Opie Is The Local Star At Road Atlanta

Opie Is The Local Star At Road Atlanta

© 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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From a press release issued by Road Atlanta:

LOCAL AMA RACER OPIE CAYLOR READY FOR THE
AMA SUZUKI SUPERBIKE SHOWDOWN AT ROAD ATLANTA

BRASELTON, GA — Chris “Opie” Caylor knows the fast way around Road Atlanta, and he hopes to use that knowledge during the AMA 750 Superstock race during the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Dark Dog, May 16-18.

Caylor, a resident of Marietta, Ga., has been racing on Road Atlanta’s 2.54-mile road course since 1996. In the past, he was done well at Road Atlanta in the WERA Suzuki Cup Finals, winning an SV650 Cup race, second in the GSX-R600 and GSX-R750 races, and finishing third in the GSX-R1000 event.

Next week, Caylor will be riding his Team EMGO/1-888-FASTLAP Suzuki GSX-R 750 in the Superstock race, which will be held on Saturday, May 17.

“Road Atlanta is my home track; I have a lot of laps there,” commented Caylor. “A lot of laps doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be the fastest guy. It’s the quality of those laps that counts. I’m looking forward to the race. Home track, home crowd, the track makes me feel at home.”

For the past two years, Caylor has been competing in AMA Pro Racing’s 750 Superstock Series, one of the most exciting and popular series that runs in conjunction with AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Series.

In 2002, Caylor was the recipient of the prestigious AMA Horizon Award, given to one rider each year who shows potential as a rising star in professional roadracing.

Although the 2003 season is only just beginning, Caylor has already proved that he is one of the top privateers in the series. At the second round, held at California Speedway in Fontana, Caylor finished fourth and was the top privateer in the race. Last weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., Caylor finished eighth in the Superstock race, and comes to Road Atlanta ranked eighth in the championship standings with 64 points. Tommy Hayden of Owensboro, Ky., the winner all three rounds this far on his Kawasaki, leads with 111 points.

Since its inception in 2001, Caylor has been an instructor with the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School, based at Road Atlanta. The extra track time has allowed Caylor to learn more about the challenging road course.

“Road Atlanta has a lot of character, and some lines that work better than others. As many laps as I’ve had there, I’ve had an opportunity to experiment”, said Caylor. “I’ve tried a lot of different stuff for different corners. I might have one or two or three different lines to try through a corner, so if I have to make a pass I might have a bit of an advantage.”

Caylor will take time out of his busy schedule during race week to visit Children’s Health Care of Atlanta to share the excitement of racing with the children there.

“It’s totally cool, having the support from your friends,” said Caylor about racing at Road Atlanta. “It makes a big deal for the rider, I think. It pumps me up when I see people cheering and screaming. It’s awesome to see people getting behind it and supporting it as the sport grows.”

Fans who want to cheer on Caylor and the other AMA racers can purchase one, two and three day tickets for the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Dark Dog at Road Atlanta, May 16-18. Tickets are available at www.RoadAtlanta.com or by calling 1-800-849-RACE.

Fans will be treated to two rounds of the Superbike Series, one on Saturday and the second on Sunday. Additional races throughout the weekend include 750 Superstock, 600 Supersport and 250 GP.

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