The Great 2008 FGA “Duel on Water, Bike and Land” lived up to its hype with lead tri-athletes Yelena King and Ashley Perlinger each representing their regions of the country in outstanding fashion. The Triathlon featured FGA Team Northwest’s Core Specialist, Yelena King, better known as the trainer to “The Fluge.” She also gained acclaim by climbing Africa’s Mt. Kilamanjaro with Fluge and Carter in 2007. The other featured FGA star was FGA Team Southwest’s Ashley Perlinger who was featured along with her sister, Aimee, in the Great American “Cannonball” Run in 2007 for Team Fluge. The press dubbed them the “Bentley Girls” after their ride, and likewise, snubbed Fluge and Lowblad in their “Bad Boy” Saleen – primed with horsepower but obviously without style worthy of “Ink”!

Ashley and Yelena suit up for the opening event swim.

The morning air was crisp and cool as athletes gathered from all over the country at the shoreline of the lake. Over 1400 competitors anxiously awaited the starting signal. Pre-race tension was high as Perlinger and King stood at the ready when the rain started to fall hard on the contestants. The start horn rang out and the first wave of 500 plus competitors sprinted into the water and swam hard for the first buoy in the open water mile swim portion of the Olympic distance Triathlon. Limbs thrashing, the sight of all the swimmers in the water at once was frightening from the shore line. The swim portion of the event was arduous as competitors dragged their bodies from the water and moved into the transition area.

Yelena ready for bike transition.

Ashley nearing finish.

Swim to bike transitions were speedy with every move premeditated and highly practiced. Onto the cycle portion of the event the competitors were faced with 25 miles of lakeside roads, mountain climbs and death defying downhill’s. The pace was high and the competitors, focused. Biking on the steepest hill gradients sent painful acid coursing through King and Perlinger’s veins. As the competitors transitioned once again time was of the essence. With just over 6 miles ahead on foot, fatigue is a serious factor, but adrenaline was pumping and the competitors pushed onward. Mile for mile Perlinger and King pushed through to the finish. King finished the swim down 5 minutes to Perlinger, but with fast transition times and quick cycle times King led Perlinger by 5 minutes through the finish line of the event. Both competitors successfully completed the notoriously difficult CDA triathlon with smiles! Yelena King won the fierce and competitive battle and FGA Northwest was successful this time around but redemption may be had next time by team FGA Southwest as Perlinger is clearly a serious and strong competitor.

FGA EXCHANGES SPORTS CARS AND PLAYING CARDS FOR PERFORMANCE BICYCLES*

It began in the early hours of July 7 as Nick Fluge climbed atop his Bally’s generically prepped cycle to begin “FGA Cycling Week”. Leaving behind the luxury of his 600 horsepower Z06 race car that speeds him by competitors, Fluge had to rely on his inner engine to move through automated flatlands and hill sections during the now legendary digital magical mystery stationary bike tour.

FGA Core Specialist Yelena King made periodic appearances to push Fluge towards his goal (similar to her efforts during their summit of Africa’s Mount Kilamanjaro in 2007). Nick traversed 200 miles in 9 hours and 17 minutes (about 21 mph). The two day ride did not come without new FGA apparel. Friends and foes alike were sporting Fluge gear as the week progressed.

Troy Carter completed the week with a tremendous 200 mile race from Seattle to Portland. Over 9500 of the best bike competitors from all over the world were in force for the STP race and FGA and Carter could only hope that his 2008 training efforts would pay off. They did – he finished among the top riders and made it look easy.

Yelena King (also in training for her August FGA North vs FGA South Women’s Triathlon) was once again chief support for Team FGA. The first 15 miles of the event found Troy moving along Lake Washington with Mt. Ranier in the background. The next 185 miles took him through farmlands, small towns, and beautiful countryside and provided him with an excellent finishing time.

Another week in the year, another couple of FGA challenges and adventures, and another way of doing things – this time – “Green”.

