Championships Still Up For Grabs

September 2-3, 2017 at the west track configuration of the Utah Motorsports Campus

The Utah Sport Bike Association held the fifth round of the Law Tigers Masters of the Mountains race series this past weekend, and the results couldn’t have been more unpredictable in the premier classes of the race schedule. Several race classes saw results that buttoned up the championship a round early, at least for the number one spot. Other classes are still wide open, with several racers within striking distance of calling the championship their own if they perform well the last round of the year. The tension was noticeable, and nerves were tight all weekend as racers tried to fend off thoughts that a poor result this round could potentially ruin their hopes of taking a trophy home and calling themselves champion of their class.

The races started Saturday morning after the scheduled practice sessions. Time Attack went off without a hitch, and the second race, Production 300, started well but was red flagged due to a crash in T-5 (called Blackrock Corner), which is a hairpin left coming off a really fast part of the track. Blackrock Corner would prove to be a troublesome and disastrous corner for several racers over the course of the weekend. Once the injured rider and his bike were safely recovered, the race was restarted. Chad Carson, the dominant racer of the class for the year would eventually go on to take the win by a fairly large margin. The second race after lunch was Production 500. Local racer Brad Moore and Brian Jackson, who hails from Colorado, put on an amazing show. They battled for the entire 7 lap race, with Moore challenging Jackson in almost every corner. Moore would pull up even with Jackson on a corner exit, even passing him several times by about a bike length, but Jackson was able to utilize the Kawasaki Ninja 500’s power advantage to retake the lead from the Yamaha R3 piloted by Moore. Moore tried to make a last lap, last ditch effort to try to make a pass stick in the final corner of the race, but Jackson was able to hold him off, crossing the finish line just a half a bike length ahead of Moore. The Combined GTO race followed Production 500, and there was some good racing during this event as well. Joshua “Ricky” Bronfman was back in the field and took the win after suffering a nasty crash in turn 2 of the Perimeter course configuration of the 4th round. He didn’t look any worse for wear, and certainly didn’t seem to be lacking any confidence as his pace, smoothness, and consistency were as constant as ever. His race win clinched the championship for the class. Moto2 was most likely the most exciting race of the day. There was a three way battle for 1st place for almost the entire race. Trackstar Racing’s Ryan Richardson, Sean Thomas, and Joseph Resta jumped out to lead the race after the first corner. It was obvious there was going to be one of the best battles of the year fought this race. Richardson took the hole shot with Resta and Thomas hot on his heels. Richardson managed to hold the lead for a while, but Resta managed to get by on lap three, and immediately started to open a gap of ten or twelve bike lengths. In the meantime, Thomas found a little extra pace, and started to challenge Richardson into a few corners. Richardson managed to hold second place, but it was a close call. Amazingly, Richardson and Thomas closed the gap on Resta, and Richardson tried unsuccessfully to make a pass several times. After a lap and a half of rebuffed challenges, Richardson tried to take the inside of Resta into turn 5 on the last lap of the race. It’s unclear exactly what happened, but both riders ended up going down, allowing Thomas to take the lead and the win, his first of the year. Matt Guiver and Erick Grim rounded out the podium. 

The next battle happened in Middleweight Superstock. Richardson was able to get his bike back together in time to make the race, and he and Thomas were soon duking it out for the lead, with Guiver making his presence felt the entire race as well. Thomas managed to slide around Richardson through turn 9, and managed to hold the lead for awhile, but Richardson returned the favor by coming up the inside into turn 5 and stealing the line from Thomas. He was able to maintain enough drive on the exit to make the pass stick. Although the racing was far from over, they would finish in that order, although Thomas made several daring pass attempts into the final corner of the track. He almost had enough exit speed to beat Richardson to the line, but didn’t quite make it. Richardson took the win and clinched the championship, with Thomas just a tenth of a second behind him, and Guiver just 3/10 of a second behind Thomas.

