Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Big Show Racing’s Matt Wait and Larry Denning rode a Pirelli-shod Suzuki GSX-R600 until the steel cords were showing on the rear tire to win the Formula USA/CCS Team Challenge Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. The win, first overall and first in the GTU class, earned Big Show Racing the Formula USA National Road Race Series Team Challenge GTU Championship and the CCS Team Challenge GTU National Championship.

Running an enlarged fuel tank, Big Show Racing first took the lead on lap 22 as the team’s competitors pitted for the first time. On lap 30, Denning brought the Big Show Racing Suzuki in for the team’s one and only pit, a refueling stop, for 45 seconds. Wait re-entered the race in third place, re-took the lead when his competitors made their second fuel stops and pulled away with his team’s fastest lap times despite riding with steel cords exposed around the circumference of the left side of his rear Pirelli. “It was for the Championship. I was going to stay out there no matter what,” said Wait, who rode with an injured shoulder and endured fuel spilling and burning him.

Larry Pegram led off for Team Orient Express before handing the GTU-class Suzuki GSX-R600 to Nathan Kern and finally Michael Barnes for the last shift. With the rear Pirelli all but gone and two National Championship on the line, Barnes chased Wait, but a few dramatic slides caused Barnes to back down to a more conservative pace. “That was too many moments at the beginning of a race weekend for my taste,” said Barnes. “I know I did at least five laps on the cords.”

Team Embry/Moon’s Supercycle’s Geoff May and John Waters led the race for several laps on a Pirelli-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 and finished third overall and third in the GTU class.

Big Show Racing II’s Aaron Risinger and Kevin Hanson took the GTO class race win and CCS National Championship on a Pirelli-sponsored Suzuki GSX-R750 with fourth overall in the race. Meanwhile, New England Motorsports’ Gus Holcomb and Mark Reynolds finished fourth in the GTO, but the finish was enough to wrap up the F-USA NRRS Team Challenge GTO Championship.

Speed’s C.J. Czaia and John Linder finished ninth overall and first in the GT Lights class on a Suzuki SV650 equipped with Dunlop slicks. Team All-Star Pepsi’s John Lounsbury and Malcolm Bradsher ran their Dunlop-slick-shod Suzuki SV650 out of gas late in the contest but had wrapped up the F-USA NRRS GT Lights National Championship before coming to Daytona.

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp, riding a Formula USA Unlimited Superbike-spec GSX-R750, and Team America’s Jason DiSalvo, riding an ex-Damon Buckmaster Yamaha YZF-R6 AMA Supersport bike, led early portions of the race, but both, like several others in the 35-entry field, were using the long race for extra track time and retired before halfway in the 56-lap contest.

RESULTS:

TEAM CHALLENGE:

GTU: 1. Big Show Racing (Brian Salazar/Larry Denning/Matt Wait), Suz GSX-R600, 56 laps; 2. Team Hooters (Michael Barnes/Larry Pegram/Nathan Kern), Suz GSX-R600, 56 laps; 3. Team Embry/Moon’s Supercycle (Geoff May/John Waters), Yam YZF-R6.

GTO: 1. Big Show Racing II (Aaron Risinger/Kevin Hanson), Suz GSX-R750; 2. Midcitys Motor Sports (Calvin Martinez/Dave Ebben), Suz GSX-R1000; 3. Shaw Racing (Rick Shaw/Brian Shaw), Suz GSX-R750.

GT LIGHTS: 1. Speed (C.J. Czaia/John Linder), Suz SV650; 2. Online Superbike (Tim Hall/Bobby Stellfox), Suz SV650; 3. Diablo Racing (Richard Italia/Eddy Burnet/Sandy Noce), Hon RS250.