HTP Performance True Street is shaping up to be Keith Thompson’s playground. The Upper Marlboro, Maryland veteran racer qualified number one with a record setting 8.177 on his HTP-prepped GSXR1000, hitting a record top speed of 173.96 mph. Early round leader Norman Jackson qualified second with an 8.223 on his similarly prepared HTP GSXR. Rickey Grayson was third, also on a GSXR1000. Thompson faces Brian Forte come round 1 in November, while Jackson has Killa Minx Traci Lewis and Grayson draws Frank Halmon.
Given time, Schnitz Racing Outlaw Pro Street champion Dave Norris (shown) might have laid down a record lap, but then came that whole rain thing. As it was, Norris qualified number one with a 6.983 at 194.18. Ronnie Procopio became the second rider to pilot a no-bar nitrous bike into the sixes when he laid down a 6.995 at 196.39. Ralph Medrano Jr. came back from an almost two year absence to qualify third with a 7.124. All three ride Suzukis prepared by Dan Wagner of DTM Racing.
Procopio was on somewhat of a tear, qualifying number one in FBR Shop Quick 32 and beating his wife, Robin, in Saturday night’s NX/Fast by Gast Pro ET race, one of two races completed on the weekend. Randolph “Boo” Brown Jr. (shown below) beat fellow Virginian Clay Davies in an epic, drive-around Street ET battle. And Jim Shifflett qualified his Hillbilly Hustler number one in Honda/Suzuki of Sanford 5.60 with a not-far-from-perfect 5.601.
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But despite all the records and tight bracket action, the hottest place to be at The Rock was Saturday night’s Afterdark Underground grudge racing (above right). One hundred-twenty bikes came in from the hills to try their luck and “real” races were poppin’. All kinds of combinations joined in the mix before a fairly serious wreck shut the night down around 12:15.
The MiRock Superbike series continues with the Fast by Gast Superbike Finals at Maryland International Raceway in Budd’s Creek, Maryland, on October 4-5.