Riders:
Richard Gadson

Crew Chief:
Cecil Towner III

Motorcycles:
Suzuki Hayabusa Pro-Mod, 2006 Suzuki GSXR-1000, 2007 Suzuki GSXR-1000

Series:
AMA ProStar, ADRL, MIROCK Super bike Series


2008 Classes:
Pro-Mod, Super Street, Pro Sportbike

Cecil Towner III has always had a passion for motorcycles since he was a young boy. His passion drove him to start his own business, HTP Performance in 2004.  Cecil worked as a one-man show for years; however he always wanted to start his own race team to help promote his business. But who would fit the requirements of a teammate of such a driven, ambitious, and knowledgeable crew chief? In 2007, Cecil teamed up with long-time customer Christopher Dancy and a young superstar rider named Richard Gadson, the nephew of 9-time world Champion Rickey Gadson. With a combined 12 years of motorcycle experience, there are few motorcycles that one of the team members has not worked with. Late in the 2007 Season, Cecil and the team sought out Kristen Korczynski, a rookie who put up good numbers all over the country. Now, feeling that they have a complete team, Team HTP is looking to turn it up in 2008.

 

Richard Gadson

• Date of Birth:  March 8, 1986
• Height: 5’3”
• Weight: 140 lbs.
• Occupation: Motorcycle Mechanic at HTP Performance
• Hometown:   Philadelphia, PA
• Current Residence:  Richmond, VA

Career Highlights

• Classes:  600 Superport, 1000 Supersport, Superstreet, Street ET
• Career Wins: 9
• Best Season Finish:  2004 National #2 600 Supersport, 2006 National #2 1000 Supersport
• Accomplishments:  2003 Rookie of the Year
• Career Best ¼ Mile ET: 7.46
• Career Best ¼ Mile MPH:  194

Professional History

• 2007, Richard starts forth year as a professional motorcycle drag racer and his first year partnered with Cecil Towner of HTP Performancce based in Richmond, VA.
• 2006, was a year of many achievements  year for Richard Gadson.  After an unfortunate disqualification at the season opener Richard bounced back and rode his Velocity Racing/American Suzuki backed GSXR-1000 to win of 4 of the next 5 events in the highly competitive 1000 Supersport class and finished the year with the #2 plate.  He set the national 1/8 mile record in Indianapolis.  Additionaly, Richard won three events in the Street ET Category.
• 2004, Richard won his first event in the 600 Supersport category in Memphis, and won the Indianapolis event that year for his second national event win.  Richard rode to the national #2 plate as a privateer at the young age of 18, missing the championship by a margin of only 11 points to the Factory Kawasaki Team.  Richard also recorded the second fastest ET in 600 Supersport history.
• 2003, started Richards first full season drag racing in which he finished national # 5 plateholder and won Rookie of the Year honors.

At an early age Richard Gadson developed a love for motorcycles and drag racing.  He studied racing by getting up early and watching video tapes of his father, “Skip”, and his uncle, 10 time World Champion, Rickey Gadson.  Unfortunately, at age 6, his father passed away but left Richard with an advanced knowledge of riding motorcycles.  Richard persevered and is now an elite rider at the young age of 21 and was named “An up and coming young star” by Keith Kizer, former president of AMA Prostar.  Stay tuned because Richard Gadson has dreams of tearing up the NHRA Circuit in Prostock Motorcycle and he will stop at nothing until he makes it there!

Sponsors

• HTP Performance, Moxie Web Designs

 

Keith Warren Thompson

• Date of Birth: 12/08/1966
• Hometown: Washington DC
• Current Residence: Upper Marlboro, MD

Career Highlights

• Class: True Street
• Career Wins: Many wins in ST ET, 8-10 RU's in 600 SuperSport, 2 wins and 1 RU in True Street
• Best Season Finish: 4th
• Career Best Mile ET: 8.05
• Career Best mile MPH: 172

Professional History

• Started drag racing in the early eighties
• Began riding for Kawasaki Team Green in 2000

Began riding at age 8,Opened K&N Motorsports,a motorcycle shop in 1998,A founding member of DC SPORTBIKE RIDERS CLUB.Hobbies include bowling and skating.A lovely wife Miesha and 3 sons Kristian 18,mekhi 3 and Kaden 10 weeks.

Darion "Nanu" Payne

• Date of Birth: 02/28/1983
• Hometown: Montross, VA
• Current Residence: Ft. Washington, MD

Career Highlights

• Classes: True Street, SuperSport, Street ET, Grudge
• Career Wins: 3
• Career Best Mile ET: 7.66
• Career Best Mile MPH: 172

Professional History

• Years Racing: 5
• Win: Mirock Rockingham, 08

Hobbies include drag racing, basketball and 4wheeler riding. Nanu works at Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Liigation in DC for 1 1/2 yrs. Nanu has been riding dirt bikes and has bee involved with racing since he was 8 years old.