Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Jeff Tigert won two races Saturday during the 2003 CCS season opener at the Streets of Willow in Rosamond, California.

Young gun Jason Perez had the 23-rider GTU race well in hand on his Concept Five Suzuki GSX-R600, leading by nearly 12 seconds just past halfway, when a crash in turn 15 left a bike and fluids on the track forcing the race to be halted.

Perez resumed his lead quickly on the four-lap re-start but slid on cold tires exiting the esses section on the first lap. Perez made a terrific save on the track, and another in the dirt off the track before getting his bike stopped and re-joining the race and fighting to a seventh-place finish.

Perez’s slip was the only break Tigert needed to take the lead and win by three seconds over defending CCS Pacific and Southwest Region Champion Brian Long and Garth Dillon, riding in his first race as an Expert.

Perez chose not to enter his GSX-R600 in the big-bike GTO race, but Tigert did and charged from his fifth-row starting spot to third before another red flag interrupted the 30-minute event.

Tigert came from the fifth row a second time and immediately challenged Long, Will Eikenberry, Dale Keiffer and Nick Ienatsch for the lead. Keiffer dropped off the pace slightly while Tigert went from third to first in the span of three corners on lap four of the re-start. From there, Tigert dodged backmarkers until he took the checkered flag two seconds clear of the competition.

Eikenberry, riding a Kawasaki ZX-9R, and Ienatsch, on a Suzuki GSX-R750, fought for second place right down to the wire. In the end, Eikenberry held the runner-up spot by getting through traffic cleanly and quickly and Ienatsch’s unwillingness to make an aggressive pass on Eikenberry.

Saturday CCS Race Results:

GT Lights Expert:

1. Josh Alverson, Yamaha TZ125
2. Stewart Aitken-Cade, Honda RS125
3. Brian Long, Suzuki SV650

GTU Expert:

1. Jeff Tigert, Suzuki GSX-R600
2. Brian Long, Suzuki GSX-R600
3. Garth Dillon, Yamaha YZF-R6

GTO Expert:

1. Jeff Tigert, Suzuki GSX-R600
2. Will Eikenberry, Kawasaki ZX-9R
3. Nick Ienatsch, Suzuki GSX-R750