Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Motorcycle Performance’s Ed Key was the star of the day Friday at the Championship Cup Series (CCS) Race of Champions (ROC) at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.

Riding a 98-horsepower, 303-pound Suzuki SV650 on Pirelli tires, 49-year-old Key won the GT Lights, Thunderbike and Lightweight Formula 40 winner-take-all National Championship run-offs, bringing his career total to 16 road racing National Championships.

In the red-flag-interrupted GT Lights race, Key battled with Stephen Servis early on before pulling away to win by two seconds. Key got through traffic better in the crowded Formula 40 Lightweight eight-lapper to beat Williams Harley-Davidson’s Randy Rega. Key’s final win of his first-ever race day at Homestead came in Thunderbike over Harding Harley-Davidson/Buell teammates Dave Estok and Bryan Bemisderfer, who were closing fast when the checkered flag fell on the eight-lap sprint.

“I knew those Harley boys would be coming. Estok and Bemisderfer are excellent riders,” Key told Roadracingworld.com. “I knew I had to get out front early and keep my head down the whole way. I don’t know if I could’ve beat them had they started on the front row with me, but a win’s a win.”

Other race, and National Championship, winners Friday included: Arclight Suzuki’s Scott Harwell, who beat Robert Jensen and Marco Martinez in the 30-minute, 18-lap GTO enduro; Harwell’s teammate Jeff Wood over Michael Himmelsbach and Martinez in the wet GTU competition; Zambrana Performance’s Steve Wenner in 125cc Grand Prix over Scott Coccoli and Tom Swager; BCM Ducati’s Michael Dube over Antonio Caparros and Kevin Weir in Ultra Light Superbike; JR Transportation’s Joe Ribeiro in Formula 40; and Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp, who broke the motorcycle lap record for the 2.2-mile road course at Homestead en route to winning the red-flag-interrupted Unlimited Supersport 8-lap sprint on a GSX-R750 equipped with Michelin DOT-labeled tires and set up to run in Sunday’s horsepower-restricted Formula Sportbike race.

The Race of Champions continues Saturday at Homestead with more CCS National Championship run-offs and qualifying for the Formula USA National classes.