Exoticycles/Roaring Toyz Spring Nationals, Manufacturers Cup, South Georgia Motorsports Park

Words and photos Ivan Sansom and Rose Hughes

The third full season of the Manufacturers Cup bike series kicked off with a return to SGMP where it all began as a one-off meeting in 2010. The smooth and notoriously quick Georgia track attracted a bumper entry for the time of year, although the absence of the Top Fuel Twins, thanks to competition from the IHRA at the Bradenton track down the road, was perhaps the only disappointment. That aside, racing was astonishing across the remaining six classes, with records set, a bit of history made and one hell of a weekend for our fellow visitors who had trekked across the Pond from Europe.

Pingel Top Fuel Bike

It was quite a weekend for Ian King and the Gulf Oil/GPO team (with considerable help coming from John and Dea Morgan for this event) after taking the bold decision to ship the bike over from Europe to contest the season opener at Valdosta with a view to grabbing the final spot in the MTC 5 Second club. A first session 6.129/221 proved to be the best ET of the three shots, and a second session 6.230/232.83 would hold for top speed of the meet. Their third shot at the track in the Saturday evening qualifying session would prove a tad frustrating as the timing system failed on what was a pretty stout run. With Chris Hand bumping the Anglo-Dutch team down to third spot during the same session, the daunting prospect of facing Dave Vantine and, potentially, Larry McBride on the top side of the ladder loomed, with the requirement to turn up the wick to get closer to the fives that had been recorded in Europe also weighing on the mind of the crew.

First round of eliminations had King rocketing to a 6.044/224 whilst Vantine blew the rear tire away, suggesting the ET goal was within reach but McBride stood between King and the cooler conditions. In a real, as opposed to the artificiality of ESPNs NHRA coverage, marquee match-up King brought seven European championships to the table whilst McBride came with 12 Stateside crowns and the tension in the air was raised a notch or two as both riders sat in pre-stage for an age before King nudged in first. Although McBride left first, the heat in the motor blazed the slick 200 feet out and King slowed to a 6.335 but matched his round win over McBride back in 1999 and kept the 5 Second club dream alive. With a long wait until the final and conditions improving all of the time, the can was duly tipped and the ignition timing advanced and King rode it out of the back door to stop the clocks with a 5.878/225 to take the event win, set a new PB ET, climb to fifth spot on the all time ET list, and get his rightful spot in the MTC club. Mission accomplished and all without lifting so much as the valve cover over the course of the weekend.