Bispo seals V Rod championship

From Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada

The Harley-Davidson Screaming Eagle V Rod Destroyer drag race Eastern series came to an end with the final races at Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, ON last weekend.

The series, for factory built CVO Harley V Rods has grown in popularity and this year had some epic battles for the Eastern bragging rights.

The title was sealed after new champion Dave Bispo made his final run of the day. In one solitary run, Bispo did his last pass of the season, closing off what has been an incredible summer for the 38-year-old London, ON rider.

Even on his last pass, Bispo was nose in the paint of his Rocky’s Harley-Davidson prepped V Rod Destroyer, sealing the Eastern Championship and setting the stage for what will certainly be a “war in the west” when he faces off against Western champion Nick Allen.

“Yesterday we had some really difficult air to run in and today we had some shifting problems,” commented an elated Bispo. "If we can close the weekend off like this we are really in a good position, and you know, nothing against Nick Allen, we are going out west to try to beat the champ.”

In what was to be the second from last elimination of the weekend, Bispo once again faced off against Pete Thomson, who had been running neck and neck with Bispo over the rain permeated weekend. As the green starting light flashed, Bispo charged out of the box into the lead while Thomson paddled through the gearbox looking for something that just wasn’t there.

Thomson’s V Rod sputtered down the quarter mile and coasted to a stop in the run-off, bringing to an end what has been a difficult season for the Burlington, ON rider.

“It sounded rough out of the gate and as I went through the gears it just got slower and slower,” commented a frustrated Thomson. “When I pulled in the clutch it just died so I knew I had some major problems; it’s been a tough season.”

Thomson was unable to make the final and left Bispo with one last run to finish off his perfect season.

The National final showdown is slated to take place on Sept. 12-13 at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton.