MIRock Superbike Heads to North Carolina

November 1st, 2012

Article originally written on Motorcycle USA

North America’s worst storm ever won’t stop the world’s quickest streetbikes and highest rolling horsepower hustlers from making their way through snow and high water to reach sunny Rockingham Dragway. Steve Earwood’s legendary speed plant will be prepped and fast for the finals of the Mickey Thompson Performance Tires MIRock Superbike Series—the world’s biggest all-motorcycle drag racing series.

Two-time Orient Express Pro Street champion Rodney Williford brings a scant points lead from his season long battle with class rookie Joey Gladstone to The Rock. But Gladstone’s DME Racing crew will have his turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa set on kill and blockers sprinkled through the field to try and stop Williford. And Rodney? He’ll be dead-set on lowering the record from the knock-out 6.91 he ran last month at Maryland International Raceway, as will Ryan Schnitz and the HTP Performance nitrous ‘Busa—the world’s first 6 second street tire bike and rider.

One class that always sees record runs at The Rock in November is DME Real Street. Johnny “Turbo” Dobrin need only show up to claim his first MIRock championship with his Exoticycle turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa. But MIRock winningest racer Jeremy Teasley’s set on running 7.60s on his Roger Starrette-tuned, nitrous Kawasaki ZX14. Galdstone ran an unbacked-up 7.69 last November and—with his GSXR up for sale—will surely be looking to run that quick or better.

All-time MIRock championship leader Ronnie Procopio has his Mickey Thompson Pro Modified title already secured, but that won’t stop him from pushing into 4.0 territory in this eighth mile class at The Rock. Procopio will face stiff challenges from teammate-turned rival Robbie Hunnicutt, Maryland winner Mac McAdams, all-time champion of the world Billy Vose and others.

Fairfax Station, Virginia’s “Fearsome” Andy Baumbach won two championships last season and is in position to win two this year as well. Baumbach is defending his House of Speed Crazy 8s crown with an 80 point lead over Cameron Teasley and has a 60 point lead over defending FBR Shop 5.60 champ (and Baumbach’s homestate archrival) Jimmy Shifflett. The Crazy 8s battle is particularly intense with four riders in contention.

Baumbach is too far behind points leader Boo Brown to defend his Trac King/APE Top Sportsman championship. Brown’s mid-Atlantic rival Chris Clontz is right on Boo’s footpegs and looking to drive around for the crown.

But the most intense action of the weekend is likely to occur in MIRock’s knock-down-drag-out bracket racing throwdown, the Tournament of Champions. This season’s winners in Brock’s Performance Street ET and Nitrous Express Pro ET square off mano y mano for big prizes and bragging rights.

And the most crowd-pleasing event of the weekend? That distinction goes to Coopers Performance “Afterdark Underground,” that hustlers’ paradise that draws long-tailed grudge bikes and the high rollers that follow them from all over the Eastern half of the US.

MIRock racing won’t officially begin until Saturday, but the track will be open for private MiRock testing from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday, preceding a regular weekly test-and-tune session from 6-11 p.m.

Highlight of Saturday’s program will be pro qualifying at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. along with day-long qualifying in the sportsman categories and grudge racing deep into the night. Gates open Sunday at 8 a.m. with single elimination finals beginning at 12 noon.

Adult admission is $10 Friday, $20 Saturday and $20 Sunday. Special combo tickets also are available – $35 for Saturday and Sunday or $45 for all three days. Kids six to 11 are $5 daily. Those under six are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult.