HAMPTON, Ga. - The fastest two wheels to ever challenge the pit lane drag strip showed their muscle on Friday Night at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Kirby Apathy and Preston Bartlett battled twice for track supremacy over the eighth-mile pit lane drag strip at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags.
“This is the fastest pro fuel bike in the world,” said Apathy. “It’s the only one to ever go in the sixes. It’s gone 4.30 at 167 miles an hour over an eighth mile track.”
Despite owning the quarter-mile world record with a 6.85 second run, Apathy couldn’t get the bike tuned in to beat Bartlett in either pass down the strip. Both drivers backed down the power as they got a feel for the track on the first pass of the night.
“I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to get in trouble because these things can get you in trouble a lot quicker than you can get yourself out of trouble,” explained Apathy.
Bartlett had Apathy’s number again and ripped down the track on the second pass to set a new track record for two wheeled vehicles.
“It’s an adrenaline rush,” explained Bartlett on whizzing down the strip at breakneck speed. “Everyone asks me and I say ‘I get on, take a deep breath, close my eyes, count to seven, open them up and see where I’m at’.”
While the nitro bikes battled for track records, drivers in 18 different divisions looked to secure important points in a battle for a division championship.
Tied at the top of the points standings entering Friday’s action in the Super Pro Division, Robert Cheney and his 2014 American Dragster inched ahead of the 2007 Chevy Camaro of Mike Chambers for the division lead.
Cheney advanced to the final round before falling to Arnie Cobb and his 1974 Chevrolet Nova in the final race of the night.
“I cut a pretty good light and luckily we hooked up an extra little boost button on it,” said Cobb following his win. “Robert (Cheney) had me out of the hole. He was going to beat me, but I grabbed a hold of the button and everything in the electronics worked and she went on a ride.”
Cobb stays within striking distance of a division championship with the final round win as he picked up a point on the leader Cheney and is now five points back of the top spot in the division.
Other notable winners included Mike Moore and his 2017 COPO Camaro in the Harbin’s Mechanical Services Street Outlaw Division. Moore stays in the Championship hunt with the final round victory over Wayne Harris. Harris holds a two point lead over Moore and Daniel Harris for the top spot.
In the Diamond Resorts Factory Street division, Michael Hartley, behind the wheel of his 1987 Ford Mustang, earned the final round win as he defeated the 2014 Ford Mustang of Nick Nicholson to keep pace in the battle for a division championship.
Atlanta Motor Speedway’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags returns to the pit lane drag strip on Friday, August 17 for the penultimate race of the season.
For more information, visit AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Friday Night Drags – August 10, 2018
Super Pro: Arnie Cobb – 1974 Chevrolet Nova
Pro: Kevin Mayo – 1969 Chevy Nova
Street Outlaw: Mike Moore – 2017 COPO Camaro
Sportsman: Kyle Shiflett – 1983 Ford Mustang
New Edge: Chase Ponder – 2015 Ford Mustang
Street Performer: Brandon Sampler – 1995 Chevrolet S10
Domestic: Andrew Morgan – 1987 Ford Mustang
Street: Michael Hartley – 2013 Ford Mustang
Street Modified: Kelly Morgan – 1968 Ford Mustang
Truck: Ed Blanford – 1968 Ford F100
Tuner: Steven Mallet – 2004 Subaru WRX
Sport Compact: Tyler Hatchett – 1991 Honda CRX
Super Bike: Robin Malcolm – 2003 Busa
Sport Bike: Jyree Givens – 2006 Suzuki GSXR 1000
Motorcycle: Keith Stamps – 2002 Honda
Cruiser: Robert Thomas – Harley Davidson
ATV: Wayne Cline – Yamaha Banshee
Burnout Zone: Preston Bartlett – Nitro Harley Davidson Dragster Bike
