High MPH Surprises at MIROCK FBG Summer Nationals

Words and photos by Tim Hailey

The great expectation when the Mickey Thompson MIROCK Superbike Series hit Maryland International Raceway for the Fast by Gast Summer Nationals on May 30-June 1, was the world’s first 6.80something street tire pass. And when Orient Express Pro Street champion Joey Gladstone unloaded the DME Racing turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa with a 6.90 at a jaw-dropping 218 mph on Friday, railbirds kind of discounted the 218 and focused on the 6.90. In a class where the MPH record stood at 213... well, maybe that 218 was a timing anomaly....

“Oh, 220 will be the next milestone after the 6.80,” nodded the railbirds. “Maybe we’ll see that sometime next year. But this weekend is all about 6.80s.”

And so when Gladstone ran a new ET record 6.903 at 220.02 mph in Sunday’s round 1 of eliminations, it was a truly stunning moment—surely the most dramatic since Ryan Schnitz rode the HTP Performance nitrous ‘Busa straight to a 6.90 on the world’s first 6 second street tire pass a few years ago—also at MIR. Check that box, 220 is done, although not for the record. The 220 backed up a 215.51 that will stand.

Number 1 qualifier Jeremy Teasley also ran a 6.90 on John Drake’s “No Fear” bike, built and tuned by 3X champ Rodney Williford. Teasley’s bike gets the 6.90 job done early in the quarter mile with a remarkable 1.15 60 foot time, crossing the line some 20 mph slower than the DME bike. Most importantly, both bikes were on opposite sides of the ladder and sure to meet in the final.

But just as sure as 220 might come along in 2015, and just as sure as Teasley or Gladstone would run a 6.80, a funny thing happened. Both bikes were OUT in round 2. Williford is notorious for dialing in a wild-wheelieing tune-up, and boy did he deliver a show-stopper for Teasley to ride. Jeremy kept the ‘Busa unicycle on the throttle as much as he could but came up short against Darion “Nanu” Payne. Gladstone’s day ended less spectacularly, as air in the clutch line pulled the DME bike through the beams for a foul start against Rendolf Torbed. When Gladstone’s teammate Terence Angela also lost in round 2, this race was busted wide open.