FGA SPEEDS TO MORE RACING VICTORIES IN SPORTS CARS WHILE ALSO PREPARING FOR BIKE TOUR/RACE CLASSICS

NICK FLUGE DRIVES TO DOUBLE WEEKEND WINS IN IMPROVED TOURING, MATT CRANDALL ALSO FINDS THE WINNERS CIRCLE IN GT2

On the eve of what promises to be one of the biggest cycling weeks of the year, Nick Fluge, took time to spend the July 4^th weekend at the Independence Day SCCA road racing Championships. His Saturday and Sunday joint wins solidified his leadership in both the Improved Touring (E) and the Super Touring classes of Sports Car Club of America road racing championship series.

Fluge’s Z06 wasted little time taking a commanding class lead in each race and moved on quickly to victory. Matt Crandall also drove to record lap times in the GT2 class in the Panoz GTS. With only 3 championship events remaining on the calendar in August, September, and October, team FGA looks to be well on its way to another successful season. Todd Harris, coming off a top finish at Road America in the Derhaag Fluge Team car underscores the strength of the team. A new 4^th member, Spence Gatrell, top junior driver has also successfully moved into ranks of national favorites by finishing 2^nd behind Fluge in his black ‘top gun’ FGA Corvette.

BIKING CLASSICS – TWO GREAT EVENTS FOR FGA

Fluge begins the magical mystery stationary bike tour on Monday and Tuesday planning to outlast various training professionals in a 200 mile, 2 day endeavor. Troy Carter, FGA VO2 Max Specialist spent the holiday weekend on the Oregon coast practicing open road biking for the week ending 200 mile Seattle to Portland Super Bike Classic. Check back in a week to see how our two member bike team fairs.

FLUGE PREPARES FOR 200 MILE MAGICAL STATIONARY BIKE TOUR RECORD

CARTER READIES FOR 200 MILE STP CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

KING AND PERLINGER PREPARE FOR WOMEN’S OLYMPIC LENGTH TRIATHLON
“CIVIL WAR”

Press Release — PRWEB.com

Pro Drive Owner takes third in crowded Spec Racer Ford race and qualifies third in Fluge Global Adventures GT1 Corvette.

Portland, OR (PRWEB) June 27, 2008 – Ferrari Test Driver and owner of Portland’s ProDrive, Todd Harris finished a strong third in a field of 88 Spec Racer Fords Sunday, and also captured an impressive third place in qualifying in the Fluge Global Adventures Derhaag Corvette in the GT1 class at Road America in Wisconsin.

Harris contested two Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) classes at the 53rd Annual June Sprints® last weekend at Road America. He entered in the GT1 class with a full race modified Corvette that once competed in the professional SCCA Trans-Am series, and is sponsored by Portland’s Fluge Global Adventures (FGA); and the Spec Racer Ford (SRF) class with his Pro Drive Racing School sports racing car.

Harris’ third place for a spot on the podium in the SRF class was the best among his fellow Pro Drive teammates. Steve Fogg of West Linn, OR took 73rd, David Oliver of Palmer, AK was 44th and Jim Murray from Bend, OR was 55th. Verndale, WA’s Johnny Humphreys finished 28th.

Harris was never lower than third in the 88-car field and led the race at one time on the Road America four-mile Wisconsin circuit, where drafting is not only an art but a necessity.

“It was all about drafting,” Harris explained following the race. “We qualified the Pro Drive Spec Racer Ford in second place and it was a three-car race for most of the event. I led for a while and ended up pushing race winner Mike Miserendino into the lead.” Harris has finished on the podium in all nine SCCA National races and is considering competing in the year-end SRF championship at the annual run-offs.

The GT1 race on Sunday consisted of a ground pounding, high speed field of 34 Corvettes, Jaguars, Mustangs, Trans-Ams, Camaros, and Porsches in which Harris qualified an impressive third in only his second time at the legendary Road America circuit. He ran far ahead of his ensuing competitors when the race was stopped to clean up debris from an accident. After the re-start the Fluge Global car was clipped by a competitor forcing a spinout, however, Todd still managed a high finish amongst some of the best car and driver combinations in the country.

