The sunshine and summer heat brought another record breaking weekend in Colorado at Round 4 of the Motorcycle Roadracing Association’s 2014 Season at Pikes Peaks International Raceway (PPIR), in Fountain, Colorado, July 19th and 20th. The sunshine was sweet, and improved drainage mitigation measure taken in the off season by PPIR made for some memorable moments in yet another great round of Colorado racing.
In past seasons, PPIR has been known for water creeping on to the track surface and into the race line throughout the heat of the day. Paul Jensen and his crew revamped the subsurface drainage in the infield during the winter, allowing for riders to take full advantage of the full track and dry line throughout the entire infield. In doing so, many class lap records were shattered, and once again Rob Christman set the bar with an over-all track record on Sunday during Open Superbike.
Let’s start with the best of Saturday’s races. The novice classes once again rolled out with full grids. Brett Leveque set the pace, and the front 5 made for quite the show for lead changes lap after lap. PPIR being a uniquely tight and short track resulted in a different group of front contenders that were able to quickly learn the critical line through turn 1 and 2. In the end, Zach Hill, who made the drive all the way from Kansas City took home the win in the Novice GTU and GTO classes. Hill has made it a goal of his to compete in the MRA this year, and in doing so is a front runner for multiple novice and amateur championships.
In the expert classes Peter Tabor once again found the rhythm early on, going toe to toe in the Middleweight and Heavyweight Supersport classes with the veteran, Shannon Moham. Both riders left everything they had out on the track. Tabor was able to hold on to the win by a couple hundreths of a second in both classes. Tabor clinched the class record for both classes, and added a third record to his bag during his win in Open Supersport. On Sunday morning Tabor and Moham were at it again. Moham reeled in the victory in Middleweight Superbike with ease. In Heavyweight Superbike, Tabor sat back for the first laps of the race. As time ticked away, Tabor and Moham went back and fourth for one of the best battles of the year for first place. On the last lap, Peter overtook Shannon on the brakes into Turn 3, and Shannon held his line and drove out of the corner on the inside pulling back into the lead. The grip gave on Moham’s rear tire causing a sharp high-side, which he was able to save, yet allowed Tabor to take a slight gap and take the win.
Shannon Moham made his presence well known throughout the weekend. Riding back to back in numerous classes, Shannon and his Dunlop shod Yamaha R6 went to the top of the podium in Middleweight Superbike and Heavyweight Endurance. Most importantly, Moham took the win on Sunday in the MRA’s premier class, Race of the Rockies GTU while fighting a sluggish front end that was visibly folding on the entrance to turn 1. After the race, it was discovered his front tire had gone completely flat as he pulled into the pits. Moham also notched up an additional 4 wins atop his Suzuki SV-650 in Lightweight GP, Lightweight Endurance, Modern Vintage GTU, and Super Twins GTU. In total, Shannon took home 7 wins and 6 class records with his stellar performance for the weekend.
On Sunday in the Supertwins GTO class the heat was on. Jon Glaefke, Casey Smith, Jim Brewer, and Scott Rybarik were all in the hunt for the top spot. Glaefke came out hungry, and rocketed into the lead on his Dunlop shod Pierobon X60R. Casey Smith slowly axed away on Jon’s gap until he finally was able to overtake for the lead. Meanwhile Brewer and Rybarik battled it out for a photo finish. Brewer had recovered from a miraculous high-side save that had him looking backwards through his windscreen in the heat of the moment. With the checkered flag up, Smith was able to hold off Glaefke for the win, and Brewer’s Ducati1098R was able to muscle off Rybarik’s Ducati 899 for 3rd place.
Last but not least, was the performance of the current MRA #1 plate holder Rob Christman. It was apparent that Rob was riding in a class of his own this past weekend. On Saturday Rob warmed up by setting the class lap record in both Formula 40-O and Open Endurance, while taking home the win in each class by a half lap or more. After polishing up his lines in Sunday morning practice, Rob put his head down in Open Superbike, and left the rest of the field in the dust. Christman set the overall track lap record with an incredible 0:56.870. Rob carried his momentum into the afternoon on Sunday. Rob launched off the line on one wheel, and never looked back. Peter Tabor, Ricky Orlando, and Dan “Otis” Turner were unable to keep his “Yellowjacket” Pirelli shod Suzuki “GSX-1000R in sight. Rob motored away for an impressive win against seasoned and proven competitors, yet he never slowed down or let up till the cool down lap. Christman set the bar with another class lap record for ROR-GTO that will be quite the challenge to topple in the upcoming years. After the race, Christman thanked his sponsors: Roadrace Factory, King GM, Coyote Motorsports, Bell Powersports, STM Suspension (Dave Rose), Pirelli, Sol Performance (Oscar Solis), Motul, RacerGloves, Yoshimura, Pit Posse with a special shout out to Danny “Ninja Tech” Anderson for all of his help with the bike. Interesting to note, the ex-Team Hammer Suzuki Christman was riding was formerly ridden by Chris Ulrich of Roadracingworld.com. Christman also credited his win to all of his support and to his new Pirelli tires he was abusing all weekend.
