Words and photos by Tim Hailey

Nearly 500 racers and a sizable spectator crowd at the Fast By Gast Spring Nationals at Maryland International Raceway showed that the successful MIRock Superbike Series season debut in Rockingham was the “new normal” for the world’s largest motorcycle drag racing series. Racers from as far away as Japan showed up to test their bikes and skills on MIR’s meticulously prepared, super sticky, widely acclaimed quarter mile.

Michigan’s Rob Budgell arrived with a brand new NLR turbo and intercooler system and qualified #1 in Pro Street, a class that seemed sure to see a new record after Ryan Schnitz ran a 7.08 while testing the HTP Performance nitrous Hayabusa the week before. But Ryan’s Wizards of NOS nitrous controller decided to get wonky at MIR and go straight from 0 to 100% with no progression in between. That sent Schnitz on several wild rides on a day that already saw Doug Witt crash hard while wheelieing his own nitrous ‘Busa. So with that problem unresolved, Schnitz sat out his round 1 eliminations pairing with Budgell.

Rob eventually lost his semifinal to Dimey Eddinger, while champion Rodney Williford won the other semi over impressive Pro Street first timer Carl “Junebug” Lucas, riding Ricky “Bud Light” Wood’s bike. Williford won the final with a 7.15 and his third straight 200 mph lap — not records, but not bad.

Despite having motor problems in both his Pro and Real Street bikes, Jeremy Teasley was able to win another Real Street race. Teasley’s Adams Performance/RS Motorsports Kawasaki ZX14 kept lifting the wheel on the top end as the team worked to find how much nitrous the bike wanted for MIR’s conditions. Still, Teasley qualified #1, kept clicking off 7.80s, and once again got the best of teammate Mark Billiter in the final.