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The Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine
ernor’s Motorsports Advisory Council. He has worked hard to keep The Rock known as one of the country’s best drag strips in this constantly changing race environment. I think he manages an average of 90 events a year at the facility When you see Steve at The Rock, please, thank him for giving us such a cool place to race. Chris Rasile, Greensboro, NC, brought a couple of old Ironhead Sportster drag bikes for display. These machines were real bad asses back in the 1970s and 80s. He was showing the first Pro Stock Harley to run a nine second pass. Chris has a few historic Harley drag bikes and sometimes takes them down the strip. He digs Harley race bikes and antiques and is an interesting guy to talk with at the track. AMRA Ray Price Top Fuel Shootout Fourteen Top Fuel Harleys were roaring at The Rock and going for the AMRA Ray Price Top Fuel Trophy. A few Carolina teams and others from nearby states gave the fans in the stands favorites to cheer for. There is a reason so many of the best Nitro Harley races are on the East Coast. That’s where so many are built and based. Tii Tharpe, Pfafftown, NC, qualified third but set his mind and machine to sending everyone else to the trailer. In the final round Tii, a two-time NHRA champ in 2018 and 2019, beat Ryan Perry, Ohio, who has had a great 2021 season. Tii ran one of the quickest passes of the weekend going down the strip in 6.350 seconds at 220.04 miles an hour. Jay Turner, Julian, NC, was thrilling his fans. Tracy Kile, Asheville, NC, had his Bad Apple bike there. Nitro Funny Bikes are very similar to Top Fuelers, but they don’t have transmissions. High gear only. Armon Furr, Orangeburg, SC, is a crowd favorite since his Dad Bill was a Nitro Harley star for many years. Armon finished runner-up in the class. Fans like Pro Fuel bikes. Especially when there are a dozen fixing to make passes down the strip. These are the small nitro bikes with 120 cubic inch engines, carburetors and single speed only. But those machines still fill the air with nitromethane, rattle your chest and put down 7.30’s all day. Sam White, Chapin, SC, was riding one of Johnny Vickers’ new bikes. He qualified it Number One with a 7.311 pass at 172.70 miles an hour. He was hard to beat on that October afternoon and won the class. Sam took out the reigning series champ, Jim Martin, Ill, in the final round. Jay Beasley, Winston Salem, NC, was riding Bobby Hoover’s pretty blue machine they call Miss Haley. John McConnell, Darlington, SC, was on an old Johnny bike. Kevin Campbell, Southern Pines, NC, qualified in the Pro Gas Class. Richard Boone, Mint Hill, NC, was running nines in Pro Mod. Mike Motto, Richlands, NC, dominates Outlaw Street these days. He took the class win running Eight Os. Baggers, or what us old guys call Dressers, are popular these days. Lots of them were roaring down the strip that weekend. Pro Dresser brought a nine-bike field to eliminations. Richard Stamey, Wilmington, NC, qualified second with a
9.60. Ryland Mason, Carolina Beach, NC, qualified third, was having a good day and finished runner-up. Chris Wood, Goldsboro, NC; Greg Quinn, Fountain, NC; Justin Demery, Rowland, NC, and Tyler Shearin, Roanoke Rapids, NC, also competed in Pro Dresser. Hard Charging Sportsman Racers There were lots of Sportsman racers at The Rock and that’s where so many of my buddies run. I know some of y’all love the smell of nitromethane. But I dig that sweet scent of VP Race Gas. These are the bikes I would most like to borrow for the weekend. The fans love the class too, watching riders try to hold down wheelies through the first couple gears as they make quick passes down the quarter mile on streetable bikes. Richard Stamey has been having a good time this summer racing Harley Baggers. He won the Street Dresser Class running an 11.743 at 111.99. I think he put on a wheelie show a time or two.
Freddie Frazier, Sanford, NC, made it to the semi-final round in Top Eliminator the quickest index class at 9.30 seconds. Gregory Hawes, Nakina Beach, NC, also ran in TE. Ryland Mason kept his qualify third and finish second streak going in Super Gas, the 9.90 class. Chris Wood, David Minton, Trinity, NC; Mike Best, Gary, NC, and Dan Ferguson, Harrisburg, NC, also competed in Super Gas. Bob Maier, Cleveland, NC, won the Super Pro Class running on a 10.30 index. Rick Medford, Cherokee, NC, also was in SP. Rick Medford was putting folks on the trailer and making some good passes in the 10.90 index Pro Eliminator Class. Then a final round bad light and 60-foot time had him racing for the runner up spot. Cody Hayworth, Concord, NC; Lamond Payne, Winston-Salem, NC, and Paul Watson, Greensboro, NC, competed in PE. Craig Burch, Chapel Hill, NC; Chris Phipps, Tabor City, NC; Brooke, McCabe, Roanoke Rapids, NC, and Richard Stamey competed in the 11.50 index Street Eliminator Class. For many years now The Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine