Chris Siglin, 22, of Clayton, California won the 2003 Team Hammer Talent Search Presented By Alpinestars during the Suzuki Cup Finals at Road Atlanta last weekend.
Siglin was one of two semi-finalists in the Talent Search, and, along with Greg Moore, 25, of Brookwood, Alabama, earned a fully sponsored ride in the GSX-R750 Cup during the WERA Grand National Finals weekend. Siglin and Moore were provided with custom-fit Alpinestars leathers in Valvoline EMGO Suzuki colors, Alpinestars boots and gloves, Michelin tires, entry fees and the use of a Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R750 racebike with a mechanic.
Siglin won the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R750 he rode at Road Atanta by finishing better than Moore in the GSX-R750 Cup Final. Moore crashed out while leading, and Siglin, who had never been to Road Atlanta before, finished ninth.
“I’m really excited about winning the bike, I didn’t really expect it,” said Siglin. “I’m still in shock about it. It’s really cool. I’ll probably race it a couple times at Willow Springs, finish off the year, and do a couple track days. Overall, the Talent Search was an awesome experience, worth every penny plus more. All the knowledge, the experience, the people I’ve met, it was absolutely great, more than I ever expected, for sure. Mike Canfield was my mechanic and he worked his ass off! To be involved with the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki guys at the GNF was a dream come true, to have the great equipment and great guys behind you is the best feeling in the world. I knew I was going to an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people and not sure what to expect, but I ended up meeting some of the nicest people I’ve ever met!”
Moore agreed with Siglin regarding his Talent Search experience. “It was an awesome experience,” Moore said. “Everybody was great. They make it easy for you to just go out and ride. I didn’t have to work on my own stuff, and I was able to just ride. Mike Earnhardt was my mechanic and we got on real well. I crashed and broke my foot and hand early in the weekend, but was still able to win three WERA Championships and do a 1:27.5, my best lap. In the GSX-R750 cup race I got the holeshot on all three starts and when I came around for the second lap I saw plus zero on my board so I thought someone was right on my ass. I kept pushing it and going down the hill in turn four I didn’t get my foot up and it got caught between the bike and the gator bumps and I crashed. Even though I was hurt, I am hot the kind of person to not give 110 percent. It’s a fine line, sometimes you ride hard and are a hero and sometimes you crash and burn. Hopefully the team was happy with what I did. Everything about the whole experience was great.”