Michelin Pro Series July 23, 2009 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ Championship Hopefuls Looking for “Lightning” Strikes in New Jersey The Michelin Pro Series rolls into Millville, NJ this weekend with championships on the line and riders ready to take control of the situation. After 6 rounds of fierce competition, it has come down to the final 4 events, with every available point needed to secure a championship in this hotly contested series. With defending triple class champion Jeff Wood, (Factory Pro SportBike, SuperBike and SuperStock), and 2009 ThunderBike champion Nate Kern running a limited schedules this year, the door is open for a new group of riders to take the lead in the series starting with this weekends event at the NJMP Lightning Course. This fast 1.9 mile, 10 turn circuit will figure prominently in the championship chase as this will be the first event for the Michelin Pro Series at this course. The Factory Pro SportBike class features close racing on the track and the championship chase is no different as four riders from different parts of the country are in contention for the title. Leading the way is Paul Allison from Cochranville PA, but only 9 points back is Kingston, GA resident Brian Stokes. Stokes is followed by Matt Hall from Kansas City, MO and Salvatore Caruso who lives in Astoria Queens, NY. These riders are still within striking distance with possible 143 points left and only 41 points separating the top contenders. Allison’s rise to the point lead has been fueled with consistent top five finishes despite injuries suffered in other races and he looks to finish the season without any more complications, just hard racing. In the ThunderBike class, it is 2006 Champion Dan Bilansky is locked in a battle with fellow Mid-West racer Joel Spalding for the 2009 title. While Bilansky leads, it is only an 8 point gap back to the resilient Spalding. Throw in the two New Jersey riders, Joe and Sam Rozynski, and you have a serious challenge for the championship. These riders will settle the title over the last 4 events as the points spread is only 55 back to Sam Rozynski with more than 140 points still available. The spoiler for the weekend will be 2008 Champion Nate Kern, who is chomping at the bit to get back into the series. Kern is always a factor in every race he attends, but he is far off the pace in the points this season as his position with BMW has kept him away from competition. The SuperStock championship will be settled between two riders, Brian Stokes and Matt Hall. With a comfortable 40 point lead, all Stokes has to do is finish within two positions of Hall for the remaining events and he will win his first Michelin Pro Series title. But knowing Stokes, he will not ride just for points, he’ll be challenging for the win and the chance to finish off his first National Championship in style. Another rider with control of his title hopes is Paul Allison in the Michelin Pro Series SuperBike class. With a 55 point lead, Allison has to finish within three positions of Matt Hall and Brian Stokes for the final 4 events to capture his first National Championship. Just as he has done in the Factory Pro SportBike class, Alison’s top five finishes in every event have put him squarely on top and in control of his destiny. For complete updates on Michelin Pro Series qualifying, results and points, visit www.asraracing.com regularly.