Chris “Opie” Caylor announced today that as a result of extenuating personal commitments, he will not be competing this weekend at Virginia International Raceway or for the balance of the 2006 AMA Season. “It’s been a very hard decision to make and I have nothing but thanks for Kevin Hanson, Jim Rashid, Lee Schwartzentraub from Komodo and the rest of the Safety First Suzuki Racing team. I want to be very clear, this decision was not an easy one, and the team and I are still on very good terms. I am grateful for the support that Kevin, Jim, the team, the group back at 4&6 Racing in Chicago and Wayne and Lee from Komodo Gear gave me this year. I would also really like to thank Dunlop tires and Arai Helmets for their assistance. I’ll be hanging out with Safety First at Road Atlanta helping them out and assisting my good friend and teammate, Tony Meiring, in getting around that track.” When asked about his future plans, Opie stated without hesitation, “I’ll be back, you can bet on it.” “I know it was a tough decision to make and I respect/stand behind Opie 100% in his decision. The friendship that was cultivated throughout the year will never go away and Opie will continue to be a part of this team,” commented team owner Kevin Hanson. Craig “Huey” Stewart, Opie’s longtime mechanic, will also not be in attendance with the team for VIR or the remaining rounds. Stewart and Caylor have recently opened Marietta Motorsports, a performance and tuning shop in their hometown of Marietta, GA.