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11:00
Today's Spencer Cycle.com Spring Open marks the start
of the 2003 Outlaw Pro Street and 60-Inch Pro Sportbike
championship hunt from Rockingham Dragway. Thus far the
weather is gorgeous with lots of sunshine and temperatures
in the low-80s.
11:50
Despite this event
being a rain date from the postponed race in Mach, and
occurring on a holiday weekend, the turnout of competitors
is surprisingly large.
Defending Rock Streetbike Shootout champion, Barry Henson
is in attendance and is taking part in a Travel Channel
television promotion.
Team Kawasaki riders Chip Ellis and Rickey Gadson are
here with the factory rig and several motorcycles.
Rickey Gadson is debuting his Coby Adams-built 60-Inch
Pro Sportbike. Ellis will be riding the undefeated AMA/Prostar
Formula Superbike along with the Mean Streak Hot Rod Cruiser.
Ryan Schnitz and the Schnitz racing support trailer are
out on the manufactures midway vending their usual array
of parts and supplies. Ryan Schnitz will be riding his
ZX-9 street bike in Street ET this weekend. Schnitz has
been a busy man as of late by staying active in NHRA,
Prostar, and now, the Rock and MIR series.
12:00
The new and improved "Big Man" heavyweight class
is competing this weekend. The class is run "out
the backdoor" and the rules state that all riders
must weigh a minimum of 240 lbs. Along with the purse
money the China Buffet of Rockingham is giving away a
free all you can eat dinner to the winner. John Vermeulen
leads the pack so far with an 8.95.
1:00
Defending champion, "Fast" Joe Long is first
down the track in Outlaw and runs a 7-fifty pass aboard
his L&W Motorworks Suzuki.
Fresh off his NHRA POWERade semi-final performance, Matt
Smith takes the pole with a rapid 7.41.
2:00
60-Inch Pro Sportbike is boasting 26 entries and is more
diverse than ever. Doug Witt is on the pole with his "old
school Gixxer" with an 8.58 at 172 mph. Defending
champion, Johnie Locklear did not fall far behind as he
recorded a 8.71 on his Hayabusa entry.
2:30
Brock Davidson, first man to put a Streetbike into the
sevens, is putting up two $100 bonuses to the 60-Inch
riders that run the quickest elapsed-time and fastest
mph in qualifying.
After making a solid 8.73 pass at 170, Davidson may end
up taking his own money. After competing in the 68-inch
wheelbase Streetbike Shootout class, Davidson said, "I
learned this weekend that the extra 8 inches makes a big
difference."
3:30
Matt Smith sits out round number two of qualifying but
still retains the number-one spot.
4:30
After going to the final twice last week at the Prostar
race, Henson is hungry for a victory in Streetbike Shootout
and is on the pole with an 8.03. Factory backed Gadson
is three with an 8.14.
5:00
Kevin Adams of Ohio has been the most dominant of the
bracket bikes, advancing to the final in Dragbike.com
Street ET and the semi-final in Nitrous Pro ET
5:30
Barry Henson holds off Alphonso Thompson and Rickey Gadson
to retain the number-one spot in the Velocity Racing Streetbike
Shootout category.
6:00
"Fast Joe Long continued
to get progressively quicker with each run down the dragstrip
and recorded a 7.44 to secure the number two spot. Bernard
Cannon stepped up in session number three with a 7.45
at 187 to qualify in the top three. Matt Smith had problems
and was forced to lift off the throttle in session three,
but is still on the pole with his sizzling 7.41 at 188.
6:30
Out of the 27 bikes entered in the 60-Inch class, 18 of
them are in the eight-second zone, and only nine hundredths
separate positions 1 through 4. Eliminations will be completed
in an "all run format in what should be the most competitive
field in the history of 60-Inch.
7:00
Tim Hill steps up and takes the pole in the 5.60 class
with a 5.602 aboard his Sanford-backed Suzuki.
7:30
Despite getting the starting-line advantage, Procopio
loses to Andy Lynch, who runs dead on his dial in. Likewise,
Trevor Altman is second off the line against Kevin Adams
in the Street Et final, yet still manages to pull off
the win.
The stage is set for a great
season-opening race tomorrow. Gates open at 9am, time
trials at 10am, and eliminations at 1pm.
Jack Korpela can be reached
at Lumberjack@dragbike.com
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