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Five-time Top Fuel champion Larry “Spiderman”
McBride and teammate defending Top Fuel champion
Jimmy “Hulk” Brantley dominated the season
opening AMA/Prostar Bike Week Nationals from
Valdosta, GA, March 4-5.
McBride won the event in his first race back
from a long nine month hiatus due to health
problems.
“I just wanted to prove to myself that I could
still do this,” said McBride, who ran the
fastest pass of his career at 248 mph. “I must
admit, after being away for so long I had some
doubts. After I made a couple of passes I felt
like I never took any time off.”
Brantley seemed unaffected by his off-season as
well. Brantley qualified No. 1 in the first
session with a lap of 5.97, just one hundredth
off his career best recorded at the final race
of 2005. Brantley improved his personal speed
record to 240 mph.
“I felt a little rust at first, like the bike
was getting a head of me,” Brantley said. “After
I settled down the 240 felt just like the 230’s
I ran in Gainesville last season. The motorcycle
was running really good and the air was great.”
The teammates met up in the final and raised the
crowd to its feet with the quickest side-by-side
run ever. McBride took the win with a big
holeshot and a 5.92 at 245 mph to Brantley’s
6.01 at 228 mph.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” McBride said of
the victory. “This is a great way for us to open
the season. Jimmy did a great job. He’s going to
be tough competition this year.”
“Last year I focused on learning to ride the
bike and never really worried about my reaction
times. With Larry back I’m going to have to cut
a light too,” Brantley said. “I felt like I was
catching him a little at half track, but after I
saw his win light I shut it off.”
Friday night prior to the race at the AMA/Prostar
2005 Awards Banquet, Brantley received his first
ever championship trophy and McBride, along with
brother Steve, were awarded the crew chief of
the year award for their excellence in tuning
Brantley to a No. 1 plate.
“I had no clue,” McBride said. “I never thought
I’d have a crew chief award to hang on the
wall.”
“It was great to have Larry back racing,”
Brantley said. “I think we will put on a great
show this year. We want to run the first
side-by-side five second pass.”
McBride went on to thank all of the dedicated
sponsors that stuck with the team throughout his
recovery.
“It means so much to me that they stayed with
us,” McBride said. “I am very thankful of Donna
and Wayne Pingel, Joe Koenig of Trim-Tex, Fred
Fox of Drag Specialties-Parts Unlimited, Time
Kerrigan of Red Line Oil, and Steve and Bob at
Belt Drives.”
The team thanked; Pingel Enterprise, Trim-Tex
Drywall Products, Drag Specialties-Parts
Unlimited, Red Line Synthetic Oil Corporation as
well as his other sponsors:
Vance & Hines Motorsports, PR Factory Store,
Muzzys Performance, Web-Cam, Kibblewhite
Precision Machine, Vanson Leathers, Performance
Machine, Belt Drives Ltd, Street & Competition,
Traci Dynamics, Simpson Race Products, Nitrous
Express, APE, EK Chain, Arias Pistons, R/D
Spring Corp, Autolite, MSD, Protect ALL, Whipple
Industries, Cometic Gaskets, B&J Transmission,
Carolina Cycle, L.A. Sleeve, PJ1 Nology
Engineering, Mickey Thompson Tires, Corbin
Seats, Stark Masonry, and Valco. |
