Greg Ludt Wins In the Rain

CCS Southeast/Florida

Roebling Road Raceway, Bloomingdale, GA

August 27, 2017

Greg Ludt won the Unlimited Grand Prix race at Roebling Road Raceway on his BMW S1000RR during the CCS Southeast/Florida regional event. The weekend was plagued with intermittent rain which provided wet, dry, and damp track conditions that varied throughout each day. The start of the Unlimited Grand Prix race was no exception. The track had been drying following multiple afternoon showers, and with third and final call for the last race of the day, the clouds opened up and unloaded another short, but heavy downpour for the sighting and starting laps of the race. Just enough to make the race wet and unpleasant and deter riders from making the grid without time to change whatever tire they had selected.

Somewhere around lap two the rain stopped, making pre race tire choices critical. Ludt had chosen Pirelli rain tires. And, at the start of the race, with the rain pouring down, he nabbed the holeshot and was out front with an early lead. He was quickly challenged by Dean Smith on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Smith was able to pass Ludt at the end of the first lap as they entered the front straight. But Ludt drove past him and took back the lead. 

“Dean was trailing me the whole race,” stated Ludt. “I’d look back at him exiting nine, and he’d wave bye to me, then he’d reel me in every lap.” 

Ludt was able to maintain the advantage throughout the eight lap race and take the checkered flag with Smith finishing second and Bart Rogowski rounding off the podium.

“Foremost, I have to thank Brad Riggins and Baseline Motorsports for making this weekend possible,” Ludt said after the race. “As well to my supporters, who have helped make the BMW S 1000 RR an ultimate machine, Podium Motorsports and Pirelli tires, Woodcraft, Vortex Racing, PFC Brakes, Motonation/Sidi Boots and VP Racing Fuels. And a huge thank you to all the CCS staff, corner workers, and Roebling Road Raceway staff for a smoothly run weekend and keeping us safe.” 

Ludt also finished fourth in the first race of the day, GTO.

Lucas Silva was the biggest winner of the event with five first place finishes. Silva won the GTU, Middleweight Supersport, Middleweight Superbike, Middleweight Grand Prix, and Heavyweight Superbike races on his ART Performance Yamaha YZF-R6. Some of his best battles were with Anne Roberts in the rain on her Turbo Turtles Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 with the two swapping positions for the lead. And, after another great battle, Lucas finished second to Greg Melka in the Heavyweight Supersport race.

In the amateur ranks, Matthew Dalrymple was the big winner with four victories. He won the Amateur Unlimited Supersport, Middleweight Superbike, Middleweight Grand Prix, and Heavyweight Superbike races on his Yamaha YZF-R6.

The CCS Southeast region is scheduled to compete at Virginia International Raceway September 16-17th, along with the Mid-Atlantic region. The event will also contain the seventh round of the ASRA Team Challenge. The CCS Florida is scheduled to compete again October 7-8th at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For full results, lap times, points standings, remaining 2017 season schedule, and additional information on past and future events for all regions, please go to: www.ccsracing.us.

EXPERT UNLIMITED GRAND PRIX RESULTS:

1. Gregory Ludt (BMW S1000RR)

2. Dean Smith (Yam YZF-R6)

3. Bart Rogowski (Yam YZF-R1)

4. Armando Ferrer (BMW S1000RR)