KWS Motorsports and Millennium Technologies Win Again at The Talladega WERA National! Charleston, SC April, 2011 KWS Motorsports sponsored riders won four races and achieved eight podium finishes this weekend during the WERA National Challenge Series Races at Talladega Grand Prix. Jake Lewis won three races including the premier 600 Superstock race. Tim Hunt finished on the podium in all his races including the Open Superstock and WERA Superbike races. Luie Zendejas just missed the podium in WERA Superbike after a crash in Open Superstock earlier in the day. Earl’s Racing Team’s, fifteen-year old, Jake Lewis impressed again by turning incredible lap times and winning races. Lewis continued his dominance of the 750 Superstock and Superbike with victories in both classes despite strong competition from Jimmy Merck. Lewis battled with Graves Yamaha’s Garret Gerloff all weekend in the 600 classes with Jake coming out on top in 600 Superstock with a last lap pass on Gerloff and Gerloff coming out on top in 600 Superbike when Lewis grabbed one too many downshifts. This was the opposite result from the round one at Roebling which means that both riders are tied in points for first in both classes. Apex Road Racing’s Tim Hunt rode smart all weekend with his mind on the championships and points. Caylor-Made Motorsport’s Opie Caylor won both races with a dominate performance, but Hunt knew that Caylor was not running the entire series. Even thought Hunt went faster than he has ever gone at Talladega running a :57.0, he rode a smart couple races for maximum points effect on his Millennium Technologies sponsored, Dunlop shod Suzuki GSX-R1000. Tim is currently leading the points in WERA Superbike and Open Superstock. Luie Zendejas continued the development of the BMW Motorcycle of Riverside S1000RR with KWS Motorsport’s Michael Godin, Ohlins USA’s Eric Knight, and Thermosman Suspensions Mike Fitzgerald. The team made several chassis changes over the weekend and Zendejas turned his fastest time ever at the central Alabama track. Luck was not his side when Zendejas crashed out of the third position in the Open Superstock race. Fortunately he as un-hurt was able to finish fourth in the WERA Superbike race later in the day. Luie Zendejas “The results don’t show it, but we have the BMW Motorcycles of Riverside S1000RR working really well now. Mike Fitzgerald and Eric Knight made big changes to the bike this weekend and it’s a dream to ride. We went faster than we have ever gone at Tally and only a small mistake on my part kept us off the podium. This new S1000RR is working really well thanks to Thermosman, Michael Godin, and Eric and I think we will do very well at the next round at Miller Motorsports Park!” Jake Lewis “It was a great weekend for sure! Three wins and a second is pretty much as good as it gets considering the level of competition out there. The KWS Motorsports-built, Earl’s Racing R6 is as fast as anything out there and the guys at Race-Tech and Dunlop have it hooked up! Up next is Miller Motorsports Park and it’s one of my favorite tracks. I have the track record on a 125 and can’t wait to try this 600 there!” Tim Hunt “Opie is amazingly fast at Talladega and we are in this for a WERA National Championship so I knew I had to ride smart. In both races Caylor and I built a big gap early, but I just couldn’t maintain his pace without big risks so I let him have this round and we’ll take the points and head to Miller.” Chip Spalding (KWS Manager) “Tim, Luie, and Jake rode great this weekend and we couldn’t be happier with their performance. All three riders are on bikes that are completely new to them this year and development is going really well. I also want to congratulate KWS Motorsports customer Dan Crawford for his first national win in 750 Superbike. Great job Dan!” KWS Motorsports (www.kwsmotorsports.com) is proudly sponsored by: Millennium Technologies, Ballistic Performance Components, Pit Bull, LeoVince Exhaust, Motion Pro, Bazzaz Performance, Yoyodyne, Worldwide Bearing, K&N Filters, Zero Gravity Windscreens, Spider Grips, XT Racing, Drippen Wet Graphics, VP Fuels and Motul Lubricants. Luie Zendejas (www.luiezendejas.com) is proudly sponsored by: KWS Motorsports, BMW Motorcycles of Riverside, Millennium Technologies, Ballistic Performance Components, Ohlins USA, Andrew Swenson Designs, Drippin Wet, LeoVince Exhaust, Bazzaz Performance, Armour Bodies, Arai Helmets, Motion Pro, K&N Filters, EBC Brakes, Cycle Gear, Zero Gravity Windscreens, VP Fuels, and Motul Lubricants. Jake Lewis (www.jakelewis85.com) is proudly sponsored by: Hayden Brothers General Store, Earl’s Racing Team, 3rd Chance Auto Sales, KWS Motorsports, Millennium Technologies, Apex Manufacturing, Sportbike Track Time, Roclun International, GMDATL.com, Race Tech, Princeton Pawn, Alpinestars, Arai, HotBodies, Vortex, Galfer, Dunlop, Oakley, RK, VP Fuels and Motul Lubricants. Tim Hunt (www.apexroadracing.com) is proudly sponsored by: KWS Motorsports, Millennium