Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

The annual WERA Grand National Finals closed out Sunday at Road Atlanta with a variety of racers taking National race wins and Championships.

Tachyon Racing’s Justin Adams took the victory in the Pirelli 600cc Superstock Novice race after early leaders Greg Moore and Jeff Walker crashed and ran off the track, respectively, while leading in the opening laps. Moore hopped on his Suzuki GSX-R750 to take the win in 750cc Superstock Novice later in the day, while Walker came back to win the 600cc Superbike Novice and 750cc Superbike Novice races.

Walker clinched three WERA National Challenge Series Championships Sunday: 600cc Superstock Novice, 750cc Superstock Novice and 750cc Superbike Novice.

Josh Guyer wrapped up the Heavyweight Twins Novice National Championship with a win in Sunday’s final round on his Aprilia Mille.

Martin Musil won the Formula Two Novice race Sunday afternoon, but Jeff Heller took home the WERA National Challenge Series Formula Two title.

Tray Batey took the race win and Championship in Heavyweight Twins Expert on his Vesrah Suzuki TL1000R, while Monty Warsing did the same in Formula Two Expert on his Yamaha TZ250. Michael Garofalo held off a charging Danny Eslick to win in 600cc Superbike Expert on a Suzuki GSXR600, after Eslick took an off-track excursion on the first lap to avoid a crashing Steve Atlas. Texan Adam Coco won the 600cc Superbike Expert National Championship without even starting the final race.

The last race of the day, Formula One Expert, forced racers to make a tough tire choice to handle the damp Road Atlanta track. Teknic-sponsored Scott Carpenter took the holeshot but faded to the back of a five-rider pack after two laps. By mid-race a dry line began to develop, and Carpenter moved back to the front. Using Pirelli DOT-labeled tires, Carpenter lowered his lap times by four seconds over the course of the eight-lap race and won by more than three seconds. Fasttrax’s Doug Duane finished second on Pirelli’s new intermediate tires. Shaun Fields, J.J. Roetlin and Billy Ethridge, all on rain tires, filled out the top five positions.

Team Xtreme’s Ethridge won the WERA National Challenge Series Formula One Expert Championship.