Sunday’s racing started with some fantastic battles as well. Ryan Luke and Mike Surrat, both riding KTM 690’s fought for the entire 7 lap Moto3 race, with Luke leading the entire time. Surrat was able to challenge Luke in almost every single corner, and it was obvious from the start of lap two that barring any mishaps, it would end up being a drag race from the exit of the last corner to the start/finish line. Surrat made one last herculean effort out of the final turn, varying his line just a little in an effort to get a little better drive, but was unable to beat Luke to the line. Luke won by a wheel, just .09 seconds ahead of Surrat. Everyone was excited to see what the rest of the day held after that battle. The first premier race of the day was King of the Mountain GTU. As soon as this race started, it looked like it was going to be another Richardson/Thomas battle. Richardson took the hole shot into 1, and managed to lead for two laps until Thomas made a good pass that stuck. He immediately started to pull away, and although a mistake could have cost him the race, he was never challenged for the lead for the remainder of the race. When asked why he fell off the pace, Richardson said “we went out on a soft front, which we’ve never tried before, and instantly didn’t like it. I had chatter everywhere, and decided to play it smart and just finish well so I could lock up the championship.” His second place finish did indeed give him the points to claim the Masters of the Mountain title for the GTU class. Thomas took the win, giving him his second of the weekend and the year, and is just 8 points out of second place for the championship, so a strong performance in round 6 could see him claim the number two spot. With the way he’s been riding, it’s definitely a strong possibility. KOM GTO was the second premier race of the day, and if the qualifying event was to be any indication, spectators were going to get a show. The race had to be red flagged on the first lap however as local racer and class leader Jerry Hicks suffered a massive high side crash coming out of the last turn and had to be air lifted for non-life threatening injuries. The racers were sent back to the pits until Hicks and his bike could be safely removed from the track and the race resumed. After the restart, Jesse Sherstan jumped out front, and never relinquished the lead. He won the race, followed by Michael Bradshaw and Brian Childree. The GTO class is still up for grabs, with 4 riders battling for all three positions. Hicks is guaranteed at least second in the championship, with only Childree able to score the necessary points to bump him out of the top spot and Childree is guaranteed at least third. Bradshaw can achieve second place, but absolutely has to put in a strong performance round 6 in order to defend his current third place position in the championship standings.

While some classes have already had the top spot claimed, others are still wide open, and the racing promises to be intense as riders try to win their classes, or at least try to lock up the remainder of the positions left on the podium.

The Utah Sport Bike Association would like to wish Jerry HIcks, who is a long time member and very respected individual of the Utah racing community a speedy recovery. He’s an extremely talented rider, and his skill is only matched by his friendliness, modesty, and willingness to help anyone in the paddock who needs it.

The Utah Sport Bike Association is a Utah Non-Profit dedicated to promoting education, safe riding and competition in the Intermountain West. You can find more information about the USBA, upcoming events, and schools at www.utahsba.com or find us on Facebook at www.utahsba.com

The Moto Station King of the Mountain GTO

1. Jesse Sherstan (SUZ GSX-R1000)

2. Michael Bradshaw (KAW ZX-10R)

3. Brian Childree (SUZ GSX-R1000)

4. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)

5. Bill Davis (BMW S1000RR)

Rickdiculous Racing King of the Mountain GTU

1. Sean Thomas (YAM YZF-R6)

2. Ryan Richardson (YAM YZF-R6)

3. Matt Guiver (YAM YZF-R6)

4. Duncan Biles (YAM YZF-R6)

5. James Peterec (TRI 675R)

The Edge Motorsports Deseret Dash GTO Expert (Race 1)

1. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)

2. Eric Jones (YAM YZF-R1)

3. Michael Bradshaw (KAW ZX-10R)

4. Bill Davis (BMW S1000RR)

5. Phil O’Bryan (KAW ZX-6R)

The Edge Motorsports Deseret Dash GTO Expert (Race 2)

