Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Village Idiots won a 4-hour Central Motorcycle Racing Association (CMRA) endurance race–the final round of the 2002 CMRA Endurance Series–Saturday at MotorSports Ranch in Cresson, Texas. Craig Montgomery, Steve Breen, Chris Headley and Steve Morey rode a Yamaha YZF-R6 equipped with an enlarged (5.5-gallon) fuel tank and Michelin DOT-labeled tires for 169 laps of the 1.7-mile road course to take the overall race win and wrap up the team’s second consecutive CMRA Middleweight Superbike Class Endurance Championship.

HAS Racing 3’s Brett Champagne, Heath Small, David Sanders and John Haner finished second overall and second in the Middleweight Superbike class, one lap behind Village Idiots, on a Pirelli-DOT-shod Superstock-spec Yamaha YZF-R6.

Coming into the final round of the 2002 CMRA endurance series, the overall Championship was a two-way contest with Northwest Honda leading One Way Racing by a small amount of points. Basically, the Championship would be decided by which team finished ahead of the other in the final race.

Endurance veteran Ronnie Lunsford raced with his longtime Northwest Honda teammates Rusty Allen and Matt Maschmann on an 8 Point Communications-sponsored Honda CBR954RR. Riding on Michelin slicks, Northwest Honda made three pit stops, including one to change a cold-tearing rear tire, en-route to finishing fourth overall and completing 165 laps.

The day, however, belonged to Green County Honda/Suzuki-sponsored One Way Racing, the team winning its first CMRA Endurance Championship with a third-place overall, first in Unlimited Grand Prix, in the season-ending race. Troy Green, Greg Wanless and Todd Rypka took advantage of the team’s 7.5-gallon fuel tank and employed a two-stop strategy during the race. Thanks in part to no red flags, One Way Racing’s plan worked out, allowing the team to complete 167 laps on a Pirelli-slick-equipped Suzuki GSX-R1000, beating Northwest Honda and winning the Championship.

Annandale Honda’s Ty Howard started the endurance race from row 15, in the third wave of the 47-rider field, and took the overall race lead on lap seven. Howard extended his lead to nearly 30 seconds before pitting on lap 20. Howard was testing suspension parts and Michelin slicks on his Honda CBR929RR.

CMRA Four-hour Endurance Overall Race Results:

1. Village Idiots (Yamaha YZF-R6), Middleweight Superbike, 169 laps

2. Has Racing (Yamaha YZF-R6), Middleweight Superbike, 168 laps

3. One Way Racing, (Suzuki GSX-R1000), Unlimited Grand Prix, 167 laps

4. Northwest Honda (Honda CBR954RR), Unlimited Grand Prix, 165 laps

5. Big Air Racing (Honda CBR600F4), Middleweight Supersport, 165 laps

6. Silver Bullet (Honda CBR600F4), Middleweight Superbike, 165 laps

7. Faltless Racing (Suzuki SV650), Lightweight Superbike, 164 laps

8. Desert Rat Racing (Suzuki GSX-R750), Unlimited Supersport, 163 laps

9. Robinson Partners (Honda CBR600F4), Middleweight Superbike, 163 laps

10. No Homeless (Yamaha YZF-R6), Unlimited Grand Prix, 162 laps