Team McBride Battles
Adversity
It’s been a rollercoaster like season
of ups and downs for Team McBride. The team has faced everything from
record setting performances to serious health problems.
Perhaps the highpoint of the season occurred at last month’s AMA/Prostar
Pingel Thunder Nationals from Indianapolis, IN. Under the tutelage of
six-time AMA/Prostar Top Fuel champion Larry “McBride” McBride,
Jimmy “Hulk” Brantley made an unpredicted rapid progression,
running an astounding 6.003 at 230 mph in only the eighth race of his
career.
“It was the smoothest and fastest
pass I have ever been on. I didn’t really have do anything to the
bike. It just went straight,” Brantley said of his career best run.
“I shut off the throttle 5.99 seconds into the run.”
“I was extremely excited,”
McBride said. “He is just a top of line competitor and a very easy
guy to deal with. I’m proud of him.”
Even more impressive, many signs indicate
Brantley’s nitro-guzzling machine has much room for improvement.
“The bike has got so much more potential in it,” Brantley
said excitedly. “We really didn’t have that much fuel in it
and the computer wasn’t working properly. Right now I think the
bike has probably got another 30 or 40 percent that I can ride.”
Proudly representing the team’s sponsors
on his Hulk-green motorcycle, Brantley went on to defeat Chris Hand in
the final, scoring his second career victory. Brantley currently maintains
a 19 point lead over Hand in the championship points series.
As for McBride, his condition
is steadily improving from health problems that included a case of pancreatitis
in early June and a lacunar stroke in mid-July.
“I’m getting better
and working hard in rehab but it’s a slow process,” reported
McBride. “I really wanted to be ready for Memphis but I am still
having some coordination problems. It feels like I have a heavy left leg
and arm,” McBride said. “My goal is to be able to race the
World Finals but that’s all in the good lord’s hands.”
Although McBride is focused
on returning in November, he has contemplated the bleak yet slim chance
that he may never be able to race again. During his hiatus McBride, who
has piloted a nitro bike for the last 26 years, has found out just how
much drag bike racing has become a part of him.
“I will always be involved.
I just love the sport too much,” McBride said. “Not being
able to race would be a hard one to take for me. I lay awake in bed at
night thinking about it. I’ve always done this for the love.”
McBride remains optimistic and says the
fun and excitement of tuning Brantley along with brother Steve McBride
and co-crew chief Roland Stuart has made his recovery stage much more
tolerable.
Next up for Team McBride will be the
Schnitz Memphis Blues Nationals October 1-2, where Brantley will attempt
to become the second rider in history to run in the fives.
“I want to be the second man in the
fives and the first bike over 250 mph,” Brantley said
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, Muzzys
Performance, Web-Cam, Kibblewhite Precision Machine, Vanson Leathers,
Performance Machine, Belt Drives Ltd, Street & Competition, Trac 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.
