MIRock Superbike Series at MIR

Biggest Maryland MIRock Field EVER!

Words and photos by Tim Hailey

Beautiful September weather and a booming racing organization came together to produce the biggest Mickey Thompson MIRock Superbike Series ever held at Maryland International Raceway. MIR’s Fast by Gast Fall Nationals is always an autumn festival of speed, but with over 600 motorcycles entered, competition on the best-prepped track in the business was especially fierce.

Two-time reigning Orient Express Pro Street champ Rodney Williford is on his game big time, coming straight off the trailer with a 6.99. Williford ran as quick as 6.91 and never slower than 7.03 to take the win over Danny Cox, who had to let out when his Hampton Roads H-D nitrous Suzuki Hayabusa started to roll over on the top end.

Number one qualifier Williford passed his season long rival Joey Gladstone in points, setting up an all-out championship brawl when the series reconvenes at Rockingham Dragway the first weekend of November. Gladstone’s DME Racing ‘Busa blew a fuse in the waterbox and failed to start against Cox in round 2.

Johnny “Turbo” Dobrin can lean back on his season long DME Racing Real Street points lead, needing only to show up and enter at The Rock to claim his championship. Like Gladstone, Dobrin and his Exoticycle turbo ‘Busa also went out in round 2 at MIR. He was taken out by 6’3”, 215 pound David Merks—a big man in what is mostly a jockey sport. Merks’ RS Motorsports teammate, multi-time champ Jeremy Teasley, later won the event over Chris Moore—yet another teammate. In all there were three Roger Starrette-tuned, nitrous-huffing Kawasaki ZX14 in the semis along with surprising Sherrell Blake and his nitrous Suzuki GSXR1000.