CCS End of Summer Cyclefest at VIR
CCS Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and ASRA Team Challenge
September 20-21, 2014
An unfortunate plane crash at Virginia International Raceway that claimed the lives of TOBC Racing’s team owner Jon Couch, and his mother, Fran, and subsequent investigation led to a delayed start of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Championship Cup Series’ End of Summer Cyclefest featuring the ASRA Team Challenge presented by Michelin Tire. Once given clearance by officials to commence activities on the North Course around 3:30 pm [local time] Saturday, CCS and VIR staff worked together to provide a compressed schedule of practice sessions and racing. Saturday’s scheduled track time was extended to 6:30 pm and races were decreased to six-lap sprints and 10-lap GT’s with a few classes being combined. Even with significant time constraints and conditions, all of the GT classes and one sprint race were completed on Saturday and a revised Sunday schedule was devised to accommodate all competitors. Given the unusual and tragic circumstances surrounding the event, the full schedule was successfully completed due to the combined efforts of everybody at the event.
Metric Devil Moto’s Justin Holderman was the winningest expert of the weekend, sweeping all five of his classes on his MDM-prepped Yamaha YZF-R6. Holderman was able to nail the lead early in most of his races and run away with the wins. In the Heavyweight Superbike race, however, Mark Miller, Jr., nabbed the holeshot and led the first five laps of the race on his Mar Del Auto Wholesaleers/Livengood Motorsports-prepped Yamaha YZF-R6. Holderman made his passing move around Miller through the esses in the final lap of the race to take over the lead and claim his final victory of the weekend. Holderman also won the Heavyweight Supersport, Middleweight Supersport, Middleweight Superbike, and Middleweight Grand Prix classes. He is also sponsored by Pirelli, EBC, Pitbull, and Sharkskinz.
Timothy Bemisderfer won Expert Unlimited Grand Prix after nailing the lead off the grid and leading the entire race from start to finish on his Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R1000. The grid may have been small but Frank Babuska, Jr., and Paul Scalph had to hustle to keep up with the leader. Bemisderfer did take the checkered without challenge with Babuska finishing second and Scalph third in an all Suzuki GSX-R1000 podium. Behind them, Samuel Smathers had to work his way through traffic to take over the early lead of Richard R. Smith in the amateur ranks. Smathers methodically worked his Yamaha YZF-R1 through the field and into the top spot just in time to take the checkered flag. Steven Gould, who had been running up front on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 after passing Smith, finished second, with Anthony Giangrasso, Smith, and Rafael Carrillo rounding off the top five.
Bemisderfer also took victories in the Unlimited Supersport and Unlimited Superbike classes, tying with X
Smathers was the winningest amateur of the weekend with four victories. He also won the Unlimited Supersport, Unlimited Superbike, and Rookies Cup GTO classes.
Lloyd Bayley won the Combined GTO class and finished first overall in the ASRA Team Challenge. The race had been decreased to from 89 to 65 laps/2 hours due to time constraints, and was also shortened due to a red flag incident after 21 laps. Bayley dominated the race, leading the entire event on his L
Bayley dedicated his win to Jon and Fran Couch in honor of their memories. Also honoring the Couch family on Sunday, TOBC team member, CJ Crosslin raced with Couch’s competition number (166) on his machine. With heavy hearts, TOBC team members pulled out of the event, and came together on the track with a memorial lap run by Scott Harwell on Couch’s machine Sunday afternoon.
The 31st Annual Race of Champions is the final event for the Championship Cup Series (excluding the Florida
region), scheduled for October 16th – 19th at Daytona International Speedway. For additional information on this and other events, and for full race results and point standings, please visit www.ccsracing.us.
R.I.P. and Godspeed Jon and Frances Gene Couch, two family members whose contributions were outstanding, and presence will be deeply missed by the entire racing community.
UNLIMITED GRAND PRIX RESULTS:
EXPERT: 1. Timothy Bemisderfer (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Frank Babuska, Jr (Suzuki GSX-R1000); 3. Paul Scalph (Suz GSX-R1000).
AMATEUR: 1. Samuel Smathers (Yamaha YZF-R1); 2. Steven Gould (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Anthony Giangrasso (Yam YZF-R1); 4. Richard R Smith (Hon CBR1000RR); 5. Rafael Carrillo (Kaw ZX-10R); 6. Jeremy Krasny (BMW S1000RR); 7. Greg Abrahams (Suz GSX-R1000); 8. Juan Gooch (Suz GSX-R1000).