LAST LAP PASSES AND NEW TRACK RECORD ADD EXCITEMENT DURING WERA NATIONAL AND SPORTSMAN SERIES RACES AT NASHVILLE
NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Nashville Superspeedway hosted a full weekend of motorcycle road racing May 1-2 with the Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series, National Challenge Series and Sportsman Series races, which featured close competition among the best amateur racers in the United States.
During the four-hour endurance race on Saturday, May 1, Vesrah Suzuki won by three laps with Mark Junge, Tray Batey and John Jacobi on a Heavyweight Superbike-spec Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Army of Darkness finished second overall and first in Mediumweight Superbike. Scott Brown and Ben Walters were riding a Suzuki GSX-R600. Ryan Elleby and Matt Lynn took the final spot on the podium on the FDK Suzuki GSX-R600.
Neighbor of the Beast took their first Mediumweight Superstock win of the season with Melissa Berkoff, Chris Pyles and Scott Fisher on a Yamaha YZF-R6. Bruce Stanford, Bo Morgan and Derek Keyes gave Dixie Mafia the Lightweight Superbike victory on their Suzuki SV650.
The National Challenge Series and Sportsman Series competition got underway on Sunday with 16 ten-lap sprint races. In the expert classes, Robert Jensen took the most wins. He won Open Superstock on his Yamaha YZF-R1, and he rode his Yamaha YZF-R6 to victories in both 600 Superstock and 600 Superbike.
Vesrah Suzuki’s Tray Batey won Heavyweight Twins Superstock on a Suzuki SV1000, and he later won 750 Superstock on a Suzuki GSX-R750.
Matt Lynn set a new track record of 1:01.796 on his way to winning Formula 1, putting the Team Embry Suzuki GSX-R1000 in front on the final lap. RacerSupply.com rider Logan Young rode his Suzuki GSX-R600 to a victory in 750 Superbike, and Matt Furtek won Lightweight Twins Superstock on a Vesrah Suzuki SV650.
Scott Padgitt won both D Superstock and D Superbike on his Aprilia RS250. Frank Shockley won Heavyweight Twins Superbike on his Aprilia 998, and Mark Biletnikoff won Formula 2 on a Suzuki SV650. Super Motard was won by Russell Stroddard on a Kawasaki 500 and Dale Burroughs rode his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to the ValuCycle Senior Superbike victory.
In the Novice classes, Ross Ryals earned four wins on his Suzuki SV650. He was at the front in Heavyweight Twins Superstock, Lightweight Twins Superbike, Lightweight Twins Superstock and Formula 2.
Ryan Gordon was also one of the top novices, winning 750 Superstock, 750 Superbike and Formula 1 on his Suzuki GSX-R750. Thomas Hannah won Clubman and Super Motard on a KTM 525.
Chris Parrish rode his Yamaha YZF-R6 to wins in 600 Superstock, while Brandon Parrish won 600 Superbike, also riding an R6.
In Heavyweight Twins Superbike, Billy Odom won on a Suzuki TL1000R. Mark Garrett won D Superstock on a Ducati 750 while the KTM 525 of Mark Stringer was first in D Superbike. James Lemastus put his Suzuki GSX-R600 at the top of the ValuCycle Senior Superbike field.
The next round of the WERA National Challenge Series and the Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series will be held in conjunction with the Sportsman Series during Cycle Jam at Virginia International Raceway, May 21-23.
More information about WERA, including complete results from the weekend, can be found on the Internet at www.WERA.com.
More, from a press release issued by DrDuc Motorsports:
YOUNG GUN WINS BIG IN LAS VEGAS!
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – May 4, 2004 — 15 year old Tristan Schoenewald won both days’ Middleweight Supersport races at CCS’s First Las Vegas round for 2004, bringing home $2000 in Kawasaki contingency. Tristan was riding last year’s Kawasaki ZX-6RR after a Friday crash broke the brake lever on his new bike and no spare parts could be found.
Other highlights of the weekend were a win in Sunday’s Middleweight Superbike, a second place in Heavyweight Supersport, and a qualifying third in the Unlimited Grand Prix for Sunday; he finished fourth in that event.
More, from a press release issued by OMS:
American Honda’s Ben Bostrom Takes 4th/5th @ Infineon Raceway In Superbike Class
Bostrom admits he had a “tough” weekend
ANAHEIM, Calif., (May 4, 2004) – Ben Bostrom (Las Vegas) competed at the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship Series this past weekend at Sonoma, Calif. Bostrom qualified fourth, in the front row, for Saturday and Sunday’s races aboard his Honda CBR1000RR. But tire problems forced him to settle for a 4th place finish on Saturday and 5th place on Sunday.
Ben Bostrom is no stranger to Infineon Raceway. Growing up in Redding, Calif., Bostrom had many hometown fans, as well as many family members watching this weekend.
“Saturday, we were hard on tires, ” said Bostrom. “We’re not usually too hard on tires, but I wrecked the tire in 10 laps. On Sunday, I was having a hard time with the front end, it took everything I had to keep the bike off the ground. The change in temperature and track conditions from Saturday to Sunday made it difficult to get the right setup.”
Bostrom continued: “It’s very disappointing finishing where I did because the entire crew worked very hard in getting the bike setup for me. I’ve got a good feeling about the bike and myself for the next round at Barber, our test went very well there a couple weeks ago.”
The next round for Bostrom will be May 14-16 at Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala.