Arroyo Seco Raceway, NM March 12, 2006 Garza takes the lead in the 2006 ASMA season opener Ivan Garza of El Paso, TX was the big winner in the Arroyo Seco Motorcycle Association 2006 season opener, riding his Kawasakis to wins in every race he entered. 2006 is the first year that Garza has lead the points race after the first race weekend. Conditions were not ideal with wind, cold temperatures, and brief snow during morning practice. Temperatures increased very slowly, however the wind did not let up, blowing dust across the track in many corners throughout the day. Many riders could not adapt to the conditions and crashed out in the early laps of their races. Garza had no problem adapting to the conditions, as he rode his Bridgestone equipped, Evan Steel Performance tuned ZX-6RR to wins in the Middleweight Superbike, Middleweight Superstock and Heavyweight Superbike races. He also rode an almost stock 2006 ZX-10R, courtesy of Little, Big Racing, to wins in the Unlimited Superstock, Unlimited Superbike and Formula Arroyo Unlimited GP races. Garza’s wins were largely un-contested. Kawasaki riders Hunter Shingler, Sergio Sanchez and David Siminsky put in strong performances behind Garza in the Kawasaki dominated weekend. Garza’s win in the Formula Arroyo Unlimited GP by Evan Steel Performance means he is leading the combined ASMA/SMRI New Mexico state championship as well. “I felt comfortable, and the Bridgestones on the Kawasakis worked really well, I can’t say enough about them. Evan Steel Performance really helped me out a lot with setting up the 600. The 10R still has stock bodywork and the stock pipe, but we did some work to the suspension and put on some Bridgestone DOT race tires and it worked really good. I wasn’t sliding and was just riding my own pace, and it turned out to be pretty good,” Garza said. 2005 series champion Mike Shreve crashed out in the second corner of the first race of the day, Unlimited Superstock by Mescal Beneva, and could not continue his races due to damage to his bike. It was his first weekend out on the new 2006 Yamaha R6 tuned by Evan Steel Performance. Shreve later started the Formula Arroyo Unlimited GP on a borrowed bike, but pulled off after the second lap. Shreve appeared to be on pace during practice on his new bike. “This new bike is like a giant step compared to the previous R6’s I had. It’s really amazing,” Shreve said earlier in the day. ASMA’s new spec bike series, the Kawasaki Ninja 650R series, started off successfully. The racing was close as Roger Heemsbergen took the win on his Michelin shod Ninja 650R. Heemsbergen’s bike was a street bike off the showroom floor the day before. Preparation consisted of removing the bodywork and instruments, and installing dirt bike style number plates. Close behind him was the race for second with Sergio Sanchez of Edge Kawasaki in El Paso, TX and Pat Bushell. Bushell and Sanchez were engaged in a close drafting battle to the finish line. Bushell was able to get aftermarket bodywork in time for the races, and Sanchez was not. Sanchez chose to race without bodywork. Sanchez seemed to not have quite the top speed as Bushell, and had to draft Bushell for most of the race. Bushell took second, Sanchez third. Kawasaki Ninja 650R riders Sanchez and Bushell also took wins in the Lightweight Superbike and Lightweight GP races, respectively. Mike Brown won the Heavyweight Twins race on a borrowed Honda RC-51 just in front of Mike Coberly on a Ninja 650R, followed by Pat Bushell on his Ninja 650R. Arroyo Seco Raceway is located near Deming, NM. For more information, visit www.ASMAracing.com or call Roger Heemsbergen at 505-494-4794.