Technologies, Race Tech Suspension, Dunlop Tires, EBC Brakes, GPR Stabilizers, LeoVince Exhaust, VP Racing Fuels, Vortex, Arai Helmets, Hotbodies, Bazzaz, Heroic Leathers, K&N Filters, and Motul Lubricants. More, from a press release issued by Brandon Cretu: Old Glory Speed Shop Has Rollercoaster Weekend At CMP Brandon Cretu and Dennie Huff made the 9 hour drive from Pennsylvania to Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC to represent Old Glory Speed Shop and Continental Tires at round 2 of the ASRA Team Challenge. Their sights were set on a class win but the weekend threw quite a few obstacles in their path. During the second practice session on Saturday, Cretu pulled in to the paddock and the motor on their Buell XB12 decided to let loose. Luckily it did this off the track to prevent any delays in the schedule for a cleanup of any oil. Huff had thought ahead and brought a spare rolling chassis, unfortunately it was a few years older than the bike they were racing. All day Saturday after the incident and all Sunday morning was spent swapping a new motor, wiring harness, and swingarm into their XB12. This was not an easy task since they had to mix and match parts, including taking apart the heads and final drive to make it work! Thankfully, Kevin Drummer of Drummer Exhausts, was on hand to help them make the swap and get back out for Sunday’s race. Both Cretu and Huff attribute Kevin’s help as the reason they were able to make it out and compete in the Team Challenge. On Sunday the Continental Tire shod Old Glory Speed Shop Buell XB12 was ready to go but minus a few key components like a quickshifter and a chain drive! The team was not able to put their chain drive on the replacement engine so they had to stick with the stock belt drive system. Huff started the race and settled into third place, a foggy visor and lingering flu symtoms preventing him from making a real charge. Halfway through his stint the shifter proceeded to fall off due to a bolt coming loose so he had to pit early for Cretu to begin his stint. Cretu made a hard charge after getting into a rythym on the Buell and made up some time that was lost due to the early pitstop. Unfortunately this was not enough and they had to make a second pitstop before the end of the race for fuel while the winning team, Saddlebaum Racing, only had to make one pitstop for the whole race. “Hats off to Saddlebaum Racing in taking the win at this round, they rode a great race with no mistakes. We are happy with our result considering the rollercoaster weekend we had but we fully intend to come back strong at the next round and challenge for the class win. A huge thanks to my teammate Dennie Huff for keeping the team togethor during the difficult engine swap and to Kevin Drummer for being a genious at working with Buell’s!” says team rider Brandon Cretu. Come watch the Old Glory Speed Shop team at the next ASRA Team Challenge round in 2 weeks at Heartland Park, Topeka! More, from an updated press release issued by Caylor-Made Motorsports: Caylor-Made Motorsports’ Opie Caylor kicked off the 2011 WERA National Challenge Series season with dominating performances in the 12-lap Open Superstock race and the featured 16-lap WERA Superbike race at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway in Anniston, Alabama. The wins didn’t come easily, though, as Caylor faced tough competition from multiple riders including Tim Hunt and Tim Bemisderfer. Aboard a brand-new Thermosman-prepared GSX-R1000, Caylor charged from the fourth row of the Open Superstock grid into third place by turn two. It took Caylor one more lap to get around the BMW of Tim Bemisderfer and into second place but, by that time, KWS’ Tim Hunt had already opened up a bit of a gap. With clear track directly ahead of him, Caylor turned the fastest lap of the weekend, a 56.522, and cut the gap to Hunt. Caylor took the lead going into turn two on the next lap, turned four 56-second laps in a row and went on to win by eight seconds. “Wow, what a race!” Caylor said afterwards. “What a bike! My new 2011 GSX-R1000 is so awesome, it’s so user friendly it makes really usable power and it is a blast to ride. Thermosman set my suspension and chassis up and I can put the bike anywhere that I want. It’s like riding a 750 that just goes even faster! As always my Dunlop tires were superb if I wanted to spin it coming out of the bowl, I could. If I wanted it to hook up leaving the carousel, it would. It’s just a pleasure to ride and my result showed it.” In the featured WERA Superbike race held later in the day, Caylor was again into second place by the end of the first lap of 16. Running in record ambient temperature, Caylor chose to shadow Hunt until just past halfway when he made a pass and used defensive lines for the next few corners. Two laps later, Caylor’s crew signaled to him that a small gap had developed; that lead grew to 8.1 seconds at the finish and earned Caylor his second WERA National Challenge win