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Romine
Racing News
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(March 21, 2002) If those who predict championship outcomes review history, Mike Romine becomes a strong contender for a #1 after his victory at the ACE Orlando Bike Week Orlando, Florida. But, frankly, the win wasn’t expected. Hoped for, yes. Expected, no.
Most of the attention over the winter during silly season has been paid to Romine’s Nuclear Tomato and his new tuner, Rex Harris. The two were all of the talk amongst the Nitro Harley ranks. That talk made Romine’s victory on the Flyin’ Banana sponsored by Competition, Dist. even more sweet.
Mike Romine made his first pass on the renewed Flyin' Banana during BIke Week 2002.
Romine’s palate wasn’t sweet at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning in Orlando, though. He still had no motorcycle to race. He had the Nuclear Tomato parked, waiting for the Flyin’ Banana. It had been on display in Daytona Beach and was late. The Banana spent the winter with Lonnie and Mary Ann Isam in Iowa getting updates before it’s beach display trip.
The first time Romine laid eyes on it that morning in Orlando, it arrived with a second stage clutch. At the end of the event, after winner’s circle ceremonies, Romine said, “We ran it and won with the new clutch on. But we’d taken the second stage out of it. Basically, that made it like the old clutch and it went right back to running consistently in the 6.90's.”
Due to the late arrival at the track that qualifying day, Romine and team missed the first round. The team spent the remaining two rounds of qualifying attempting a good clutch set-up. Finally, after Romine was not at the top or comfortably in the field, the new clutch was set-up in its old configuration.
Mike Romine during raced to victory in Orlando.
In round one eliminations, Romine did not have the best reaction time but won with a 7.19 to the competition’s 7.20. “We had some things screwed up on the fuel system, but we won. The next round we thought we fixed what we needed to. It ran a 6.99. I had a .500 light. He had a .522. But his bike 60 footed, 330’d, 1/8th-miled, and 100 footed better. But I was right there. Then his bike quit and I zipped past him right before the finish line. I was running 40 miles per hour faster so you know this bike was pulling at the top end.”
Romine’s Flyin’ Banana is a jackshaft bike – no transmission. The jackshaft bikes typically perform best at the beginning of the track and run out of ‘gear’ around 1000 feet. Romine seems to be the exception to the rule. “You can quote me on this. Before the end of the season, that bike will run 210. At least. It charges hard at the finish. I think it will run 6.60's. Rex says it will run quicker than that.”
In the semi-final, Romine ran Ziggy Stewart, the man who’d won the AHDRA season opener in Bradenton two days prior. He’d also lost lane choice. In the right lane, Romine wasn’t happy. “It got in the center of the track and got real loose. I had a .489 light to his .514 but he'd smoked the tire. The bike would have run another 6.90 if I hadn't gotten over on center track. I was having trouble in the right lane, like a few other guys. In qualifying, if I tried to go straight down the track, it seemed to make us naturally go right, toward the guardrail. So I aimed at the center, thinking that if I did, it would compensate. That didn't work. Still, I won with a 7.33 at 180. That was good enough to get me the left lane, lane choice for the final.”
For the final, Romine ran the Florida favorite, Sonny Michalowski. With lane choice he ran his best Flyin’ Banana ET of the event and won on a 6.96, 197 mph pass.
At trackside, it looked like Sonny was out on Romine and would win. “I had a .531 to his 567. He was right there. But he had a better 60-foot time. It was just like the second round. He had a better 60, 330 and 1/8th. But in the second half of the track - I went 50 miles per hour faster. There again, I ran 168 in the 1/8th and still had a good charge at the to end. The bike is really running good at the second half of the track - which is very uncommon for the a jackshaft bike. Everybody else I ran I had to pass at the top end.
Usually, if they're ahead of you at 3/4 track you're done, so we’re really, really pleased with this win.” Ecstatic was a better description of the team as the win light came on.
The Flyin' Banana team was as thrilled over earning a trophy as the victory cash at the Inaugual ACE national.
Meanwhile, the Nuclear Tomato sat in the trailer waiting for it’s next outing. Between the Orlando victory and the IHRA Rockingham Season Opener this weekend, six different test sessions were planned. Only one time did the Nuclear Tomato make it to the track for testing, due to the numerous weather challenges requiring testing cancellation. “We don’t have anything to shout about because we’re not quite back to where we were at Shreveport last year. But we have new clutch and fuel systems that will far exceed anything we’ve ever done once we get a good formula.” Romine, Harris and company tested Wednesday at Darlington. They’ve packed-up and headed to Rockingham.
Competition Plus.com has chosen Romine as their pick for the 2002 Screamin’ Eagle Championship. Romine’s in the top in IHRA’s Aaron Polburn’s picks pre-season.
Mike Romine’s Nuclear Tomato is sponsored by Chromatic, Andrews Products, Saddlemen, Autolite, Silkolene and Romine Racing. The Flyin’ Banana is sponsored by Competition.Dist.
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