Updated Post: Even More From This Past Weekend’s WERA National At Jennings GP

Updated Post: Even More From This Past Weekend’s WERA National At Jennings GP

© 2006, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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Triple R Racing Wins at Jennings GP! Triple R Racing returned to endurance racing this weekend at the opening round of the 2006 WERA National Endurance Series held in Jennings, Florida. The six-hour long event began with over 45 teams fighting for class wins as well as the overall win. Triple R’s Brian Stokes began the race and quickly started working his way to the front of the field. Stokes was able to move the team into second place in class, seventh overall after his stint. The Team’s founding rider, Mike Reed, then took the controls and was able to move the team into first in class, sixth overall. After a pit stop and a new Michelin rear tire, Scott Harwell climbed aboard the team’s Yamaha R6. A weekend that began with a theme of “Returns” continued as Harwell, who was returning from a serious hip injury, began to extend Triple R’s class lead. A final pit stop to fuel the bike and change riders meant that Brian Stokes would finish the race. However, the race was stopped in the final hour so that race officials could tend to an on-track incident. This set up a late-race dual between Triple R’s Stokes and the Dalke Motorsports entry. Running some of the fastest laps of the race, Stokes pulled away to earn the (Middleweight Superstock) class win for Triple R! The team’s next event will take place April 8th at the Talladega Gran Prix Raceway in Oxford, Alabama. More, from a press release issued by Team Morse Racing: Team Morse Racing rides to a podium finish at Jennings GP WERA National! Colorado based Team Morse Racing braved the seventeen hundred mile journey to compete in the opening round of the 2006 WERA National Challenge series this past weekend March 26th & 27th at the Jennings GP track in Jennings Florida. Although the team arrived early, most of Thursday was spent preparing the machines under the comfort of the canopies as rain poured down most of the day. With the sunrise on Friday morning however, the skies cleared and the rest of the weekend was perfect for racing. The Friday morning practice session was the first time team riders Dave Gallant and Mike Applehans got to experience this motorcycle-only racetrack. While they immediately felt comfortable in the tight-twisty sections of the infield, neither had experienced such a wide open flowing race track such as Jennings. “We have heard many stories about how difficult the infield here is to master, although that section really is the easiest for both of us. Our Colorado tracks are notorious for being tight and twisting, and we feel right at home there. To be honest, we are learning what to do with forty feet wide worth of race track and more than one entrance to any given fast corner. We will get our bikes dialed in and I am sure that by Sunday we will be going better. The track is amazing; easily the smoothest track I have ever ridden and the layout is great fun!” commented Dave on Friday”s events. Under sunny skies, Sunday’s racing in every class was an intense way to begin the 2006 season. Due to time limitations both Dave and Mike chose to race only their Suzuki SV650 twins, and with each practice and race their lap times steadily decreased. With some top five finishes in their Twins Supersport races, both riders began feeling more confident in their race pace. “I didn’t get the start I wanted, but I felt really comfortable on the bike so far today. We have had really limited off-season testing and only a handful of laps around this track, but I really felt pretty good out there. With a little more track time, I think we are both going to be right there” stated Mike Applehans of Team Morse Racing. “The lightweight twins supersport race was a good one, although it really wasn’t until the last few laps that things started working for me. I made some changes to my bike to suit this fast flowing track, and that coupled with finding some better entries into the faster corners has really helped me drop my times. I held myself up in the first few laps in traffic and the top four guys got away, but during the last few laps I pulled 3rd and 4th place back to me relatively easily. This track is not hard to learn, but for me is turning out difficult to master. The next race should be a good one – I have got things better figured out now” commented Dave Gallant. With that prophetic statement, Dave started the Formula II race on the third row and stormed to a 2nd place finish at waving of the checkered flag! “What a great race! By the time I got up to my pace, the leader had gapped me a bit – but I never stopped trying to chip away at it. These guys are all really flying out here, and simply being in the mix with them is fantastic!” commented an excited Dave Gallant after his 2nd place finish. Scott Morse, owner of Morse Racing Products & GP Composites bodywork was ecstatic with the news back at the team”s race shop. “These guys have been working so hard all winter. It is one thing to race at tracks 4 hours away with competitors you know well. It is another thing to drive over thirty hours, learn a new track in two practice sessions, then put your bike on the box at a WERA National race.” commented Scott Morse.

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