Riders clinch MiRock championships

Words and photos by Tim Hailey

The Mickey Thompson Performance Tires MIRock Superbike Series, the world’s largest all-motorcycle drag racing series, concluded its season Nov. 5-7 with the Lee’s Performance Finals at Steve Earwood’s legendary Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina. Four hundred and sixteen bikes made the annual November pilgrimage to The Rock for crisp temps, a sticky track, big cook-outs and good times.

Twenty-year-old Ohio rider Jeremy Teasley nailed down two HTP Performance Real Street wins on the weekend and celebrated his second championship in the class as well. Teasley took out Johnny “Turbo” Dobrin in the rain-delayed Maryland final on Saturday, then beat Adams Performance/RS Motorsports teammate Mark Billiter on Sunday after qualifying #1 with a record 7.835.

Orient Express Pro Street racer Rodney Williford also scored a win and a championship on the weekend, beating Mike Slowe in the final. Williford locked up the championship early when his #1 qualifier and first round bye put him out of reach of #2 Teasley.

The first House of Speed Crazy 8s championship went to Eddie “Who” Chapman, who like fellow champions Teasley and Williford also won the race. Chapman completed the weekend on a borrowed bike after breaking his own in Friday testing. He beat Street ET winner Mike Herman Jr. for the race win.

Randolph “Boo” Brown won the FBR Shop Quick 32 championship but let the race win slip out of his grasp. That honor went to Mike Rankin, who beat Shayne Proctor in the final.