KWS Motorsports rider Luie Zendajas comes out swinging on new bike!

The first race weekend of the 2014 season in the WERA National series was held at Roebling Road Raceway this past weekend. Millennium Technologies, Rider’s Discount and Knight’s Armaments are once again supporting KWS Motorsports Rider Luie Zendajas in a quest to win races and ultimately a WERA National Championship. For the 2014 season, KWS and Luie decided to change things up and go with the Kawasaki ZX-10R and Pirelli tires. Right out of the box, it was fast and competitive in preseason testing. With a little more work and tuning the bike was ready to go racing on Saturday afternoon in the WERA Regional Sprints.

With very cold temperatures in the morning, the sun was just coming out and getting some heat in the track for our first race of the day, Formula 1 Expert. Luie still trying to figure out the characteristics of his new steed, did not get his best start when the flag dropped. This put him behind many riders going into turn one, but he quickly worked his way through them in the opening laps to work his way up to the race leader and battled for the top spot all the way to the checkered flag. At the end Luie came up just a hair to short finish second place.

After going over the GoPro camera footage and notes from his first ever race on the new bike, Luie was ready to go for his second race of the day, A Superstock Expert. The start was a little better than the previous race, but Luie still went into turn one behind other riders that he had to battle with for the first few laps. After finally getting past, he put his head down to catch the leader, but ran out of laps to catch him and settled for his another second place. The third race of the day was a first for the now seasoned rider, Senior Superbike. With even more changes made to the bike Luie went out to work his starting technique and race lines. He was able to pull out sizeable lead on second and take the checkered flag in first place in only his third race on the new machine.

Sunday’s races looked to be even better than the day before with more riders showing up overnight to fill the grids. The first race of the day was the A Superstock Expert National. Luie had a front row start based on his 2013 point in the class. Still working on figuring out how to launch the ZX-10R. Luie took off at the wave of the green flag to enter turn one mixed in with five other riders and then started to battle for postion for the first half of the race. With very fast lap times surpassing Saturday’s times, the only place to really pass that many riders was on the very long front straight, and that is exactly what Luie did. At the mid point of the race sitting in fifth place, Luie started to draft the fourth place rider who himself was drafting second and third place. With that much air being displaced, Luie was able to overtake all three riders going into turn one. Now riding ahead of the battle, he was able put in his second fastest lap of the weekend to make a comfortable gap on the riders behind him. The laps ran out to soon for Luie while he was trying to chase down first place to take his third second place finish of the weekend.

With the impending rain starting much earlier than expected during the afternoon, Luie, as well as many other riders decided to pack up for the day and head home with bikes and bodies intact, and race another day. The next round for Luie and KWS Motorsports will be taking place in just a few short weeks at NOLA Motorsports Park, New Orleans, LA April 5th and 6th.

Luie Zendejas – “We had a very successful weekend on the new bike. we were able to run up front and compete for the win considering minor set up issues with the bike. There still a lot of speed that we need to uncover and that is just going to come with seat time. Three 2nd place finishes and a win is not a bad way to start the season. Mike Godin built a great bike and Mike Fitzgerald is working magic with the suspension. Big thanks to all my sponsors KWS Motorsports, Millennium Technologies, Riders Discount.com, Knight’s Armaments, Liquid Sky sports, Drippin’ Wet, Andrew Swenson Designs, Ballistic Performance Components, Motul, Five Ten, Backcountry.com, Pirelli tires, Aria Helmets,VP Racing Fuels, Oakley, Thermosman Suspensions. I can’t wait for round 2 at NOLA.”

KWS Motorsports (www.kwsmotorsports.com) is proudly sponsored by:

Millennium Technologies, Ballistic Performance Components, VP Race Fuels, Motul Lubricants, Worldwide Bearings, Motion Pro, CP-Carrillo, Web Camshafts, XT Racing, K&N Filters & Zero Gravity Windscreens.

Luie Zendejas (www.luiezendejasracing.com) is proudly sponsored by:

KWS Motorsports, Millennium Technologies, Ballistic Performance Components, Riders Discount, Thermosman Suspension, Knights Armaments, Dark Horse Foundation, Infinite Labs, Liquid Sky Sports, Five Ten, Storm Endurance Sports Bicycle Shop, Andrew Swenson Designs, Drippin’ Wet, Pirelli Tires, VP Racing Fuels, Motul Lubricants, Worldwide Bearings, Arai Helmets, Alpinestars, Oakley, Ice Box Cryotherapy, Backcountry.com, Web Cams, CP-Carrillo, Motion Pro, XT Racing, K&N Filters & Zero Gravity Windscreens.

For Information: http://www.kwsmotorsports.com.

More, from a press release issued by Nitron USA:

Amateur Racing Ain’t for Slumming: Gavin Elstad Wins on Nitron Shocks

March 19, 2014

Charlotte, North Carolina: Even though Nitron Race Pro shocks are pro, they’re available to amateurs too, and 15-year-old Gavin Elstad won this weekend on his at the WERA Sportsman/National round at Roebling Road Raceway, in Pooler, Georgia.

Competing there in classes of the local WERA Sportsman Series, and the WERA Michelin National Challenge Series, this Columbia, South Carolina racer, Gavin Elstad, etched out one win and three second-place finishes in the four races he competed in, on his Nitron-equipped Yamaha YZF-R6. Specifically, Elstad’s podiums at this WERA event were: Sportsman: B Superstock Expert, first; C Superstock Expert, second; National Challenge: 750 Superstock Expert, second; 600 Superstock Expert, second.

Elstad started road racing when he was seven-years old, on minis. He moved up to “big bikes” five years ago, campaigning a Kawasaki Ninja 250. This is Elstad’s second year on a 600, and he’s only been an Expert for three years. Last year he only had the chance to race his 600 a few times, and this weekend marked his first win on it.

About this weekend of podiums, Elstad said, “Lenny [Albin, Nitron USA Technical Director] was always our guy. We went to Miller last year and we tried Nitron for the first time. It’s weird in how the Nitron shock has all the good qualities of what we used to use, but then it also has added fluid motion all the way through the stroke. It also makes the rear tire wear a lot better. We can dial the tire-wear out. It’s awesome getting my first win on the 600. We’re really thankful that Lenny is there for us.”

Elstad plans on competing in all of the WERA Michelin National Challenge Series, with the exception of the Oklahoma round at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, and he’ll be at many Southern WERA regionals in between.

Nitron USA is the exclusive North American assembly facility/distributor for Nitron Racing Systems Ltd., creator of high-quality dampers for performance, touring, adventure, twin-shock, and American V-twin motorcycles, and selected performance automotive applications. Through the evolving application of modern materials and manufacturing processes, Nitron’s mission is to create and service suspension products of incomparable form, function, and feel. Nitron USA, Miller Motorsports Park, 2901 Sheep Lane, Unit 704, Tooele, UT 84074; 801-663-7436; www.nitronusa.com; www.facebook.com/nitronusa;[email protected].