WERA National Series Begins 2005 Season This Weekend JENNINGS, Fla. – WERA will begin the 2005 National Endurance and Challenge Series season this weekend at Florida’s Jennings GP, the first of 11 races for the top amateur series in the nation. The weekend’s racing will begin with the six-hour WERA Dunlop National Endurance Series race on Saturday, March 26. The race begins at 11:30 and will feature five classes. A full grid is expected as teams are anxious for racing after the long off-season. Vesrah Suzuki will be returning to defend their overall and Heavyweight Superbike title on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Their rider lineup for the season includes Mark Junge, Tray Batey and John Jacobi. Other returning class champions include Team Velocity Racing and Army of Darkness. A number of new teams are slated for the series, as well. The WERA Michelin National Challenge Series will feature ten-lap sprint races on Sunday, March 27. After practice in the morning, the racing will begin at noon. Notable classes include Formula 1, Open Superstock, and 600 and 750 Superstock. The Superstock classes are traditionally showcases for the best talent in the amateur ranks, with many competitors going on to a professional career. Other classes include Heavyweight and Lightweight Twins, 600 and 750 Superbike, and Formula 2. Jennings GP is a motorcycle-only track conveniently located off of I-75, just 20 miles south of Valdosta, Ga. Directions to the track can be found at www.jenningsgp.com or by calling 386-938-1110. Tickets for the opening round of the WERA National Series are $30, including Friday’s practice day and race days. Tickets for Sunday only are $20. Camping is also available. More information about WERA, including a full schedule of events and updated points after each round, can be found at www.WERA.com More, from a press release issued by Team Velocity Racing: Team Velocity Racing to Defend Title in WERA National Endurance Series AUGUSTA, Ga. – Team Velocity Racing has announced that they will return to the WERA National Endurance Series for the 2005 season to defend their Heavyweight Superstock title. Team Velocity Racing rode the No. 3 Yamaha YZF-R1 to the class championship last year in only their second season together. The competition in the class was fierce all season, and the championship was not decided until the final round at Road Atlanta in October. For this season, team owner Chuck Ivey is anxious to build upon the team’s knowledge and success in Heavyweight Superstock. “We wanted to defend our title and perfect our program this season,” stated Ivey. “Sure we won the championship last year, but we made some mistakes. Until we’re prepared to win consistently, I don’t want to move up to Heavyweight Superbike. I think another year of Superstock and growing as a team will help us take another step forward.” Team Velocity Racing will feature the riding talents of Ivey, Reuben Frankenfield, Steven Breckenridge and Mark Crozier. Ivey, Frankenfield and Breckenridge are returning for their third season with the team. Crozier is a veteran of endurance racing and has already begun testing the Team Velocity Racing Yamaha. “Steven, Reuben and I have gotten to know each other and we all work well together,” explained Ivey. “Bringing Mark on is a logical step. We’ve all known him for a few years, and he’s got a lot of knowledge and talent. He adapted to our bike quickly when we tested.” The first race of the season for Team Velocity Racing will be the WERA National Endurance Series season opener at Jennings GP in Florida. The six-hour race will be held on Saturday, March 26. Fans can keep up with Team Velocity Racing’s endurance season at www.TeamVelocityRacing.com