Nick Fluge, owner and sponsor of the Fluge Global Corvette was excited about Todd’s tremendous efforts at Road America but had to enjoy the event vicariously from Portland. He and FGA VO2 Max Specialist, Troy Carter are in training for the combined Magical Stationary Bike Tour and the Seattle to Portland Bike Race. Each Cycle event is 200 miles in length and takes place in early July.

On another SCCA racing front, both Nick and Matt Crandall are readying their Corvette and Panoz FGA team cars to compete in the July 4 weekend SCCA races. Finally, Yelena King and Ashley Perlinger push forward with intensive training leading towards their August Olympic Length Women’s Trathlon, AKA “Civil War, FGA North Vs. FGA South”.

More on those events will be forthcoming.

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Our “High” Rollin WSOP adventure begins the moment we exit McCarren Airport and instead of turning right into the throng of “less” adventuresome individuals herded into the seemingly never-ending cab lines, we turn left and hop into our awaiting limo to kick back Fluge-style on our ride to our WSOP hotel.

After checking in we decide on getting a little pre-event practice and head to probably the finest poker room in Vegas – The Venetian Poker Room for some No-limit holdem. The Venetian is a great place to play. You really have no excuse to get up from the tables as they literally cater to your every whim while sitting and playing.

We’re knocking down the competition and decide against our previous tradition of a steak house dinner and ask for the “poker room table side butler service.” We actually have dinner served by our personal butler while still taking money from the competition! How can you beat that?

I continue on with more poker but Fluge, always looking for the next adventure, decides to take his winnings from poker and beat up on the blackjack tables. We’ve planned to call it a night early in preparation for out next day’s WSOP event that is expected to last a grueling 13+ hours so I cash in my winnings and head off to the blackjack tables in search of our Lead Adventurer. I start scanning the room but before I get far, I actually hear calls of “Way to go Nick,” “Nick your en-fuego!” and find our man at the high limit table with a massive stack of chips and his own private peanut gallery. Tom, the only other player at the table is giving kudos to Nick for his stylish play. River the dealer who has his own large stack of chips from the exceeding generous largess of our Lead Adventurer is almost bursting with gratitude. Meghan, the beautiful cocktail waitress is asking if there is “anything else I can get for you “Nick?” The Pit bosses are watching with a keen eye as chips keep moving in a steady rhythm from the dealer’s tray onto the stacks in front of our man. I weave my way through the gathered ogling crowd watching the rare winner in Vegas and am introduced to the crowd. I let him know “it’s time to head out” to the immediate disapproval of everyone surrounding us. No more tips for River and Meghan, no more cosmic Karma for Tom, no more chances for the Pit bosses to recoup their looses and no more Fluge for the crowd of onlookers. The last bet brings a few more chips onto Nick’s pile and and a final gratuity for River as well.

After cashing out we exit the casino only to find the ever present Saturday night taxi line stretching as far as the eye can see. That of course doesn’t faze the FGA crew in the least and we quickly give a high-roller handshake to the valet and a limo materializes from no-where and we are whisked off to our hotel in style.

We start off event day with a great meal and head on to the Amazon Room at the Rio for Event # 2 No-limit Texas Hold’em of the 2008 World Series of Poker. Everywhere you look there are the faces of celebrity pro’s you see on tv each week. Phil “The man with a record 11 bracelets” Hellmuth, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, previous main event winners, Jerry Yang, Carlos Mortensen, Jamie Gold and Scotty Nguyen. We see our friend Jennifer Tilly along with High Stakes Poker competitors Barry Greenstein and Eli Elezra.

Over the loudspeaker and on the omnipresent tv screens around the room, we’re told that our event is the largest single event in WSOP history outside of the Main Event itself. 3929 competitors. Wow!

