Some NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle teams have had busy off seasons. That is an understatement for the newly-formed Pro Stock Motorcycle team, Team Liberty Racing. Riders Cory Reed and Angelle Sampey, a three-time NHRA world champ (2000-2002) will make its debut at the Gatornationals March 16-19 in Gainesville, Fla.

Sampey, Team Liberty’s team manager, said that Ken Johnson will serve as her team’s co-crew chief with Chris Rivas.

“It’s coming together,” Sampey said. “We’re still wishing we had a few more weeks, but we don’t so we are doing everything we can to get it done. My guys are staying at the shop anywhere from midnight to 3 in the morning every day. We started with two rolling chassis and nothing else. We didn’t have a single tool or piece of equipment, no shop, no rig. Over the last few months we had to build a complete race shop, get a rig on order, get uniform shirts, helmets, leathers, autograph cards on top of everything else.”

Team Liberty is running Victory Magnum bodies on their motorcycles with S&S engines. The team’s primary sponsor is Precision Service Equipment owned by Jim and Anne Whitely.

“We’ve had a couple of test sessions so far,” Sampey said. “The first one was with Cory only on the old body with the new engine. Then this past weekend, Cory’s new body was mounted with the new engine and I was on the old body with the new engine. So, now they are working on getting the new body mounted to my bike. The new body is a Victory Magnum and it’s very different than anything we have ever raced before. We are the S&S factory team and we are really going to be working together on this new engine. One thing we are excited about with this new engine is that it has this new crank in it that’s supposed to last a whole bunch of runs. If things work out the way they are supposed to you will see less failure at the race track with these engines.”

Sampey said both her team’s test sessions took place at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Cecil.

“They had a pretty decent test with Cory the first time,” Sampey said. “They were brand-spanking new engines. Now the engines are being finessed to get everything where it fits perfectly and moves perfectly.” With such a whirlwind offseason, Sampey isn’t making any bold predictions for her team at the Gatornationals.

“At this point, we don’t have any expectations,” Sampey said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen. I know what our hopes are. Our hopes are to qualify in the top half and do well. We want to have the bikes running and makes some good laps in qualifying and hopefully go a round or two, and make a decent showing. I think we would be proud of that because we are really trying to get it all together.”

Sampey acknowledged she’s travelled on an emotional roller-coaster while trying to put the pieces in place for this new team.

“It has definitely had its ups and downs already,” she said. “It has been extremely stressful trying to get everything we need, working with sponsors and trying to find more money to put on the table. It’s a lot on my plate, considering that I have a family to take care of and a business of my own at home on top of running a full-time job of managing the team. There have been days when I kind of broke down and prayed real hard and asked if we are going to get this together and please help me keep it together. Then, there have been other days where it is such a feeling of pride and accomplishment that I’m overwhelmed and so happy and I just can’t wait to get out there. No matter what happens in Gainesville, I’m still proud of us. We have accomplished so much in the offseason. What we have done in just a few months is amazing to me. When you go to our race shop and you see it, it is amazing to think that was an empty warehouse a couple of months ago.”

The tireless work ethic of her team hasn’t gone unnoticed by Sampey.

“I think that everybody feels that we have something to prove,” she said. “When Cory and I made the decision to start this team, I think there were a lot of people, I don’t know if they hoped to see us fail or they just think they are going to see us fail. So, we really have a mission to show that we can accomplish this and we are good enough. I think with a little bit more time and getting this brand-new stuff going we are really going to be a force to be reckoned with. I believe that wholeheartedly.”