From a press release issued by Team Troll Honda BQR:
Kenny Noyes Wins First-ever Road Race in Jerez, Spain
Californian Kenny Noyes (Team BQR Honda CBR 954RR) scored the first road race win of his career on Sunday, August 31 at Jerez de la Frontera, in the deep south of Spain. Air temperature was 98 degrees and the track temperature a scorching 122 at the start of the third round of the National Fórmula de Campeones Motocislismo Superseries Championship (basically 1000cc Superstock, but limited to a small choice of spec Dunlop slicks, more tuning options and freedom to change brakes and wheels).
The 24 year old former Formula USA Pro Singles Dirt Track champion, now in his third year of Spanish road racing, led into turn one but was passed at the end of the back-straight by Ismael Bonilla (Motorad Ducati 999) of Madrid who led lap one. Noyes came back past on the brakes into turn one at the start of the second lap and then gradually pulled clear of Bonilla, who was caught and passed four laps later by the, until now, undefeated championship leader José Manuel Hurtado of Valencia (MIR Suzuki GSX-R 1000).
Noyes read his board to build up and then hold a solid 4.5 second lead over Hurtado, avenging his loss (by a wheel’s length) to the European Superstock Championship regular in the season’s opener at Valencia. Bonilla’s Ducati blew a radiator hose with three laps to go, handing third to Jerónimo Castillejo (Honda). Noyes’ race average was faster that last year’s Formula Extreme win by Champion Dani Oliver Bultó (Suzuki GSX-R 1000)
“This is the first time I’ve been on top of the podium since the Manzanita, Arizona, Half Mile!” said Noyes, who is now second in the Superseries Championship points table, trailing Hurtado by 27 points with three rounds to go. “I had to miss the second round because the team was committed to run the 24 Hours of Barcelona and there was a conflict between the road race and endurance schedules. Our goal at the beginning of the season was to finish top ten in Formula Extreme and to try and win the Superseries. Right now, with four Formula Extreme and three Superseries races left to go, we are second and eleventh. It’s going to be hard to catch Hurtado unless he makes a mistake because he can still take the title by just finishing second. But I hope he’ll come out and fight to show he can beat me. It won’t just be between the two of us, anyway. Bonilla’s Ducati 999 has so much traction that it will be hard to beat at the twisty tracks coming up.”
The Spanish Formula Extreme and Superseries championships, run separately but both under Royal Spanish Motorcycling Federation sanction and with identical regulations (except for the fact that the Superseries is a Dunlop only class). Formula Extreme is the country’s most prestigious series and is broadcast live on TVE, Spain’s largest television network. The Motociclismo Superseries, televised in high-light form, is intended for up-and-coming riders and excludes from participation all riders who have previously finished in the top five in the points race for any other National Championship or ever scored Grand Prix points.
Noyes returns to Jerez on September 12-14 for round four of the Formula Extreme Championship.
“The great thing about racing over here,” says Noyes, “is that the tracks are just incredible…fun and real safe, wet or dry. Jerez is my favorite…it feels like you’re playing at Yankee Stadium when you race at this place!”
American Kenny Noyes Wins On CBR954RR At Jerez
American Kenny Noyes Wins On CBR954RR At Jerez
© 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.