If you’d like to be a part of this unforgettable season as a racer, superstreet participant, corner worker, or fan, contact the MRA for more details! The next round of the MRA is right around the corner. The Race of the Rockies Championship series continues with Round 5, August 9th and 10th at High Plains Raceway. If you haven’t made it out to race with MRA, now is the time. Additionally, the MRA offers free reciprocity as a means of encouraging racers from other clubs to come out and compete. The MRA offers two full days of racing every race weekend and also includes Saturday and Sunday qualifying for grid positions in all, as well as a wide variety of classes to choose from. Log on to http://mra-racing.org/motorcycle-racing-schedule/… for the full schedule, past results and lap times, and more information. The MRA- its club racing done right.
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association is 501(c)(7) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting safe and competitive motorcycle road racing events for enthusiasts in Colorado and the surrounding area. For more information, go to http://www.mra-racing.org/
Round 4 Race Results
Race of the Rockies GTO
1. Rob Christman (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. Dan Turner (Suz GSX-R1000)
4. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Travis Graham (Suz GSX-R1000)
6. Chris Terrinami (BMW S1000RR)
Race of the Rockies GTU
1. Shannon Moham (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Jon Glafke (Pie X60R)
3. Rick Grosse (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. Keith Easton (Kaw ZX-6R)
5. Jose Rivera (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Louden David (Kaw ZX-6R)
Middleweight Supersport
1. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Shannon Moham (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Rick Grosse (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. Evan Cordonier (Suz GSX-R600)
5. Nikolas Lenski (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Joseph Washburn (Suz GSX-R600)
Heavyweight Supersport:
1. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Shannon Moham (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Rick Grosse (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. Scott Rybarik (Duc 899)
5. Brad Morris (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Dennis Stowers (TRI 675)
Open Supersport:
1. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. Carl Sorensen (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Chris Terrinami (BMW S1000RR)
5. Cal Neske (Hon 1000RR)
6. Jeremy Alexander (Suz GSX-R1000)
Middleweight Superbike:
1. Shannon Moham (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Evan Cardonier (Suz GSX-R600)
4. David Lambert (Kaw ZX-6R)
5. Dennis Stowers (TRI 675)
6. Brad Morris (Yam YZF-R6)
Heavyweight Superbike:
1. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Shannon Moham (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Casey Smith (Aprilla RSV-R)
4. Dennis Stowers (TRI 675)
5. Brad Morris (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Scott Rybarik (Duc 899)
Open Superbike:
1. Rob Christman (Suz GSXR-1000)
2. Dan Turner (Suz GSXR-1000)
3. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Aaron Hersh (Suz GSXR-1000)
6. Travis Graham (Suz GSXR-1000)
Solo Endurance Middleweight
1. Rick Grosse (Kaw Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Evan Cordonier (Suz GSX-R600)
3. Jon Glafke (PIE X60R)
4. Jesse Martinez (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Syrus DeJong (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Alex Greenman (Yam YZF-R6)
Solo Endurance Lightweight
1. Shannon Moham (Suz SV-650)
2. Christopher Weed (Yam TZ)
3. Randal Adami (Kaw EX-650R)
4. Timmay Young (Kaw 250R)
5. Mitchel Kibel (Hon 250R)
6. Edward Lindgren (Kaw 250R)
Solo Endurance Heavyweight
1. Shannon Moham (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Rick Grosse (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Tim Young (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Dennis Stowers (Tri 675)
5. Mike Lakritz (Hon CBR-600R)
6. Louden David (Kaw Kaw ZX-6R)
Solo Endurance Open
1. Rob Christman (Suz GSXR-1000)
2. Aaron Hersh (Suz GSXR-1000)
3. Chris Terrinami (BMW S1000RR)
4. Todd Larson (Suz GSXR-1000)
5. Mike Keating (BMW S1000RR)
