SMITH, FLOOD SET RECORDS; GREEN, ELLIS WIN LEE'S NATIONALS

Matt Smith and John Flood produced world record numbers on Rockingham Dragway's high-traction quarter mile, but neither could transform them into victory in the Lee's Performance Fall Bike Nationals, the season's last major event.

Smith, son of five-time IHRA Pro Stock Champion Rickie Smith, pushed his King-based Suzuki through the timers in 7.169 seconds in a semifinal victory over series champion Joseph Long of Hialeah, Fla., but ultimately had to settle for runner-up honors in the featured Schnitz Racing Outlaw Pro Street class.

After posting the quickest times in both the quarterfinals and semifinals, Smith slowed to 7.699 in the final, allowing Berry Green of Jacksonville, Fla., to speed to victory in 7.187 seconds.

Meanwhile, after setting a Mickey Thompson Tires 60-Inch Sport Bike record when he qualified No. 1 at 8.108 seconds, Flood, too, was unable to close the deal, losing a narrow 8.204-8.234 semifinal decision to Columbia's Chip Ellis, who went on to beat series champion Mike Slowe of Bensalem, Pa., for the title.

The only record-setter to go the distance was Barry Henson of Davie, Fla., who rode his Honda Blackbird to a 7.662 second world record en route to a victory that clinched his second straight title in the Velocity Racing World's Fastest Street Bike class. He beat David Stewart of Mooresville in the final round.

Other Sunday winners among the 400-odd participants were John Vermeulen of Clarkston, Mich., who re-established his dominance in the Cycle Concepts Heavyweights class; former Rockingham track champion Alan Fields of Climax, who rode his Kawasaki to victory in the Honda-Suzuki of Sanford 5.60 Heads-Up class; Robert Hunnicutt, Jr., of Waldorf, Maryland in the FBR Shop Quick 8; Tyrone Perry, Suitland, MD, in Nitrous Express Pro E.T. and Erick Norton of LaGrange, winner in the Dragbike.com Street ET class. Saturday Street E.T. and Pro E.T. winners were Kevin Adams of Brunswick, Ohio, and Jeff Underwood of Midlothian, Va.

Fields reached the finals for the fourth time in as many 2003 Rockingham bike events and won for the third time.
Meanwhile, Long secured the season championship simply by reaching the semifinals in Outlaw Pro Street, one of three categories crowning champions based on points earned at races at Rockingham Dragway and Maryland International Raceway.

Slowe already had clinched the 60-Inch Sport Bike title and, by beating Ehren Litten of Louisburg, N.C., in the Heavyweights final, Vermeulen won the season championship by a mere three points.

Results from the Lee's Performance Fall Bike Nationals at Rockingham Dragway:

SCHNITZ RACING OUTLAW PRO STREET

Second round --
Joseph Long, 7.640, 150.87 mph, def. Costello Shedrick, 7.940, 166.93 mph;
Berry Green, 7.299, 188.96 mph, def. Dimey Eddinger, 11.253, 77.99 mph;
Chris Moore, Greer, S.C., 6.872, NA, bye;
Matt Smith, 7.205, 192.00 mph, def. Robert Hunnicutt, 7.422, 191.19 mph.

Semifinals –
Green, 7.265, 186.51 mph, def. Moore, 7.285, 194.72 mph;
Smith, 7.169, 192.69 mph, def. Long, 11.218, 80.99 mph.

FINAL –
Green, 7.187, 188.83 mph, def. Smith, 7.699, 188.91 mph.

MICKEY THOMPSON 60-INCH SPORT BIKE

Second round –
Vincent Demito, 8.302, 176.60 mph, def. Rickey Gadson, 9.063, 167.61 mph;
Mike Slowe, 8.523, 170.75 mph, def. Rickey Grayson, 8.599, 163.49 mph;
Michael Addison, 8.601, 167.99 mph, def. "L'il Butch" Thompson, foul;
Doug Witt, 8.343, 174.41 mph, def. Dustin Clark, 8.857, 162.39 mph;
Chip Ellis, 8.246, 180.07 mph, de. Scott Pearce, 8.538, 171.53 mph;
Greg Mullis, 8.184, 176.88 mph, def. Brock Davidson, foul;
John Flood, 8.132, 176.56 mph, bye.

