Another very exciting race weekend is in the books with the completion of Round 2 of the 2014 MRA Race of the Rockies Championship Series at High Plains Raceway. The May 31st/June 1st weekend had another impressive number of race entries. The MRA surpassed its round 1 turnout with an 176 riders, and currently knocking on the door to eclipse the record turnout the MRA saw back in 2005. There were close to 60 riders on the Amateur grids, turning out to be one of the largest fielded classes in MRA history.
This weekend welcomed the 4th Annual MRA 4-Hour Endurance Race. Riders across the western states hailed to HPR for the event. 16 endurance teams and many more solo riders entered this year combining for over 70 riders that were competing for a cash purses totaling over $5000. The 4 Hour Endurance race format permitted a “Pony Express” class, which allowed up to 4 riders and up to 4 different bikes per team. “True Endurance” teams raced traditionally on one bike, with up to 4 riders per team. The true grit of them all, were the solo “Titanium Butt” riders who compete on one motorcycle solo for all 4 hours. As the near 90 degree heat subsided and the sun set over turn 4, 4 hours of screaming motors subsided around 8:30 p.m. The overall champions for the “Pony Express” class and overall lap count (121 laps) were team Wild Pink Snappers consisting of riders Shannon Moham, Chris Terranami, and Nikolas Lenski. In the Solo category Michael Henao completed an incredible 116 laps for 1st place, with Glenn Conser (115 laps) and Eric Becker (113 laps) finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. Team Grand Prix took home the win for the “True Endurance” class atop the Grand Prix Motorsports Kawasaki ZX-10 with riders Josh Galster, Bill Comegys, Mike Applegate and Travis Graham clicking off a total of 116 laps.
On Saturday the Supersport races were once again dominated by Peter Tabor securing 5 victories for the weekend on his Kawasaki ZX-10R and ZX-6r. The race wins didn’t come easy for Tabor as Shannon Moham lead for the majority of the superbike races and was hot on his heels into every corner. Tabor would finish up throughout the weekend with personal best lap times in the 1.49 range on his ZX-6 and low 1.47s on his ZX-10.
During Saturday the novice classes were the ones to watch, with over 45 bikes on grid, there was close racing deep within the field of riders. The 4 front runners were rubbing fairings in every corner, with countless lead changes that resulted in blazing lap times for the novice class. Suzuki mounted Adam “Dutch” Ayers traded paint with John Borst and Zach Hill throughout the race to take home the win in Novice GTU. Eric Becker and Zach Hill played cat and mouse, toppling Ayers to third. Zach Hill was able to squeak out the win with Eric Becker in draft taking a close second place.
In the big bike classes it was all Rob Christman on his Pirelli shod Suzuki. Christman took the win in the Open Superbike race, while also securing a lap record with a 1:47.031 in Formula 40 GTO. In the Race of the Rockies, Christman received brief pressure from Dan Turner and Pete Tabor. Christman would ride flawless and make no mistake. Rob secured the race win in the MRA’s premier class, Race of the Rockies GTO while Shannon Moham took home the win in the GTU class.
Shannon Moham was once again on a mission this past weekend in the LightweightGP and Supertwins GTU races on Sunday. Rider Christopher Weed and his Factory Trained Auto Repair TZ along with Jason Madama and his Syndicate prepped Suzuki SV650 gave Shannon all he could handle. Shannon rode remarkably and held off Weed and Madama for the win in both races.
Another notable rider for the weekend is Christopher Coonshead. Coonshead brought home the win and set two new class records in Formula 40 GTU (1.56.832) and Modern Vintage GTU ( 1.55.681) on his decade old Yamaha YZF-R6. He also snatched the win from Erik Peat in Modern Vintage GTO. Coonshead is on pace with his older Yamaha to secure championships in multiple classes if his streak continues.
