From a press release issued by WERA:
LOCAL RACERS SHINE DURING WERA NATIONAL AT GRATTAN RACEWAY; BATEY WINS SUZUKI WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
BELDING, Mich.- Local riders proved that they know the fast way around Grattan Raceway during the Dunlop/WERA National Endurance and WERA National Challenge Series races, July 19-20.
Tray Batey, Mark Junge and John Jacobi won the seven and a half hour Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series race by seven laps on the Vesrah
Suzuki GSX-R1000, and they were joined on the podium by two local teams.
Taylor Knapp/Ray C’s Racing was second overall and first in the Mediumweight Superstock class. Local riders Fritz Kling and Ray Yoder teamed up to ride the Yamaha YZF-R6.
Firehawk, another local team, was third on the overall podium and second in Mediumweight Superstock. Scotty VanScoik, Cole Wyatt, JP Tache and Steve Steinman were also riding a Yamaha YZF-R6.
Rain was unable to mar the close competition during the WERA National Challenge Series sprint races. Several local racers rode to wins, including Northville, Mich., resident Chuck Bannon, who battled with series regular David Weber to win 750 Superbike on a Suzuki GSX-R750.
Scott Trautmann of Holland, Mich., won both 125 Grand Prix and Formula 2 on a Honda RS125.
Mark Junge rode the Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a win in Open Superstock, and he later won 600 Superstock on a Suzuki GSX-R600.
Junge’s teammate Tray Batey won Pirelli Formula 1 on a Suzuki GSX-R750 and Heavyweight Twins on a borrowed Suzuki SV1000. He set a new track record of 1:19.15 during the Formula 1 race.
Batey also won the first of three Suzuki World Cup Qualifier races that will be held in the United States. The winner of each race gets to travel to Magny Cours, France, to represent the United States in the Suzuki World Cup.
Reuben Frankenfield won 750 Superstock on a Suzuki GSX-R750, and Bradley Champion took the victory in Lightweight Twins on a Suzuki SV650. Team InfoTech’s Nicky Wimbauer won the 600 Superbike race on a Yamaha YZF-R6. It was the first WERA National win for the 15-year-old racer.
In the novice classes, Eddie Kraft from Shelby Township, Mich., won Heavyweight Twins, Lightweight Twins and Formula 2 on the Kart2Kart.com/BRGRacing.com Suzuki SV650. Sparta, Mich., racer Bradley Anderson won 750 Superbike on a Honda CBR600F4.
Adam Sylvester of Holland, Mich., won the 600 Superbike race by just a few bike lengths on his Yamaha YZF-R6.
Matt Lynn won 750 Superstock on a Suzuki GSX-R600 and Eddie Robinson took the victory in the STAR School 600 Superstock race on a Yamaha YZF-R6.
The next round of the WERA National Challenge and the Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series will be at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia, August 1-3. The endurance race will be six hours in length.
More information about WERA, including complete race results and class points, can be found on the Internet at www.WERA.com.
More, from a press release issued by Team Velocity Racing:
TEAM VELOCITY RACING FINISHES 4TH IN MEDIUMWEIGHT SUPERSTOCK, 6TH OVERALL DURING WERA ENDURANCE AT GRATTAN
BELDING, Mich.- Team Velocity Racing’s Chuck Ivey, Steven Breckenridge and Reuben Frankenfield persevered for seven and a half hours to finish sixth overall and fourth in the Mediumweight Superstock class during the WERA National Endurance Series round held at Grattan Raceway on June 19, despite crashing twice.
Ivey started the race and was fifth in the opening laps on the Team Velocity Suzuki GSX-R600. He then pitted and handed the bike over to Frankenfield, who was setting consistent, quick laps until he crashed.
“My first stint went well, except for falling in the bowl turn. Luckily I didn’t even stall the motor. I got it picked up, went back to the pits, we got the bike teched and went back out,” said Frankenfield.
The team made a routine pit stop about halfway though the race for fuel, new tires and a rider change, and Ivey got on the bike for his second stint. When he got to turn one on his first lap, Ivey realized that the brakes had not been pumped up following the tire change. He ran off the track and crashed in the turn one gravel trap.
“I felt really good in my first stint. I was doing some decent times when I started,” commented Ivey. “The second stint, we changed the front and rear tires with a Superstock setup in a minute and 15 seconds. Of course we lost it all in turn one when I reached for the brake and nothing was there. I locked up the rear and it was wanting to highside me on each side. I rode into the gravel and fortunately just tipped over. Everybody did really well, we just had some mistakes.”
“‘Trials and tribulations’ sums up the day,” said Breckenridge. “We had a lot of misfortune. Otherwise we probably would have finished on the podium in our class. As for me, I went out in my second stint and hooked up with Jeff Walker on the Army of Darkness bike, and we were going at it. I had a lot of fun.
