Last week, George Bryce, whose Star Racing team dominated the Pro Stock Motorcycle category with three straight titles with Angelle Savoie, announced he sold last year's championship-winning Suzuki to Area 51 Motorsports, a new team headed by former AMA Prostar champ Fred Collis. Bryce also stated that Star Racing would serve as engine supplier and consultant to the new operation.

Now, Bryce has added even more duties to his 2003 schedule.

Bryce and Reggie Showers, the popular rider who overcame the obstacles of losing both legs in a childhood accident to race, have teamed up for 2003 to create a new Bike effort, Prosthetic Design MotorSports.

Showers, who finished a strong seventh in the 2002 standings, will ride the team's Suzuki, powered by Star Racing engines, and Bryce will serve as crew chief.

"When we announced that, due to lack of funding, the Star Racing organization would no longer field a NHRA Pro Stock Bike entry, I added a guarantee; that our presence would still be felt, and we were going to do whatever we could to support the Pro Stock Bike class and help it grow," Bryce said. "That is exactly what this arrangement allows us to do, and it is consistent with Star Racing's philosophy.

"An integral part of my collaboration with Prosthetic Design MotorSports and Reggie will be to provide Star Racing powerplants. This will allow our team to continue research and development efforts on Pro Stock engines. Additionally, Star Racing has a wealth of racing knowledge and experience that we will be bringing to Prosthetic Design MotorSports."

With the 2003 campaign set to begin next week in Gainesville, Fla., at the Gatornationals, the sudden realignment has given the category a new profile. With Matt Hines already out of the picture for 2003, Savoie teamed with Antron Brown and Team 23 and Bryce now providing power and experience to two new teams with capable riders, the championship picture is as cloudy as it has been in several years.

Craig Treble's second-place finish in the points last year, Shawn Gann's continuing improvement, Geno Scali's switch to Suzuki, and the anticipated return of the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson program -- promising to be much-improved -- could lead to one of the most entertaining seasons in history.

Just what the category needs to bring new bike fans to the ballpark.