Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Butler Machinery’s Robert Jensen, Racers Edge’s Dale Kieffer and Arclight Suzuki/Bettencourts Jeff Wood each won a Suzuki-contingency-paying CCS sprint race Sunday at windy Las Vegas Classic Course.

Riding the same Michelin-shod, 2002-model Suzuki GSX-R750 he crashed Saturday through sustained 30 mph crosswinds, Jensen turned a 1:18.148 en route to winning the seven-lap Heavyweight Supersport race, lowering the lap record he set during Formula USA qualifying during better conditions Saturday.

“I’m motivated today a little bit, I guess. There’s money to win, and I need the money,” smiled Jensen. “The wind is scary. Coming onto the front straightaway there’s a little dip that makes the bike get light and wheelie, and the wind really pushes me over. I have to stay left on the straight, and then I let it push me over when in get to the braking zone for turn one. There’s a couple of corners where you can run it in really hard and the wind pushes back toward the apex, but going into turn seven, it pushes you wide and makes it hard to finish the turn.”

Kieffer finished second, 6.6 seconds behind Jensen and two seconds ahead of Arclight Suzuki’s Scott Harwell and Chris Ulrich, and PAC West Funding Kane Lasky.

Jensen didn’t do quite as well in the Unlimited Grand Prix. After taking the lead from Kieffer in the second corner, Jensen pulled out a three-second cushion by lap four. Heading into turn one on lap five, however, Jensen ran straight, down the escape road and re-entered the track in fourth place.

“I goofed up. I looked at my guys on the pit wall for the first time and missed turn one,” said Jensen. “Plus, my fairing bracket is broken and flopping around, my kill switch is broken and cutting out, my throttle (housing) is turning on the bar – I’ve got a bunch of excuses.”

Kieffer took over the lead and held it to win by 2.5 seconds over Lasky. Jensen was able to make up one spot and finish fourth, ahead of Kevin Gordon and Ivan Garza, who beat 15-year-old Tristan Schoenewald in a drag race from the last corner to the finish line.

The Middleweight Supersport race was stopped due to Nicky Moore getting up slowly from a crash he said was caused by his rear axle coming loose. Moore was relatively uninjured from his fall.

Vesrah Suzuki’s Brian Stokes, who was leading the original race start, led the re-start. Catching Competition’s Jason Catching passed Harwell for second on the opening lap and challenged Stokes for the lead going into turn seven. The riders made contact, Stokes crashed hard and Catching ran off track and retired with a broken radiator.

“That cherrypicker shouldn’t be here interfering with my Championship!” shouted Catching, referring to Stokes after the incident. “I was right next to him. I had my front wheel halfway beside him, and he tried to squeeze me off the track. He put his clip-on into my radiator.”

“He hit me so hard and quick, I didn’t have any time to react,” said Stokes. “I’m probably done (for the day). My right collarbone, I think I broke it, and I ground a few layers of skin off my right hand.”

Arclight Suzuki’s Jeff Wood, who started the race from the sixth row, inherited the lead and held on to take the win over Harwell, Michael Himmelsbach, Schoenewald and Chad Rolland.

“That #2 guy cleaned Stokes out,” said Wood of the early-race incident that gave him the lead. “That guy was going crazy. He went way wide coming off the back straightaway, out to the dirt, trying to collect it, and as soon as he collected it, Whooosh! He swept back into Stokes.”

“The #2 was completely out of shape when he came past me. He went wide out to the dirt, and as soon as he stood it up, he plowed into Stokes. It didn’t even look like he hit the brakes. He plowed into the left (outside) side of him and took the left clip-on right out of his hand. The motorcycle flipped right over and hit Stokes,” said Harwell.


RESULTS

Expert Unlimited GP:
1. Dale Kieffer (Suz GSX-R750)
2. Kane Lasky (Suz GSX-R750)
3. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R750)
4. Kevin Gordon (Suz GSX-R750)
5. Ivan Garza (Suz GSX-R750)
6. Tristan Schoenewald (Suz GSX-R600)

Amateur Unlimited GP:
1. Lyle Brown (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. R. Bryan Land (Suz GSX-R750)
3. Steven Weir (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Ed Oporto (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Ted Rich (Suz GSX-R750)
6. Brian Kirkland (Hon 999)

Expert Heavyweight Supersport:
1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R750)
2. Dale Kieffer (Suz GSX-R750)
3. Scott Harwell (Suz GSX-R750)
4. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R750)
5. Kane Lasky (Suz GSX-R750)
6. Ivan Garza (Suz GSX-R750)

