From a press release issued by Team Stargel Aprilia:

New Beginnings At Barber, But A Sad End For Two Strokes In America

This past weekend, Barber Motorsports Park hosted its first round of AMA motorcycle races, sadly it also marked the last running of two stroke grand prix motorcycles in AMA competition. Defending AMA 250GP series champion, Team Stargel Aprilia, was hoping that it could capture a win in the final AMA 250GP race.

Barber Motorsports Park is a beautiful facility that also proved to be a challenging one in regards to preparing the team’s remarkable Aprilia RSV250. After three revisions to the transmission, and a fair amount of chassis work, Chuck Sorensen landed on top of Friday afternoon’s practice times, with a time of 1:29.4. On Saturday, he qualified second, a few tenths behind pole sitter, Rich Oliver.

Sunday morning brought a period of heavy rains and the track conditions became uncertain. The 250GP race was delayed slightly, and the track was mostly dry by race time.

In the race, Sorensen got away in third position, passed for second by turn four, then tried to reel in the race leader, Oliver. Oliver built a lead of fractions of a second each lap that would not be erased. Sorensen brought his strong running Aprilia over the line in second to end the season.

In eleven rounds of AMA 250GP competition this year, Team Stargel Aprilia suffered one DNS due to rider injury, one DNF due to engine failure, one fourth place finish due to a faulty spark plug, and recorded eight second place finishes. The year included a dislocated right hand that required surgery, a broken foot, and a number of instances of simple bad luck. Through it all, the team displayed a sense of unity, pride, and a competitive spirit that was never diminished.

Rider, Chuck Sorensen, endured both physical pain as well as personal sacrifices, while always putting forth the effort of a true three-time class champion. Team mechanic, Ward Wilson, was near flawless in his preparation of the fastest 250 the AMA has ever seen, while remaining one of the hardest working individuals in the AMA paddock. Team Stargel Aprilia is thankful for the privilege of racing with so many great AMA 250GP competitors in this, the final year of the class.