of the day. After the race, Caylor said, “Man, it’s hot out there! Luckily my Komodos and my Arai helmet helped me keep my head cool while I was battling. Right before the race, Tim Hunt said that he was going to try some of my lines that he saw from the Open Superstock race and when I was behind him in the beginning, I couldn’t get around him. It was like trying to pass myself! Tim rode a great race it was just one little mistake it wasn’t even a mistake, he just ran a little wide and it gave me just enough room to get up under him. He’s a tough racer though and he showed me a wheel right back! It was tight for sure but I trust him so it was all good! Once I held the lead for a bit, my guys Dave Krier and Fred Turner let me know that I had a small gap. So, I just tried to open that up and make sure that I got the win. Hopefully the crowd enjoyed the show.” Other Caylor-Made Motorsports riders also had great results during the weekend, including: John Risconsin, with two second-place finishes, in B Superstock Novice and C Superstock Novice; Jimmy Merck with a hard-fought second place in the B Superstock Expert race; Barbers 4 Real sponsored Kevin Mills with a third in A Superstock Novice; and Ian Coleman with a third in B Superstock Novice on his GSX-R750. Keep a lookout for the Caylor-Made Motosports crew back in action during a WERA Sportsman Series event at Barber Motorsports Park on May 9th and 10th. More, from a press release issued by Four Feathers Racing: (4FR) Four Feathers Racing’s youth program rider, Palmer Kling, claimed his second consecutive national 125cc victory at Talladega during the 2nd round of the WERA National Challenge series on Sunday April 10th. Palmer had a very productive weekend as he continued to hone his skills as a rider on his 4FR Toyota/Lucas Oil backed Moriwaki MD250H. He also entered the Formula 2 race with a result of first in his novice class and a remarkable 3rd overall against grown men on full size machines. He ran his best times of the day starting from the back of the pack and chasing down other riders. “We are trying to get as much race time as possible for Palmer but his young age, of only eleven years, really limits our opportunities to get him on the track” remarked 4FR team principal Scotty Van Hawk. “He will be able to contest the USGPRU series next season, when he is twelve, and we look forward to watching him achieve his goals. He is a great talent, a pleasure to work with, and always fulfils his only obligation to the team which is to have fun!” The 4FR Youth Rider will be back on track at Barber Motorsports Park on May 7-8. About 4FR– Four Feathers Racing Inc. is a non for profit public benefit company that uses the motorcycle racing platform to make a positive impact on the world one mind at a time. 4FR is proudly supported by Toyota, GreenerAcres.org, Scion, Lucas Oil, MavTV, K&N, Arai, RS Taichi, Race Tech, Moto Liberty, FMG, GoPro Inquiries are always welcome by email [email protected] Follow the team on the web at www.fourfeathersracing.com Social Media-Twitter/ @scottyvanhawk – Facebook /ScottyVanHawk More, from a press release issued by Earl Fannin on behalf of Run 1 Racing: ATLANTA (April 13, 2011) Not even a defective clutch that sidelined him on the first lap could dampen Run 1 Racing’s Joey Pascarella’s enthusiastic and impressive appearance in the CIV/Italian Championship race in Misano, Italy, Sunday. “I had a blast,” says the 18-year-old rider from Vacaville, Calif. “With the exception of the race itself and that sucked it couldn’t have gone any better overall. All through practice and qualifying I was near the top of the (timing) chart, and I qualified third. “The bike was so, so good, and everything was top notch the best I’ve ever had. I had a bike that was capable of winning. That’s why the race was so heartbreaking. We had a technical problem the clutch broke on the first lap, and so did my teammate’s bike, so they’re thinking it was a defective part.” Pascarella was riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 entered by Elle Ciatti Racing in the 600cc SuperStock race. Elle Ciatti invited the young American to compete for the team in the CIV/Italian Championship series event, and negotiations are already underway for Pascarella to return to Italy to race again, perhaps as early as two weeks from now. “From their emails, I think the team was very happy with my performance,” Pascarella says. “It so well that we’re already talking about additional events. It’s all a matter of getting everything sorted out.” Back in the USA, Pascarella is preparing for the second AMA Pro Racing race of the season May 13-15 at Infineon Raceway where he will compete for the Run 1 Racing team aboard one of his personal Yamaha YZF-R6s in the Daytona SportBike race. He qualified 16th and finished 15th in the season-opening Daytona 200. “Infineon is my home track,” Pascarella says, “and I plan on doing a lot better there this year. Last year, I crashed out of both races!”