Larry McBride

Larry “Spiderman” McBride not only qualified number one at the event with a 5.76 elapsed time, but he backed up the number to reset the bar with this as the new Top Fuel motorcycle record. Larry’s 5.81, also run in qualifying, backed up the run within 1%, as McBride stormed on to his 14th championship title in the Pingle Top Fuel class.

He defeated Chris Hand of Nauvoo, Ala., in round one and Dave Vantine on the Pollard Nitrosports mount in the final round. In a post race interview Larry quipped, “I’m trying to catch John Force” who currently has sixteen titles in NHRA Funny Car championship drag racing.

There was a bevy of Nitromethane-powered drag bikes that showed up for the MANCUP finals. Of the 643 motorcycles that entered the racing action, 27 nitro bikes topped off the racing.

In Pingle-sponsored Top Fuel Twin racing, Tommy Grimes driving for Ray Price was the low qualifier with a stout 6.20 at 238.30 mph under chilly, challenging conditions. Temps at night dipped into the 20-degree range on qualifying days and track temps in the same timeframe barely warmed up to the mid-70-degree mark during professional class qualifying.

Takeshi “Tak” Shigematsu

While Grimes/Price won the battle in qualifying, they did not win the war on race day. Takeshi Shigematsu, of Blue Panther Harley-Davidson in Japan, driving for Don Johnson, won the race on Sunday. “Tak” as he is affectionately called by friends and fans alike, took out Jake Stonedeuk in round one, 6.21 to 6.78, then eliminated Tracy Kile to face Rickey House in the final round.

House had the better light with a .030 reaction time to Tak’s .084, but both bikes faltered down track with Rickey suffered breakage before “The Man from Japan” crossed the stripe first to take the win.

While nine T/F Harleys provided maximum thunder for the V-Twin fans, it was the hearty ranks of the Hawaya Pro Fuel bikes with 14 entries that gave the fans the most sustained wheels-up action via Nitromethane-powered thunder. Johnny Vickers’ new Pro Fuel bike he’s dubbed “The Terminator” really delivered for him and the fans with a low qualifier pass, the win, and a new world record for Pro Fuel bikes.