Anatomy of a Championship: Pro Extreme Motorcycle

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Of all of the six ADRL classes that handed out championships at the Speedtech “Battle For the Belts’” in Ennis, TX, it was the Pro Extreme Motorcycle class that gave out the most unexpected turn of events.Kim Morrell wrapped up a stunning day in the class with a World Championship at Texas Motorplex, but it wasn’t the only eye-opener in a class filled with them on a memorable day.Because of that, here’s the anatomy of a championship for Pro Extreme Motorcycle, with the final verdict giving Morrell her first ADRL World Championship.FIRST ROUNDAshley Owens looked impressive in his bye run and he found out he would be getting Travis Davis in the semifinals after Davis went an impressive 4.12 in his win against Eric McKinney.Of course, that was an immediate storyline as Davis was the only person to hand Owens a loss this season heading into the event.Ronald Procopio, who won the race-in matchup against James Helton, ran an impressive 4.14, but had a red light by the slimmest of margins.It was .001 to be exact, but it was just enough to send Morrell into the semifinals. It was needed, too, as Morrell had problems and had to shut off her bike, just a round after she went a career-best 4.024 in qualifying.But the strangest matchup of the day came between Charlie Prophit and Terry Schweigert.Both were so anxious to race and advance that they both left before the tree was activated. It disqualified both competitors, giving them a frustrating end to their season and giving Morrell a free ride to the finals.SEMIFINALSThere was only one actual race in this round, though Owens was clearly in control of his matchup against Davis. There was no upset this time, as Owens made the quickest pass in the history of PXM, going 4.021 at 175.23 miles per hour.Davis actually had the better reaction time, but Owens quickly nullified that with a spectacular pass.Morrell had more troubles, but it didn’t matter as she had a solo run to the finals. Her motorcycle came to a stop on the track after something else broke, but she wasn’t about to pass up a trip to the finals.FINALSThe PXM gods saved the best surprise for last, or at least that’s how fans of Morrell will likely see it.In a jaw-dropping final - more because of what happened instead of how impressive either were - Owens had immediate problems and handed the victory to Morrell.She had her own ordeals, but still made it down the track in 4.49, which easily gave her the championship.Owens had been so consistent and smooth all year that nobody saw a broken run like that coming.It was unfortunate timing for Owens, who had such an incredible 2010 season, but Morrell certainly wasn’t turning down the title, which also made her the first female to win the “Battle For The Belts.”(Photos by ADRL/Richards)

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