Anibal “Cannibal” Merced

Gladstone and the DME Real Street all-motor ‘Busa came up short in the final of that class against champion Anibal “Cannibal” Merced. Gladstone also qualified number one in Real Street as well, but ceded the starting line advantage to Merced .029 to .084. Merced’s Kawasaki ZX14 actually stumbled at launch, so his winning 7.925 might have been quicker. Gladstone’s quicker-but-losing 7.892 just wasn’t enough as Merced sprayed over the finish line at 186.43 mph.

Bike Fest got way too hot for hugely popular and successful MDIR racer Shayne Proctor. He was on a routine pass in Top Sportsman, dialing in 7.80 on Willie Nichol’s nitrous-huffing Suzuki Hayabusa. Proctor left the line unusually late with a .109 against opponent Brian Fandel and rode hell-bent on catching up. But right at the eighth mile an apparent nitrous airbox explosion ignited the bike into a huge ball of flame.