Round 2 of the UtahSBK “Masters of the Mountain” series presented by Utah Motorcycle Law took place June 13th and 14th on the rider favorite perimeter course at Utah Motorsports Campus. This second round of the five round series seen huge grids and intense racing action across all classes.
In regards to the race weekend, UtahSBK president Brian Childree had this to say: “Round 2 showcased the growing reach of Utah Superbike, with more than 40% of our racers traveling from outside Utah to compete. We welcomed riders from neighboring states including Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, and Montana, as well as competitors from California, Texas, Canada, and as far away as New Jersey. That level of participation speaks to the strength of our racing community and the reputation Utah has built as a motorcycle racing destination. The Perimeter configuration at Utah Motorsports Campus is a major draw for racers throughout the western United States and beyond. It’s a fast, technical, world-class circuit that competitors actively seek out, and we’re fortunate to have access to such an outstanding facility. Our partnership with Utah Motorsports Campus allows us to showcase one of North America’s premier motorsports venues while bringing racers from across the continent to compete here in Utah.”
As Childree said, Racers flocked to Grantsville, UT from all around filling in the paddock and adding to the excitement of the weekend. Friday’s track day and practice hosted by APEXtrackdays was a perfect start to the weekend seeing racers get dialed in for what would be a very fast, fun, and competitive round 2 for UtahSBK.
Saturday morning started out with qualifying sessions for all classes including Sunday’s Premier “King of the Mountain” race. Top honors in qualifying for KOM this round would go to 3 time #1 plate holder Anthony Norton with a lap of 1:54.5, followed by Colorado’s Matt Cunha laying down a 1:55.9, and Justin Delong from Canada would round out the front row with a 1:57.2 lap around the 3 mile circuit. Once the grids were set and our national anthem sang, the weekend of racing began.
To kick things off, UtahSBK has a very special class known as “StreetGP” sponsored by Young Powersports, where the organization welcomes riders to get a taste of what road-racing is all about. The class offers multiple classroom instructional sessions, on track practices, and then a mock race where street riders and track day enthusiasts get their first taste of a lights out grid start and 5 lap race with AZ Riding Academy coaches joining them on track. Every round, the club sees riders turn into racers, converting their street bikes into race bikes and getting their race licenses to come back and grid up for real. This round, UtahSBK had a record 36 StreetGP participants. The club is proud to offer this unique opportunity with easy access into the racing world contributing to the future of our sport.
Saturday Morning’s Races set the tone for the weekend, and this round would be no exception starting with an epic battle in the Ryder Gear Moto 2 expert race. Parker Mayer got out to an early lead, a position he held the entire race, but just behind him two of our out of state racers would wage war for the second position. Lee McNutt of Nevada and Nicolai Greco from New Jersey locked horns for the final 3 laps of this race with McNutt defending the 2nd position. On the final lap, Greco would secure the pass but the two would drag race to the checkered flag where Greco secured 2nd over McNutt in 3rd by just .2 of a second.
The Racers Edge Dunlop Moto1 race featuring the Open class bikes and the two fastest qualifiers on the weekend, Anthony Norton and Matt Cunha, proved to be a prequel to the KOM race held on Sunday. The two racers lapped at record pace while swapping the lead multiple times in the first few laps before Norton solidified his position at the front and took the win with Cunha closely in tow. This close battle raised eyebrows as all those in attendance knew that the intensity would only rise when these racers and the chasing pack lined up to battle for top honors and top dollars in the Same Day Heating and Air King of the Mountain Race. To no surprise, the KOM race did not disappoint…
When the lights went out for the weekends premier race, King of the Mountain, a full grid of 24 racers roared down the infinitely long front straight lead by Matt Cunha into turn 1 aboard his lightning fast BMW M1000RR. Anthony Norton and his ZX10r followed closely behind with Justin Delong, Chris Mousley, and Ryan Richardson rounding out the top 5. Cunha would lead the first lap uncontested but Norton would challenge for the lead on lap 2 making a pass attempt in turn 5 and holding the lead for a brief moment before Cunha returned fire and retook the lead completing the second lap out front. The two were stretching their lead away from Justin Delong in a lonely 3rd place and the battle for the remaining top 5 positions heated up. Ryan Richardson, round 1 KOM podium finisher, slotted into 4th place passing Chris Mousley who was now in an intense battle for 5th with the leading Middleweight bike piloted by Parker Mayer, a battle that would last the entirety of the race. Back out front, Norton made another attempt at taking the lead . keeping heavy pressure on the leader Matt Cunha during lap 3 but Cunha fought right back. In a series of aggressive exchanges between the two riders through 4 consecutive corners, Norton found his way to the front leading the way to conclude lap 3 . Cunha tried overtaking the new leader in various places over the next couple laps, but Nortons pace and race craft would keep him out front where he would inch away incrementally until the penultimate lap where Norton would run one of his fastest laps of the race, issuing the final blow in this fight for the top spot. Norton secured the win over Cunha in 2nd and Delong in 3rd. To round out the top 5, Richardson would safely cross the line in 4th while Mousley and Mayer fought the entire race until the last lap where Mayer secured the 5th position.
About his race, Norton had this to say: “What a Race! Matt and that BMW were really fast, but I knew I had the pace to get the job done. I love a good fight and my hats off to him (Matt Cunha) for a hard-fought clean battle. We put on a show and everyone watching I’m sure enjoyed it as much as I did. Huge thanks to Racers Edge for the Dunlop tires that clearly gave me the edge today for the win. Also a huge thanks to Precision Fab Machinery and Legal Ride NV as well as everyone in my corner that continues to support me in every way.”
Endurance Racing has really taken off at UtahSBK seeing more action every round. The fastest growing class in Utah is the IV Haven sponsored Ironman Endurance class. One rider, One Bike, 90 minutes, where anything can happen. 8 brave souls accepted the ironman challenge for round 2 on the demanding perimeter course, and after the dust settled and all the strategies played out we had a new winner for the class with Belisario Arango taking the top spot on the podium completing 42 laps. Round 1 ironman winner Eliu Heredia finished 2nd in class with Trever Nosack rounding out the podium in 3rd. The overall winners of round 2 endurance were Ryan Richardson and Anthony Norton in the True Endurance Category aboard their Precision Fab Machinery Zx10 entry.
UtahSBK now enters their summer break, set to resume superbike racing action for round 3 August 8th and 9th at Utah Motorsports Campus on the West track. In the meantime, their Supermoto series will host its 2nd and 3rd rounds in June and July. For more information on upcoming events visit UtahSBK.com
