The highways are filled with Kenworth Class 8 trucks, but few have the striking external appearance and precious cargo that the Monster Energy Kawasaki team semi does. This Kenworth rig is one of two trucks that travel all around the U.S., carrying bikes and equipment for AMA Superbike racers Jamie Hacking and Roger Lee Hayden. The drivers, Don Baynes and Dave Salley, cover about 55,000 miles a year in two nearly identical trucks, as they haul the team to all the AMA Superbike races and test sessions. We met up with the Monster Energy Kawasaki team at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, during the AMA race weekend to get a closer look at this awesome rig and find out about the life of an AMA team truck driver.
Race WeekThe AMA Superbike circuit is like a small city that travels to different tracks around the country for races. Typically, the trucks arrive at the track on the Wednesday before a race to unpack and prepare the bikes for the weekend. On Thursday and Friday, the riders arrive and begin testing to prepare themselves and find the optimum bike setup for the weekend's race. Saturday is spent qualifying for starting positions and Sunday is race day. immediately after the race on Sunday, the team begins to pack the truck, and the drivers usually leave for their next destination within hours of the end of the race. The rest of the team and riders fly home for a few days before boarding another plane to take them to the next race or test session. The team repeats this process at 12 events throughout the season in a different location every weekend and sometimes on different sides of the country on consecutive weekends.
Race Shop On WheelsThe most impressive feature of this rig is definitely the custom High Tech Performance trailer. This trailer carries four bikes for the rider and enough spare parts to build several more. The trailer has two levels with the top floor used solely for storage. This upper section is accessed via a hydraulic liftgate on the back of the trailer. The bottom floor has a large workshop area that is lined with storage drawers and cabinets from the floor to the ceiling.
A small office area and living quarters are located at the front of the bottom floor. it is here that the crew chief processes data gathered by the bikes' data acquisition systems during practice laps and the race itself. Upstairs, at the front of the trailer, is a small living area where rider Roger Lee Hayden can get some peace and quiet between track sessions. We were very fortunate to get inside the trailer, as it is typically off limits to media and the public due to the amount of secret parts used by this factory team. Kawasaki doesn't race diesel motorcycles (yet- Ed.), so the team figured, "What the heck."
Diesel PowerThe custom High Tech Performance trailer is pulled by a Kenworth T2000 tractor unit powered by a 565hp and 1,850-lb-ft, 14.9L Cummins iSx engine coupled to a Fuller 13-speed manual transmission. it is common for truck drivers to take pride in their rigs, but in the world of million-dollar corporate sponsorships, image is everything. The drivers clean their trucks with painstaking attention to detail. The exterior of the truck looks great with the bright Kawasaki green paint and brightly polished Alcoa aluminum wheels. Aside from its exterior styling, this truck is fairly similar to most Kenworth T2000 trucks that roll down America's highways.
This Monster Energy Kawasaki team rig is definitely one of the most awesome semis we have ever seen, and should you get the chance to attend an AMA Superbike race, definitely do so. The action on the track is incredible and the trucks in the pit area are really a sight to see.