OMRRA Season-Opener Charges Out Of The Blocks OMRRA’s season-opener April 21-22 was greeted with unseasonably dry and sunny weather, setting up ideal conditions. Riders showing up to Portland International Raceway believing they’d have a rain-soaked round to shakedown their machines were in for a surprise.

The action was fast and furious from the drop of the green flag. In Saturday’s 2-Fast Track Days Formula Ultra Championship action, Alan Schmidt, of Kamloops, B.C., came charging out of the gates and led the race in easy fashion from post to post. Schmidt dominated the race, dropping the competition and cruising to victory by over 8 seconds. The battle for second was hot from the gate. Rider Kevin Pinkstaff, of Portland, OR, was able to pull away from Sam Verderico, of Wenatchee, WA.

In Sunday’s 2-Fast Track Days Formula Ultra Race Two, during the latter stages, Pinkstaff’s ailing machine gave up the fight and limped home to a disappointing sixth. Pinkstaff would have to settle for collecting valuable championship points. Verderico also suffered mechanical difficulties and pulled off, leaving Schmidt with an impressive 30-second win over veteran racer Steve Suitor. Rounding out the podium in Sunday’s race was a visitor from WMRC, Ken Lalonde, of Maple Ridge, B.C., aboard a Ducati 1198S. 

In KFG Racing/Pirelli-sponsored Clubman Championship action, 17-year-old Andy Dibrino left his SV650 in the shed and debuted his Yamaha R6. His first weekend in the 600cc and 750cc classes yielded three top-five finishes. Andy’s young talent continues to impress. 

The battle for supremacy among the 600cc class belonged to Chris Ancien straddling the new Triumph Daytona 675R. Ancien’s rival, Matt Presting, suffered from early-season woes in Saturday’s races with Ancien and scored two DNF’s with a heart-breaking fuel starvation issue in the 750cc race. Determined to show the OMRRA crowd he was not down and out, Presting fired back on Sunday vaulting himself to the top step of the podium in the 600cc race. In Sunday’s 750 race, Presting’s R6 was outgunned by 0.139 second by Sam Verderico’s GSX-R750 at the line. The rider to watch in the category is #214, Ryan Sutton. Sutton demonstrated consistency by scoring a 2nd, two 3rds and a 4th in the hotly-contested 600cc and 750cc races. 

In the Vintage Championship, 2011 champion, Cody Wood, came out of the blocks in 250cc Vintage mounted on a Suzuki Super6 ‘Hustler’ and pushed the near half century machine to easy victory in both races. Last year, Ryan Shanahan, who racked up numerous victories in 250cc Vintage, didn’t have the machine to answer Wood’s dominance and placed 2nd in both races. Wood’s skill and machine were so dominant, they went on to hustle the Suzuki to a new lap record in the class in the second race of the day. Patrick Leyshock, of Portland, OR, scored two respectable 3rd place finishes to keep himself in the hunt.

In 500 Vintage news, the day belonged to Eirik Nielsen and his Honda CB350. Nielsen scored two victories in the two race series and rider Jon Munns placed 2nd in both races as well. Cody Wood placed 3rd in race 1 but his machine struggled to finish race 2. The Vintage Championship will be very interesting in 2012. With Vintage Day late in the year, the current contenders will want to make sure they get off to a quick start and be in a good position. 

The Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association (OMRRA) developed the two-race per weekend Formula Ultra Championship, the ‘your best two classes’ Clubman Championship and the two-race per day, Olympic-scored Vintage Championship, promoting safe, competitive road racing in all categories. 

OMRRA, incorporated in 1972 as a non-profit, volunteer run organization, has members ranging in age from 12 to over 70, racing motorcycles of many brands, sizes and ages. OMRRA operates at Portland International Raceway, a city park and world class track. For more information, visit www.omrra.com and join us at www.omrra.com All OMRRA races are simulcast on PIRLive.com.

Saturday, April 21st Race Results:

Formula Ultra 1. Alan Schmidt (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. Kevin Pinkstaff (Kaw ZX-10R) 3. Sam Verderico (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Marcel Irnie (BMW S1000RR) 5. Steve Suitor (Suz GSX-R1000) 6. Anthony Manciu (Hon CBR1000RR) 

Open Supersport 1. Marcel Irnie (BMW S1000RR) 2. Anthony Manciu (Hon CBR1000RR) 3. Jason Gasparinatos (Kaw ZX-6R) 4. Mike McBrady (Kaw ZX-6R) 5. Micheal McBrady (Kaw ZX-6R) 6. Don Headrick (Kaw ZX-10R) 

 750 Supersport 1. Christopher Ancien (Tri 675R) 2. Sam Verderico (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Ryan Sutton (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Andy Dibrino (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Kinzer Naylor (Kaw ZX-6R) 6. Jason Gasparinatos (Kaw ZX-6R) 

 600 Supersport 1. Christopher Ancien (Tri 675R) 2. Brian Pinkstaff (Kaw ZX-6R) 3. Ryan Sutton (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Jay Floyd (Kaw ZX-6R) 5. Steve Hildum (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Jason Gasparinatos (Kaw ZX-6R)

 Ninja 250 Cup 1. Chris Page (Kaw EX250) 2. Chester Lindgren (Kaw EX250) 3. Kelly Johnson (Kaw EX250) 4. Andrew Pignataro (Kaw EX250) 5. Peter Kahn (Kaw EX250) 6. Justin Pyle (Kaw EX250)

