Joey Gladstone

18th Annual Pingel Spring Nationals at Budds Creek, MD

Opening IDBL Round is a Knockout

Words and photos by Tim Hailey

Moving with the skill and agility of a prizefighter (but without the $100 PPV charge), Jason Miller’s Maryland International Raceway (MDIR) crew bobbed and weaved around unexpected showers, covered up against the ropes during the forecast overnight rain, then delivered a knockout track when spotting an opening on Sunday, April 26. So despite huge bike counts, the Pingel Spring Nationals—opener of the 2015 Mickey Thompson International Drag Bike League (IDBL) season—went the distance and proved a great new hope for motorcycle drag racing

Terrence Angela

But “hope” is something that most Orient Express Pro Street competitors will have to train a little harder for. Two-time champion Joey Gladstone set the Budds Creek quarter mile on fire with a well-below-the-record 6.76 at an incredible 221 mph during Friday test and tune, then made that ET official with another .76 during Saturday qualifying and a 221 mph lap on Sunday. He went two steps further during eliminations, clicking off a .74 and the new record of 6.720 on his way to meeting his DME Racing teammate Terence Angela in the final.

That’s where the wheels fell off the wagon for Gladstone, whose Vance & Hines turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa fell victim to a broken cam chain and wouldn’t start for the final. He and the DME team took the misfortune in stride and celebrated the win for Angela, who came into the weekend struggling mightily but made consistent gains in performance and confidence. Angela is now the fourth Pro Street racer to officially run a 6.80something, running 6.86 at 216 in the semis.