M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki’s Valentin Debise rode his Dunlop-shod GSX-R600 solo to win the ASRA Team Challenge Presented by Michelin Tire Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
Debise, riding in his first race ever on the 3.51-mile infield road course at the famed “World Center of Racing,” used a one-pit-stop strategy to come from behind, take the lead and hold it until a red flag ended the race five laps short of its scheduled 44-lap duration.
M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki took the overall and the GTU class victories.
Debise, a 24-year-old Frenchman, told Roadracingworld.com that his team only decided to do the race one week ago and he hopes that he gets to come back and run the 76th Daytona 200 in March 2017.
Six Four Motorsports’ Shane Narbonne led much of the race on his Dunlop-equipped Suzuki GSX-R1000, but Six Four Motorsports’ Narbonne needed to make two pit stops compared with M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki’s single stop, which was the difference at the end. Six Four Motorsports’s Narbonne did not go away emptyhanded as he took the GTO class win.
Third place overall and second in GTU went to TSE Racing’s Cory West, who made two pit stops to refuel his Pirelli-fitted Yamaha YZF-R6.
Mavros Motorsports came into the season finale with leads in the overall and GTO class point standings over multi-time and defending overall and GTO Champion Grease Monkey Racing.
Grease Monkey Racing’s Eric Helmbach was able to get the better of Mavros Motorsports at Daytona by finishing eighth versus 11th overall and second versus third in GTO, but Mavros Motorsports’ Charlie Mavros and Seth Starnes did enough in the finale to secure both National Championships on their Pirelli-sponsored Kawasaki ZX-10R, borrowed from Jason Farrell.
LWT Racer 60 (Paul Dougherty/Sean Dougherty/William Finnerty/Doane Richardson/Sam Wiest) finished first in the GT Lights category (and 28th overall) on a Suzuki SV650.
ASRA Team Challenge
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
October 15, 2016
Overall Results:
1. M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki (Valentin Debise), Suz GSX-R600, Dunlop, GTU, 39 laps
2. Six Four Motorsports (Shane Narbonne), Suz GSX-R1000, Dunlop, GTO, -40.856 seconds
3. TSE Racing (Cory West), Yam YZF-R6, Pirelli, GTU, -67.746
4. Prieto Performance/GMD Computrack (Robertino Pietri), Yam YZF-R6, Pirelli, GTU, 38 laps
5. Team Rabid Transit (Sheridan Morais), Yam YZF-R6, Dunlop, GTU, 38 laps
6. M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki USA (Nick McFadden), Suz GSX-R600, Dunlop, GTU, 38 laps
7. SE Composites Racing (Jon Cornwell/Ed Sullivan), Yam YZF-R6, Pirelli, GTU, 38 laps
8. Grease Monkey Racing (Eric Helmbach), BMW S1000RR, Pirelli, GTO, 37 laps
9. Urban Assault Cycles (Daniel Spaulding), Kaw ZX-6R, Dunlop, GTU, 36 laps
10. Squid Hunter/WP Bailey Racing (Jordan Strange), Suz GSX-R600, GTU, 36 laps
GTO Results:
1. Six Four Motorsports (Shane Narbonne), Suz GSX-R1000, Dunlop, 39 laps
2. Grease Monkey Racing (Eric Helmbach), BMW S1000RR, Pirelli, 37 laps
3. Mavros Motorsports (Charlie Mavros/Seth Starnes), Kaw ZX-10R, Pirelli, 36 laps
4. MI Boys (Mikai Pechota/Ryan Van Leeuwen), Suz GSX-R1000, Pirelli, 36 laps
5. Barry Motorsports (Jim Barry/Darrin Klemens/Dustin Young), Yam YZF-R1, Dunlop, 36 laps
6. HayeBoyz Racing (Mark Haye/Tim Haye), Hon CBR1000RR, 36 laps
GTU Results:
1. M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki (Valentin Debise), Suz GSX-R600, Dunlop, 39 laps
2. TSE Racing (Cory West), Yam YZF-R6, Pirelli, -67.746 seconds
3. Prieto Performance/GMD Computrack (Robertino Pietri), Yam YZF-R6, Pirelli, 38 laps
4. Team Rabid Transit (Sheridan Morais), Yam YZF-R6, Dunlop, 38 laps
5. M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki USA (Nick McFadden), Suz GSX-R600, Dunlop, 38 laps
6. SE Composites Racing (Jon Cornwell/Ed Sullivan), Yam YZF-R6, Pirelli, 38 laps
GT Lights Results:
1. LWT Racer 60 (Paul Dougherty/Sean Dougherty/William Finnerty/Doane Richardson/Sam Wiest), Suz SV650, 31 laps
2. Turbo Turtle Racing (Ken Cordero/Gerald Glass/Dustin Young), Suz SV650, Pirelli, 30 laps
3. 6th Gear Tapped Squad (Hector Cuellar/Billy Pedro), Suz SV650, 12 laps
4. LWT Racer 216 (Joseph Bugno/Joseph Clesnik/John Dodson/Anthony Rosati/Yuttichai Yasothonsrikul), Suz SV650, 6 laps