Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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AMAIProstar U. S. Drag Racing Championship!; / /' Round 4: Gateway International Raceway AMA/Prostar makes noise under the Arch first clean event in an otherwise waterlogged 2003 season, with the STORY AND PHOTOS BY MATT POLITO EAST ST. LOUIS, MO, MAY 31-JONE 1 he AMA/Prostar U.S. Drag Racing r Championship tour made its debut appearance at Gateway International Raceway just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, for the PR Factory Store St. Louis Nationals presented by Schnitz Racing. It was Prostar's race having no weather postponements or make-up eliminations. Larry "Spiderman" McBride pierced the gray, overcast skies during Saturday's qualifying with Gateway's first five-second motorcycle pass, a 5.99 at 238 mph to take the pole as he has at every event th is season. McBride kept pace in eliminations, running a 6.00 at 240 mph to make the final of the four-bike field. For the right to face McBride, Ron Webb met Chris Hand in the semis. In a barnburner Webb ripped off a career-best 6.15/213 to turn back Hand's 6.21/222. Hand's performance was excellent considering he has only a handful of passes on the Winnebago machine. As has been the case for all the Top Fuel finals this season, McBride got by Webb, this time in a tiresmoking duel, 6.95/201 to Webb's coasting 14.68. The Orient Express Funnybike series had an interesting twist as the Midwest riders flexed their muscles. Num- Rickey Gadson has remained unbeaten in Streetbike Shootout, turning back the Honda team for the third race in a row. 62 JUNE 25, 2003ยท cue I e De"". Every Top Fuel final has been the same this season with Larry "Spiderman" McBride (near lane) facing and beating Ron Webb (far lane). ber one qualifier was Gene Langley who rode the ex-Bryan Bennett championship bike to the pole with a 6.85 at 196 mph. Low e.t. of eliminations was recorded by Superbike champ Jim Carroll, who made his debut on the Steve Rice ZX-11 turbo ridden to last year's championship by Chip Ellis. Carroll recorded a 6.700 at 202 mph in round one but was put on the trailer by Langley in round two. But the star of the show was Glen Nickelberry. Riding the turbo Kawasaki prepared by Tommy Bolton, Nickelberry came out of the number- 10 qualifying position to rock the house, running in the 6.70 range all day and taking out number three plate holder Tom Perry, former champ Robert Giard and Langley to face points leader Travis Davis. Davis got 1l massive holeshot in the final and looked to keep his two-race win streak alive, but Nickelberry's midtrack charge got the best of him with Nickelberry turning on the win light, 6.70/200 to Davis' 6.85 at a booming 210 mph. It was student teaching the teacher in the Fast by Gast Pro Modified series with rookie rider Dustin Janzen being gUided by the always-excitable Ron Holt to a storybook win. Janzen bought the ARC-chassied Suzuki from Holt in the off-season with the agreement that Holt would assist the Colorado rider with tuning and maintenance of the bike. A 6.93