Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126987
-- ~ I , " .,;. t J ~J .••..t " \ Team Scream (42) and Team Suzuki (1) powered to the front of the field . during the Le Mans-style start at the Texas B-Hour in College Station . Team Suzuki's Thomas Stevens (above). Mike Harth and Russell Paulk rode their Suzuki GSXR11 00 to victory in Texas. Team Scream fini shed second in round 12 . of the WERA National Endurance Series at Texas World Speedway. finish ing four laps down. WERA/EBC Brakes National Endurance Series: Round 1.2 . , Team Suzuki wins Texas World 8-Hour By Cindy Bowen COLLEGE STATION, TX, OCT. 3 T eam Su zu ki won their sixth endu rance race of the year at Texas World Speedway. Riders Thomas Stevens, Mike Hardr and Russell Paulk covered 237 laps in the eight-hour race on the Suzuki GSXRIIOO fi hi fot Superbi Ike, mrs mg our laps ahead of second place Team Scream . - - - .. ... The Texas World B-Hour has always had a Le Mans style start In the past despite negative reaction from WERA and toe-ranked endurance teams. The 53 bike field packed 4. • in tightly for the usual Le Mans start. At th e drop of the flag, riders sprinted across the track, vowing to be the first bik e into turn one. Team Racerback 's B.B. Montemayor fell at the start and several bikes hit him crushing his ankle. He was taken to nearby Humana Hospital in Co llege Station where he underwent surgery. The top spot went to Tea m Scream's Craig G leason as he led the first lap followed closely by Team Suzuki, Team Winchester/Evenflo's Wesley Winchester and Team Gamma's Craig Gaver. Winchester didn 't waste any time as he passed Team Scream early in the first hour for the lead. The two Texas-based teams maintained first and second throughout the first hour with Team Suzuki in third. At the completion of the first hour, Team Winchester/Evenflo was in the lead with Team Scream in second, both' with 30 laps. Team Suzuki was in third with 29 laps followed by series . regulars Genesis Racing and Solmax Racing USA rounding out the top five. Team Suzuki was on the move in th e second hour passing both Winchester and Team Scream. Stevens pitted and turned the bike over to Harth. This was H art h 's first race back since he broke his leg in a spring race at Grattan in August, but if he was in any discomfort it didn't show. Harth was turning 1:54s consistently and captured the lead that they would not relinquish. They finished up the second hour in the lead, followed by Winchester/Evenflo and Team Scream, each with 61 laps. Ro unding out the top five was ART Racing and Western Sizzlin ' BMW. ' The Heavyweight Production battle was between Genesis Racing's Ken Welty, James Tribou and Tony DiSimone and Sol max Racing USA's Terry Bailey and Paul Bray. Bray was signed as a replacement rider for. reg ular rider Scott Russe ll .. who was recovering from a broken collarbone from a cras h the previous weekend in Grattan. Genesis maintained the lead over Sol max most of the race, winning the class and finishing third overalL Winchester/Evenflo riders Winchester, Maschmann, Even, Cheek and Lunsford held onto secon d behind Team Suzuki. By hour four, Suzuki had put a two-lap cushion on their lead and team captain J ohn Ulrich instructed the riders to ride .conservatively to maintain the lead. The Middleweight Superbike was no sweat for Western Sizzlin' BMW riders Harvey, Bradlaw, Vandenberg and Winchester. They were never threatened by any Middleweigh t Superbike team and won their class by an impressive nine laps, becoming the only Middleweight bike to finish in the top five. Winchester/Evenflow ' dropp ed out in the fifth hour allowing Team Scream back into second place. ART Racing stayed in third place with in a lap of Team Scream for four hoiirs,