12-year-old Arclight Racing /UmbrellaGirlsUSA sponsored rider Elena Myers won her very first 125GP race this past weekend at Portland International Raceway in Oregon.

After her 4th place finish at the Streets of Willow track in Southern California this past June, this northern California phenom was invited up by OMMRA to take their new riders novice school and get her official “Big Track” license. Very excited about this opportunity, Elena didn’t take long to impress the powers that be when it came time to hit the track. Immediately she was comfortable with the very fast and very flat circuit by lapping in the 1:17 range on her very first day, times that are considered very competitive. However, her best time of the weekend came on Saturday’s practice with a 1:15.8…a time that would have easily put her on pole for last months USGPRU national!

By race day, Elena was very comfortable and wasted no time in winning the first 125GP 4 lap qualifing race by over 10 seconds to secure pole position for the 10 lap main. Main event time. When the green flag dropped, Myers got a bad start and was in third by turn one behind fast locals Rob Tatom and Mike McDonough. It didn’t take long however, as Elena made her move on lap one around the outside of Portland’s back straight to grab the top spot, a spot that she would not relinquish. By the white flag, Myers had built up a lead of over 20 seconds and cruised home to take her first GP win! At the awards ceremony after the race, and as a big bonus, the president of OMMRA granted her Expert status!

Elena has now officially become the youngest rider in OMMRA’s 49 year history to be granted “Expert” status. Elena thanked all her great sponsors and was quoted at the ceremony saying “I want to thank OMMRA for giving me this great opportunity and for believing in me, it was an awesone experience.”

OMRRA Portland International Raceway Portland, Oregon July 17, 2005

RESULTS (Courtesy of Stuart Johnson, OMRRA #413):

125GP: 1. Elena Myers (Hon RS125); 2.Rob Tatom (Hon RS125); 3. Mike McDonough (Hon RS 125); 4. Steve Koral (Yam TZ125); 5. Dylan Olsen (Hon RS125); 6. JT Kroupa (Hon RS125).

250GP: 1. Kurt Husted (Yam TZ250); 2. Mike McDonough (Hon RS125); 3. JT Kroupa (Hon RS125).

450 SuperSport: 1. Stephen Curley (Kaw EX500); 2. Freddy Joe (Suz GS500); 3. Doug Harvey (Suz GS500).

450 Superbike: 1. Cedric Smith (Hon RSF450); 2. Todd Frey (Suz SV650); 3. Chris Ray (Suz SV650); 4. Darren Carpenter (Suz SV650); 5. Eric Koegler (Suz SV650); 6. Kevin Pinstaff (Suz SV650).

600 Supersport: 1. Jimmy Moore (Suz GSXR600); 2. Alan Schmidt (Suz GSXR600); 3. Mike Sullivan (Yam R6); 4. Tamer Kekhia (Yam R6); 5. Jason Hickox (Yam R6); 6. Connor Gabbott (Yam R6).

600 Superbike: 1. Alan Schmidt (Suz GSXR600); 2. Mike Sullivan (Yam R6); 3. Tamer Kekhia (Yam R6); 4. Connor Gabbott (Yam R6); 5. Jason Hickox (Yam R6); 6. Phillip Trujillo (Yam R6).

650 Twin Superbike: 1. Gary Poole (Suz SV650); 2. Ted Hawkins (Suz SV650); 3. Ken Botham (Suz SV650); 4. David Warnock (Suz SV650); 5. Neil Docherty (Suz SV650).

600 Supersport Senior: 1. Gary Poole (Yam R6); 2. Eder Ballen (Yam R6); 3. Chris Brewer (Yam R6); 4. Randy Pacheco (Kaw ZX6R); 5. David Gill (Yam R6); 6. Dale Johnson (Yam R6).

600 Superbike Senior: 1. Chris Brewer (Yam R6); 2. Eder Ballen (Yam R6); 3. Steven Archer (Hon CBR600F3); 4. Dale Johnson (Yam R6); 5. Randy Pacheco (Kaw ZX6R); 6. David Gill (Yam R6).

750 Supersport: 1. Mike Sullivan (Suz GSXR750); 2. Christopher Ancien (Suz GSXR750); 3. Jimmy Moore (Suz GSXR750); 4. KC Clarke (Suz GSXR750); 5. Tamer Kekhia (Yam R6); 6. Kevin Thomas (Suz GSXR750).

750 Superbike: 1. Chris Ancien (Suz GSXR750); 2. Tamer Kekhia (Yam R6); 3. Justin Watkin (Suz GSXR750); 4. Dutch Holland (Yam R6); 5. Jason Harper (Suz GSXR750); 6. Kurt Peterson (Duc 748R).