Third round –
Flood, 8.219, 178.87 mph, def. Demito, 8.330, 177.04 mph;
Ellis, 8.296, 178.59 mph, def. Addison, 8.587, 172.65 mph;
Slowe, 8.447, 163.51 mph, def. Mullis, 8.810, 170.92 mph;
Witt, 8.219, 278.64 mph, bye.

Semifinals –
Slowe, 8.253, 178.19 mph, def. Witt, 9.729, 121.38 mph;
Ellis, 8.204, 180.28 mph, def. Flood, 8.234, 174.57 mph.

FINAL –
Ellis, 8.357, 178.54 mph, def. Slowe, 9.106, 120.22 mph.

VELOCITY RACING WORLD'S FASTEST STREET BIKE

Semifinals –
Barry Henson, 7.716, 190.03 mph, bye run;
David Stewart, 7.986, 179.06 mph, def. Lee Shierts, foul.

FINAL –
Henson, 7.669, 189.82 mph, def. Stewart, 7.876, 180.36 mph.

CYCLE CONCEPTS HEAVYWEIGHTS

Second round –
Ehren Litten, 8.817, 163.52 mph, def. Mitchell Hunter, 10.178, 70.60 mph;
John Vermeulen, 8.809, 162.90 mph, def. Tyrone Smith, 9.476, 157.43 mph;
Robert Johnson, 9.053, 156.95 mph, def. Ronnie Mitchell, 9.608, NA;
Darryl Stewart, 8.818, 154.00 mph, def. Dale McManus, 9.594, 159.97 mph;
Gary Benson, 9.001, 155.89, bye.

Third round –
Litten, 8.817, 163.51 mph, def. Benson, 9.214, 153.53 mph; Vermeulen, 9.208, 164.21 mph, def. Stewart, foul; Johson, 8.863, 159.89 mph, bye.

Semifinals –
Litten, 8.835, 162.35 mph, def. Johnson, 9.961, 112.95 mph; Vermeulen, 8.819, 162.59 mph, bye.

FINAL –
Vermeulen, 11.494, 79.71 mph, def. Litten, foul.

HONDA-SUZUKI OF SANFORD 5.60 HEADS-UP(Racing Against 5.60 Second Target Time)

Second round –
Jack Clanton, 6.778, 104.50 mph, def. Tom Dunham, foul;
Tim Hill, 5.641, 116.82 mph, def. Mark Eckles, 5.589, 115.77 mph;
Devon Perkins, 5.614, 120.76 mph, def. Jeff Underwood, 5.647, 117.68 mph;
Alan Fields, 5.587, 121.79 mph, def. Jerry Ferguson, foul;
Brian Moody, 5.601, 115.43 mph, def. Charles Zepko, 5.703, 129.92 mph;
John P. Bryan, 5.502, 122.70 mph, bye.

Third round –
Bryan, 5.694, 105.18 mph, def. Clanton, 5.969, 119.41 mph;
Moody, 5.680, 106.99 mph, def. Perkins, foul;
Fields, 5.596, 121.75 mph, def. Hill, 5.586, 118.67 mph.

Semifinals –
Fields, 5.693, 109.26 mph, def. Bryan, 5.810, 122.11 mph; Moody, 5.571, 122.59 mph, bye.

FINAL –
Fields, 5.602, 118.73 mph, def. Moody, 5.546, 123.34 mph.

--OTHER FINALS--

FBR SHOP QUICK 8
Robert Hunnicutt, 8.284, 146.00 mph, def. Glen Bond, 8.921, 154.49 on a 8.11

NITROUS EXPRESS PRO E.T.
Saturday –
Jeff Underwood, 8.880, 138.63 mph on a 8.83 dail-in, def. Louis Green, 10.296, 130.77 on 10.31 dail-in.

Sunday –
Ronnie Reece Jr., 9.646, 141.97 mph on a 9.646 dail-in, def. Kevin Adams, 8.899, 153.14 mph on a 8.92 dial-in.

DRAGBIKE.COM STREET E.T.

Saturday –
Kevin Adams, 9.880 on a 9.74 dial-in, 126.53 mph, def. Andy Lynch, .677, 10.121 on a 10.05 dial-in, 135.43 mph.
Sunday –
Erick Norton, 10.115 on a 10.100 dial-in, 135.10 mph, def. Patrick Williams, 10.377 on a 10.310 dial-in, 130.92 mph.