The hiatus didn't slow anyone down as new performance records were set in all three semi-pro sportbike classes at the event.
The most impressive was Keith Thompson, who became the first rider in history to crack the seven second barrier in the BST Real Street class, wielding his HTP Performance Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a 7.984 second elapsed time. The run came nine years after Brock Davidson was the first in history to run seven seconds on a street bike
The differences between Brock's 2000 Suzuki Bandit and Thompson's 2007 GSX-R1000 highlight the impressive performance of the Real Street class. Both bikes had nitrous injection, but while Brock's machine used a wet system, current Real Street rules allow only a dry shot. Brock's bike also had 68 inches of wheelbase, race compound rubber and a lockup clutch. Thompson's bike is 64 inches, uses a DOT street tire and a stock clutch.
"The combination of the street tire and the stock clutch limits the amount of power you can put the ground," stated Davidson, who provides components and tuning consulting to the HTP Performance team.
"Every detail counts," said HTP Performance owner Cecil Towner, who teamed with Thompson to earn the MIROCK True Street championship last season, "We got some new stuff from Brock and put in a new MSD SB-6 ignition and it took us over the top."
Thompson looked to be on his way to the winner's circle during Sunday's elimination but the clutch overheated after round three and Thompson stood the bike up in the Semifinals against eventual winner Jeremy Teasley.
Other record setters at Martin included John Fernandez, who set the Super Street elapsed time record to 7.841 seconds en route to his third-straight win on the Jones Performance turbo ZX-14, and Farlie Hall, who ran an 8.990 on his ZX-14 to set the record and qualify number one in the SuperSport class.