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Friday, January 31
Savoie won't defend her title
By Bill Stephens
ESPN.com
Savoie
Despite three consecutive Pro Stock Motorcycle championships, a performance record that made her the most successful female racer in NHRA history and an immense popularity that drew a new generation of fans, Angelle Savoie and team owner George Bryce announced Friday that 2002 was their final season together.
It has been a story possibly more compelling than her impressive run for title No. 3. First, Savoie suffered through nagging sponsorship travails which saw the 2002 season begin without a primary deal. Then, she and her team signed a short-lived agreement with CVEC, a manufacturer of hobby exhaust systems. Eventually, that company left her sponsorless before an associate deal with Mohegan Sun Casino was inked in late in the year.
Meanwhile, with her Louisiana-based Suzuki dealership in need of her presence during tough financial times, Savoie raced brilliantly last year to the championship. But without sufficient funding, and the prospects of another emotionally draining season ahead, both Bryce and Savoie agreed it was time to call it quits.
"We fully expected to be racing in 2003, defending our title and helping Angelle win her fourth consecutive championship," Bryce said. "But this is an expensive business, and in order to compete at a championship level, we needed to find a primary marketing partner who would work with us and our associate sponsors such as Mohegan Sun, Snap On Tools, and others.
"That has been our number one priority since last September and we spent a lot of time and money trying to secure the proper funding. We've exhausted every possible option, but unfortunately could not come up with a workable solution."
Savoie, too, hoped to compete in 2003.
"More than anything, I want everyone to know that we are not stopping because we wanted to, or that we broke up because of problems with the team," she said. "We are being forced to move on, so we will. Honestly, this is one day I was hoping would not come for quite some time. It's very hard to break up something that has been working so well. The way we see it, we were pretty much unbeatable."
Both Bryce and Savoie expressed their desires to remain active in the sport, but at this point, their future plans remain in the formative stages.
"My first priority is to liquidate some of my equipment to pay off the bills we have accumulated," Bryce said. "I will be selling that incredible bike we won the championship and set the national record with, as well as some of the engines. I will then go to the races to offer whatever support or advice I can give to the people who buy these things to help them be successful with them. Besides that, I'll be running quite a few drag racing schools."
Savoie is keeping her options open, too.
"Although in the short term I am going to be focusing on my Suzuki dealership, I will be keeping my door open for anything I can do in the NHRA," she said. "I won't be competing with the Star Racing team, but I would definitely like to remain involved in racing.
"I guess you could say I'm evaluating my options. The bottom line is that we are all going to move forward and make the best of what the good Lord gives us."
Bill Stephens is an NHRA reporter for ESPN and covers the NHRA for ESPN.com.
Savoie won't defend her title
By Bill Stephens
ESPN.com
Savoie
Despite three consecutive Pro Stock Motorcycle championships, a performance record that made her the most successful female racer in NHRA history and an immense popularity that drew a new generation of fans, Angelle Savoie and team owner George Bryce announced Friday that 2002 was their final season together.
It has been a story possibly more compelling than her impressive run for title No. 3. First, Savoie suffered through nagging sponsorship travails which saw the 2002 season begin without a primary deal. Then, she and her team signed a short-lived agreement with CVEC, a manufacturer of hobby exhaust systems. Eventually, that company left her sponsorless before an associate deal with Mohegan Sun Casino was inked in late in the year.
Meanwhile, with her Louisiana-based Suzuki dealership in need of her presence during tough financial times, Savoie raced brilliantly last year to the championship. But without sufficient funding, and the prospects of another emotionally draining season ahead, both Bryce and Savoie agreed it was time to call it quits.
"We fully expected to be racing in 2003, defending our title and helping Angelle win her fourth consecutive championship," Bryce said. "But this is an expensive business, and in order to compete at a championship level, we needed to find a primary marketing partner who would work with us and our associate sponsors such as Mohegan Sun, Snap On Tools, and others.
"That has been our number one priority since last September and we spent a lot of time and money trying to secure the proper funding. We've exhausted every possible option, but unfortunately could not come up with a workable solution."
Savoie, too, hoped to compete in 2003.
"More than anything, I want everyone to know that we are not stopping because we wanted to, or that we broke up because of problems with the team," she said. "We are being forced to move on, so we will. Honestly, this is one day I was hoping would not come for quite some time. It's very hard to break up something that has been working so well. The way we see it, we were pretty much unbeatable."
Both Bryce and Savoie expressed their desires to remain active in the sport, but at this point, their future plans remain in the formative stages.
"My first priority is to liquidate some of my equipment to pay off the bills we have accumulated," Bryce said. "I will be selling that incredible bike we won the championship and set the national record with, as well as some of the engines. I will then go to the races to offer whatever support or advice I can give to the people who buy these things to help them be successful with them. Besides that, I'll be running quite a few drag racing schools."
Savoie is keeping her options open, too.
"Although in the short term I am going to be focusing on my Suzuki dealership, I will be keeping my door open for anything I can do in the NHRA," she said. "I won't be competing with the Star Racing team, but I would definitely like to remain involved in racing.
"I guess you could say I'm evaluating my options. The bottom line is that we are all going to move forward and make the best of what the good Lord gives us."
Bill Stephens is an NHRA reporter for ESPN and covers the NHRA for ESPN.com.
