Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128156
AMA U. S. Drag Racing Championships Round 3: Virginia Motorsports Park C_npIon Lany ...., ..... McBrfde set both record at S.lIN STORY AND PHOTOS BY MATT POLITO PETERSBURG, VA, MAY 4-5 ou! weather has really kept the AMA/ProStar season from getting off to a smooth start this year, and it continued at the third race of the season, the Spring Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. Only one round of qualifying was completed on Saturday before persistent showers ended the day's activities. Prostar officials opted to have a second round of qualifying on Sunday and run the complete eliminations. Plans were thwarted when gloomy conditions hampered track-drying efforts Sunday morning. When it was complete, rubber on the midsection of the track began to loosen, requiring even more track preparation. Qualifying commenced at 3 p.m., and the race was run until the 11 p.m. curfew. The majority of the professional classes got down to the final rounds. Eliminations will be completed at the next event on the tour, the Norris Motorsports Cyclefest at Norwalk Raceway Park in Norwalk, Ohio, June 28-30. While the Spring Nationals were not run to completion, it was a terrific event in terms of the performances accomplished. The record books took a real beating. The star of the show was hometown hero, reigning Top Fuel Champion Larry "Spiderman" McBride. McBride, who lives one hour from the track and played host to friends and family, stumbled at first, shutting the bike off 300 feet off the line when it got out of shape in the first qualifier. When the data from the shortened pass was analyzed, it indicated big things were in store. The on-board Gmeter showed that the bike had accelerated like never before. Crew chief Steve McBride de-tuned the bike for the second and last quaJi- (Left) Mark Underwood blasted the Hot Rod Cruiser record with a 9.868 on the new Patrick Racing Yamaha Road Star Warrior. (Right) Joe Koenig recorded the quickest ever Pro Stock pass In history with a 7.029 elapse time on his Trlm·Tex Suzuki TL1000. 38 MAY 29, 2002' cue I _ n __ s fying pass to make sure they got down the track and into the field and the bike responded with a numberone qualifying 6.00 at 237 mph, easily outpacing number two qualifier Tommy Smith, who turned in a 6.44 at 205. The bike was tuned up for eliminations, which resulted in a thrilling 5.895 at 238 mph - the secondquickest pass of all time and enough for a new elapsed-time record. In the semifinals against the Harley of Iiggy Stewart, McBride ripped off a 5.92 at 243.59 mph - simultaneously backing up the elapsed-time record and setting a new mph record. McBride will face Chris Hand on the Winnebago fueler in the final to be held at Norwalk. "What can you say?" offered the always effervescent McBride. "To set both ends of the record and do it here at home is awesome. My brother is really the one responsible for this. He does all the work, I just turn the throttle. I also have to give credit to Mickey Thompson Tires. They gave us a new tire which, I feel, is the reason we have been able to record the 60-foot numbers that we do." In the Orient Express Funnybike class, past multi-time champion Gary Clark looks to be finalizing his resurgence with a number-one qualifying effort of 6.63/201 on the injected alcohol turbo HMP Kawasaki. Following Clark on the qualifying sheets was Chip Ellis, riding the Steve Rice's Kawasaki IX -11 turbo with a 6.77 at a high mph for the class: 206 mph. Like it was written up on paper, the top two qualifiers will meet in the final. Clark will have lane choice with a 6.81 in the semifinals over Marc Oliver, while Ellis, who ran 6.69 in the first round over Tom Perry, struggled with a 7.61 to turn the win light on against Keith Lynn in the semis. In the Fast by Gast Pro Mod class, independent rider Ashley Owens continues to impress. Owens, who has two wins in the last four events, took the number-one qualifying spot with a new e.t.-record 6.716 at 194 mph. The unshakable Owens made the final with a 6.89 in the semifinal over Eddie Gonder and will face Louie Grist, who got by number-two qualifier Mimmo Marciano 6.81 to 6.83 in the semis. In the Lectron Pro Stock Series, Joe Koenig brought the Trim- Tex Suzuki to the quickest pass ever in Pro Stock history with a 7.029 to take the top qualifying position. Using a Vance & Hines 1640cc, 4-valve