A1 Cycles Cash Days 3
Shadyside Dragway, Shelby, North Carolina, USA
April 25-26, 2025

Cash Days 3

Mike Beland’s A1 Cycles “Cash Days” event always brings out the best of the Harley-Davidson Bagger drag racing community to North Carolina’s eighth-mile Shadyside Dragway. And on April 25-26 for Cash Days 3, Grudge Racing veteran “Burnout Bruce” Emanuel showed who was boss.

Emanuel swept the top three classes: Pro Bagger, Street Bagger and True Street Bagger. But don’t think it was easy, with Bruce riding wild wheelies round after round.

“First of all, I wanna give all the glory to God for it all,” said Bruce. “I’ve won Cash Days every year, but this Cash Days 3—to win every pro class, on three different bikes—was amazing.”

Scott Williams’ chrome blue turbo Pro Bagger “Elite Diesel” that Bruce debuted at Rockingham in late October showed itself to be the class of the field then, and that form continued at Shadyside in late April.

Running right there all day with Bruce was internet sh@t-stirrer Jason Broski and his nitrous bike. But darkness fell and so did Broski’s hopes—with his Kibblewhite-equipped bike apparently in neutral when the tree came down for the semis.

“Left in neutral, rider malfunction,” said Jason. “My timing got off staging. I was thinking too hard about making sure to hold the clutch in for four seconds so it resets everything for launch. Seems so simple, I ride every day. There will be a neutral light on the bike now. After watching Kyle Wyman do it a week later, I guess I don’t feel so bad.”

So with Broski out, Bruce faced Brook McCabe in the final. McCabe took the tree .084 to .100, but from then on it was all Burnout Bruce, Elite Diesel, and Cullen Gillis tuning for the 5.29 at 145 mph to 5.53/138 win.

Bruce picked up another 500 bones for Low ET on the weekend—a 5.11.

Bruce’s Street Bagger mount is blue and gray like a Civil War battlefield, only with the front cylinder fighting the back one for power supremacy. That battle produced another win, this time against Charlie Ange on Ian Fix’s Iowa-based bike in the final.

Charlie had an exactly .010 advantage on the tree, but Bruce owned the 660 with a 6.03, 119 mph lap to Ange’s 6.45/112. “Well first off, that was the first time I ever rode that bike,” said Charlie. “I was just a jockey. My close friend Jet kept the bike with great tire pressure and everything checked and running. All I needed to do was keep my head clear and ride!”

“Street Class on the Trailer Park Motorsports bike was a last-minute plan that ended up in Winners Circle,” noted Bruce.

If there was one bike and one class that Bruce seemed to love to ride the most, it was the “Moosnshine” True Street Bagger. Moonshine was more “Moonshot” as it launched the front wheel nearly every round, and Bruce kept it there the whole eighth mile. “True Street Bike—64 inch, stock clutch, true foot shift—was definitely the most rewarding class because it’s a RIDER’S class!” emphasized Bruce

His True Street final round opponent was Jorge “CaCa” Lopez from Miami’s All American Cycle. CaCa was quick on the tree with an .076 to Bruce’s .166. But as in every class you’ve read about here so far, Bruce was able to leg it out to a 6.16 at 115 to 6.41/111 win.

“Special thanks to GRC (Gardner Racing Concepts), Jamie Lima at Moonshine Harley and Horsepower, Cullen Gillis, Scott Williams, and Carlton Thompkins. Special thanks to Micheal Beland at A1 Cycles and all the marketing sponsors, track staff, Jeremy Justice and race participants, and spectators.

“$25k in payouts, the most Baggers in Bagger Racing History on one premises. Cash Days 4 will be bigger and better, so mark your calendars. I will be back to defend my championships in all three pro Bagger classes!”

The bagless DMR Hot Street class boiled down to a father vs. son, all-Death Metal Racing battle, with dad Brad Barnes taking the final over son Harrison. Both riders were sharp at the tree, with Harrison’s .019 leaving on his dad’s .036. But Dad was able to drive around with a 6.32 at 112 against Harrison’s 6.37/110.

“We managed to stay away from each other through all the chip draws,” said Brad. “Both of us won all our races and ended up in the finals together. Very special moment. I was so stoked.

“My son is a killer on the tree. He was cutting .010 to .099 lights most of the day. I knew I was going to have to be quick on the light to beat him. Margin of victory was .020. It was tight. I was so proud of him and would have been just as proud if he had won as me winning. Probably more excited if he had won. It was awesome!

“It was a huge honor to win. A1 Cycles Cash Days is the biggest, baddest all-Harley race of the year. The fastest guys from around the country are at that race.

“I’m honored that Mike let us put together a new class for the non-bagger guys that’s geared a little more towards the daily riders. No power-adders, foot-shift, 66″ wheelbase. Of all the races we’ve been to, this one is definitely at the top of the list. Mike and his crew put on an awesome event and I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to them!”

The Non-Bagger class adds in a power-adder on a 66” wheelbase, or all-motor at 70”. Jason Crisp went the all-motor route with his new build, but left 2” on the table at 68. “All motor twin cam, 124 cubic inches on stock Harley cases,” notes Crisp. “Stock style hand clutch—no lock-up, no slider.”

