He is new to the game, but Jupiter, Florida-based Kieth Burley is already feeling right at home on the NHRA tour aboard his Triumph Castrol Pro Stock Motorcycle. Burley made his debut in the very competitive class last weekend at the 15th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals near Chicago surrounded by family, friends and a growing base of fans.

“When I was in the staging lanes, I was experiencing so many emotions,” said Burley. “I haven’t been that excited in a long time. Once I put my helmet on, the nerves went away and I felt right at home.”

The young rider made four journeys down the racetrack on the Triumph Castrol Pro Stock Motorcycle during qualifying at Route 66 Raceway, and after a bad fuel sensor was discovered following the first two passes, the bike picked up the pace and clocked a 7.16 at 189 mph followed by a much improved 7.11 at nearly the same speed.

He is new to the game, but Jupiter, Florida-based Kieth Burley is already feeling right at home on the NHRA tour aboard his Triumph Castrol Pro Stock Motorcycle. Burley made his debut in the very competitive class last weekend at the 15th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals near Chicago surrounded by family, friends and a growing base of fans.

“When I was in the staging lanes, I was experiencing so many emotions,” said Burley. “I haven’t been that excited in a long time. Once I put my helmet on, the nerves went away and I felt right at home.”

The young rider made four journeys down the racetrack on the Triumph Castrol Pro Stock Motorcycle during qualifying at Route 66 Raceway, and after a bad fuel sensor was discovered following the first two passes, the bike picked up the pace and clocked a 7.16 at 189 mph followed by a much improved 7.11 at nearly the same speed.

“Our Triumph Castrol Pro Stock Motorcycle team did a great job of finding the gremlin – a bad fuel sensor – and with having no data to work off of, they gave me a bike that almost made the field,” said Burley. “We’re confident that if we would have had one more run, we would have made the show.

“We did a lot of testing before our debut, and the Triumph Castrol Pro Stock Motorcycle has performed well. This bike is extremely fast, and it’s a blast to ride. We have several more test days set up for later this month so that when the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals comes around, we will make five solid runs to get into the show. I’ll also be making plenty of mental runs, and I’ll be at most of the NHRA races before then doing my regular work. Even though I’m not competing until the race in Indy, I will be watching my competition and learning every round.”

There were an assortment of Triumph motorcycles on display in their pit area in Chicago, and the steady influx of folks interested in the newly formed team and the unique display further fueled the thrill of their debut.

“It was awesome,” said Burley. “We love interacting with everyone; the fans become part of our family when they come to the pit and get up close and personal with the team and our bikes. The drag racing community was clearly excited to see not only Triumph, but also Castrol, getting involved in the PSM class.

“For me, it was also great because I love to meet new people, interact, and make friends, and I had the opportunity to spend over eight hours hanging out with my fans this past weekend. Another cool thing is that we developed a custom phone application to help people keep up with my crazy adventures and learn about our great sponsors, whether they are at the race or not. It’s free for anyone to download at www.kiethburleyracing.com, and once they download it, fans can interact directly with me, get free prizes like hats, shirts, and other things, and watch some cool videos. I encourage everyone to check it out.”

With their first race behind them, the Junior Pippin-owned team is gearing up to go rounds at the second of four events they will race on the Full Throttle Series tour this year. The next stop is the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend, followed by the Big O Tires Nationals in Las Vegas and the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona.

“Overall, this weekend was such a great experience,” said Burley. “I have dreamed of being a professional NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider for so long, and to have my dad, Earl, there with me for my debut and to feel everyone pulling for me, it was just a dream come true. Adding to that, it’s an absolute honor to wear such iconic brands, and the long history between Triumph and Castrol speaks volumes about their commitment to putting out the best products. I am proud to be part of the family.

“I was very surprised to discover how many NHRA fans own Triumphs and have such a passion for the brand. We really enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many people, and we can’t wait for the opportunity to share our passion again. Thankfully, the U.S. Nationals are right around the corner.”