Mickey Thompson Performance Tires MIROCK Superbike Series

Mind-blowing MIROCK Racer Support at MIR

Words and photos by Tim Hailey

The world’s largest motorcycle drag racing series ramped up the boost and added another jet of nitrous with this past weekend’s 17th Annual Fast by Gast Spring Nationals at Maryland International Raceway in Budds Creek, MD. A mind-blowing 844 entries took the tree for their share of Mickey Thompson MIROCK Superbike Series purses and contingencies, and yet race promoter Jason Miller’s MIR staff polished off the event with the precision and efficiency of a Navy SEAL team.

The big noise in Orient Express Pro Street was the expectation of the sport’s first true 6.80something street tire pass. And when champion Joey Gladstone pulled his turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa out of the DME Racing trailer and popped off a 6.91 right away, it seemed a forgone conclusion that the milestone would fall during a weekend with a high performance weather forecast on MIR’s fussed-over quarter mile.

Gladstone improved to a 6.907, but when he damaged a motor the DME team shifted focus and aimed for the win, nearly filling the entire semifinal ladder with DME bikes along the way. In the end it was Gladstone with a 6.94 to 7.03 win over teammate Terence Angela. Keith “Shine” Dennis won Pro Street B.