V-Rod rookie breaks out

From Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada

NAPIERVILLE, QC - Newcomer Mitch McCallum was simply brilliant on Aug. 1 in his domination of the Napierville, QC round of the V-Rod Destroyer Series, sponsored by Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada, backing up his stellar performance in the previous round.

McCallum dragged his V-Rod Destroyer, prepped by MotoSport Plus of Kingston, off the trailer and calmly posted a 9.47-second run, the first of consecutive consistent runs he would achieve all day.

While Rocky’s Harley-Davidson riders Dave Bispo and Pete Thomson battled to keep the pace, Chris Fox of Fox Harley-Davison/Buell struggled with an expiring engine.

'Dino' Gaudino came to the rescue with his Rocky’s Harley-Davidson spare, but the struggles continued for Fox who found himself out of action in qualifying.

Paul Guerrieri continued to improve his results on his Thunder Road Harley-Davidson Destroyer while a pair of Quebec riders, Francois Simard and Luc Janelle, worked diligently to get themselves into the mix.

Qualification rounds continued to be friendly for McCallum, who maintained his torrid pace to finish in the number one position, earning not only bragging rights, but lane choice for the final. The only thing left to decide was who would be in that lane to challenge the talented young rookie.

The semi-final featured old rivals Bispo and Thomson. Both riders had been struggling with traction, and that trend continued for them for their showdown. Both riders spun up when the tree flashed green, but Bispo got the worst of the contest, drifting towards the wall and allowing Thomson to squirt by, earning the former champion a shot in the final.

In the final, McCallum’s newfound confidence was showing through as he lined up against Thomson, despite a clutch that was dragging badly, threatening to spoil his great weekend. Undeterred, McCallum shot off with Thomson right on his tail until the white light in McCallum’s lane flashed on, signifying what may very well be a changing of the guard in V-Rod Destroyer action.

“Oh yeah, these guys are in for a battle now,” McCallum said. “I can’t say enough about the guys at MotoSport Plus of Kingston, I wouldn’t be here without their support… and I am here.”

The final race of the Eastern Harley-Davidson V-Rod Destroyer Series will take place at an all-bike shootout on Aug. 21-22 at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, ON.

Final Results:
Mitch McCallum - 9.49 (135.24)
Pete Thomson - 9.54 (137.26)
Dave Bispo - 9.62 (136.27)
Chris Fox - 9.76 (130.83)
Francois Simard - 10.20 (128.77)
Paul Guerrieri - 10.22 (128.76)
Luc Janelle - 10.48 (122.24)