By Beth Dolgner
Vesrah Suzuki’s Mark Junge, Tray Batey and John Jacobi were back at the front of the WERA Dunlop National Endurance Series during a 6-hour race at Nelson Ledges Road Course that included the only night racing of the season. The trio won by four laps on the Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the overall and Heavyweight Superbike class victory.
Chuck Ivey, Reuben Frankenfield and Mark Crozier finished second overall, winning in the Heavyweight Superstock class on the Team Velocity Racing Yamaha YZF-R1. They finished a lap ahead of Heavyweight Superbike entry Bell’s ARNCHU Racing after a race-long battle. Randy Sherman, Nathan Dressman and Rick Knuckles shared the Bell’s Suzuki GSX-R750.
Crozier led the opening laps of the race before Batey got by and began to build up a gap. By the end of the first hour, Batey was over half-a-minute ahead of Bell’s ARNCHU, while Team Velocity followed a lap down in third after making a pit stop.
Vesrah built up a two-lap lead during the second hour while Team Velocity and Bell’s ARNCHU were trading for second. The sole red flag of the race came out with 11 minutes left in the third hour when Dixie Mafia and Ghetto Customs crashed in turn four.
The crash was cleaned up quickly, and the race was underway again in eight minutes.
After the restart, Vesrah continued to lead while darkness fell. The final two hours of the race were run in total darkness.
At the checkered flag, Vesrah was four laps ahead. Team Velocity got past Bell’s ARNCHU in the final hour to finish second.
In the Mediumweight Superbike class, Red Star led Army of Darkness for the first five hours. With only half an hour to go, though, Army of Darkness took over the class lead. Ben Walters, Sam Fleming and Scott Fisher finished fourth overall and first in class on the AOD Suzuki GSX-R600.
Brian Dalke, Josh Smith-Moore and Wrenn Smith clinched the Mediumweight Superstock Championship for Dalke Motorsports with their class win on a Suzuki GSX-R600. The team finished ninth overall.
Deals Gap Racing won in the Lightweight Superbike class by two laps. Joe Schoch, Shane Williams and Steve Clark were riding a Suzuki SV650.
RESULTS
1. Vesrah Suzuki (Mark Junge/Tray Batey/John Jacobi), Heavyweight Superbike, Suz GSX-R1000, 286 laps.
2. Team Velocity Racing (Mark Crozier/Chuck Ivey/Reuben Frankenfield), Heavyweight Superstock, Yam YZF-R1, 282 laps.
3. Bell’s ARNCHU Racing (Nathan Dressman/Randy Sherman/Rick Knuckles), Heavyweight Superbike, Suz GSX-R750, 281 laps.
4. Army of Darkness (Sam Fleming/Scott Fisher/Ben Walters), Mediumweight Superbike, Suz GSX-R600, 279 laps.
5. Red Star (Ben Thompson/Joe Prussiano/William Lindsay), Mediumweight Superbike, Yam YZF-R6, 278 laps.
6. Team Xtreme/Maxxis (Billy Ethridge/Mark Edwards/Jeff Walker), Heavyweight Superbike, Suz GSX-R750, 278 laps.
7. Velocity Crew Racing (Kevin Perkins/Paul Youngman), Mediumweight Superbike, Suz GSX-R600, 268 laps.
8. B.P. Pipeline (Tony Palarie/Joe Hayes/Chad Lawson/James Vanderhaar), Heavyweight Superstock, Suz GSX-R750, 267 laps.
9. Dalke Motorsports (Brian Dalke/Josh Smith-Moore/Wrenn Smith), Mediumweight Superstock, Suz GSX-R600, 267 laps.
10. Ridge Racing (Todd Stoner/Brad Bomgardner), Heavyweight Superbike, Kaw ZX10, 264 laps.