Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

W€RA,/Bridg€stonE National €ndurance s€ri€s Round 2: Tallad€ga GP Vesroh Tqkes Tollodego TALLADEGA, AT, APR. 8 A lter a .ornado rhreat in the middle of the l\,tght, - ".tr"tto-ado touching down ;ust l2 m'les from the track, and a sready rain fallinS all morninS, the sun finally broke throuSh 35 minutes before the start of the second round of the wERA/Bridgestone Naaional Endurance Series. Ar l2:45 p.m. the green flaB fleq and 39 teams charged into turn one. Chad Lewin took the lead on the 5150 Ra('ng Suzuk, 1000, wrth Tray Barey runnin8 se(ond on the Nielson Enterprises/y'esrah Suzuki. Red Star, Ieam Velocity, Triple R RacinE, TVR ll and Dalke l'4otorspons followed. ln the very.ompetitive LaghtweiSht class, Ghetto Customs, Neishbor Of The Eeast and Blue Ridge Performance ran one. !wo. three. After five laps. Batey took command, and Scott Fisher, on Neighbor's SV took the point of the Light\.veight scrimmage. Three bikes were down in che first corner after 45 minut€6. and this brought out the fir51 red flag. On the restart, Vesrdh captured the lead, wfiile 5 I 50 arld Arrrchu ran second and third, with Red Star right there. Trip,e R Ricing got a Breat launch and led *€ Middlewei8tn Supe6lock class. The two Team Velocity teams ran totether. Gh€tto again led Neighboi wifi Blue Rige third in the LiShtweithts. Dunlop-mounted Ben Thofipcon, ofl 6e Red Star Yamaha 6m, began to cut inro Vesrah's lead. Vesrah pitted, chanting bodl tire., ari Red Star had dle lead. Durint the second hour, Velocity Crew rnoved to sixth, and Macheca Motorspons, on the Kawaraki 1000, charted to eithth. Meanwhile, 5150 had another off-track excursion, and a bik€ was down in the first comet brin8ln8 out the second red fla8. This red Ilat removed the advantate Red Star had buiit over Vesrah at this point of th€ race. With the flip of the third tr€en flag of the day, vesrah and Red Sta. baltled for the lead again, with Team Velocity third and Triple R Racint fourth, Ghetto moved to llth, with Neighbor onry four seconds beck. velocity Crew charged to firth overall during the third hour. as Vesrah reeptured tte lead. Dalke ran off tie track and dropped to l2th, whil€ Ghetto and Neighbor ran wathin secondr of e.ch other. Team Mauis Racing and Ed Bar$. RS Endurance battled for el8hth, with \Mzard Racing a few clicks back. During rhe inal houi TVR ll gained rwo laps on Triple R and looked ready to win ahe clats. wizard moved to eighth overall, while Nei8hbor pu( 13 seconds on Gheno wi(h a [ew more tirc changes, Veirah finally gained four laps on a fadinS Red Star, which raced the entire race on one se! of Dunlops but held at to second oveEll. "The overali is elusive, especially for a 600 team. stated Red Star team owner and rider William Lindsay. "Our best chance {or an overall win w?s at this track. Vesrah is touSh to beat. afld they ran a perfect ra

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