Justin Miest Breaks Lap Record and Wins Multiple CRA Races At Brainerd
Brainerd, MN – Brainerd International Raceway hosted the first round of the Central Roadracing Association’s 2022 season on the Donnybrooke Course May 6-8. The weekend was action-packed with mixed conditions and featured 18-lap trophy dashes, sprint races, and the 30th annual running Framstad Cup race.
The club’s 2021 #1 Expert Christian Schmidt picked right up where he left off last season aboard his Kramer motorcycle putting down stunning lap times in the 1:51’s and sweeping the Welterweight class.
A surprise to the Welterweight and Lightweight grids this weekend was Aaron Anderson aboard a loaned Aprilia RS 660. Aaron, also a seasoned vet proves that he can not only race a big bike, but can also be at the sharp end of the smaller bike classes as he took home multiple wins over the weekend in the Trophy Dash and Welterweight races.
When mother nature decided to downpour and the fair-weather riders packed up, experts Kyle Franz and Ike Messmore stepped up to the opportunity and had great battles for the win in Lightweight SB.
Looking at the Novice smaller bike classes, Sam Fisk of Fisk Bros Racing was unstoppable taking home 10 wins across Featherweight, Welterweight and Lightweight classes and showing the grids that he’s making an early charge for the #1 novice plate.
In the Middleweight Superport Expert race, Matt Warnert and Brian Hebeisen couldn’t hold off the likes of Kyle Ohnsorg aboard his Adrenaline Engineering Yamaha R6. Ohnsorg proved that he can still race a 600 as he gapped Matt and Brian by almost a full second and put down a best lap of 1:44.522.
Aside from Kyle’s awesome performance on Saturday, the most action in the Middleweight and Heavyweight Expert races was between Matt on his Nielsen Racing Yamaha R6 and Brian on his Fisk Bros Racing Yamaha R6. These two are used to racing each other as close as it can get which makes for pure entertainment on track! Both riders managed consistent lap times in the 1:45’s in their battles.
In the Novice ranks new rider Judah Wimbley took his very first win in his first sprint race with the CRA [rookie] putting forth a valiant effort to hold off 2nd year Novice Ryan Largent in Middleweight Supersport Novice. The two were basically swapping paint coming through each corner as they matched lap times in the 1:50’s. Ryan, aboard his Nielsen Racing Yamaha R6, went on to also take his very first win in Middleweight GP, with an additional podium in Middleweight SB.
In the Unlimited Expert class, it was all about Justin Miest. Justin dominated Unlimited Supersport, holding off Ohnsorg and putting down a lap time of 1:38.514 on his Nielsen Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R and breaking the track record previously held by Kyle. Justin now holds track records for both Brainerd International Raceway’s Competition and Donnybrooke configurations on Michelin tires.
We also saw great battles between friends Shane Keaveny and Zach Hughes for the final podium position in Unlimited Supersport. Both riders swapped lap times in the 1:42’s and 1:43’s and were entertaining to watch in every corner.
The CRA would like to thank all the volunteers for all their hard work and dedication.
The 2nd round of the CRA season which is a combined event with CCS is set to take place on Brainerd International Raceway’s Competition Course, June 17-19.
