DEMITO REGAINS MIROCK SERIES LEAD WITH PRO STREET WIN AT THE ROCK


ROCKINGHAM – In the continuing battle for MiRock Mickey Thompson Performance Superbike Series supremacy in the featured Orient Express Pro Street class, Vince Demito took the points lead back from Rodney Williford Sunday with an unlikely victory in the completion of the rain-postponed Honda-Suzuki of Sanford Spring Open at
Rockingham Dragway.

  Demito, trying to add a Pro Street title to the back-to-back championships he won in the Pro Sportbike division, qualified only sixth but used a .123 of a second final round starting line advantage to make his 7.508 a winner against Williford’s quicker
7.425 at 194.02 miles per hour.

 The win by Demito, the veteran from Plymouth Meeting, Pa., all but insured that the championship battle will come down to the last two events in the MiRock Series and probably won’t be decided until Rockingham Dragway’s season-ending Lee’s Fall Bike Nationals (Nov. 6-8).

 Entering the Spring Open, an event postponed from last March, just nine points separated Williford, Demito and three-time former series champion Mike Slowe of Croydon, Pa.  Slowe made an early move at The Rock by qualifying his Suzuki No. 1 at 7.236 seconds but saw his title hopes ended by Demito in round two.

 Williford still appeared to have the bike to beat, but in the final, he was doomed by an uncharacteristically poor .266 reaction time that gave Demito all the edge he needed.

 Other winners included Mark Billiter of North Augusta, S.C., who edged reigning series champ Keith Thompson of Upper Marlboro, Md., for the HTP Performance Real Street title; Jason Herron of Lexington, S.C., who prevailed in Honda-Suzuki of Sanford 5.60 Pro Comp; and persistent Sean Walsh of Patchague, N.Y., who finally ended Anthony Navarro’s perfect season in Pro Sportbike.

 Jim Shifflett of Waynesboro, Va., claimed two different titles, winning Saturday’s Nitrous Express Pro ET championship and then outlasting a stellar field in FBR Shop Quick 32 on Sunday.  The other bracket titles went to Andy Lynch of West Columbia, S.C. (Sunday Pro ET), Stanley Russell of Gray, Ga. (Saturday Schnitz Racing Street ET) and Jeremy Teasley of Orient, Ohio, who, after failing to win the Real Street title from the No. 1 qualifying position, came back to claim Sunday’s Schnitz Street ET crown.  Shifflett also won the Nitrous Express $500 bonus for winning the most rounds in Pro ET.

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 ROCKINGHAM – Results from Sunday’s Honda-Suzuki of Sanford Spring Open at Rockingham Dragway, sixth of eight races in the 2009 MiRock Mickey Thompson Performance Tires Superbike Series:

ORIENT EXPRESS PRO STREET
 Qualify – 1. Mike Slowe, Croydon, Pa., 7.236, 198.85 mph; 2. Steve Jester, Salisbury, Md., 7.237, 199.02 mph; 3. Rodney Williford, Rougemont, 7.262, 198.88 mph; 4. Curtis McDougald, Lillington, 7.265, 199.94 mph; 5. Ricky Wood, Sims, 7.436, 193.05 mph; 6. Vince Demito, Plymouth Meeting, Pa., 7.506, 196.93 mph; 7. Ehren Little, Charlotte, 7.694,185.15 mph; 8. Lee Shierts, Charlotte, 7.707, 180.50 mph; 9. Dimey Eddinger, Winston-Salem, 7.863, 157.76 mph.
 Round 1 – Steve Jester, Salisbury, Md., 7.375, 184.77 mph, def. Dimey Eddinger, Winston-Salem, 9.864, 116.92 mph; Rodney Williford, Rougemont, 7.397, 200.50 mph, def. Lee Shierts, Charlotte, 7.957, 170.84 mph; Vince Demito, Plymouth Meeting, Pa., 7.526, 198.38 mph, def. Ricky Wood, Sims, 7.523, 191.54 mph; Curtis McDougald, Lillington, 7.547, 171.16 mph, def. Ehren Litten, Louisburg, 10.133, 101.25 mph; Mike Slowe, Croydon, Pa., bye.
 Round 2 – Demito, 7.390, 197.48 mph, def. Slowe, 7.408, 197.45 mph; Williford, 7.389, 193.52 mph, def. McDougald, 15.269, 49.83 mph; Jester, bye.
 Semifinals – Demito, 15.022, 67.12 mph, def. Jester, broke; Williford, bye.
 FINAL – Vince Demito, Plymouth Meeting, Pa., Suzuki, .143, 7.508, 195.22 mph, def. Rodney Williford, Rougemont, Suzuki, .266, 7.425, 194.02 mph.

