8hrs at DAYTONA - Oct. 20, 2007
RACING THE F800 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MOTO-ST

F800 Daytona crew: Ben, Pete, Dan & Tim


Unique new vertical twin motor
We had to convert it from belt drive to chain drive for Daytona - we needed more gearing
Brett goes over his check list
Ben, Tim & rider Tom Montano prepare the bike
The Canadian Film Crew is with us every step of the way
Kathleen sets up an awesome lunch for the 2 MOTO-ST crews
Rider Steve Atlas brought along his own motivation
Dan & Tim do the required Fuel Capacity Test with MOTO-ST Officials
Before the F800 team heads to the track, Chris holds a strategy meeting with his riders.

Both of our MOTO-ST bikes are parked at the Pit Wall before the 2hr practice session
Chuck Sorensen laid down some awesome laps
Steve Atlas was the fastest of our 3 riders
With 20 minutes left in the practice session, Steve went down & the bike tumbled. When we got the bike back to the pits, we could see how bad it really was. Thank goodness Steve was OK.
The bike was destroyed. Handle bars broken, fairing in pieces, the clutch cover cracked open, front wheel was bent & the front & rear sub frames were both broken.
Steve was very depressed. No harm, no foul - that's racing Steve!
Chris said "We're here to race - let's fix it" so we tore it apart & started the repairs

Finishing only 20 minutes before the start of the 8hr race. The F800 was ready for action! It looked a little bit like "Frank'n Bike" with the body all stiched together, but most of the extensive repairs were hidden.

George is our Fire Guy (left), Tim (right) is Fuel Man and prepares the quick fill gas rig
Everyone gets busy organizing the pit area
Ben ponders the possibilities of the coming hours
F800 rider, Tom Montano, talks with R1200S Fuel Man; Jeff
Tim & Jeff - Gas Guys
Pete lets the F800 off the stand as the Film Crew catches the action in the pits
Tim is suited up in his Fuel Guy garb and Fire Control guy, George Steele stands by
F800's Crew Chief, Pete Hunter, gets focused
The 8 Hour Race Starts
A proud crew poses with the repaired Frank'n Bike before the start of the race
Chuck Sorensen was first up - his performance was flawless
Chuck dices with the famous Jay "Springer" Springsteen #9
When Chuck came in to hand off the F800 to Tom Montano, the track announcer was on hand for a quick interview
Kathleen brings out the big gun (new camera)
Chris was acting as Crew Chief for the R1200S team but didn't hesitate to check up on his "other team" (us) - don't worry Chris, we're working hard, honest
Tim & Dan get ready for the next pit stop
Steve Atlas was perfect & ran faster than he had in practice
Pete watches for the F800 to come in. Tim (right) waits for the word to "Get Ready"
Steve comes in, Tim fuels the bike
Things must be going well - Chris is smiling
Some people deal with stress & excitement better than others
Light turns to dark. (LtoR) Film crew, Jeff, Chris, Pete, Ben & Tim

Chuck Sorensen runs thru the infield with a Buell in tow

Steve Atlas takes us into the night as he leads the #24 Ducati. (That Ducati (#24) would eventually t-bone our R1200S with only 30 minutes left in the race). Tom, Steve & Chuck took the F800 from 14th starting position to 7th place by the end of the 8hrs - very impressive for an un-tested race bike that had been seriously damaged the day before.  (below) Our #4 leads the way on the banking.


The crew celebrates when Steve brings Frank'n Bike home in 7th place
The F800 Crew takes a look at the amazing bike
Both Crews congradulate each other on an Outstanding Race
The Successful San Jose BMW F800S Racing Team with: Tom Montano, Pete Hunter, Ben Mellen, Dan Fosgett, Tim Johnson & Steve Atlas (Chuck Sorensen not pictured)