6. Travis Graham (Suz GSXR-1000)
Formula 40 GTU:
1. Rick Grosse (Kaw Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Jesse Martinez (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Eric Becker (Tri 675)
4. Jon Glafke (Pie X60R)
5. Wyeth Jackson (Kaw Kaw ZX-6R)
6. Mike Lakritz (Hon CBR-600R)
250 Production Cup Race 1:
1. David Absolon (Kaw 250R)
2. Rachel Gillie (Kaw 250R)
3. Tim Young (Kaw 250R)
4. Steve Madison
5. Mitchel Kibel (Hon 250R)
6. Michael Spero (Kaw 250R)
250 Production Cup Race 2:
1. David Absolon (Kaw 250R)
2. Rachel Gillie (Kaw 250R)
3. Tim Young (Kaw 250R)
4. Steve Madison
5. Mitchel Kibel (Hon 250R)
6. Michael Spero (Kaw 250R)
400 Production Cup Race 1:
1. Joseph Washburn (Kaw 300R)
2. Brian Jackson (Kaw 250R)
3. Jay Russel (Kaw 300R)
4. Holly Hendrickson (Kaw 250R)
400 Production Cup Race 2:
1. Brian Jackson (Kaw 250R)
2. Joseph Washburn (Kaw 300R)
3. Jay Russel (Kaw 300R)
4. Holly Hendrickson (Kaw 300R)
500 Production Cup Race 1:
1. Jason Madama (Hon CBR500R)
2. Chistopher
3. Brad Morris (Kaw 250R)
4. Jose Rivera (Kaw 250R)
5. Dennis Stowers (Kaw 250R)
500 Production Cup Race 2:
1. Jason Madama (Hon CBR500R)
2. Blair Harness (Hon CBR500R)
3. Chistopher
4. Denis Stowers (Kaw 250R)
5. Jose Rivera (Kaw 250R)
6. Brad Morris (Kaw 250R)
Novice GTU:
1. Zach Hill (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Brett Leveque (Tri 675)
3. John Borst (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Andrew Holey (Suz GSX-R600)
5. Patrick Paranto (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Timothy Rich (Duc 848)
Novice GTO:
1. Zach Hill (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Syrus DeJong (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Patrick Paranto (Suz GSX-R600)
4. Igor Maslovaric (Yam YZF-R1)
5. Tim Hebert (Kaw ZX-10R)
6. Mike Keating (BMW S1000RR)
Formula 40 GTO:
1. Rob Christman (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. Travis Graham (Suz GSX-R1000)
4. Geoffrey Snyder (Suz GSX-R1000)
5. Todd Larson (Suz GSX-R1000)
6. Jim Brewer (Duc 1098R)
Amateur GTU:
1. Evan Cordonier (Suz GSX-R600)
2. Syrus DeJong (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Eric Becker (Tri 675)
4. Scott Morrison (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Brad Morris (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Dara Lor (Suz GSX-R600)
Amateur GTO:
1. Todd Larson (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Evan Cordonier (Suz GSX-R600)
3. Brad Morris (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Syrus DeJong (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Jeremy Alexander (Suz GSX-R1000)
6. Eric Becker (Tri 675)
Modern Vintage GTU:
1. Shannon Moham (Suz SV-650)
2 Rick Grosse (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Erik Sipila (Suz GSX-R600)
4. Luke Miller (Kaw 636R)
5. Stewart Aitken-Cade
6. Christopher Weed (Yamaha TZ)
Modern Vintage GTO:
1. Erik Peat (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. David Lambert
3. Casey Smith (Aprilla RSV-R)
4. Erik Sipila (Suz GSX-R600)
5. Luke Miller (Kaw 636R)
6. Zach Frilly (Honda CBR)
Lightweight GrandPrix:
1. Shannon Moham (Suz SV-650)
2. Jason Madama (Suz SV-650)
3. Christopher Weed (Yam TZ)
4. Randall Adami (Kaw EX-650R)
5. Jeff Winter (Hon RSF450X)
6. Michael Spero (Kaw 250R)
Supertwins GTO:
1. Casey Smith (Aprilla RSV-R)
2. Jon Glafke (Pie X60R)
3. Jim Brewer (Duc 1098R)
4. Scott Rybarik (Duc 899R)
5. Tim Meiners (Duc 749R)
6. Jeff Healy (Duc 848R)
Supertwins GTU:
1. Shannon Moham (Suz SV-650)
2. Christopher Weed (Yam TZ)
3. Chuck Shettsline (Yam TZ-250)
4. Matt Galloway (Suz SV-650)
5. Jeff Winter (Hon RSF-450X)
6. Tim Young (Kaw 250R)
Colorado Class:
1. Christopher Weed (Yam TZ)
2. Jason Madama (Suz SV-650)
3. Jeff Winter (Hon RSF-450X)
4. Michael Spero (Kaw ZX-250R)
5. David Absolon (Kaw ZX-250R)
6. Aaron Hersh (Suz GSX-600R)
Ladies of the Rockies:
1. Wyeth Jackson (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Trina Dawson (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Siobhan Bennet (Hon CBR600RR)
4. Rachel Gillie (Kaw 250R)
5. Tiffany Maestas (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Barb Cook (Kaw ZX-6R)
Thunderbike:
1. Casey Smith (Apr RSVR)
2. Jon Glafke (Pie X60R)
3. Eric Becker (Tri 675)
4. Scott Rybarik (Duc 899)
5. Tim Meiners (Duc 749R)
6. Dennis Stowers (Tri 675)