Lightweight Superbike: 1. Les Green (Suz GS500); 2. Stephen Curley (Kaw EX500); 3. Freddy Joe (Suz GS 500); 4. Jeff Thompson (MZ Skorpian); 5. Ken Pruett (MZ Skorpian); 6. Greg Levin (Suz GS500).

Middleweight Supersport: 1. Alan Schwen (Suz SV650); 2. Darren Carpenter (Suz SV650); 3. Stuart Johnson (Suz SV650); 4. Todd Frey (Suz SV650); 5. Kevin Pinkstaff (Suz SV650); 6. Ted Hawkins (Suz SV650).

Middleweight Superbike: 1. Ted Hawkins (Suz SV650); 2. Cedric Smith (Hon RSF450); 3. Gary Poole (Suz SV650); 4. Todd Frey (Suz SV650); 5. Darren Carpenter (Suz SV650); 6. Chris Ray (Suz SV650).

Open Classic Superbike: 1. Chris Blythe (Yam YZF750); 2. Ryan Lind (Hon CBR F3); 3. Tom Young (Kaw ZX7); 4. Steven Archer (Hon CBR F3); 5. Simon-Pierre Smith (Hon CBR F3); 6. Derrick Eisele (Hon CBR F3).

Open Supersport: 1. Alan Schmidt (Suz GSXR1000); 2. Mike Sullivan (Yam R1); 3. Chris Ancien (Suz GSXR1000); 4. Dan Wilson (Suz GSXR1000); 5. KC Clarke (Suz GSXR750); 6. Geoff Lambert (Suz GSXR750).

Open Superbike: 1. Alan Schmidt (Suz GSXR1000); 2. Mike Sullivan (Yam R1); 3. Chris Ancien (Suz GSXR1000); 4. Dan Wilson (Suz GSXR1000); 5. Mitchell Pierce (Suz GSXR750); 6. Dave Salmi (Yam R1).

Open Twins Supersport: 1. Dave Salmi (Hon RC51); 2. Alan Schwen (Hon RC51).

Open Twins Superbike: 1. Dave Salmi (Hon RC51) 2. Alan Schwen (Hon RC51); 3. Stuart Johnson (Hon RC51); 4. Matt Gehrke (Hon RC51); 5. Carlos Rojas (Apr Mille); 6. Bill Cismar (Apr Mille).

More, from a press release issued by Team BMS Factory:

HART AND TAYLOR TRADE PAINT AT PORTLAND

(Portland, Oregon – July 18, 2005) Team BMS Factory riders TJ Hart (10) and Bennie Taylor (8) showed each other why they were on the BMS Factory team as they went one-two with teammate Devon McDonough (10) third in the Junior Production and Junior Open races. While Novice teammate Peter Lenz (8) took his second consecutive win in Junior Novice, this past weekend at Portland International Raceway (PIR).

Junior Production was the race to watch. Bennie jumped off the line like a rabbit with TJ right on his heels. The two boys pushed each other to the limits of traction and space. At times trading the lead three times in one lap. After a race long battle that saw TJ and Bennie trade elbows, lines, and paint, TJ got Bennie by a wheel at the line. The racing caused cheers, and woooos from the crowd in what spectators described as the most exciting race they had ever seen in person. A close third throughout, Devon summed up the race “It was like racing in MotoGP.”

While his race was less eventful Peter took what will be his last win in Junior Novice. His next race will see him lineup with his teammates for the first time in the Expert grid.

The boys truly showed their mental grit this weekend and can’t wait to get back to national competition. Team BMS Factory Racing races again on July 31st, at the SCminiGP Double-Barrel Wild West Shootout race held in Reno, Nevada.

Results

Junior Production 1st #69 TJ Hart (Team BMS Factory Racing, BMS) 2nd #1 Bennie Taylor (Team BMS Factory Racing, BMS) 3rd #67 Devon McDonough (Team BMS Factory Racing, BMS)

Junior GP Open 1st #69 TJ Hart (Team BMS Factory Racing, BMS) 2nd #1 Bennie Taylor (Team BMS Factory Racing, BMS) 3rd #67 Devon McDonough (Team BMS Factory Racing, BMS)

Junior Novice 1st #45 Peter Lenz (Team BMS Factory Racing, BMS) 2nd #95 Garret Bean (Team Integrity Racing, BMS) 3rd #24 Justin Carey (Team Integrity Racing, BMS)