board should get the record. The bike weighed in at 191kgs fuelled and ready to race. We ultimately ended up racing in A/DB with this bike and could only ever achieve an 8.88 @ 149.35mph which gave us the mph record for A/DB which I think still stands, but not quite what I was after.

The bike was laid up for a season or two and I was able to ride a street bike and also had the opportunity to ride Eric Shepard's 750 two stroke triple to a runner up spot at the Nationals running a National record and a best time of a 10.4.

The third generation of this bike is at present painted up in Valvoline colours but not with any sponsorship, I just like their colour scheme. I again modified the chassis by shortening it two inches and it now is between 70-71" wheelbase and made contact with Richard Knowles of RK Cycles in the States who helped me out with the engine combination, it now is out to 1498cc still running the MSD and Lectrons,C-14 race fuel, a new offset drive and engine plate, a new overhead oiling system, new headers (which meant redoing the lower fairings) and I'm a lot poorer. Cheaper than racing a car remember? The first time out was the last meeting of the 2001-02 season with this combination and saw a timing chain tensioner back out ending up with a lot of bent valves and very little else to show for it.

2002-03 season was better with the first meeting running 8.75 2 145 but way under geared. We went faster every meeting ultimately running a new National Record on the last run of the season 8.54 @ 153.98mph.Got there at last!

UPDATE 2006: Best run to date: 8.33 @ 161.79mph at Champion Dragway, Feb 2006.

UPDATE2 2006: Ken got married to the lovely Karen on 25 July 2006, and has decided to move to the Michigan in the USA, taking his Pro bike (and new wife!) with him. Congratulations Ken & Karen, and be sure to let us know how you get on the USA!   

Ken at Champion 2003	2003	2003