PEGGY LLEWELLYN - NO REGRETS, NO LOOKING BACK
If Peggy Llewellyn never takes another competitive run in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class, she does so with no regrets.That's how rewarding the 2007 season was to the Texas native, who after a six-year hiatus returned to the sport in grand fashion, scoring her first career victory and finishing fourth in the final POWERade Series standings.
Team owner Karl Klement released the PSM rider from her contract after the season, but that disappointment did little to detract from Llewellyn's dream season.
If Peggy Llewellyn never takes another competitive run in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class, she does so with no regrets.
That's how rewarding the 2007 season was to the Texas native, who after a six-year hiatus returned to the sport in grand fashion, scoring her first career victory and finishing fourth in the final POWERade Series standings.
Team owner Karl Klement released the PSM rider from her contract after the season, but that disappointment did little to detract from Llewellyn's dream season.
It was a bit of a shock, but only for a little bit. That's the harsh reality of drag racing. - Peggy Llewellyn
"I just try to think about all the positives," Llewellyn said. "I had the chance to go out and do (something others would love to do). I don't look at the negatives.
"I had set modest goals, so to meet them and exceed them is just beyond my comprehension. It goes to show what a team which is focused can accomplish. I (came into the year) just wanting to finish in the top 10. But then after getting on a roll, it turned to making the Countdown to 8 and then to make the Countdown to 4 and the Countdown to the Championship was just unbelievable."
However, the path taken wasn't an easy one. There were some early-season struggles for Llewellyn and her G2 Motorsports team.
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The 34-year-old struggled out of the box, going just 2-4 during eliminations and was a distant 11th in points after the first four races. All that changed when she rolled into Joliet, Ill. for the Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 Nationals.
"We started off slow," Llewellyn said. "But that was me, as I adapted to the new Buell V-Twin (engine) after (making test runs on the Suzuki). It was just us getting better and better, finding the right tune-up and the driver doing her job."
All those factors started to come together in Chicago. Llewellyn, tutored by PSM guru George Bryce, scored her first career round victory with a win over veteran Steve Johnson en route to her first semi-final appearance. The successes continued the rest of the way as she went 6-6 during eliminations at the next six events to secure a spot in the Countdown to 4 by advancing to the semifinals at Sonoma, Calif. and Brainerd, Minn.
"Chicago was big race for us," Llewellyn said. "That's when we made our first six-second pass. That race was a turning point for me personally. I was, up until that point, still learning how to ride a fast bike, and by that time it wasn't getting away from me anymore. I was getting my shift points down and learning how to handle it."
The success continued in the fall events, but to advance to the next round of the NHRA's "playoffs" most believed Llewellyn needed a miracle at the final race of the Countdown to 4 in Dallas. She proved, however, that just being level-headed was good enough, advancing to the final four by winning her first career national event.
Llewellyn won with consistency, making runs of 7.023 seconds, 7.025 and 7.114 before running a 7.020 to beat three-time POWERade Series champ Andrew Hines in the final.
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"That was just out of the realm of what I was thinking," Llewellyn said. "I went into that race just taking each round and saying, 'This is what I can do.' I wasn't event thinking about the whole points setup, and then, it dawned on me that by winning, we got into the Countdown (to the Championship). I was just thrilled to get my first win."
Llewellyn then went 2-2 during eliminations at the final two events of the season to cap the best campaign of her career with a fourth-place finish, an achievement that appeared highly-unlikely to most at the beginning of the season. She finished the season with quite a resume, which included a win in her only final round of the season, four semi-final round appearances and six first-round wins. She was also a very respectable 18-15 during eliminations. In her previous six events coming into the season, she was 0-3 during eliminations with three DNQs.
"For our team to finish fourth in our first year, that's just a testament to the hard work and the determination we put forth," Llewellyn said. "Even when I wasn't getting the job done and making mistakes, my team never got down. They were just real encouraging me. I was the hardest on myself, but they just kept plugging away."
But the thrill of a career-best finish soon turned to frustration and disappointment. A few weeks after accepting the accolades of her fourth-place finish at the NHRA Awards show Llewellyn was without a ride.
Klement, without getting specific, announced the Llewellyn would not return to the G2 Motorsports team in 2008. Llewellyn still doesn't know why the decision was made, and she said she doesn't need to know. But she accepted the news with the same level-headed manner he had shown in competition this past season.
"It was just a business decision," Llewellyn said. "You have to respect the parties that made it. It's tough, but it's something that has to be done.
"It was a bit of a shock, but only for a little bit. That's the harsh reality of drag racing."
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Llewellyn did say that she does have a few prospects on the horizon for 2008, but for now that she's going to keep her mind off the drag racing world.
"I have some, but right now I'm just enjoying the down time," she said. "I'm enjoying the holidays with my family, then come January, I'm going to start and look at each and every prospect and see what works for Peggy."
She did say, that after achieving new heights in 2007, she's reached the point of her career that it has to be the best fit for her and her abilities.
"Finishing fourth, kind of raises the bar," Llewellyn said. "You don't want to go backwards. I want to keep on improving, and getting better. I want to keep on the incline I was at (this past season)."
But she also knows, that after having such a banner season, those high-profile types of rides are more likely to be out there for her.
"It does help," she said of her recent success. "It proves that I can adapt well to different motorcycles. I'm a team player, which will work in my favor."
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