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/128318
AMA Prostar U.S. Drag Racing Championships Pro Stock veteran Steve Johnson took his secend-ever Prostar win on the K&N Filters Hayabusa du ring the MRE Sunshine Nationals at Gainesville Raceway. STORY AND PHOTOS BY MATT POUTO n t he mo nth pr io r to the AMA/Prostar MRE Nati onals at Gainesville Raceway, there was a heightened enthusiasm for the new motorcycle drag racing season . Pros tar defi nitely seemed to be on an upswing with a revised racer-friendly schedule and new te levision package that meant for the first time ever, all Prostar even ts would be televised. Pre-ent ries were strong, and the weather lo o ked good . All the pieces were in place for a great opener. The excitement was dampened. however, when it was learned that Brian Schultz. son of the late drag racing legend Dave Schultz, lost his life in a highway accident following a test session of his new Top Gas bike at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Brian was one of the most popular racers in the sport, and his loss was felt deeply in the community. A pall was cast over the Gainesville event. but the race we nt on. Larry "Spiderman" McBride kicked off his quest for an unprecedented sixth Top Fuel Championship as if it was a forgone conclusion. McBride outdistanced the field in all aspects , taking the number-one qualifying position, setting low e .t. and speed marks (the latter being a new alltime record 01243 .90 mph) and garnering his 10th straight event victory. With the all-Harley AHDRA event being held at Gainesville just two days before the Prostar race . the Top Fuel field was peppered with thundering Nitro Harleys. In fact . following McBride 's 6.20/234 numbe r-o ne qualifying effort. the next three qualifiers were Harleys, including Mark Co nner o n t he RMC Racing entry (6.S70/214) . AHDRA champ Doug Vancil on the Vance & Hines S2 machine (6.577/2 13). and Larry "Drums " Brancaccio on the OJ Performance fueler at 6.65/204. McBride kept his qualifying pace in the first round of eliminations. and then brother Steve turned up the wick. send ing McBride on a 6.0S/243 and 6.021238. easily outpaci ng the 6.50/208 of final round opponent Vancil , who was dialing in a new clutch combination. In the Pro I Funnybike Series Korry Hogan proved worthy of his "Pro Rookieof the Year" honor earned for his 2003 efforts with a breakthrough event - taking his firstever win and taking it from the pole. Hogan ran a smooth 6.66/20 I on his Sha-Sha Racing turbo Suzuki to take his second straight number-one qualifying effort to lead the Alamo City Harley of Mark Conner. Tom Perry and reigning class champ ion Travis Davis. Hogan had three strong laps in early rounds of competit ion and took the final over Conner with a 6.94 at 200 mph to hold off Con ner's early shuto ff 9.78 elapsed time . Lectro n Pro Mod champ Charlie Farrar looked strong in the opening round of his title defense, winning the event from the pole on the C&W Cycleworks Kawasaki. Farrar qualified number one at 6.7831197. chased by fellow Kawasaki rider Monte Campbell at 6.7841191. Farrar and Campbell were the bikes to beat in eliminations. and a final round match-up looked inevita ble until Campbell got timed out while staging in the semis, givinga final roun d appearance to Steve Smithers on the Brad Matt eiwrenched Kawasaki. Farrar go t t he holeshot in the fi nal and marched away fro m Smithers for the win, 6.83 to 6.96. The Pro Mod action was marred by a first round crash of veteran Steve Drake . APRil 7, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS Drake blew the headers off his McKinney Motorsports Suzuki just off the line. and the debris punctured the rear tire. send ing Drake off the bike at the top end . Drake was unhurt and walked away from the crash. The Accel Pro Stock series saw a full field of 16 bikes as many NHRA competitors took advantage of the scheduling to have a crack at the new ly-minted Gainesville surface two weeks prior to the NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals. Twotime Prostar champ Todd Doege led qualifying with a 7.081195, followed by a rejuvenated Steve johnson on the rejuvenated K&N Filters TLlooO at 7. 19S and Angie McBride, new rider fo r the G2 team of Star Racing's Geo rge Bryce and George Smith of S&S. Angie will ride an S&Sbacked V-Twin in NHRA competition. but while transmission issues get sorted out . she will garner points on the Suzuki. Doege hit a red-light foul in round one. which led to a semifinal matc h-up between NHRA cha mp Geno Scali on the Trim-Tex Suzuki and Tommy Grimes on th e Love Shack Hayabusa: Scali wo n, 7.16 to 7.35. O n 40th An niversary the other side of the ladder. johnson slapped a holeshot win on Angie with a tele pathic .009 reaction time , and a 7.20 elapsed time which held off Angie's .046initiated 7. 18. Scali red- lighted in the final, but it may not have mattered, as johnson took the win with a 7.16, besting Scali's 7.18. It was johnson's fi rst win since he beat Dave Schultz in Atlanta in 1995. Mike Siowe made an absolute ly spec ta cular pro de but in the Mickey pson treetbike Shoo tout on the ify Racing turbo Hayabusa. On his Irst lap down the track , Siowe made a ind-blowing blast that set new records onds and 193.59 mph. was the first in the 7.4Ds and in qualifying. Following 510we Racing owne r Barry Henson at on his CBRII OOXX and Velocity ate Chuck Cunningham at 7.63. Siowe march ed thro ugh eliminations and took out the Quicktime Moto rsports nitrous GSXR of Mike Elekon ich in the semis, 7.68 to 7.95. O n the other side of the ladder, Henson suffered electrical problems and was put out in the quarters by the Hayabusa of Bud Yoder. In the semis Yoder again caught a break as Cunningham struggled down the track, sending Yoder to his first-ever final. Yoder took the holeshot over Siowe, but it was simply Siow e 's day. He motored by Yoder with a 7.SI/193 as