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Romine
Racing News
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Friday, May 18, the Chromatic Racing team left Sturgis, Michigan on a quest to compete the Nuclear Tomato for the first time. The AMRA hosted an all-Harley national event at Huntsville Dragway Saturday and Sunday. Since Romine holds many AMRA championships, it was the ideal setting for a first race.
In the test session following the IHRA Virginia event almost four weeks ago, the team learned that the bike was built correctly and worked in the two passes completed. In Huntsville, it rained on and off all day Saturday. No nitro bikes qualified. Sunday, Romine had to both qualify and race. The Alabama heat and the pressure of performing were on.
When the day was over, Romine qualified fifth and earned a respectable semi-final finish for a first race on a new bike. 'We learned that everything works well under the stresses of racing and qualifying. Now we have to make a decision. It's going to be tough to keep the IHRA Virginia number one qualifying bike out of competition and that's what we have to do. We'll take the Flyin' Banana to Canada with us as a stand-by, but we'll focus on the Nuclear Tomato. We built this new bike because we think we can go even quicker and faster with it than the Banana can. It has a longer wheelbase than any other Weekend Frame. It has the best PRP Elite components and they work. It's eighth-mile times in Huntsville are comparable to the Banana's times at a similar event. The only way we're going to know how well it works at an IHRA event is to race it at an IHRA event.'
Though other testing opportunities exist, nothing will simulate the traction and preparation of an IHRA event. Romine will wait the ten days and prepare everything for every imaginable condition. Year 2000 history showed impressive numbers for the Nitro Harley class due to incredible track and weather conditions. Romine's 6.51 number one qualifying number in Virginia was his personal best. Therefore, he'll fill the truck with two bikes hoping that against the odds, that his Nuclear Tomato bests the Banana. If it doesn't, seconds after the scoreboard lights with a number, Romine will decided if it's Fruit Basket Turnover. Will the Flyin' Banana fire again and fight to keep Romine's position in the points chase? Or will he go for long odds and ripen the Nuclear Tomato? IHRA's Friday qualifying just increased in importance beyond the normal stresses.
Mike Romine is sponsored by Chromatic, Andrews Products, Saddlemen and Romine Racing. Keep up with Mike Romine's Nuclear Tomato at www.mikeromine.com.
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