The next round of the MRA is right around the corner. The Race of the Rockies Championship series continues with Round 3, June 21st and 22nd at Pueblo Motorsports Park. 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 2 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. Chris Terrinami (BMW S1000RR)
6. Aaron Hersh (Suz GSX-R1000)
Race of the Rockies GTU
1. Shannon Moham (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Nikolas Lenski (Yam YZF-R6)
3. David Purcell (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Rick Grosse (Kaw ZX-6R)
5. Christopher (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Louden David (Kaw ZX-636R)
Middleweight Supersport
1. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Nikolas Lenski (Yam YZF-R6)
3. David Kibler (Yam YZF-R6)
4. David Purcell (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Christopher (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Michael Henao
Heavyweight Supersport:
1. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Nikolas Lenski (Yam YZF-R6)
3. David Purcell (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Kenneth Yee (Hon CBR600RR)
5. Arthur Chen (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Rick Grosse (Kaw ZX-6R)
Open Supersport:
1. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Mike Applegate (Suz GSX-R1000)
3. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Nikolas Lenski (Yam YZF-R1)
5. Chris Terrinami (BMW S1000RR)
6. Louis Ortiz Jr. (Suz GSX-R1000)
Middleweight Superbike:
1. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Shannon Moham (Yam YZF-R6)
3. David Kibler (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Nikolas Lenski (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Michael Henao
6. Rick Grosse (Kaw ZX-6R)
Heavyweight Superbike:
1. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Shannon Moham (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Nikolas Lenski (Yam YZF-R6)
4. David Kibler (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Rick Grosse (Kaw ZX-6R)
6. Michael Henao
Open Superbike:
1. Rob Christman (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Peter Tabor (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. Dan Turner (Suz GSXR-1000)
4. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Chris Terrinami (BMW S1000RR)
6. Aaron Hersh (Suz GSX-R1000)
4 Hour Endurance Pony Express:
1. Team Wild Pink Snappers
2. Team Old & Slow
3. Team Sort of Summit
4. Team Drinkin Outta Cups
5. Team I have Vodka
6. Team 3 Kaws and A
4 Hour True Endurance:
1. Grand Prix Race Team (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Team Hinkley Boners (Tri 675)
3. Team ASAP
4. Team Boobz A’Hoy (Suz GSX-R600)
5. Team Sofa King Fast (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Team Speed Geeks (Suz GSX-R600)
4 Hour Endurance Titanium Butt:
1. Michael Henao
2. Glenn Conser (Yam YZF-R1)
3. Eric Becker (Tri 675)
4. Louden David (Kaw ZX-6R)
5. Zach Frilley (Hon CBR600RR)
6. Andrew Schrems (Duc 748)
Formula 40 GTU:
1. Christopher Coonshead (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Rick Grosse (Kaw Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Adam Ayers (Suz GSX-R600)
4. Eric Becker (Tri 675)
5. Jesse Martinez (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Jim Wilson (Suz GSX-R600)
250 Production Cup Race 1:
1. Michael Henao
2. Tim Young (Kaw 250R)
3. Rachel Gillie (Kaw 250R)
4. David Absolon (Kaw 250R)
5. Michael Spero (Kaw 250R)
6. Mitchel Kibel (Hon 250R)
250 Production Cup Race 2:
1. David Absolon (Kaw 250R)
2. Tim Young (Kaw 250R)
3. John Fifield (Hon 250R)
4. Rachel Gille (Kaw 250R)
5. Mitchel Kibel (Hon 250R)
6. Timothy Shutt (Hon 250R)
400 Production Cup Race 1:
1. Drew Jankord
2. Joseph Washburn (Kaw 300R)
3. Brian Jackson (Kaw 250R)
4. Jay Russell (Kaw 300R)
5. Jim Soiland (Kaw 300R)
6. Holly Hendrickson (Kaw 300R)
400 Production Cup Race 2:
1. Drew Jankord
2. Brian Jackson (Kaw 250R)
3. Joseph Washburn (Kaw 300R)
4. Jay Russell (Kaw 300R)
5. Jim Soiland (Kaw 300R)
6. Holly Hendrickson (Kaw 300R)
500 Production Cup Race 1:
1. Jason Madama (Hon CBR500R)
2. Jeremy Wildman (Hon CBR500R)
3. Blair Harness (Hon CBR500R)
4. Steven Dawson (Suz GS500)
5. Tony Baker (Suz GS500)
500 Production Cup Race 2:
1. Jeremy Wildman (Hon CBR500R)
2. Jason Madama (Hon CBR500R)
3. Blair Harness (Hon CBR500R)
4. Steven Dawson (Suz GS500)
5. Tony Baker (Suz GS500)
Novice GTU:
1. Adam Ayers (Suz GSX-R600)
2. John Borst (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Zach Hill (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Syrus DeJong (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Patrick Paranto (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Andrew Holey (Suz GSX-R600)
Novice GTO:
1. Zach Hill (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Eric Becker (Tri 675)
3. Adam Ayers (Suz GSX-R600)
4. Drew Jankord
5. John Borst (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Syrus DeJong (Yam YZF-R6)
Formula 40 GTO:
1. Rob Christman (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Mike Applegate (Suz GSX-R1000)
3. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Luke Johnston (Yam YZF-R1)
5. Geoffrey Snyder (Suz GSX-R1000)
6. Todd Larson ( Duc 848)
Amateur GTU:
1. Dara Lor (Suz GSX-R600)
