So either way, the bookies were gonna have to pay off big to somebody on these two long-shots, and the winner turned out to be Sanzottera. He wheelied early, recovered, and got around Teasley when his wheel, too, soared skyward on the big end.

It went the other way for Sanzottera in the final when his beautiful, glossy, blue, pink and chrome, side-mount turbo ‘Busa spun at the hit. Other than a laid-back, round 1 win over redlighting (a scant -.003) Darion “Nanu” Payne, Angela had been living exclusively on planet 6.80s and the final against Sanzottera was no exception — 6.88 at 217.32 mph for the win and a large brick of $100 bills. 

Gladstone and DME secured their third straight Orient Express Pro Street championship earlier in the weekend, but had a somewhat more complicated experience with their all-motor ‘Busa in the Real Street class that DME sponsors. The cards seemed to fall Gladstone’s way on the copper colored bike, beating everyone he needed to in the proper order to have a chance at the championship. He faced Roger Starrette in a winner-take-all final round, and when Starrette’s clutch maintenance routine failed him, Gladstone ran one of his many 7.70-something passes for an apparent win and a stunning championship. 

Until IDBL’s tech department got their hands on the bike, and Starrette’s, and more. It’s been many years since motorcycle drag racing has seen a major rules infraction story. Back in the AMA/Prostar days, post-race tech inspection was frequently a source of juicy drama. But with so many different means to the same ends in today’s rules structures, creative interpretations have been either few and far between or kept well under wraps.

Until this weekend. As cold hands fumbled with frozen tools, Zeus fasteners, Allen-head bolts, etc., what was revealed were infractions both mundane and inventive. Gladstone, Starrette, and Roger’s teammate Teasley were all DQed.

Anibal Merced