It was the right combination on this particular weekend, taking the Non-Bagger final over Andrew Hefner. Crisp took the tree by .047 and ran a 5.51 at 126 to Hefner’s 5.77 at 131.

“I guess we showed up to Cash Days Saturday morning flying under everyone’s radar,” said Crisp. “We hadn’t had the bike out since the first AMRA race back in March. We had made a few small changes and fixed some things since then, but the bike hadn’t been off the lift.

“I was under the weather as well most of the day Saturday with a severe migraine. After first round I almost puked and actually contemplated going home I felt so bad. I was able to take some Advil and with the extended break we had because of water coming up through the track, I was able to take a nap and start feeling better.

“I was still struggling riding the bike to its potential, though. Finally, in the semis against Joe Perry, I found myself and ran a 5.55 to the win.

“Andrew had a bye into the finals with his turbo dyna. He beat me in the semis the year before. We went to the finals feeling much better physically, I knew exactly what I needed to do to win and I hit my marks 100%. I killed the tree with an .029 light, had my best 60 foot ever of 1.31 and went 5.51, spinning the tire at the top end of the track.

“Thanks to Michael Beland for putting on the race and getting the sponsors for our biggest payout of the year. I plan to be back next year.”

And while Cash Days pro, heads-up classes are all Harleys, bracket racing is open to all makes. The final this year went to former Pro Street racer Chris Edwards, who met Kaidyn Pasour in the final.

Edwards was riding a sharp Suzuki Hayabusa formerly owned by Carroll “C.C.” Craft and often ridden by Jeremy Teasley when C.C. wasn’t riding it himself. “I begged him for years to sell it to me, and when he finally decided to let it go, I jumped all over it,” said Edwards. “It’s a very basic set-up that just works very well. I just freshened up the motor and in the last two weeks it’s made it to the final four out of twenty bikes, and then won with 65 bikes the next weekend.”

Edwards was tasked with racing Pasour and his Honda Grom in the Cash Days ET final. You might think that Edwards would be left waiting a long time on the Grom, but Pasour’s little Honda is a screamer, so the 7.15 to 5.62 dial-ins weren’t too out of line.

And in fact, it was Pasour who redlit by a stout -.058 to give Edwards the win. “I’ve watched that young kid (Pasour) grow up the last few years at the track and he’s there about every time it’s open,” said Edwards. “And his dad has him on bikes, in trucks, and he runs a very fast street car. So I know he knows what he’s doing and I definitely knew I was gonna have to earn that win.

“I’m just glad luck was on my side. I love bracket racing and try to do it as much as I can. Bike was flawless, rider’s worst light all day was .029, and crew chief made the right calls on dial-in all day. Which all three are me! It was just one of those days where the stars aligned and everything went right.

“I just wanna thank all my customers at The Bike Shop for all the business that affords me the opportunity to go race.”

Friday’s Gamblers Race was also won by a Suzuki, with Byron Cass riding a GSXR1000 for his second straight Cash Days win. His opponent also redlit.

“This year my plan was to win Friday night and do it again Saturday,” said Cass. “Make it 3X Cash Days wins.

“Friday night our closest margin of victory was .003. I can’t remember the guy’s name, was a Harley guy. They was cutting the time slips in half that night so I don’t know what his light was, but mine was .016. I averaged .016 to .021 all night.

“Came to the finals and it was me and my friend Chris Ussery. I knew he’d be good on the tree, he was .0014 the round before, I believe. So I was ready to go for it and luckily he went red.

“Saturday, made it to the semifinals. Rolled into full stage a tad too much and red lit myself and wasn’t even trying to cut the tree down. Rider error.

“My bike is a 2005. Bought it off the auction. Needed fairings and some TLC.

“Huge thanks to my dad for everything. Grew up watching him race so wanted to do it myself. Also the help from 1 Stop Speed, DME Racing, Evil Swingarms, Adam’s Performance, Hard Times Parts, Vortex Ek, and Rob Bush Motorsports.

“We got a pretty consistent machine as long as the rider does his job. We won a NHRA Wally a few years ago. Have came 2nd place to a couple more.”

And so concludes Cash Days 3. Other award winners included Brad Bodigon, who won a T-Man cam set for Best Appearing Bike. And Raymond Agent of Louisiana won $500 courtesy of Paul Watson for the Long Distance Award.

Cash Days 4 will be back at Shadyside either the last weekend of April or first weekend of May, so clear your calendar!

“Cash Days is the biggest, baddest, and richest Harley race of the year,” added Beland. “It’s good times, good friends and family. 234 entries, over 1000 spectators—we’re gonna get that number up for next year.

“Thank you to Tim Houghland, Brenda Peed, Laurie Laine, Jeremy Justice, Alicia in the staging lanes, Seth and Bryson Buff in the tower, all the track workers—everybody worked together synchronously and it was a great, great event.

“Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart for making our race the best of the year.”

Mike Beland and A1 Cycles thank S&S Cycle, Star Racing, Death Metal Racing, Maxx ECU, Super Duper Motorcycles, Snipes Machine, Cal Tire, Murray Performance, All American Cycle, All Harley World Shootout, G Force Racing, Grc, T Man Performance, Jet Hot Coatings, Drag V Twin, High Voltage Harley Davidson, Infrastructure Utilities and Management, C&S Machine Works, And Impact Wiring Solutions.

This report was prepared by Tim Hailey.

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