1. Eric Jones (YAM YZF-R1)

2. Bill Davis (BMW S1000RR)

3. John Crump (SUZ GSX-R1000)

4. Michael Bradshaw (KAW ZX-10R)

5. Spencer Kruger (YAM YZF-R1)

The Edge Motorsports Deseret Dash GTO Novice (Race 1)

1. Zac Miller (BMW S1000RR)

2. Matt DeVico (BMW S1000RR)

3. Chris Padilla (HON CBR1000RR)

4. Donald Rothfuss (DUC 848)

5. Darryl Sheets (SUZ GSX-R1000)

The Edge Motorsports Deseret Dash GTO Novice (Race 2)

1. Zac Miller (BMW S1000RR)

2. Braden Jones (HON CBR1000RR)

3. Steven Marco (YAM YZF-R1)

4. Donald Rothfus (DUC 848)

5. Bill Dark (SUZ GSXR-600)

The Moto Station Open Superbike

1. Michael Bradshaw (KAW ZX-10R)

2. Jesse Sherstan (SUZ GSX-R1000)

3. Brian Childree (SUZ GSX-R1000)

4. Eric Jones (YAM YZF-R1)

5. Bill Davis (BMW S1000RR)

South Valley Motorsports Open Superstock

1. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)

2. Bill Davis (BMW S1000RR)

3. Kevin Dolan (SUZ GSX-R1000)

4. Sherwick Min (APR RSV4)

5. John Crump (SUZ GSX-R1000)

Lamonica’s Restaurant Supply Heavyweight Superbike

1. Matt Guiver (YAM YZF-R6)

2. Erik Grim (YAM YZF-R6)

3. Duncan Biles (YAM YZF-R6)

4. James Peterec (TRI 675R)

5. Jerry Carson (SUZ GSX-R600)

The Moto Station Middleweight Superbike

1. Sean Thomas (YAM YZF-R6)

2. Matt Guiver (YAM YZF-R6)

3. Erik Grim (YAM YZF-R6)

4. Duncan Biles (YAM YZF-R6)

5. Phil O’Bryan (KAW ZX-6R)

Trackstar Racing Middleweight Superstock

1. Ryan Richardson (YAM YZF-R6)

2. Sean Thomas (YAM YZF-R6)

3. Matt Guiver (YAM YZF-R6)

4. Erik Grim (YAM YZF-R6)

5. Duncan Biles (YAM YZF-R6)

Utah Sport Bike Association Moto 1

1. Jerry Hicks (SUZ GSX-R1000)

2. Jesse Sherstan (SUZ GSX-R1000)

3. Joshua Bronfman (YAM YZF-R1)

4. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)

