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WERA Vintage Road Racing Grand National Finals: Road Atlanta Bv STEVE STASER PHOTOS BV ETECHPHOTO.COM BRASELTON,GA,OCT.25 R aleigh. North Carolina's Mark Morrow took four championships in the WERA Vintage Grand National Finals. earning wins in the Formula RD. Formula 500cc. Formula Two-Stroke and Vintage Five categories. Morrow did it all today. including playing the national anthem on his trumpet to start off the day's races. Today belonged to Morrow. The first of Morrow's championships came in Formula RD. He lined up his MRA Racing Yamaha against polesitter and points leader Stanley Lipert. from Ohio. In their last two meetings, Morrow had to settle for second behind Team Giannini's Lipert. Morrow grabbed the holeshot as the RD pack blasted up the hill in turn one. Lipert got around in the esses and pulled away to lead lap one by 10 lengths. Morrow worked his rival hard, as he crept up each lap and took the lead by lap six of the eight-Iapper. Morrow then pulled away to a 15-length win at the finish. giving Morrow a three-point advantage in the championship. "I've lost sleep thinking about this race," said Morrow. "It's nice to finally beat Stanley." Baltimore. Maryland's Chris Marshall. also from the Team Giannini stable, defended his Lightweight Classic title. but it didn't come easily. Marshall didn't report to his grid position after the warm-up lap. as his shifter broke and he drove back to his pit as the field started without him. Giannini quickly repaired the part, and Marshall re-entered the race as Gary Smith brought his GSA-GP Racing Honda around for the second lap. Smith held the lead and took the win, but Marshall had collected enough points to save his championship. "If I hadn't come in for those repairs and got back out in time to salvage some points, I wouldn't have got the championship," said the relieved rider. After losing the Heavyweight Classic Championship last year by one point. Phoenixville, Pennsylvania's Jesse Morris took his 500cc Triumph to the win and the championship. "I finally got the math right!" enthused Morris. Morrow' second championship came in the second race of the day, Formula 500. He took the point over Lipert and Quick Bikes' Dick Gruhn. Morrow pulled out a 10-length advantage over Lipert and Gruhn by the 40 NOVEMBER 28,2001 • !Above) Martt Morrow (39) captured four championships on hi.. MRA Racing Yamahas at WERA Vintage Road Racing's Grand National Finals, taking the Formula RD, Formula 500cc, Formula TwoStroke and Vintage FIve titles. (Leftl Aboard his Todd Henning-backed 350cc Honda, Buff Harsh defended his Vintage One and Vintage Two titles at Road Atlanta. crossed flags. Gruhn charged past Lipert on lap six and went after the leader. The two charged down the hill in turn 12 side by side. Gruhn squeaked out the win by half a bike length. Morrow's second still gave him the championship. Buff Harsh took his Todd Henningbacked 350cc Honda to a f1ag-to-f1ag win in the Vintage One final. The class points leader and defending champ pulled away from the field as Team Steve-D's Harold Page took a distant but comfortable second. which eamed the former champ in this class the runner-up position for the year. Steven Mahanes took the Mid- cue •• dleweight Classic championship after a close battle with Richard Friese and his Moto Europa Ducati. Mahanes lost the battle but won the war, as his Crockett Racing 350cc Ducati took second to Friese but had enough points to pull out the championship. Tim Joyce, riding the Hour Glass Racing Harley-Davidson. led the entire way in Vintage Four. as the points leader took the win and the