Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Emerging talent Jason Perez, former AMA regular Nick Ienatsch and defending CCS Pacific and Southwest Region Champion Brian Long starred in CCS racing action Sunday, February 2 at the Streets of Willow in Rosamond, California.

After suffering a miscue that may have cost him the win in Saturday’s GTU race, Perez, 18, rebounded Sunday by winning all four races he entered. Perez won Middleweight Supersport, Middleweight Superbike, Middleweight Grand Prix and the $1000 Speedscreen Unlimited Grand Prix on his Concept Five-sponsored Suzuki GSX-R600.

Lenny Beckman took the holeshot in the Unlimited GP race on a GSX-R1000 and was followed by Long and Eric Anderson. Meanwhile, Perez, who had started on the fifth row of the grid, was up to fourth by turn four. It took Perez less than two laps before he slipped underneath Beckman on the brakes for turn two to take the lead.

Will Eikenberry, riding a Kawasaki ZX-9R, gave chase to Perez, but the youngster’s 600cc machine was more nimble in the turns than Eikenberry’s engine-case-dragging 900. With the best lap time of the weekend (1:21.57), Perez pulled away to win by 2.8 seconds over Eikenberry, who later said this was the first race in which he used new tires since 1990.

Beckman held on for third with Long fourth, Jason Catching, Corey Sarros, new Expert Garth Dillon, Jeff Tigert from the eighth row, Ryan Teixeira and Rickey Herd rounding out the top 10.

After winning two races on Saturday, Tigert’s day Sunday started badly as the AFM regular slid off the outside of turn one in the first race of the day, Middleweight Superbike. After making repairs to his GSX-R600, Tigert was only able to run in the Unlimited GP race.

Ienatsch took wins in Formula 40 and Heavyweight Supersport on his G2 Racing Suzuki GSX-R750 and won in Super Twins on the Honda RC51 he uses in his role as an instructor for the Freddie Spencer High Performance Riding School.

Late in the day, Ienatsch and Eikenberry were battling for the lead in Unlimited Supersport when Eikenberry, who was attempting to pass Ienatsch on the outside going into turn four, hit Ienatsch from behind, causing Ienatsch to crash and Eikenberry to run off. Catching inherited the lead and held off Sarros to take the win with Anderson, who was in pain from Eikenberry colliding with him in turn four earlier in the same race, slipped to third.

Ienatsch, who plans to campaign the entire CCS Pacific and Southwest regional series, called Eikenberry’s riding “really stupid,” and remounted to finish 10th. Eikenberry, who is a former instructor and current mechanic with the California Superbike School, retired from the race and expressed regret over the incident to reporters.

Spears Enterprises’ Long was the iron man of the event, however. Long rode his Suzuki SV650s and GSX-R600 in nine races Sunday – collecting wins in Lightweight Supersport, Lightweight Superbike, Lightweight Grand Prix and Heavyweight Superbike; second-place finishes in Middleweight Superbike, Middleweight Grand Prix, Super Twins and Formula 40; and fourth place in Unlimited GP.

Unsponsored Erik Dadej defeated Josh Alverson and 16-year-old Scott Jackson in an exciting three-way battle to win the 19-entry USGPRU 125cc Grand Prix event.

Another emerging talent, Nick Moore, 16, won the $1000 Sportbike sprint, the last race of the day, on his 1999 Suzuki GSX-R600. Moore came from behind and made a daring, last-corner pass on Kevin Backovich to take his first-ever 600cc victory.



This just in from Will Eikenberry:

Dear Editor:

I just saw the web posting and thought I might shed some light with a copy of the letter I sent to Mr. Kevin Elliot about the turn-four incident between Nick and myself.

And of course I would express regret about colliding with another rider and I did talk with Anderson also after the race.

I can’t explain why in the three events I have done at the Streets I have had no problems with other riders. But to say I enter turn four wide and come out low, usually at least coming alongside the rider in front but rarely making it stick, just a slow-in fast-out line to show that I’m there.

And I think it’s important to note that I was on the outside, not the low, take-it-away line.

Thanks,

Will Eikenberry
Littlerock, California


(Eikenberry’s letter to CCS Boss Kevin Elliott follows.)

Hello Mr. Elliot:

I am writing to you about an incident in race #18 at Streets of Willow February 2nd. I was racing with Nick Ienatsch for the lead and we tangled entering turn four with Nick going down and me going off. I am very aware of the riders around me and give room to race. Nick and I had vastly different lines exiting turn three, his wide and mine tight. I was on the far left of the track and Nick came from two-thirds right to a line such that I had to make a turn to the left and make the decision to run off the track in an effort to avoid a collision. This, however, wasn’t enough and as I went by Nick his handlebar caught my hip and he went down as I went off.

I know things like this can happen when racing and at the edge of control any additional inputs can be difficult at best. While I am very sad to have been involved in such an incident and end my race for the lead I was more concerned for the welfare of the other rider, and once I got my bike slowed and turned around I checked to see what had happened to Nick and he was running towards me. He came up yelling at me and then grabbed the chin bar of my helmet shaking my head about as he yelled. Then he took the key from my ignition and said “no way are you getting back in this race” not once but twice. Both times I recovered the key from his hand.

I understand that in the heat of the moment things are said that may not be what should be but his reaction to this incident was a clear violation of the rules (3.3.6 specifically).

I don’t want to attack Nick or create problems, nor do I want to be vilified as having taken him out. I take riding and racing very seriously and would never intentionally jeopardize anyone’s safety or ride in manner that was less than professional like blocking or bumping.

I know Nick is planning to run the season with you and I can only run the first and last race of the year so I don’t anticipate an on-track situation to develop. At least I have no ill will about it.

Sincerely,

Will Eikenberry
#63 Expert, CCS Pacific Region
Littlerock, California