Hurtado Bounces Back

ASMA Championship at Arroyo Seco Raceway

Deming, New Mexico, April 6, 2018

Round 3 of the ASMA Championship saw the return to form of David Hurtado and the emergence of Dan Dickerman as a legitimate contender in the Evan Steel Performance Formula Arroyo Championship. Dickerman grabbed the holeshot on his Yamaha R1 with reigning champion Mikey Shreve, Hurtado and Joe Chasser close behind. Dickerman did his best to make a break and opened up a small lead in the first lap and a half, but Shreve quickly closed it back on on lap 2, taking the lead. Lap 3 saw Shreve try to make a break on his Law Tigers/Pirelli sponsored Yamaha R1, turning a 1:08.92, his best lap of the race, but Hurtado was also upping the pace, closing the gap to Dickerman who matched the times being laid down by Shreve. On lap 4 Shreve began to slow slightly, allowing Dickerman to get back past and allowing Hurtado to get close enough to make a move on the brakes at the start of lap 5 going into the Horseshoe. David was on fire at that point, also going by Dickerman as the pair headed towards the Bus Stop. On lap 6, with a clear track in front of him, Hurtado set the fastest lap of the race at 1:08.441 as he attempted to check out at the front, but Dickerman and Shreve kept in formation and stayed close for a few laps, Dickerman setting his best lap of 1:08.608 on lap 9. Shreve began to drop off the pace on lap 10 as the heat began to affect his vision. Hurtado continued to pull out small gains each lap, crossing the line on his Dunlop sponsored Kawasaki ZX10R two seconds over Dan Dickerman, with Shreve 9 seconds adrift in 3rd. Chasser, a podium regular had an off day and finished another 10 seconds down in 4th.

In Middleweight action, for the second month in a row it was Robert Roach Jr. winning both Middleweight Superbike and Middleweight Superstock on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Roach is a recent graduate from our Ninja 250 program as well as occasionally racing a KTM RC390 and so far has gone undefeated in his ASMA 600 program. Robert will be racing in Yucatán, Mexico at Autódromo Yucatán Mérida, Yucatán on May 27th in the CAMPEONATO NACIONAL ITALIKA RACING series next.

The Ultrallight classes were once again full of great racing as Nic Swensgard and Roger Heemsbergen faced off in the 300 Superbike race with Swensgard breaking Robert Roach’s old Counter Clockwise Ultralight lap record of 1:18.7 by a full second riding the same Heems Racing Kawasaki Ninja 250, with Heemsbergen also under the old lap record running a 1:18.0 on his ESP Honda CBR250. Swensgard took the win by 6 seconds.

In Ultralight Grand Prix, it was once again Mickey Rupe vs Swensgard, with Rupe using his experience and the power of his Yamaha R3 to hold off the full race attack of the 17 year old Swensgard from start to finish.

In Formula 500, which is open to the usual ultralight bikes, plus KTM390s, Ninja 400s and the other new, slightly higher capacity bikes, it was expected to be a showdown between Rupe, Swensgard, and Heemsbergen with Art Johnson still nursing an injured thumb sustained in a work related injury. Rupe took the holeshot followed by Johnson and Swensgard, with Tim Byma 3rd and Heemsbergen 4th as they exited the first turn. Swensgard passed Johnson in Yucca, and Byma and Heemsbergen splitting Johnson on the brakes headed into Bus Stop. Byma had the tight inside line so he had to give way to Heemsbergen and the top 3 looked like the 3 way battle was going to commence. Swensgard dove inside of Rupe in 111R and took the lead and opened a small gap in the Esses before the long back straight, and Heemsbergen was able to get his CBR tucked in tight behind the R3 of Rupe to draft all the way to the Carousel. Suddenly Rupe had a slight lockup of his front tire, causing his bike to wiggle violently, then standing up and he rode off the track at a high rate of speed before low siding a few hundred feet out in the desert unhurt. Heemsbergen set after Swensgard, setting a new lap record of 1:17.65 and taking the lead with a pass going into the Bus Stop on lap 2. Swensgard retaliated by going around the outside of the carousel on the brakes on lap 3 and holding it until lap 6 when he went outside of a lapped rider and Heemsbergen went underneath them both. Swensgard retook the lap record again on lap 7 going 1:17.642, but began to slide the rear and Heemsbergen took the win by just over half a second.