championship. Morrow recorded his third championship as he checked out on the Formula Two-Stroke crowd to win by more than 30 lengths over Marshall and Gruhn. After losing the Heavyweight Classic championship last year by one point, Jesse MorTis drove his 500cc Triumph to a convincing win that sealed the crown this year, In Braselton, Georgia. n • _ lIS Harsh also defended his Vintage Two title as he finished second behind Team Obsolete's Eric Green and his Matchless. Harsh had maxed out in points, and his only threat was Lipert, who finished a distant third. Morrow's hardest-earned championship was the Vintage Five run. After grabbing his usual holeshot. his RZ threw a chain in turn one. The large pack left him behind as Morrow coasted to the inside of the turn. Morrow rolled the chain back on, bumpstarted the machine, and took off about half a lap behind. Bill Brown, on his Dick Barboar Racing Yamaha. led the entire way. but Morrow was turning faster laps than anyone. trying to catch up. Brown took the win and Joseph Ball was second. but just 10 lengths behind Ball came Morrow. charging hard to earn third and the Vintage Five championship. The Vintage Three championship went down to the wire. Marshall. on his 650cc Ducati. battled with fast Harley rider Joyce aU race long. The two came into this race tied for the points lead. Marshall stayed within five lengths of Joyce all eight laps but couldn't make the pass. Joyce took the win and his second championship of the day. Robert Wigdorski took his Team Frost Racing Suzuki 1100 to the Vintage Six win but lost out on the championship by two points, behind Ice Motorsports 750cc Honda rider Steven Isenhower. who finished third. Isenhower had a 12-point cushion over Wigdorski coming in. CN lINd AtIIonbl .....llDn. &eargill Results: iIl:tlIber 25, 2001 (FinalJ LJW CLSC: I. Gory Smith (Han); 2. Jen. Zostrow HOn); 3. Buck)' Sexton (Due); 4. Chris Marshall Duc); 5. Doug Bowie (Duc). M/W elSe: 1. Richard Friese (Due); 2. Steven Mahone. (Duc); 3. Gory Smith (Han); 4. Doug Bewie (Duc); 5. Bucky Sexton (Duc). H/W else: 1. Jesse Morris (Tri); 2. David Matthew. (BSA); 3. Rlchord Frie.e (Duc); 4. Mick McDoniel (BSA); 5. Thomo. Bentley (Vom). F·RD: J. Mork Morrow (Vom); 2. Stonley LJpert (Yam); 3. Richard Lucas (Vern); 4. Paul Gllrland (Vom); 5. Lynford Garlond (Vom). F-500: 1. Dick Gruhn (Vom); 2. Mark Morrow (Yom); 3. Stanley LJpert (Yom); 4. Philip Bush (Hon); 5. Richord Luca. (Vom). F-2-STRK: 1. Mark Morrow (Yam): 2. Chris Marslloll (Yom); 3. Dick Gruhn (Yam); 4. Rick Guirey (Yom); 5. Scott McCoin (Yam). VINT 1: I. Buff Horsh (Han); 2. Horold Page (Hon); 3. Mike Matthews (Hon); 4. Mjke Schulte (Hon); 5. Royce Eoton (Hon). V1NT 2: 1. Eric Green (Mat); 2. Bull Horsh (Hon); 3. Stonley LJpert (Han); 4. Mike Matthew. (Han); 5. Mike Schulte (Hon). VINT 3: 1. Tim Joyce (H-D); 2. Chris Morsholl (Duc); 3. ErIc Green (Mot); 4. David Roper (Mot); 5. Dick Gruhn (Vom). VI NT 4; 1. Tim Joyce (H-D); 2. David Roper (Mat); 3. Fronk Shockley (Tri); 4. Doug Bowie (Due); 5. Mike Richardson (Duc). VINT s: 1. Bill Brown (Vom); 2. Jo.eph Boll (Kow); 3. Mark Morrow (Vam); 4. Rick Guirey (Vam); 5. Mike Richerdson (Duc). VINT 6: 1. Robert Wigdorski (5uz).:2. WiIIi2llm Mayfield (Yam); 3. Steven Isenhower (Hon); 4. Ward Cook (Su,); 5. Dovid Wilson (Suz). l 2001 WERA Vintage Champion L/W CLSC: Chrl. Marsholl (Due). M/W eLSe: Steven Mahllnes (Duc). HIW CLSC: Jesse Moni. (Tri). F-RD: Mark Morrow (Vam). F·500: Mark Morrow (Vam). F-2·STRK: Mork Morrow (Vom). V1NT 1: Buff Horsh (Han). V1NT 2: Bull Harsh (Han). V1NT 3: Tim Joyce (H-D). VlNT 4: Tim Joyce (H-D). VINT 5: Mark Morrow (Vern). VlNT 6: Steven Isenhower (Hon).