One of the most dominant Pro Mod racers ever, Eric McKinney celebrated his birthday with an emphatic statement that he’s back at at the season-opening Summit Racing Equipment East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech at GALOT Motorsports Park.
Multi-time Pro Extreme Motorcycle world champion Eric McKinney returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2021 after he took down two-time and reigning world champion Chris Garner-Jones on a holeshot in the final round. McKinney’s .010 reaction time and his 4.045 at 177.09 on his McKinney Motorsports ’14 Hayabusa put him ahead of Garner-Jones and his 4.016 at 177.04 at the finish line.
“We’re still outgunned right now, but we worked hard and I pulled it off in the final on a holeshot,” said McKinney, who thanked partners like Vance & Hines, Fast By Gast, Worldwide Bearings, Schnitz Racing, Lanco Machine, and Razor Fab. “I took an extra stab at it and I thought, ‘I know he’s gonna outrun me,’ but we’re getting close. Hat’s off to the guys that are helping me, including my dad and my mom. [Tuner] Ashley Owens is the guy, man. My uncle Steve helps on the clutch. My cousin, Mark, came this weekend. I’m missing my wife and my two boys, but it’s just awesome to be back up in the winner’s circle again.
“The PDRA is awesome,” added McKinney, who celebrated his birthday on Saturday. “There was an all-motorcycle race this weekend that a lot of guys went to, and we chose to come here just because we love racing here. This is where it’s at for our class and we just enjoy it.”
McKinney left first against teammate Ashley Owens in the first round and was quicker at the finish line with a 4.086 at 176.67 to Owens’ 4.144. McKinney and semifinal opponent Brad McCoy had identical .035 reaction times, but McKinney quickly pulled ahead and won with a 4.063 at 177.16 to McCoy’s 4.741.
Garner-Jones on his T.T. Jones Racing/Red Line Motorsports Media ’18 Hayabusa was unopposed in the first two rounds after qualifying No. 1. First-round opponent Marc Ingwersen didn’t make the call, while Garner-Jones cruised to a 4.009 at 178.07 to set low E.T. of the round. He was quickest again on his semifinal bye run, a 3.986 at 178.02.
The 2024 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series season will continue in two weeks at the Kaeser Compressors Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Classic Graphix, April 18-20, at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, Va.
