Georgia's Dean Swims (seen hereland Kevin Rentzell rode Kayo Racing's Suzuki GSXR1100 to victory in the Firebird 500 at Firebird Raceway.
Dutchman Racing'sDoug Brauneck and Dave Schlosser finished second,
two laps behind Kayo Racing, despite a dead last start:
AMA/CCS MotoWorld U.S. Endurance
Road Race Series: Round 1
Kayo Ra'cing
Firebird 500
KO~s
By Michael Ross
CHANDLER, AZ, FEB. I
Kayo Racing, formerly New Haven Suzuki,
delivered the one-two punch in the Firebird
SOO-Kilometer Endurance Road Race at Firebird Raceway by winning both the GTO and
GTU classes in the opening
round of the AMA/CCS Series.
"
A .t Ianta- b ased Ka yo R aCH~g S
KeVin Rentzell and Dean SWIms
look lheir Larry Brown-luned Suzuki
GSXRI100 lO lhe winner's circle with
a near flawless ride lhal saw them
break the lrack record en roule to the
overall victory. Kayo's Donnie Rowe
and Tommy Sloan piloted the team's
Yamaha FZ600 to an impressive third
overall and first in the GTU class.
RentzelJ pulled the holeshot wilh
the team's Yokohama Tires/D.LD/
GS Balleries/Daito/Shoei/Cycle
Performance-sponsored Suzuki and
led the 25-bike field into lhe first
turn. Kelly Byrd and lheTeam Razor
Yamaha FZ750 was in hot pursuit
wilh High-Tech Racing's Suzukijn
I
.
h 184 I
lhTird ยท
h ree aps Into l e
- ap race,
Byrd mounted a series challenge for
lhe lead. High-Tech lurked within
slriking distance in lhird as lhe leading trio pulled away from lhe pack.
Dutchman Racing, manned by
Doug Brauneck and Dave Schlosser,
got off to a dead last starl, but Brauneck poured on the coals and sleadily
moved through the field.
High-Tech was the first team lO
drop Ollt ",hen a G"h in turn ont:
disabled their Suzuki on lap 10. Harespon crashed 14 laps into the race
and then Team Rising Sun weill down
on lap 19. Byrd's Yamaha sounded
worse and worse finally Slopping on
lap 26.