SPIDERMAN SETS BIKE RECORD AT BIR

Larry "Spiderman" McBride, of Poquoson, VA, set a world record on his Top Fuel drag motorcycle July 27 in the finals of Brainerd International Raceway's The Big Race. His new world record time was 5.883 seconds in the quarter mile, breaking the old record of 5.895. His 242.67-mph speed almost broke his world record 243.59-mph.

"I knew it was a good run but then I knew I was in the 240s (mph) when I passed the first turn (off the track and onto the return road at the end of the drag strip)," said McBride, who will retain his title as "The Fastest Man on Two Wheels." McBride is the only motorcycle drag racer to break the six-second barrier and he did it twice at BIR this weekend, running 5.979 seconds in qualifying Saturday.

McBride, the points leader in the American Motorcycle Association Prostar Series, defeated Ron Webb of Anchorage, Alaska in the finals. Webb is second in points behind McBride. (photo from www.larrymcbride.com) [7-28-2003]

CANNON TO CALL THE SHOTS

Shortly after yet another first-round ouster of the Oakley-sponsored Funny Car in Seattle, Don Schumacher Racing announced that driver Scotty Cannon will add crew chief duties to his schedule for the remainder of the 2003 NHRA season.

Cannon will replace Phil Shuler in making the final tune-up decisions, but he insisted, "there's a lot more to being a crew chief than just making the last call. It's probably 10 percent of what a crew chief does. I won't be doing a lot of other stuff, Phil still will." Shuler, who joined the team at the beginning of 2003, will become the team's head mechanic.
[7-28-2003]

COKER BECOMES SEMA CHAIRMAN

Corky Coker, president of Coker Tire Co. Inc., Chattanooga, Tenn., was installed as chairman of SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, at the association's

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annual Installation Banquet. Coker has served as chairman-elect of the 5,222 member-company trade association for the past two years. He succeeds outgoing chairman Nate Shelton, CEO of SS Sales and Marketing, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

Coker said that his priorities for the association's activities for the next two years include legislation and regulation. "It seems like every day there is legislation proposed by an anti-business elected official that can be a detriment to our members," he said. "We must watch and react, and sometimes be proactive, as SEMA is when it develops model legislation to protect the interests of auto enthusiasts."

Mitch Williams, president and COO of Hella Inc., Peachtree City, Ga., was installed as SEMA chairman-elect. Williams is slated to succeed Coker as SEMA chairman in July 2005.

Four new and nine re-elected men and women were installed as members of SEMA's Board of Directors. New directors are Dennis Gage, president of Bradley David Productions, Evansville, Ind.; Chuck Lombardo, president of California Street Rods Inc., Huntington Beach, Calif.; Bill Perry, president of Bill Perry & Associates, Carrollton, Ga., and Robert Price, CEO of Reliable Automotive, Overland Park, Kan. [7-28-2003]