Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ROAD RACE WERA NATIONAL ENDURANCE SERIES. GSXRllOO. Third place went to Canton Racing out of Ohio. Dean Hayes helped bring the TKO Racing team its first Heavyweight Supersport win of the year after getting a slow start. Team Sharkskins Racing brought out a new Yamaha YZF600 and won the Middleweight Superbike class ahead of Army fl'i of Darkness and Team 10/40. Talladega Gran Prix Raceway Talladega, Alabama Results: April 12, 1997 (Round 1 of 10) O/A: I. Team SuzuJO Endurance (Suz); 2. TKO Racing (5uz); 3. Team Fast Forward (5uz); 4. Nielson Racing Suzuki (Suz); 5. Tapeworks Racing (Suz); 6. Tapeworks Racing 11 (Suz); 7. Canton Racing Endurance (5uz); 8. SBR/Semoff Bros. Racing (Yam); 9. Team Sharkskinz Racing (Yam); 10. Army of Darkness (Yam); 11. Roswell Racing (Suz); l2. Penn State (Suz); 13. Thunder Racing (!Caw); 14. Team 10/40 Racing (Han); 15. Team RBR (Suz); By Aaron Mintz Photos by Brian Nelson ..... 1-< ~ 46 TALLADEGA, AL, APR. he 1997 Western Eastern Roadracers Association kicked off its ]997 ational Endurance and Sprint series at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway with yet another win posted by Team Valvoline Suzuki Endurance, which came prepared to defend its undefeated championship title from 1996 with a new 1997 Suzuki GSXRllOO. Tray Batey and Grant Lopez were in great shape and rode like they were on fire as they gave Team Suzuki Endurance its 120th victory. The team hasn't been beaten since the July 1995 Indianapolis Raceway Park NationaL "This winter r rode dirt bikes and jumped rope to keep in shape," Batey said. "We made some minor· changes to the suspension and carburetion for this year's bike." Batey turned consistent lap times in the 58- to 59-second range. The TKO Racing team's Dean Hayes rode a Suzuki GSXR750 like it was on rails as he steadily climbed his way back up to the front and finished second after he stalled the bike at the start of the race. The Canadian I American combination of Phil Schilling and Phillip Caudill rode compatibly and took their new Suzuki 600 to third place overall and first place in the Middleweight Superstock class. Schilling said he was very impressed with Suzuki's new GSXR6OO, comparing the handling to his days as a 250cc twostroke racer. Overcast skies with a threat of rain and muggy high-60s temperatures set the stage for the first round of the WERA National Series. The front row of the endurance race was occupied with last year's top three overall finishers. As the green flag fell to start the four-hour endurance run on the tight 1.1-miIe, nineturn Talladega track, it was last year's champion Batey pulling the holeshot into turn one. Right behind Batey was Joe Prussiano III on the Archlight Racing entry. The TKO Racing Suzuki was the last bike on the front row. However, Dean Hayes stuttered the bike and Schilling shot by (Above) Team Suzuki Endurance (1) racked up Its 120th victory during the opening round of the 1997 WERA National Endurance Series at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway. The team has not been defeated since July 1995. (Below) Joe Prussiano iii was the big winner during the WERA sprints at Talladega. Prussiano scored victories in the 1100cc and 750cc Superstock Expert divisions. (Right) Scott Brown topped the Formula II Expert ranks, leading the race from start to finish. 16. Rastafariaq Radng (Kaw); 17. Young Guns Racing (Hon); 18. 1-800-Crotch Rockel (Suz); 19. Team Fury (!Caw); 20. MR Racing (Suz). . WERA NATIONAL ENDURANCE SERIES POfNTS STANDINGS (After 1 of to rounds): 1, Team Suzuki Endurance (103.47/1 Mn); 2. TKO Raclng (92.95); 3. Te:un Fast Forward (87.82); 4. N;e!Bon R.,cing Suzuki (82.69); S. Tapeworks Racing (77.69); 6. Tapeworks Racing II (72.56); 7. Canlon Racing Enduranco (70.3); 8. SBR/Semoff Bros. Radng (67.3); 9. Team Sharkskinz Raci.J;tg (64.17); 10. Army of Darkness (61.17); 11. Roswell Racing (58.17); 12. Penn State (56.01); 13. Thunder Racing (54.91); 14. Team 10/40 Raciog (53.65); 15. Team RBR (52.65); 16. Rastafarian Racing (SI52); 17. Young Guos Racing (50.26); 18. l-soo-Crotd1 Rocket (48.74); 19. Team Fury (47.35); 20. MR Racing (46.22~ Upcoming Rounds: Round 2 - Brase~on, Georgia, May 10 Round 3 - Hallett, Oklahoma, May 24 WERA: National Sprint Series Round One: Talladega Gran Prix Raceway Hayes on his Suzuki 600 to be third into turn one. Behind the leaders the rest of the field freight-trained around through the first few comers. Prussiano was meeting the challenge Batey was providing, but he succumbed to a slight mental error entering turn one and violently low-sided on lap two. "We are using a pit board for the first time this year, and r was looking at the board," Prussiano said of the crash. "1 lost where r was long enough to realize that 1 overshot my braking marker. 1 low-sided the bike on the brakes and you see the result. 1 feel bad." Just the same, when Archlight repaired the motorcycle Prussiano was the one team owner Chuck Warren put back in the saddle to re-enter the race. As the first hour passed, TeamValvoline Suzuki Endurance had Japped the entire field and seemed ready to walk away with the race. However, victory did not come as easily as it appeared.Taking advantage of an early red-flag due to a crashed bike on the track, Team Valvoline Suzuki ended up taking much 10l'lger than expected to complete the pit stop. The extra-long pit stop was the result of a metal burr found on the treads of the front axle. "After the restart, we pitted the bike," Batey said. "During the front-wheel change we found the axle had a metal burr on it which prevented it from threading through properly. Keith Perry quickly filed the burr and they mounted the wheel. On this short of a track it put us down a lap, but we'll make it up." Tenacious riding by Batey and Lopez prevailed, and they overcame the loss of a lap and continued to drive until they had put four laps on second place, winning both overall and in the Heavyweight Superbike -class. Tapeworks Racing and the familiar rider combination of Scott Harwell and Russell Macecar finished second in the class on their Suzuki Prussiano '" grabs two By Aaron Mintz Photos By Brian Nelson TALLADEGA, AL, APR. 13 he sun came out over Talladega . Gran Prix Raceway to start the ]997 WERA National Sprint Series where Archlight Racing's Joe Prussiano III won the 1l00cc Supersport and the' 750cc Supersport classes. Team Valvoline Suzuki's Grant Lopez brought a new Suzuki GSXRllOO to Talladega and was anxious to demonstrate the machine's power. Lopez jumped out T

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