5. Bill Davis (BMW S1000RR)

Fastline Race Tire Moto 2

1. Sean Thomas (YAM YZF-R6)

2. Matt Guiver (YAM YZF-R6)

3. Erik Grim (YAM YZF-R6)

4. Duncan Biles (YAM YZF-R6)

5. Jerome Samarjian (YAM YZF-R6)

Discount Tire Novice GTO

1. Joshua Bronfman (YAM YZF-R1)

2. Braden Jones (HON CBR1000RR)

3. Zac Miller (BMW S1000RR)

4. Genaro Lopez (SUZ GSX-R600)

5. Tom Webb (YAM YZF-R6)

Keystone Solutions Novice GTU

1. Tom Webb (YAM YZF-R6)

2. Genaro Lopez (YAM YZF-R6)

3. Andy Blunt (YAM YZF-R6)

4. Lee McNutt (SUZ GSX-R600)

5. James Krstich (SUZ GSX-R600)

Harrison Eurosports Combined GTO

1. Joshua Bronfman (YAM YZF-R1)

2. Zac Miller (BMW S1000RR)

3. Steve Marco (YAM YZF-R1)

4. Braden Jones (HON CBR1000RR)

5. Tom Webb (YAM YZF-R6)

Novo Advisors Combined GTU

1. Jerome Samarjian (YAM YZF-R6)

2. Genaro Lopez (YAM YZF-R6)

3. Tom Webb (YAM YZF-R6)

4. Lee McNutt (SUZ GSX-R600)

5. Chris Padilla (YAM YZF-R6)

Harrison Eurosports Formula 40 GTO

1. Kevin Dolan (SUZ GSX-R1000)

2. Bill Davis (BMW S1000RR)

3. Eric Jones (YAM YZF-R1)

4. Sherwick Min (APR RSV4)

5. Steven Marco (YAM YZF-R1)

Harrison Eurosports Formula 40 GTU

1. Michael Hawkins (SUZ GSX-R600)

2. Donald Rothfuss (DUC 848)

3. James Krstich (SUZ GSX-R600)

4. Phil O’Bryan (KAW ZX-6R)

5. Mike Surrat (DUC 690)

The Green Pig Pub Open Twins

1. Scott Rybarik (DUC 899)

2. Brad Moore (SUZ SV650)

3. Jeff Dinger (HON RC51)

4. Donald Rothfuss (DUC 848)

5. Chris Crump (BUEL 1125R)

Wright’s M/C Parts and Accessories Production 300 (Race 1)

1. Chad Carson (KAW EX300)

2. Jason Wheeler (HON CBR300R)

3. Chad Richins (KAW EX250)

4. Mark Barton (KAW EX250)

Wright’s M/C Parts and Accessories Production 300 (Race 2)

1. Chad Carson (KAW EX300)

2. Jason Wheeler (HON CBR300R)

3. Chad Richins (KAW EX250)

The Edge Powersports Production 500 (Race 1)

1. Brian Jackson (KAW EX500)

2. Brad Moore (YAM YZF-R3)

3. Chad Carson (YAM YZF-R3)

4. Jeff Masters (YAM YZF-R3)

5. Parissa Azarvand (YAM YZF-R3)

The Edge Powersports Production 500 (Race 2)

1. Jason Madama (YAM YZF-R3)

2. Brian Jackson (KAW EX500)

3. Chad Carson (YAM YZF-R3)

4. Cameron Lee (YAM YZF-R3)

5. Jeff Masters (YAM YZF-R3)

Southpaw Motorsports Lightweight Twins

1. Brad Moore (SUZ SV650)

2. Mike Surrat (DUC 690)

3. Ryan Luke (DUC 690)

4. Matt Phoumyxay (SUZ SV650)

The Mechanic Modern Vintage GTO

1. Jesse Sherstan (SUZ GSX-R1000)

2. Kevin Dolan (SUZ GSX-R1000)

3. Braden Jones (HON CBR1000RR)

4. James McKay (KAW ZX-10R)

The Mechanic Modern Vintage GTU

1. Joshua Bronfman (YAM YZF-R6)

2. Brad Moore (SUZ SV650)

3. Michael Hawkins (SUZ GSX-R600)

4. Phil O’Bryan (KAW ZX-6R)

5. Chris Padilla (YAM YZF-R6)

The Edge Motorsports Moto 3

1. Ryan Luke (DUC 690)

2. Mike Surrat (DUC 690)

3. Brian Jackson (KAW EX500)

4. Brad Moore (YAM YZF-R3)

5. Robert Nolan (YAM FZR400)

Stansbury Concert Series Sportsman (Race 1)

1. Jeff Dinger (HON RC51)

2. Gilbert Gonzalez (YAM YZF-R6)

3. Tiffany Webb (TRI 675R)

4. Steve Kozicki (YAM YZF-R6)

5. Jason Wheeler (HON CBR600RR)

Stansbury Concert Series (Race 2)

1. Genaro Lopez (YAM YZF-R6)

2. Lee McNutt (KAW ZX-10R)

3. Gilbert Gonzalez (YAM YZF-R6)

4. James Krstich (YAM YZF-R1)

5. Joshua Snow (YAM YZF-R1)