“Reuben put a fresh motor in the bike for this weekend and it runs great. We were able to run right along Army of Darkness’ Superbike. We’re happy with that, and with all of the teamwork.”
Frankenfield stayed at Grattan to run the WERA National Challenge Series sprint races the next day. He won the 750 Superstock race on a Suzuki GSX-R750, pulling away for a 19.28-second margin of victory over second-place finisher Tray Batey.
The 750 Superstock race was held after a rainstorm, and the track was beginning to dry. Frankenfield quickly mounted intermediate Pirelli tires, barely making the starting grid in time.
“At first I didn’t think I was going to be able to stay with the leaders, but I got a really good start,” said Frankenfield. “I wanted to stay with Tray, and then he had a big moment coming onto the front straightaway. He gathered it up and did a big long wheelie down the front straight, which cost him some time. The next lap I had a really big moment; I thought I was off. Eventually I realized I was catching Tray. I made the pass and rode away.”
Later in the day, Frankenfield also competed in the Suzuki World Cup Qualifier race, finishing fifth. He ran as high as third in the first half of the race.
Team Velocity Racing will be competing in the next round of the WERA National Endurance Series, which will be a six-hour race at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia, August 1-3.
More information about Team Velocity Racing can be found on the Internet at www.TeamVelocityRacing.com.
More, from a press release issued by Witchkraft Racing:
Witchkraft Racing Successful at First National
WERA National Series
Grattan Raceway
July 19/20, 2003
Witchkraft Racing’s Eddie Kraft teamed up with Gary Schilling and Steve Bell to finished strong enough to take 2nd place in the Lightweight class of WERA’s 8 hour Endurance race, which took place at the scenic and technical Grattan Raceway.
Riding Schilling’s Blue Ridge Performance Suzuki SV650, the team suffered a major setback when electrical problems struck on the opening laps of the race. Switching to the B bike, Kraft put in consistent laps for the first hour, while Schilling and Bell followed suit–battling back from over 10 laps down to take 2nd place. Blue Ridge was able to build a substantial cushion, as other teams were left chasing problems of their own. The final hour wasn’t without drama, as clutch problems forced Blue Ridge to come in, losing valuable laps to both the lightweight leaders and third place. Forced to finish the remaining 35 minutes in 4th gear around the entire Grattan course, Bell took the checkered flag and 2nd place, while Blue Ridge Performance legitimately earned their first podium finish in the National Endurance Series.
On Sunday, Eddie switched over to his Kart2Kart.com/BRGRacing.com Suzuki SV650 to take on the National riders, along with the questionable weather for the National Series Sprint races.
Running the Lightweight Twins class with full rains, Eddie won his first National race, while chasing down expert riders, and finishing 2nd overall behind Bradley Champion on his SV650. A big thanks to his team members, who helped get the bike setup for the wet track conditions.
With a semi-dried track for Heavyweight Twins, the call for slicks was made, as Eddie went on to win his second race of the day, and take a top 10 overall finish. His dad and Crew Chief, Joe Kraft, took all the credit for the win, as he saved the day when electrical problems caused Eddie to miss the green flag and join the race at the back of the pack.
Finishing on a strong note, Eddie was able to end the weekend winning the Formula 2 race, which was held on a fully dried track. Taking 1st overall, expert #104 Scott Trautman kept the pressure on, aboard his Honda RS125. A solid start helped Eddie build an early lead, where he was able to put in consistent laps and finish the weekend on an high note.
While some of the Witchkraft Racing team is racing the WERA event at Mid Ohio this week, Eddie will be finishing the remainder of the North Central series schedule, which next hits Putnam Park on August 9/10.
More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:
SIDI TO SPONSOR AMA RED BULL SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Sidi, a world leader in motorcycling and cycling footwear has agreed to be a sponsor of AMA Pro Racing’s newest series, the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship.
According to Andy Leisner, AMA Pro Racing Vice President, the agreement will provide Sidi with significant on-site exposure as well as “exclusive boot sponsor” status.
Bill Berroth, president of Motonation, the American distributor of Sidi products, is looking forward to his company’s involvement with the series. “Sidi was founded in 1960 and has always lead the industry in terms of innovation,” said Berroth. “The technology that goes into every Sidi product is evident in both the comfort and design of our boots. We have a number of products that appeal to the Supermoto fan and racer so it’s a natural for us to be involved with the series.”
Leisner added that Sidi’s involvement in this series is particularly fitting because of the wide variety of racing backgrounds that the riders bring to this championship. “With motocrossers, road racers and dirt trackers competing in the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship, everyone approaches it a little differently,” said Leisner. “This is evident even in the gear worn by the participants. Most racers wear motocross boots while some favor more of a road racing-style boot. The synergy to the various products in the Sidi line is ideal.”
The AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship is comprised of six events running from July through November. The championship finale will take place on Nov. 21, 2003 in Las Vegas in connection with the AMA Awards Banquet.
