Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

WERA National Challenge Series Round 5: Grattan Raceway Park ~~l~~i '~~mi~~t~~ ~~~mU[~ mif~ By Jackl Fisher Photos by Nick Devlnck n the 1100cc Superstock race, Valvoline's Jamie Hacking got the holeshot but was quickly displaced in tum four . by America's Motorsports GSXRmounted Tray Batey. Behind them, Valvoline's Dave Stanton moved up to secure second behind Batey, who pulled away to a comfortable lead and made it stick to take first place. Hacking never got back into contention after overshooting turn five, losing six positions because of the excursion. The first half of the 600cc Superstock race was between Triple R Racings' I (Right) Halfway through the second hour, TKO was sidelined with a blown engine. The ensuing pit stop to change the engine took 38 minutes, thus ending the team's chances for a top-three finish. (Below) Joe Prussiano (7) led the early laps of the Michelin 750cc Superstock class. Prussiano would finish second after being passed by David Stanton. He remounted without re-teching and was docked a lap, allowing MCE Racing's Joji Tokumoto, who was moving up one position every lap, to sneak into first. Road Racing World's John Ulrich, who had been running a solid second and who should have taken over the lead with Rogers' misfortune, hit a false neutral coming over the "hump" going into the esses, allowing Tokumoto to take first place. Ulrich was still able to extend his lead in the point standings to 72. Road Racing World's Chris .Ulrich fought his way to third, making it a father-son 2-3, and moved to second overall in the point standings. Tray Batey established an early lead in the F-l event, turning the fastest times of the weekend with solid 22s. He never looked back. The race was redflagged after the seventh lap when Team Chicago's Steve Karson road the guard rail on the straight after nearly saving a wild off-track tank-slapper but crashed with his bike on the track. Dave Stanton was a distant second and Valvoline's Grant Lopez stole third from Lanny Allen at the end of the shortened sprint. {N Grattan Raceway park Belding, Michigan Results: June 23,1996 (Round 5 of 10) Mike Reed and Kawasaki of Canton's Joey Gilleland, who couldn't keep up the pace. "] feel like there was a 5O-mph headwind," Gilleland said. "I couldn't get any motor on th.e straight. I hope it's just jetting problems." Reed got a great start, put his head down and charged on for the win. Reed was briefly threatened by Honda Canada's Jeff Williams at the end of the race. Williams, who had been gridded near the back of the second wave, had carved his way through traffic, motoring by Greenwood Motorsports' Reuben • Frankenfield when Frankenfield went wide through turn four, alIowing Williams to push him to the outside. Williams began dicing with Cycle Speed Racing's Phil Schilling, who had been running in second for the last half of the race. Williams drafted up to Schilling on the straight, went outside going into turn one, and waited for Schilling to brake. He passed Schilling in turn one by sliding around him using the rear brake. With only one lap to go, Williams didn't have enough time to do better than second. His disappointment got worse when he was disqualified because of a recent rule change regarding Honda F3 tail sections. Schilling was also disqua lified for the same reason. "] was leading the points going into this round and] want this championshi p really bad," Reed said after the race. K.S. Cycleworks' GSXR-mounted Joe Prussiano took the lead of the Michelin 750cc Superstock class by the second lap and held onto it until the seventh lap when Dave Stanton took over. Stanton was shadowing Prussiano for the entire race, waiting for him to make a mistake. On lap seven, Prussiano was having traction problems in turn four while Stanton's Michelins held, allowing him to take over first place and make it stick. Stanton .had been tied for eighth in the points race, but the win moved him up to third overalL In an exciting final finish-line pass, Suzuki's John Branch squeaked by R&B Racing's Timothy Bemisderfer to steal fourth. Dunlop's Stoney Landers held first place in the Middleweight GP class until the last half of the race when Jeff Williams went inside coming out of turn four over Grattans "hump" to take first. Himmelsbach Racing's Bill Himmelsbach made a last-ditch attempt to take first after fighting his way through traffic on the last lap. Williams lost his concentration temporarily. "] was watching my pit signals and nearly got passed by Bill," he said. EBC's Shawn Conrad took advantage of the confusion and slipped into third, leaving Landers with a frustrating fourth place. Road Racing World's Chris Rogers nailed the start of the 125cc Grand Prix class and was headed for victory until the}ast couple of laps when he lowsided out of the off-camber turn three. 1100 S/STK EX, 1. 1. Way Batey (Suz); 2. David Stanton (502); 3. Joseph Prussiano rn (Suz); 4,. Grant Lopez (Suz~ 5. joshua Hayes (Suz). FACTORY 600 PROD NOV, 1. Luke Yazbrough (Hon~ 2. Shawn Mdnery (Hon); 3. Craig Randell (Hon~ 4. Gn!g White (Kaw) 5. lin"" Healea (Hon) 600 5/STK EX, 1. Milee Reed (Raw); 2. Reuben Frankenfield (Kaw); 3. Joey Gillel""d (Kaw); 4. Dean Hayes (Kaw); 5. Mark Reed (Kaw). FACTORY DYNAMOMETER 750 PROD NOV, 1. Luke Yarbrough (Hon); 2. Roger Bell (Suz); 3. Greg White (Raw); 4. Riel< Goldberg (Kaw); S. Craig Randell (Hon) MlCHELIN 750 SISTI< EX: 1. Day;d Stanton (Suz); 2. Joseph Prussiano m (5uz); 3. Grant Lopez (Suz); 4. John Branch 111 (Suz); 5. Tunothy Bemisd.rfer (Suz). 600 SlBK NOV: 1. William Taylor (Hon); 2. Greg White (Kaw); 3. Joe Vitrano (Hon); 4. Craig Randel1 (Hon~ 5. Ovistopher Allen (Hon) MlW GP: 1. Jeff Williams (Hon); 2. William Himmelsbach (Yam); 3. Shawn Concad (Kaw); 4. Stoney Land... (Hon); S. Phil Schilling (Hon). 125 GP: 1. Joji Tokumoto (Hon); 2. John Ulrich (Hon); 3. Chris Ulrich (Yam); 4. Paul Black (Hon); S. Rolando Quintero (Hon). 750 S/BK NOV: 1. Roger Bell (502); 2. William Taylor (Hon); 3. Joe Vitrano (Hon); 4. Chad Burger (Due); 5. Christopher Allen (Hon). F-1' 1. Tray Batey (Suz); 2. Day;d Stonton (Suz); 3. Grant Lopez (Suz); 4. Lanny Allen (Suz); S. Dean Hayes (Suz). Upcoming Rounds: Round 6 - Clennont, IN, July 11-14 Round 7 - Mount Meridian, IN, August 8·10

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