OUTLAW PRO STREET

While the Fat Man class could easily be called the event's "heavy hitter" class by some, for most of the fans and contestants the real heavy hitters could be found competing in the Outlaw Pro Street class. There were 14 bikes entered in the class, most of them seven-second hitters. This is a heads-up class where almost everything goes. Basically, the only restrictions were no wheelie bars, 75-inch maximum wheelbase, and stock frames.

This class had all the drama and excitement of a NASCAR or NHRA professional class. One of the major players in this class is North Carolinian Matt Smith, son of IHRA/NHRA Pro Stock driver Rickie Smith, who is fast becoming a legend in motorcycle racing both on the Outlaw circuits and NHRA Pro Stock. His main competition on the circuit is North Carolinian Angie McBride. Neither rider cares for the other and rumor has it that the two riders, not unlike some drag racing and NASCAR competitors, have carried their dislike for each other beyond the racetrack. During the course of the 2003 season the pair were fairly even in heads-up competition and it was evident from the conversation in both camps that this race was important to both riders.

After the qualifying was over, Smith had qualified in front of McBride by virtue of his 7.254 to her 7.288 but both of them had to take a back seat to Greer, South Carolina's Chris Moore, who ran a 7.22 lap and 194.24 Top Speed.

Once racing started in earnest, Smith looked like he had a lock on his second win of the season when McBride inexplicably lost her first round match-up with Costello Shedrick of Florida. Smith marched to the final round with laps of 7.20 and a blistering 7.169 in the semi's, but had trouble in the final and lost to Florida's Barry Green who drove his '83 Suzuki to the win with an impressive 7.187 lap to bury Smith's troubled 7.699.

Both Smith and McBride have NHRA Pro Stock Bike aspirations and they could take this war to the big time next season.