MiRock at Budd’s Creek

MIR yields world’s first 6 second streetbike pass!

Words and photos by Tim Hailey

The wait for the world’s first 6 second streetbike pass is over, 10 years after Brock Davidson ran the first 7 second one. It’s not insignificant that both runs were made at the two tracks that make up the world’s premier motorcycle drag racing series, the MIRock Superbike Series. Davidson’s pass 10 years ago was at historic Rockingham Dragway, but Ryan Schnitz sped down Maryland International Raceway this past weekend over a full second quicker. In fact, Schnitz nearly skipped straight into the 6.80s on the Cecil Towner-tuned, nitrous-huffing, HTP Performance Suzuki Hayabusa with a stunning 6.907 at over 203 mph.

That’s an achievement that Schnitz didn’t think possible when he and Johnny Locklear ran the first ever side-by-side 7 second streetbike pass years ago. And the window of opportunity to accomplish the feat at the Fast by Gast Fall Nationals was narrow, with unseasonably cold temperatures and pockets of rain and drizzle. But as always, the hard working MIR staff was keeping the quarter mile sticky with world record traction. For their achievement, Schnitz and Towner received a $10,000 check from Tim Hays for using one of his Hays Machine Works clutches.

After wheelieing on a round 2 solo pass, Towner went too far in the other direction with tire pressure and the bike spun, losing to Greg Wallace in the semis. Wallace then slept at the tree in the final while Ken Edwards nailed a .001 light on his "No Joke" Hayabusa and took his second Orient Express Pro Street victory on a holeshot. Rodney Williford’s clutch pulled him through the beam in the other semi, but Williford—who ran the first no-bar 6 second pass several years ago—accumulated enough points to claim his second straight Pro Street championship and his third MIRock championship overall.