Demito regains MiRock series lead with Pro Street win

Photos by Tim Hailey

In the continuing battle for MiRock Mickey Thompson Performance Superbike Series supremacy in the featured Orient Express Pro Street class, Vince Demito took the points lead back from Rodney Williford Sunday with an unlikely victory in the completion of the rain-postponed Honda-Suzuki of Sanford Spring Open at Rockingham Dragway on Sept. 20.

Demito, trying to add a Pro Street title to the back-to-back championships he won in the Pro Sportbike division, qualified only sixth but used a .123 final round starting line advantage to make his 7.508 a winner against Williford’s quicker 7.425 at 194.02 miles per hour.

The win by Demito (above), the veteran from Plymouth Meeting, Pa., all but insured that the championship battle will come down to the last two events in the MiRock Series and probably won’t be decided until Rockingham Dragway’s season-ending Lee’s Fall Bike Nationals (Nov. 6-8).

Entering the Spring Open, an event postponed from last March, just nine points separated Williford, Demito and three-time former series champion Mike Slowe of Croydon, Pa. Slowe made an early move at The Rock by qualifying his Suzuki No. 1 at 7.236 seconds but saw his title hopes ended by Demito in round two.

Williford still appeared to have the bike to beat, but in the final, he was doomed by an uncharacteristically poor .266 reaction time that gave Demito all the edge he needed.