Elkhart Lake, WI. – The USGPRU headed north to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin to join the ASRA for an incredible weekend of racing at the classic Road America raceway. Despite the large amounts of cheese and brats consumed, the racers were able to provide some excellent wheel-to-wheel racing action on a picture-perfect race weekend.
The story of the weekend again was 14-year-old, Jake Lewis, as he duplicated his recent VIR results. He won all three races he entered in the USGPRU National Championship races to score a perfect hat-trick weekend. He started off strong in the Pilot 125GP race as he and his teammate, Nobi Iso, led the field from the start. AMA regular, Kris Turner, was looking to end their winning streak though as he put his Honda RS125 on Nobi’s rear wheel. He held on to the draft of the Veloce Racing Aprilias for a few laps, then started to lose touch with the powerful Aprilias. On lap 3, he was handed a break as Nobi Iso tried unsuccessfully to pass Lewis for the lead. Heading into turn 5, Iso overcommitted and was forced to stand the bike up and use the runoff area. This allowed Lewis to win the race comfortably, and Turner was able to claim the second place spot. Iso recovered, but had to settle for 3rd.
In the Rising Sun Cycles Moto3 class, Iso and Lewis led the field of 125cc 2-stroke GP bikes and “hot rod” Moriwaki’s 250cc 4-strokes. Lewis carved through lap traffic like a seasoned veteran. Iso tried to keep up, but was unable to slice through traffic as well as Lewis, and had to settle for second place again. Third place was earned by the Vesrah sponsored, Nick McFadden, on his Moriwaki MD250H as he battled tooth and nail with Nick Hansen.
Lewis’s third win on the weekend was looking like a long shot in the REV’IT! Moriwaki MD250H Powered by HONDA class as the top 4 qualifiers were separated by less than .8 of a second. The points leader, Stefano Mesa, took the top qualifying position followed by Lewis, Xavier Zayat, and Nick Hansen. Off the line, Mesa stormed into the lead, followed by Lewis, Hansen, and Nick McFadden. Mesa planted his Moriwaki in the dirt on the outside of turn 5 on the first lap though, handing the lead over to Lewis. Local favorite, Nick Hansen, tried in vain to hold onto Lewis’s back wheel, but ended up settling for his season best of 2nd place. Max Flinders was able to close on the leaders late in the race, and captured his first podium finish!
The fire-breathing 250GP bikes took to the grid for the Moto Liberty / RS-Taichi sponsored race. AMA regular, Barrett Long, crushed the field yet again as he put his Yamaha TZ250 on pole position. Mike Aboyoun, Ben Young, and Leon Cortes filled out the rest of the front row. Long opened the door to his competition when he botched the start. Aboyoun jumped out into the lead, only to crash out in the very fast carousel on lap 1. Canadian, Ben Young, inherited the lead over Leon Cortes, and started to check out. All the while, Barrett Long, recovered from his bad start and was mowing through the field of racers on his way to the front. He caught Young on lap 3, and the youngster got a lesson from the veteran racer. Long took his fourth win of the season, followed by Young. Tom Swager and Cortes had been fighting for the past few laps, but Swager used his local knowledge of the track to best Cortes.
