Reading: Shawn Gann preview

Gann Heads to Reading With Confidence
XTreme Rebellion/RumBum team moves up to eighth after Brainerd round win

READING, Penn. -- After his best qualifying effort of the season last weekend in Brainerd (fifth) and an NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle round win that helped move his XTreme Rebellion/RumBum team into eighth in the points, Shawn Gann has newfound confidence going into the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

"We needed that win," Gann said. "We needed that boost in the points and we needed the confidence. It's no secret that we've had some bad luck this year, but we're focused on making the Countdown to 1 and it's looking good for us. We just need to focus right now and get this XTreme Rebellion/RumBum Buell set up right."

The four-time Nationals winner fouled out with a red light last weekend in Brainerd against eventual class runner-up Junior Pippin with a -.002. It was a hard loss for Gann, who has been strong this season when it comes to his reaction times.

Heading into this weekend's NHRA Full Throttle Series event in Reading, Gann is less than thrilled. He enjoys the crowds and the fans, but his lack of success here definitely weighs on his mind.

"Reading is one of the worst things I have to go through in my life," he said. "Reading is a nice track and it's a nice spot and the fans are nice, but I've never had good luck there. It's one of those things where if you go somewhere and you know when you step into your truck to leave and you're going somewhere where you know you've never been successful at, you kinda just dread going."

-credit: hsm