Amateur Heavyweight Supersport:
1. R. Bryan Land (Suz GSX-R750)
2. Shawn Harris (Suz GSX-R750)
3. Ed Oporto (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Eric Pelley (Kaw ZX-6R)
5. Neil Pollard (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Brian Kirkland (Hon 999)

Expert Heavyweight Superbike:
1. Ivan Garza (Suz GSX-R750)
2. Jason Catching (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Jason Godwin (Hon CBR600)
4. Matthew Buck (Apr RSV1000)
5. Steven Hymer (Hon 1000)

Amateur Heavyweight Superbike:
1. R. Bryan Land (Suz GSX-R750)
2. Ted Rich (Suz GSX-R750)
3. Brian Kirkland (Hon 999)
4. Thomas Savoca (Hon 999)
5. William Willis (Suz GSX-R750)
6. Jeremy Hassler (Kaw ZX-6R)

Expert Middleweight Supersport:
1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600)
2. Scott Harwell (Suz GSX-R600)
3. Michael Himmelsbach (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Tristan Schoenewald (Suz GSX-R600)
5. Chad Rolland (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Jon Blaylock (Hon CBR600RR)

Amateur Middleweight Supersport:
1. Ed Oporto (Yam YZF-R6)
2. David Jones (Kaw ZX-6)
3. Eric Pelley (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. Thomas Boge (Suz GSX-R600)
5. Nicholas Adams (Hon CBR600)
6. Clif Sands (Yam YZF-R6)

Expert Middleweight Superbike:
1. Tristan Schoenewald (Suz GSX-R600)
2. Chad Rolland (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Jonathan Schendel (Suz GSX-R600)
4. Jon Blaylock (Hon CBR600RR)
5. Jason Catching (Suz SV650)
6. Zane Halvorsen (Hon CBR600)

Amateur Middleweight Superbike:
1. Ed Oporto (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Dustin Ohara (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Neil Pollard (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Eric Pelley (Kaw ZX-6R)
5. David Jones (Kaw ZX-6R)
6. Jeremy Hassler (Kaw ZX-6R)

Expert Lightweight Supersport:
1. Darren Danilowicz (Suz SV650)
2. John Cadreact (Suz SV650)
3. Steve Fukiage (Suz SV650)
4. David Appellof (Suz SV650)
5. Matthew Buck (Hon 650)
6. Ray Hymer (Suz SV650)

Amateur Lightweight Supersport:
1. Dirk Harden (Suz SV650)
2. Al Harris (Suz SV650)
3. Jim Herron (Suz SV650)

Expert Lightweight Superbike:
1. John Cadreact (Suz SV650)
2. Tom Gentry (Suz SV650)
3. Matthew Buck (Suz SV650)
4. Steve Fukiage (Suz SV650)
5. Jeff Harding (Buell XB9R)
6. Ray Hymer (Suz SV650)

Amateur Lightweight Superbike:
1. Al Harris (Suz SV650)
2. Dirk Harden (Suz SV650)
3. Tommy Boge (Suz SV650)
4. Eric Pelley (Suz SV650)
5. Jim Herron (Suz SV650)

Expert Middleweight GP:
1. Jason Catching (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Rickey Herd (Hon CBR600)
3. Walter Reeves (Hon CBR600)
4. Jason Godwin (Hon CBR600)
5. Matthew Buck (Suz SV650)
6. Zane Halvorsen (Hon CBR600)

Amateur Middleweight GP:
1. Ed Oporto (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Eric Pelley (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. David Jones (Kaw ZX-6)
4. Sam Bass (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Korey Smeltzer (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Jeremy Hassler (Kaw ZX-6R)

Expert Lightweight GP:
1. Jason Catching (Suz SV650)
2. Tom Gentry (Suz SV650)
3. Steve Fukiage (Suz SV650)
4. Jim Davis (Suz SV650)
5. Matthew Buck (Suz SV650)

Amateur Lightweight GP:
1. Al Harris (Suz SV650)
2. Dirk Harden (Suz SV650)
3. Mike Lytle (Yam TZ250)
4. Tommy Boge (Suz SV650)
5. Jim Herron (Suz SV650)
6. Mike Arrington (Buell XB9R)

Expert SuperTwins:
1. John Cadreact (Suz SV650)
2. Kiyo Watanabe (Suz SV650)
3. Steven Hymer (Suz SV650)
4. Ray Hymer (Hon 1000)

Amateur SuperTwins:
1. Brian Kirkland (Hon 999)
2. Thomas Savoca (Hon 999)
3. Benjamin Ingram (Duc 999)
4. Pat Bushell (Duc 999)
5. Jim Herron (Suz SV650)
6. Dirk Harden (Suz SV650)