The Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association kicked off its 2009 season on a cold February weekend with lots of close racing at round-one of its championship series at Oak Hill Raceway in Henderson, Texas.
During Sunday’s sprint racing action, it was former CMRA Overall Champion Ty Howard who pocketed the most cash by claiming four wins and two seconds. Howard rode a Kawasaki ZX-6R to the wins in the RaceworX A Superstock, Island Racing Services C Superbike, and Formula 1 Expert races. In preparation for the upcoming Daytona 200, Howard also rode an Aprilia RSV1000 to victory in the Heavyweight Twins Expert race.
Howard took second to defending CMRA Champion Dustin Dominguez in the South Central Race Center C Superstock race and to Louisiana’s Ricky Parker in the AVTEQ A Superbike Expert race, which was one of the most exciting races of the day.
“Even though I got second, that was probably the funnest race of the day for me,” said Howard. “Ricky and I passed each other five of six times just on the first two laps.”
Parker also took the win in the B Superstock Expert race, while Dominguez added a win in the B Superbike Expert event.
Despite the current economic turbulence, 480 sprint entries filled the grid for Sunday’s 17-race program, and in addition to Howard’s four wins and the wins by Dominguez and Parker, it was also a good day for Kentucky’s Jake Lewis, who rode an RS125 to victories in the GMAN 125 GP and the Lightweight Twins Expert races.
Other Experts getting wins included Tyler McDonald (Unlimited Motard), Michael Martin (Superstock D), Chris Romeo (Superbike D), Eric Falt (F2 and F40 LW), Allan Campbell (F40 Heavyweight), Brandon Warren (Super Motard), Gilbert Lee Epperson (Classic Unlimited), Ryan Warren (Clubman) and Jonathan Broom (Superstock E).
In the Novice divisions, Alonzo Contreras and Blake Cochran each claimed two wins.
In Saturday’s 5-hour Shogun Motorsports Mini Endurance race, Defending Sarah team members Scott Foster, Richard McFarland, Joe Prussiano, Jake Lewis, and Derek Wagnon rode a Honda CR85 to a six-lap margin of victory over second place finishers AF1 Racing, which was comprised of Jon Francis and Ted Phillips riding an Aprilia RS125. Third place went to EX250-mounted Team Von Schlechten Lebern (Keith Hertell and Jess Foltz).
The Formula 5 class was won by OnRoad OffRoad Racing (Roger Albert, Andrew Sukach, Barry Hobbs) with a sixth place finish on a CRF150. Meanwhile, the win in the Formula 6 division went to KSDS (Pat Brown, Richard Eads, David Taylor) riding a Honda NS50R to ninth overall.
The Formula 7 class was won by OnTrack4Him.org (Kaleb De Keyrel, Mason De Keyrel) finishing 22nd overall on a Honda NSR50.
The CMRA returns to action on March 14-15 at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur, Texas, with a full slate of sprint racing and a 6-hour Big Bike Endurance race.