HTP PERFORMANCE REAL STREET
 Qualify – 1. Jeremy Teasley, Orient, Ohio, 8.005, 182.38 mph; 2. Rickey Grayson, Stafford, Va., 8.018, 173.99 mph; 3. Keith Thompson, Upper Marlboro, Md., 8.113, 175.00 mph; 4. Mark Billiter, North Augusta, S.C., 8.115, 179.52 mph; 5. Brian Johnson, Pageland, S.C., 8.134, 172.85 mph; 6. Curtis McDougald, Lillington, 8.141, 178.14 mph; 7. Caleb McDougald, Lillington, 8.144, 173.34 mph; 8. Cody Lowe, Louisa, Va., 8.161, 174.93 mph.
 Round 1 – Jeremy Teasley, Orient, Ohio, 7.949, 183.34 mph, def. Whitney Grant, Montpelier, Va., 8.865, 164.75 mph; Rickey Grayson, Stafford, Va., 8.294, 171.01 mph, def. Garrett Phillips, Concord, 8.542, 161.02 mph; Keith Thompson, Upper Marlboro, Md., 8.289, 174.19 mph, def. Lavar Delee, Dorchester, S.C., 8.272, 176.35 mph; Mark Billiter, North Augusta, S.C., 8.144, 178.95 mph, def. Michael Glace, Pottstown, Pa., 8.296, 173.76 mph; Brian Johnson, Pageland, S.C., 8.224, 173.58 mph, def. Shaun Leath, Greensboro, 9.744, 139.80 mph; Anibal Merced, Manassas, Va., 8.386, 168.24 mph, def. Curtis McDougald, Lillington, 8.442, 179.71 mph.
 Round 2 – Teasley, 8.090, 179.97 mph, def. Lowe, 8.226, 173.05 mph; Thompson, 8.145, 177.81 mph, def. Merced, 8.347, 162.86 mph; Billiter, 8.115, 174.03 mph, def. Johnson, 8.280, 173.25 mph; Grayson, 8.219, 174.59 mph, def. Phillips, 8.260, 173.90 mph.
 Semifinals – Thompson, 8.026, 176.36 mph, def. Grayson, 10.402, 75.51 mph; Billiter, 9.146, 178.66 mph, def. Teasley, 9.577, 114.30 mph.
 FINAL – Mark Billiter, North Augusta, S.C., Suzuki, .054, 8.160, 178.19 mph, def. Keith Thompson, Upper Marlboro, Md., Suzuki, .067, 8.164, 175.16 mph.

 

HONDA-SUZUKI OF SANFORD 5.60 PRO COMP
 Qualify – 1. Shayne Proctor, Indian Head, Md., 5.623; 2. Jason Herron, Lexington, S.C., 5.655; 3. Curtis Griggs Jr., Charlotte, 5.630; 4. Jeff Shifflett, Rhoadesville, Va., 5.673; 5. Freddy Frazier, Sanford, 5.709; 6. Gary Clontz, Wake Forest, 5.749; 7. Michael Rankin, Staunton, Va., 5.968; 8. John Loney, Dalzell, S.C., 5.561.
 Round 1 – Michael Rankin, Staunton, Va., no time, def. Gary Clontz, Wake Forest, no time; John Loney, Dalzell, S.C., 5.731, 123.11 mph, def. Freddy Frazier, Sanford, 5.568 breakout foul, 116.59 mph; Jim Shifflett, Waynesboro, Va., 5.573, 117.12 mph, def. Curtis Griggs Jr., Charlotte, foul; Jason Herron, Lexington, S.C., 5.624, 106.89 mph, def. Demarious Boulware, Great Falls, S.C., 5.850, 124.53 mph; Rodney Gantt, Hephzibah, Ga., 5.573, 117.64 mph, def. Jeff Shifflett, Rhoadesville, Va., no time; Shayne Proctor, Indian Head, Md., bye.
 Round 2 – Proctor, 6.243, 87.35 mph, def. Rankin, no time; Jim Sjhifflett, 5.625, 109.01 mph, def. Gantt, 5.582 breakout foul, 112.68 mph; Herron, 5.563, 120.49 mph, def. Loney, 5.534 breakout foul, 116.59 mph.
 Semifinals – Jim Shifflett, 5.643, 117.66 mph, def. Proctor, foul; Herron, bye.
 FINAL – Jason Herron, Lexington, S.C., Suzuki, .019, 5.614, 120.20 mph, def. Jim Shifflett, Waynesboro, Va., NA, .079, 5.561 breakout foul, 114.13 mph.

 

PRO SPORTBIKE
 Qualify – 1. Anthony Navarro, Royersford, Pa., 7.573, 195.08 mph; 2. Sean Walsh, Patchogue, N.Y., 7.699, 192.93 mph; 3. Jeff Nordeen, Greenville, S.C., 8.024, 165.40 mph.
 Semifinals – Anthony Navarro, Royersford, Pa., bye; Sean Walsh, Patchogue, N.Y., 7.832, 190.86 mph, def. Jeff Nordeen, Greenville, S.C., 8.773, 127.76 mph.
 FINAL – Sean Walsh, Patchogue, N.Y., Suzuki, .041, 7.715, 192.28 mph, def. Anthony Navarro, Royersford, Pa., Suzuki, .141, 7.740, 192.47 mph.

