Wills Returns To Rockingham With Bike Title In Sight

Oklahoma Rider Trying to Hold On in Top Fuel Battle with ‘Spiderman’ McBride

This week at Rockingham Dragway, Vance and Hines, the biggest name in motorcycle drag racing, presents the MTC Engineering Nationals, round four of the 2016 Manufacturers Cup featuring point leaders Sam Wills of Edmond, Okla., Paul Gast of Grand Island, N.Y., and Joey Gladstone of Lewes, Del.

Wills, a master fabricator who owns Innovative Frameworks and manages the adjacent OKC Thunder Cycles outside Oklahoma City, already was a Top Fuel bike legend when he hung up his leathers in 1991 to focus his energies on designing and building bikes for others.

Now, the 62-year-old veteran is hoping to write a storybook ending to his return to competition by claiming the Man Cup title in the featured Pingel Top Fuel division. With this week’s event and one more remaining, he leads close friend, rival and defending Man Cup Champ Larry “Spiderman” McBride of Newport News, Va., by a scant 38 points.

Although he won several Top Fuel races on the NHRA national circuit including the 1984 U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Wills had not won a major race in 30 years until he claimed the Man Cup Series opener this year at Valdosta, Ga.

A contemporary of Russ Collins, McBride, the late Elmer Trett, Chris Hand of Navou, Ala., the late Jim McClure and Terry Vance, who won NHRA events in both the Top Fuel and Pro Stock motorcycle divisions, Wills also was a running buddy of Bo O’Brochta, who made a name for himself on the NHRA tour as rider of the Terminal Van Lines Top Fuel bike.

That bike, originally built by Wills, carried O’Brochta to victory in the 1980 U.S. Nationals, a race in which McBride was the runner-up. As restored by Wills, that bike now has a permanent home in the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Florida.

“There’s so much history among these Top Fuel guys,” enthused Rockingham owner Steve Earwood. “To see Sam Wills and Chris Hand and Larry McBride racing at more than 240 miles-an-hour, it doesn’t get much better than that. Sam Wills was winning NHRA races back when I worked for the sanctioning body and here he is still at the top of his game. Amazing.”

Riders from 20 states including a host of regulars from the old MIRock Superbike Series, will vie for cash and bragging rights in six pro and nine sportsman categories.

In addition to Top Fuel, pro winners will be crowned in Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel, where former champion Rocky Jackson of Youngsville, La., and veteran Johnny Vickers of Millers Creek, N.C., will try to overtake current point leader Tyler Wilson.

Gladstone, a past MiRock Series Champion, comes in as the point leader in both Pro Street and Real Street and could lock up both those titles with a strong performance at The Rock.

A weekend pass, good for Friday’s 2 p.m.-to-8 p.m. test-and-tune as well as Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s eliminations is $40. Daily admission is $20 on Friday, $25 on Saturday and $15 on Sunday. Kids 12 and under are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult and, as always, parking is free in Rockingham’s main lot.

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About Man Cup Motorcycle Drag Racing : Headquartered in Safety Harbor, Florida, Man Cup motorcycle drag racing is North America’s largest professional motorcycle drag racing sanctioning body. Man Cup promotes motorcycle drag racing on a national event basis for professional, sportsman and ET bracket racers alike and is open to riders of all skill and experience levels. The Man Cup Series is the only national event style motorcycle drag racing series comprised of events throughout the eastern half of the United States. For marketing opportunities with the Man Cup as well as more information on Man Cup Motorcycle Drag Racing, please visit www.mancup.info on the web or 7 2 7 – 7 4 2 – 5 2 4 5 voice/text

The Man Cup Series is brought to you by our sponsors :  Adams Performance – APE – Bates Leathers – Brocks Performance – Carolina Cycle – Cometic – Cooper Performance – D&G Chassis – D.M.E. Racing – Daytona Senors – Dragbike.com – Exotic Cycle – Falicon Performance – Grothus Dragbike – Hawaya Racing – Hot Rod Chrissy Photos – HTP Performance – JRI Shocks – Lectron – McIntosh Machine and Fabrication – Memphis International Raceway – MoTec – MPS – MRE – MTC – Muzzys – Penske Shocks – Pingel Enterprises – Portable Shade – PR Factory Store – RCC Turbo – Roaring Toyz – Rob Bush Motorsports – Rockingham Dragway – S&S Cycle – Schnitz Racing – Shinko – Star Racing – Western Power Sports – South Georgia Motorsports Park – Trac Dynamics – Vance & Hines – Ward Performance – Web Cam – Wiseco Pistons – World Wide Bearing – Wossner Pistons

2016 Schedule

• April 8 – 10  / South Georgia Motorsports Park
• June 11 – 12 / Rockingham Dragway
• July 23 – 24 / Memphis International Raceway
• September 17 – 18 / Rockingham Dragway
• November 11 – 13 /South Georgia Motorsports Park

2017 Schedule

• April 7-9 / South Georgia Motorsports Park
• November 16-18 /South Georgia Motorsports Park