Vesrah Suzuki’s Tray Batey, John Jacobi and Chris Ulrich won the second round of the 2008 Bridgestone WERA National Endurance series, a 4-hour event held in tricky wet/dry track conditions at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway. It was Vesrah Suzuki’s 60th National Endurance Series race win.
Vesrah fought off a strong wet-track challenge from the Middleweight Superstock-class Dalke Motorsports I team of Gio Rojas and Dane Westby, who were in second place during the final hour when their YZF-R6 broke and Rojas crashed. Dalke’s mechanical failure and subsequent crash gifted second overall (to go with second in the Heavyweight Superbike class) to Brand X’s Ben Walters, Brett Champagne and Tripp Nobles, who finished five laps behind the leaders on the tight, 1.3-mile course.
Mouseboxracing.com finished third overall and first in the Middleweight Superstock class, seven laps behind Vesrah Suzuki. Velocity Crew Racing fended off Wikle Racing to take fourth overall and first in the Middleweight Superbike class. TVR 131 finished seventh overall, but won in the Heavyweight Superstock class. Blue Ridge Performance was eighth overall and first in the Lightweight Superbike class, beating Ghetto Customs by 16.8 seconds. Despite the tricky conditions there were no red flags.
Bridgestone WERA National Endurance Series, Round 2 Talladega Gran Prix Raceway Talladega, Alabama April 5, 2008
OVERALL RESULTS
1. Vesrah Suzuki (Tray Batey/John Jacobi/Chris Ulrich), Suzuki GSX-R1000, Heavyweight Superbike, 230 laps
2. Brand X (Brett Champagne/Tripp Nobles/Ben Walters), Yamaha YZF-R1, Heavyweight Superbike, -5 laps
3. Mouseboxracing.com (Isinovy Calvo/Tim Hunt/Matt McCord), Yamaha YZF-R6, Middleweight Superstock, -7 laps
4. Velocity Crew Racing (Kevin Perkins/Paul Youngman), Suzuki GSX-R600, Middleweight Superbike, -9 laps
5. Wikle Racing (Ryan O’Donnell/Luke Wikle/Luther Wikle), Suzuki GSX-R600, Middleweight Superbike, -9 laps, 22.538 seconds
6. TVR 136 (Chuck Ivey/Mike Wheelis/James Vanderhaar), Yamaha YZF-R6, Middleweight Superstock, -10 laps
7. TVR 131 (Zac Chapman/Ruben Frankenfield/James Stroud), Yamaha YZF-R1, Heavyweight Superstock, -10 laps, 23.694 seconds
8. Blue Ridge Performance (Daniel Parkerson/Lyle Sanders), Kawasaki Ninja 650R, Lightweight Superbike, -11 laps
9. Ghetto Customs (Tim Birdsong/Chris Parrish/Russell Stoddard), Suzuki SV650, Middleweight Superbike, -11 laps, 16.899 seconds
10. Dalke Motorsports II (Dustin Meador/Diego Rojas/Wrenn Smith), Yamaha YZF-R6, Middleweight Superstock, -12 laps