Iron Sharpens Iron for Motorcycle Finalist McClain

Drew McClain describes it as “iron sharpens iron,” which is why Tennessee racers have enjoyed so much success in the Motorcycle class at the IHRA SuperSeries World Finals.

McClain, a Nashville rider representing Music City Raceway, finished runner-up to Austin Stidham in the final round of eliminations. It followed Kane Austin from Music City, winning the 2023 World Championship, and Grady Powell from Knoxville Dragway, becoming the 2024 World Champion.

“That’s a tough bunch to go against,” McClain said. “Everybody is so competitive, but we’re all friendly. When you line up next to one of those guys on the track, you’re just trying to put them on the trailer.”

That was the goal at the IHRA SuperSeries World Finals, where McClain posted a 6.867-second run at 97.93 mph, combined with a .011 reaction time to beat Matt Smith in the semifinal round.

McClain, a 41-year-old who installs windows for a living, was even quicker at the tree .007 with a 6.874-second run at 98.14 on a 6.84 dial-in. He had solid starts and solid runs throughout the eliminations.

He qualified for World Finals by winning the Motorcycle class at the IHRA Division 2 (Heat Wave) Team Finals at Holly Springs Motorsports, where fellow Music City rider Jordan Weiss was runner-up.

McClain races a 1981 Kawasaki with a stock motor. He said nine times out of 10, it’s the slowest bike on the property. It’s the combination of rider and bike that works well together.

“I’ve only been on it for two years,” McClain said. “But, I’ve had a good time with it.”

He’s also had a great time with crew chief Luke Canter, who got him started in the sport. McClain was thrilled with what they accomplished. Just to qualify for the IHRA SuperSeries World Finals and take part in the most prestigious national championship in bracket racing was a dream come true

“I was so happy to be there,” he said. “It was a great experience. That was the biggest event I’ve been to. To bring home the runner-up, that put the icing on the cake.”