 650 GP Twins 1. Jason Harper (Suz SV650) 2. David James Moore (Kaw EX650R) 3. Skyler Benoit (Suz SV650) 4. Chuck Bannister (H-D XR1200) 5. John Marshall (H-D XR1200)

 Formula III 1. Michael Caravatta (Apr 125RS) 2. Rob Tatom (Hon RS125) 3. Shannon Lang (Hon RS125) 

Middleweight Supersport 1. Jason Harper (Suz SV650) 2. Skyler Benoit (Suz SV650) 3. Jeff Brooks (Suz SV650) 4. Jed Brintzenhoff (Suz SV650) 

750 Superbike Senior 1. Anton Brown (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Chuck Bannister (GSX-R750) 3. Brian Naylor (Kaw ZX-6) 4. Joshua Melanson (Yam YZF-R6) 

600 Superbike Senior 1. Steve Hildum (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Micheal McBrady (Kaw ZX-6R) 3. Bryan Rothenburger (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Joshua Melanson (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Brian Moe (Kaw ZX-6R) 6. John Marshall (Hon CBR600RR) 

500 Vintage 1. Eirik Nielsen (Hon CB350) 2. Jon Munns (Hon CB350) 3. Daric Cheshire (Duc 250) 4. Dean Willoughby (Hon CB160) 5. Cody Wood (Suz Super6) 6. Jared Kenyon (Hon CB175) 

 Novice 4 1. Andrew Rogers (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Wes Stults (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Austin Carroll (Hon CBR600RR) 4. Rohan Wanchu (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Matt Hunt (Hon CBR600RR) 6. Marty Rogers (Yam YZF-R6) 

Novice 5 1. Bo Scott (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. G. Brian Tallant (Hon CBR1000RR) 3. Brian Rose (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Patrick Cotton (Hon CBR900RR) 5. David Wright (Suz GSX-R1000) 6. Sean Uhlich (Suz GSX-R750) 

Sunday, April 21st Race Results:

Formula Ultra 1. Alan Schmidt (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. Steve Suitor (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Ken LaLonde (Duc 1198S) 4. Anthony Manciu (Hon CBR1000RR) 5. Don Headrick (Kaw ZX-10R) 6. Kevin Pinkstaff (Kaw ZX-10R) 

Open Superbike 1. Alan Schmidt (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. Tony Porter (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Steve Suitor (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Ken LaLonde (Duc 1198S) 5. Anthony Manciu (Hon CBR1000RR) 6. Kinzer “Speedy” Naylor (Kaw ZX-6R)

 750 Superbike 1. Sam Verderico (Suz GSX-R750) 2. Matt Presting (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Chris Ancien (Tri 675R) 4. Ryan Sutton (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Andy Dibrino (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Kris Aldeman (Yam YZF-R6) 

 600 Superbike 1. Matt Presting (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Ryan Sutton (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Brian Pinkstaff (Kaw ZX-6R) 4. Andy Dibrino (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Micheal McBrady (Kaw ZX-6R) 6. Kris Aldeman (Yam YZF-R6) 

 Middleweight Superbike 1. David James Moore (Kawasaki EX650R) 2. Jason Harper (Suz SV650) 3. Skyler Benoit (Suz SV650) 4. Chris Burgess (Suz SV650) 5. Keith Dibrino (Suz SV650) 6. John Marshall (H-D XR1200) 

Lightweight Superbike 1. Garrick Gordon (MZ Skorpion) 2. Chris Page (Kaw EX250) 3. Kelly Johnson (Kaw EX250) 4. Justin Pyle (Kaw EX250) 5. Matthew O’Rourke (Kaw EX250) 6. Brady Williams (Kaw EX250) 

Open Supersport Senior 1. Marcel Irnie (Kaw ZX-6RR) 2. Don Headrick (Kaw ZX-10R) 3. James Moody (Hon CBR900RR) 4. Mark Leslie (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. David Marod (Hon CBR1000RR) 

 750 Supersport Senior 1. Joshua Melanson (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Chuck Bannister (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Marcel Irnie (Kaw ZX-6RR) 

00 Supersport Senior 1. Bryan Rothenburger (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Joshua Melanson (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Brian Moe (Kaw ZX-6R) 4. Nick Schuder (Hon CBR600RR) 5. John Marshall (Hon CBR600RR) 6. Jon Leonard (Hon CBR600RR) 

 250 Vintage 1. Cody Wood (Suz Super 6) 2. Ryan Shanahan (Hon CB160) 3. Patrick Leyshock (Yam DT1 250) 4. Daric Cheshire (Hon CB160) 5. Dean Willoughby (Hon CB160) 6. R. Scott Elder (Hon CB160) 

Novice 4 1. Tim Hines, Jr. (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Andrew Rogers (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Wes Stults (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Austin Carroll (Hon CBR600RR) 5. Rohan Wanchu (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Matt Hunt (Hon CBR600RR) 

Novice 5 1. Bo Scott (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. Chris Herrin (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Patrick Cotton (Hon CBR900RR) 4. David Wright (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Keegan Reinke (Suz GSX-R750) 6. Lance Monagon (Hon CBR1000RR)

Ultra Lightweight Superbike 1. Chris Page (Kaw EX250) 2. Kelly Johnson (Kaw EX250) 3. Andrew Pignataro (Kaw EX250) 4. Justin Pyle (Kaw EX250) 5. Peter Kahn (Kaw EX250) 6. Cody Wood (Suz Super6)