2. Brad Morris (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Steve Mills (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. Kurt Fritz (Hon CBR600RR)
5. Evan Cordonier (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Michael Henao
Amateur GTO:
1. Todd Larson (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Kenneth Yee (Hon CBR600RR)
3. Drew Jankord
4. Brad Morris (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Dara Lor (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Kurt Fritz (Hon CBR600RR)
Modern Vintage GTU:
1. Christopher (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Shannon Moham (Suz SV-650)
3. Frank DiRanna (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Rick Grosse (Kaw ZX-6R)
5. Luke Miller (Suz SV-650)
6. Jeremy Widmann (Suz SV-650)
Modern Vintage GTO:
1. Christopher (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Erik Peat (Suz GSX-R1000)
3. Casey Smith (Aprilla RSV-R)
4. Jay Hollman (Aprilla RSV-R)
5. Ryan Smith (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Orion Hughes (Suz GSX-R750)
Lightweight GrandPrix:
1. Shannon Moham (Suz SV-650)
2. Jason Madama (Suz SV-650)
3. Christopher Weed (Yam TZ)
4. Jeremy Widmann (Suz SV-650)
5. Randall Adami (Kaw EX-650R)
6. Matt Galloway (Suz SV-650)
Supertwins GTO:
1. Jon Glafke (Duc X60R)
2. Scott Rybarik (Duc 899R)
3. Jim Brewer (Duc 1098R)
4. Tim Meiners (Duc 749R)
5. Jeff Healy (Duc 848R)
6. Christopher Weed (Yam TZ)
Supertwins GTU:
1. Shannon Moham (Suz SV-650)
2. Christopher Weed (Yam TZ)
3. Matt Galloway (Suz SV-650)
4. Jeremy Widmann (Suz SV-650)
5. Chuck Shettsline (Yam TZ-250)
6. Jeff Winter (Hon RSF-450X)
Colorado Class:
1. Christopher Weed (Yam TZ)
2. Jeremy Widmann (Suz SV-650)
3. Jason Madama (Suz SV-650)
4. Jeff Winter (Hon RSF-450X)
5. Brandon Fosbinder (Hon CRF-450)
6. David Absolon (Kaw ZX-250R)
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. Jon Glafke (Duc X60R)
2. Casey Smith (Apr RSVR)
3. Eric Becker (Tri 675)
4. Dennis Stowers (Tri 675)
5. Todd Larson (Duc 848R)
6. Jay Hollman (Apr RSVR)
More, from a press release issued by Shannon Moham’s publicist:
Successful Second Round for MRA’s Shannon Moham including a Win in Race of the Rockies GTU and an overall First Place Win in the annual 4-Hour Endurance Race!
This past weekend, the MRA’s second round at High Plains Raceway in Byers, CO, brought some big success for Shannon Moham and his teammates in their exciting 4 Hour Endurance race. Moham and his team, Nik Lenski and Chris Terranami, totally dominated during their approximate 122 laps. They not only took first place in the Pony Express, but also took first place overall and finished ahead of the rest of the grid by more than 3 laps. Moham added to Saturday’s success by taking first place in Lightweight Grand Prix.
Sunday proved to throw a few hurdles Moham’s way, but he didn’t let that stop him from dominating on both his R6 and his SV650! Before lunch, he took second in both Middleweight Superbike and Modern Vintage GTU. Then, deciding to squeeze one more race in on his SV, he was in for a surprise when his motor blew going down the front straight during Thunderbike. That didn’t stop Moham. Recruiting some of his MRA family and fellow racers in his pits, they were able to swap SV motors in approx 45 minutes. Can you say “Impressive”??? After swapping motors, Moham went out on his R6 in MRA’s premier class Race of the Rockies and dominated in the GTU class, bringing home the race win! Finally testing out that spare motor he had just put in his SV, Moham was pleased that it did in fact work as he easily captured first place in his Super twins GTU race. Finishing up the day with a second in Heavyweight Superbike, Moham definitely had a great seco nd round!
“I want to give a huge thanks to my amazing sponsors. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to have such a successful race program. Dunlop tires are, hands down, the best tire out there. They helped Shannon dominate in the 14 lap MRA Race of the Rockies GTU race, never once giving Shannon cause for concern. Race Tech has continued to provide such awesome suspension over the years and, it definitely makes all the difference in getting me on the podium again and again. There are so many other incredible companies that help us win and I want to give them a huge thanks: Woodcraft, Silkolene, Vortex, Galfer, K&N, Renegade Fuel, FMF exhaust, GPR Stabilizers, Lockhart Phillips, Pit Bull, Vickery Motorsports, Bazaaz Performance, Motonation, Rocky Mountain Photos and World Wide Bearings, Nordic Nursing and MOM”.
“I also want to give a special shout out to our newest sponsors, Evergreen Recreational Vehicles and La Mesa RV. We are thrilled to have their 2015 Amped 32GS toy hauler. Without a doubt, this is the coolest and most racer friendly toy hauler I have ever seen and/or had. We are able to go to the racetrack with our entire family, to include 2 kids, 2 dogs, my wife and I, 3 race bikes, 2 spare motors, 2 canopies, tall of our gear, spare parts, tires, 2 rolling tool boxes and everything else under the moon that we need and use during a race weekend. The Amped houses it all comfortably and allows our race weekend to run smoothly and successfully. We want to say thank you for making such a sweet unit and for working with us and our race program this year!”