The Honda-Suzuki of Sanford Spring Bike Open, first event in the 2008 Mickey Thompson Performance Tires MiRock Superbike Series, was rained out Sunday at Rockingham Dragway and re-scheduled for completion May 2-4 during the FBR Shop Nationals at the same track.
Pro riders in the Schnitz Racing Outlaw Pro Street, Orient Express Pro Sport Bike, HTP Performance True Street and Honda-Suzuki of Sanford 5.60 Pro Comp classes will compete to determine Spring Open titles on Saturday, May 3. The fields for those classes already are set.
Before the rains came, defending MiRock Champion Dave Norris of Bryans Road, Md., set new national records in the Outlaw Pro Street class, lowering the elapsed time record to 6.922 seconds and raising the speed mark to an even 200 miles per hour to lock up the No. 1 qualifying spot.
In Pro Sport Bike, 2006 series champion Anthony Navarro stamped himself as the 2008 favorite by lowering the national record to 7.644 seconds, almost .05 quicker than the old mark held by Rodney Williford of Rougemont, N.C.
In the debut of the new True Street class, Norman Jackson of Upper Marlboro, Md., set the records as the first No. 1 qualifier at 8.306 seconds, 171.10 mph.
The only champions crowned during the rain-marred opener were BayBay Yarbrough of Eatonton, Ga., and Clay Davies of Petersburg, Va., the winners in Nitrous Express Pro ET and Fishs Customs Street ET, respectively.