I’m at Amazon Blue table 49 and Nick’s at Amazon Blue table 19. We’re in the same row so I can see the big man from where I sit. We give a thumbs up to each other and wait for those famous words, “shuffle up and deal.”

On the first hand, reigning WSOP Main Event champ Jerry Yang is decimated and left with only 1 chip.

The first two rounds are fairly uneventful for me and I see Nick is still in his seat. We hear the ever present call of “seat open” from around the room which signifies another player has hit the felt. Thirty minutes into his event, Phil Helmuth, possibly the greatest NL hold’em tournament player is GONE. 12:32 Alan Cunningham, player of the year, GONE. 12:39 Marcel “The Flying Dutchman” Luske, maybe the only player in the room who could compete with the Fluge on the suave level, GONE. 1:03 2006 World Champion Jamie Gold, GONE. 1:06 Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, GONE. Right before the first break, Scotty “Bring me another Carona” and past World Champion Nugyen, GONE.

Nick and I meet briefly at the break, but no real big hands for either of us. We’re still in there while others are dropping like flies.

Round 3 begins and tables are opening right and left as the blinds go higher. Full Tilt star John Juanda GONE, The lovely Jennifer Tilly GONE. WPT champ Eric Lindgren GONE. Eli Elezra GONE, Robert Williamson III GONE. Round 4 comes and goes with little action for me, but I’m still alive and I look down and Nick is still sitting tall in his seat. The break arrives and we discuss our hands that would never appear on a televised event for their lack of excitement. We’ve really have been biding our time and haven’t received any cards that would lead to a make a break hand.

After the 20 minute break we head back to the tables for Round 5 and 6 leading up to the dinner break. This is the period where trouble begins as the low stack tend to go all in and if luck versus skill goes their way you can get in trouble with a good hand. I make it through round 5 alive but hurt a little in chips as I donk one hand to guy with 3 pairs of sunglasses and can’t defend my blinds against the ever present raises. I still have not had a decent hand wired in hours. I look over and Nick is still going at it but I can’t tell from this distance what is in front of him. He looks back for a second and his body language gives me the feeling that we are pretty even with each other so far. I really want to make it through round 6 and regroup at the dinner break. The first 30 minutes of the hour round are uneventful with my stack staying roughly the same. I see Nick is alive as well. Next hand, I’m in late position and finally find a wired pair of 10’s. I raise and everyone goes out except a short stack in the large blind. The flop comes 447 and the large blind goes all in. Who knows what he has, I’m hoping maybe A-K but I’m pot committed and call. Would you believe he has A-4 for trips. My 3^rd 10 never appears and he doubles up and I lose half about 1/3 of my stack. Three hands later what do I find, another wired pair of 10’s. I’m on the button and raise a healthy amount. This time it’s the short stacked small blind that calls. The flop comes AK rag and I know I’m in trouble. He bets out and I have to fold as I’m sure he has either an Ace or King. I’m the short stack at the table now but there’s only 20 minutes till the dinner break. Three hands later what do I find? My third wired set of 10’s in less than 10 hands. I’m tempted to throw it away as 10’s appear to be the anti-christ right now, but I figure this was meant to be and go all in. As I do, we hear that Jennifer Harmon the Queen of the big Cash games has just gone out with pocket 9’s, not a good sign. I get a caller and his pair of King’s take me down. I look over and find Nick’s seat empty and he has been eliminated as well.

Another 10-15 minutes for both of us and who knows what we may have been. We outlasted over 3200 of the players only to fall short. But what a great time.

I’ll wrap this up to at least let you all know that the FGA crew can get right back in the saddle and we headed back to the Venetian to take out our frustration on the tables there.

To make a long story short, I did well in the cash poker games and yes, your one and only Lead Adventurer kicked some major butt again. When we cashed out, I was looking for a private security guard to walk us out to the waiting limo as the Fluge was carrying a stack of Benjamins that would equal the height of a George Burns special sandwich at the Carnegie Deli.

There may be another event yet this year, but if not people will fears us in the 2009 events.