 

FBR SHOP QUICK 32
 Round 3 – Baybay Yarbrough, Eatonton, Ga., 9.088 on a 9.060, 148.34 mph, def. Clay Davies, Petersburg, Va., foul; Jim Shifflett, Waynesboro, Va., 8.105 on an 8.080, 147.09 mph, def. Ernest Lassiter, Willow Spring, 8.700 on an 8.620, 158.71 mph; Mike Herman Jr., Woodbridge, Va., 9.011 on an 8.880, 142.00 mph, def. Lamond Payne, Winston-Salem, 9.858 on a 9.800, 133.59 mph; Michael F. Herman, Fredericksburg, Va., bye.
 Semifinals – Yarbrough, 9.112 on a 9.080, 138.56 mph, def. Herman Jr., 8.960 on an 8.900, 152.12 mph; Shiffletet, 8.140 on an 8.070, 137.34 mph, def. M.F. Herman, 9.407 on a 9.340, 143.00 mph.
 FINAL – Jim Shifflett, Waynesboro, Va., NA, .026, 8.140 on an 8.070, 137.34 mph, def. Baybay Yarbrough, Eatonton, Ga., Suzuki, .083, 9.144 on an 9.080, 144.94 mph.

 

SUNDAY NITROUS EXPRESS PRO ET
 Round 5 – Mike Schulz, Manassas Park, Va., 9.195 on a 9.140, 136.06 mph, def. Barry Pryer, Virginia Beach, Va., 12.387 on a 12.300, 106.08 mph; Andy Lynch, West Columbia, S.C., 10.156 on a 10.140, 131.47 mph, def. Jim Shifflett, Waynesboro, Va., 8.076 breakout on an 8.080, 149.27 mph; Baybay Yarbrough, Eatonton, Ga., bye.
 Semifinals – Schulz, 9.169 on a 9.140, 149.38 mph, def. Yarbrough, 9.076 breakout on a 9.080, 147.68 mph; Lynch, bye.
 FINAL – Andy Lynch, West Columbia, S.C., Kawasaki, .023, 10.176 on a 10.140, 126.78 mph, def. Mike Schulz, Manassas Park, Va., NA, .031, 9.202 on a 9.140, 147.42 mph.

 

SUNDAY SCHNITZ RACING STREET ET
 Round 5 – Boo Brown, Potomac Falls, Va., 9.171 on a 9.170, 154.32 mph, def. Babybay Yarbrough, Eatonton, Ga., foul; Jeremy Teasley, Orient, Ohio, 9.046 on an 8.980, 144.49 mph, def. Carroll Craft, Gastonia, 9.284 on a 9.400, 141.68 mph; Michael F. Herman, Fredericksburg, Va., bye.
 Semifinals – Teasley, 9.060 on an 8.980, 138.67 mph, def. Herman, 9.385 on a 9.360, 141.47 mph; Brown, bye.
 FINAL – Jeremy Teasley, Orient, Ohio, Suzuki, .028, 8.965 on an 8.980, 153.13 mph, def. Boo Brown, Potomac Falls, Va., foul.

 

SATURDAY NITROUS EXPRESS PRO ET
 Round 5 – Terry “T-Bone” Singleton, Clarkston, Ga., 9.570 on a 9.430, 139.46 mph, def. Shayne Proctor, Indian Head, Md., foul; Clay Davies, Petersburg, Va., 9.739 on a 9.580, 117.22 mph, def. Jason Herron, Lexington, S.C., 27.715 on a 9.400, 68.86 mph; Jim Shifflett, Waynesboro, Va., bye.
 Semifinals – Shifflett, 8.060 on an 8.030, 142.99 mph, def. Singleton, 9.473 on a 9.470, 142.19 mph; Davies, bye.
 FINAL – Jim Shifflett, Waynesboro, Va., .007, 8.085 on an 8.030, 137.81 mph, def. Clay Davies, Petersburg, Va., .022, 9.655 on a 9.530, 136.90 mph.

 

SATURDAY SCHNITZ RACING STREET ET
 Round 5 – Baybay Yarbrough, Eatonton, Ga., 9.176 on a 9.080, 148.43 mph, def. Shayne Proctor, Indian Head, Md., 9.764 breakout foul on a 9.770, 132.74 mph; Stanley Russell, Gray, Ga., 10.191 on a 10.150, 130.69 mph, def. Brandon Teasley, Grove City, Ohio, foul; Clay Davies, Petersburg, Va., 9.627 on a 9.580, 138.27 mph, def. Mike Herman Jr., Woodbridge, Va., 9.339 on a 9.300, 144.66 mph.
 Semifinals – Yarbrough, 9.065 on a 9.080, 145.14 mph, def. Davies, 9.531 breakout foul on a 9.580, 139.69 mph; Russell, bye.
 FINAL – Stanley Russell, Gray, Ga., .056, 10.227 on a 10.180, 130.47 mph, def. Baybay Yarbrough, Eatonton, Ga., .030, 9.136 on a 9.060, 148.01 mph.

 

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