Pilot 125GP race results 1. Jake Lewis (Apr) 2. Kris Turner (Hon) 3. Nobi Iso (Apr) 4. Stefano Mesa (Hon) 5. Erik Dadej (Hon) 6. Max Flinders (Mor) 7. Nick McFadden (Mor) 8. Barrett Long (Yam) 9. Federico Cortes (Hon) 10. Justin Long (Yam) 11. Paul Hoyt Nelson (Hon) 12. John Long (Yam) 13. Duane Hixon (Hon) 14. Leon Cortes (Hon) 15. Nicholas Hansen (Hon) 16. Kaleb De Keyrel (Mor) DNS David Celento (Hon) DNS Xavier Zayat (Mor) Moto Liberty /
RS Taichi 250GP race results 1. Barrett Long (Yam) 2. Ben Young (Yam) 3. Tom Swager (Yam) 4. Leon Cortes (Yam) 5. Nick Colley (Yam) 6. Bob Poetzsch (Yam) 7. Jeff Pratt (Yam) 8. Pat Bartlett (Yam) 9. Bruce Lind (Yam) 10. Mark Jaeckle (Yam) 11. Paul Hoyt Nelson (Hon) 12. Michael Danielson (Yam) 13. Brian Born (Yam) 14. Daniel Qualtire (Yam) 15. Justin Long (Yam)
REV’IT! Moriwaki MD250H Powered by HONDA race results 1. Jake Lewis (Mor) 2. Nicholas Hansen (Mor) 3. Max Flinders (Mor) 4. Kaleb De Keyrel (Mor) 5. Ben Young (Mor) 6. Nick McFadden (Mor) 7. Alex Caldwell (Mor) 8. Stefano Mesa (Mor) 9. Jacob Cunningham (Mor) DNS Xavier Zayat (Mor)
Rising Sun Cycle Moto3 race results 1. Jake Lewis (Apr) 2. Nobi Iso (Apr) 3. Nick McFadden (Mor) 4. Nicholas Hansen (Hon) 5. Kaleb De Keyrel (Mor)
About USGPRU The USGPRU is the officially recognized Motorcycle 125 Grand Prix National Championship ®, 250 Grand Prix National Championship TM series, and Moriwaki MD250H youth racing series. The USGPRU emulates true World MotoGP racing experience and serves to attract young riders to gain experience in a professional environment and provide a path to world-class motorcycle racing. The USGPRU structures events with extended length grand prix racing exclusive to the GP machines, timed qualifying and strong contingency and sponsor support. For additional details, visit www.USGPRU.net
More, from a press release issued by Vesrah Suzuki:
A LEARNING WEEKEND FOR VESRAH SUZUKI’S NICK MCFADDEN AT ROAD AMERICA IN ELKHART LAKE WI.
Nick McFadden had a weekend that included several high points competing in the USGPRU series event at Road America in Elkhart Lake Wisconsin. Racing for Vesrah Suzuki Nick had his best finish in the Pilot 125 class to date and finished on the podium with a 3rd place in the Moto3 race. The down part of the weekend was being assessed a stop and go penalty due to a starting infraction in the MD250H Challenge race but Nick was able to get back to 6th place at the finish. Nick now sits in 2nd place in the MD250H championship only 1 point behind first place.
Mark Junge Team Owner Vesrah Suzuki
“Nick did a great job this weekend especially considering how difficult Road America is to learn due to the length of the track and this being his first time there. I tried to help him as much as possible as this is one of my favorite tracks and it seems like I have raced here forever. His lining up in the incorrect grid position was due to it being the norm in Dirt Track that if the competitor next to you is absent then you are supposed to move to that position he won’t do that again at a roadrace.”
Nick McFadden #195 Vesrah Suzuki
“I was very happy to move up a few positions in my finish in the 125cc class, and glad to be on the podium for the Moto 3 class. We started that race in 1 wave with the 250GP class and I got off the line great and was up in the middle of their pack by turn 1, even with the gap in our classes. Those guys were fun to race with, but it was probably a confusing race to watch with us all mixed in together. In the Moriwaki class (MD250H) I made a bad mistake – I moved my grid position. I looked around after moving and no one moved toward me or motioned that I couldn’t be there – I thought they would wave me back if it wasn’t OK. I know the mistake was a bad one for me- it cost me points in the championship. I am sorry to have hurt myself and the Vesrah team with the points and will work hard to try to make up for it. I really like the Road America track after my first trip there. I want to thank Tray (Batey) and Mark (Junge) for working with me and my bikes – studying the weather and the changes in the track. In the Moto3 race, my bike was working so well straight off the line and seem to just get better through the race. My Dunlop tires were also working well, keeping me gripped on the track, and confident to keep trying to run the bike in deeper. I will get back to work and study what I did wrong this weekend and move on.”
Vesrah Suzuki and Nick McFadden want to thank all of their sponsors for their support for the 2010 season Vesrah, American Suzuki, Rockstar Energy Drink, Nielsen Enterprises Suzuki, West Side Heavy Hauling Inc, Dunlop Tires, Traxxion Dynamics Fork Components, Arai Helmets, Graves Motorsports, Hotbodies Racing Bodywork, Sudco Int., Bazzaz, Factory Pro, Maxima Racing Oils, Vortex, DID Chain, Penske Racing Shocks, GPR Stabilizers, Trek Bicycles, GP Tech, Active & Road Rage Designs