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ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – Jeremy Teasley’s recent dominance of
the MIRock Mickey Thompson Tires Superbike Series came to an abrupt and
surprising end Sunday during the 15th running of the Schnitz
Summer Sizzler at Rockingham Dragway.
Teasley, who came into the sixth race in the series with a virtually
insurmountable lead in the HTP Performance Real Street class and an
opportunity to overtake former champ Rodney Williford for the lead in the
Orient Express Pro Street category, failed to survive beyond round two in
either class on a day on which Kenneth Edwards of Sebring, Fla., was the
upset winner in Pro Street.
Although Teasley led the qualifying in Pro Street astride his potent
Kawasaki (7.195 seconds), mechanical problems took him out of contention in
round two after Williford had been upended by Lillington’s Curtis McDougald.
That opened the door for Edwards, who beat Brandon Tyree of Salem, Va., in
an all-Suzuki final.
Another
Florida rider, veteran John Dobrin of Sarasota, stole the spotlight in Real
Street when he lowered the MIRock Series record to 7.836 seconds during
qualifying. In eliminations, however, he barely got around Darion Payne of
Ft. Washington, Md., in the semifinals (7.968 to 7.970) before being upset
in the final by Caleb McDougald of Lillington.
Teasley, who wasn’t among the quickest qualifiers in a Real Street category
in which he had been almost unbeatable, made his earliest exit of the season
when he dropped a first round decision to Mooresville’s Coby Adams in a
battle of Kawasakis, 8.125 seconds to 8.195 seconds.
Other
winners included Eddie Chapman of Pocomoke, Md., in House of Speed Crazy
8's; Andy Baumbach of Fairfax Station, Va., in the Motorcycle Tire Outlet
5.60 class; Shayne Proctor of Indian Head, Md., in FBR Shop Quick 32; Shawn
Smith of St. Stephens Church, Va., and Eric Griffth of Riner, Va., who split
the Nitrous Express Pro ET titles; and Stanley Russell of Gray, Ga., who
doubled-up with Schnitz Racing Street ET wins on both Saturday and Sunday.
The
MIRock Series concludes with the Fast by Gast Super at Maryland
International Raceway on Oct. 2-3 followed by the Lee’s Performance Finals
at The Rock, Nov. 6-7. Except for the Real Street title, on which Teasley
has a virtual lock, all other series championships still are in play with
two races to go.
Sunday’s Schnitz Sizzler, which was interrupted by rain, drew 394 riders
from 14 states and the District of Columbia.
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