Scott Gray rose to the top with a 6.49 in Q2 and stayed there through the end of qualifying, leading a pack of three (including McKinney and #2 David Vantine) 6.40 bikes into eliminations. Gray also won the Xtreme Motorsports billet clutch cover give-away. “Turn ‘em and burn ‘em,” was Gray’s motto in Valdosta.

It was on raceday that McKinney and tuner Ashley Owens (also an ADRL champ and pilot of the world’s first ever 3-second eighth mile bike on anything other than nitro) put their tire issues behind them. Eric’s jaw-dropping 6.38 in round 1 propelled him into a second-round showdown with MIRock champ Ronnie Procopio, who was unable to answer the 6.37 that McKinney laid down. Eric knocked yet another tenth off with a 6.36 at 204.9 mph over Monte Campbell in the semi.

Shane Eperjesi

That set up a final with veteran racer Shane Eperjesi, who advanced past redlighting Gray in round 2, on his old-school bodywork and headlight bike. Eperjesi was dipping into the mid .50s and racing smart, but that wouldn’t be enough to stop the McKinney juggernaut. Despite “slowing” to a 6.38, McKinney took the $4000 win and $3000 in contingencies.