David Hurtado: “It was hot and greasy out there, but I did what I needed to do. I want to thank Dunlop, ESP, Speedcell, Cycle Gear Mesa, Az Motorcycle Service.”

Dan Dickerman: “I enjoyed mixing it up with Mikey, and wished I had a little more to give Hurtado a run, but I’m super happy with a second place. That’s my best Formula finish to date!”

Mikey Shreve: “On lap 3 I started seeing spots, I’m not used to this heat because I live high in the mountains in Ruidoso. I want to thank Law Tigers, Pirelli Tires, Bobby J’s Yamaha, CT Racing, Evan Steel Performance, and my dad who is always helping me.”

Evan Steel Performance Formula Arroyo

1. David Hurtado (Kaw ZX-10R)

2. Dan Dickerman (Yam YZF-R1)

3. Mikey Shrevee (Yam YZF-R1)

4. Joe Chasser (Yam YZF-R1)

5. Robert Roach Jr. (Yam YZF-R6)

Speedcell Formula Amateur

1. Jeff Zimmer (BMW S1000RR)

2. Daniel Garrison (Suz GSX-R600)

3. Dan Junick (BMW S1000RR)

4. Bill Yelverton (Kaw ZX-10R)

5. Victor Pope (Yam YZF-R6)

Formula 500

1. Roger Heemsbergen (Hon CBR250R)

2. Nic Swensgard (Kaw 250)

3. Art Johnson (Yam YZF-R3)

4. Tim Byma (Yam YZF-R3)

5. Tony Tavitas (Kaw 300)

Unlimited Superbike by Kurveygirl.com

1. Dan Dickerman (Yam YZF-R1)

2. Mikey Shreve (Yam YZF-R1)

3. Joe Chasser (Yam YZF-R1)

4. James Yogi (Yam YZF-R1)

5. Scott Diehl (Suz GSX-R1000)

Unlimited Superbike Amateur by Kurveygirl.com

1. Jeff Zimmer (BMW S1000RR)

2. Dan Junick (BMW S1000RR)

3. Bill Yelverton (Kaw ZX-10R)

4. Loren Jury (Yam YZF-R6)

300 Superbike by JR Cochran Service

1. Nic Swensgard (Kaw 250)

2. Roger Heemsbergen (Hon CBR250)

3. Tony Tavitas (Kaw 300)

4. Jose Medrano (Kaw 250)

5. Nick Luke (Kaw 250)

Middleweight Superstock by Moto EL Paso

1. Robert Roach Jr (Yam YZF-R6)

2. Greg Talbot (Yam YZF-R6)

3. Matt Kendrick (Yam YZF-R6)

4. Ken Murray (Yam YZF-R6)

5. John Friesen (Yam YZF-R6)

Middleweight Superbike Amateur by Moto El Paso

1. Daniel Garrison (Suz GSX-R600)

2. Victor Pope (Yam YZF-R6)

3. Andre Pettas (Yam YZF-R6)

4. Oscar Ybarra (Suz GSX-R600)

5. Steve Elder (Suz SV650)

Lightweight Grand Prix by Jr Cochran Service

1. Art Johnson (Yam YZF-R3)

2. Tim Byma (Yam YZF-R3)

3. Steve Elder (Suz SV650)

4. Zac Seasly (MZ 660)

5. Andrew Malinowski (Kaw 300)

Beginner by Rio Grande Shovelheads

1. Andre Pettas (Yam YZF-R6)

2. Steve Elder (Suz SV650)

Formula 40 by Southwest Suzuki Kawasaki

1. Roger Heemsbergen (Suz GSX-R1000)

2. Greg Talbot (Yam YZF-R6)

3. John Freisen (Yam YZF-R6)

4. Ken Murray (Yam YZF-R6)

5. Mickey Rupe (Suz GSX-R1000)

UltraLight Grand Prix by JR Cochran Service

1. Mickey Rupe (Yam YZF-R3)

2. Nic Swensgard (Kaw 250)

3. Art Johnson (Yam YZF-R3)

4. Tim Byma (Yam YZF-R3)

5. Tony Tavitas (Kaw 300)

Middleweight Superbike by Law Tigers

1. Robert Roach Jr (Yam YZF-R6)

2. Greg Talbot (Yam YZF-R6)

3. Matt Kendrick (Yam YZF-R6)

4. John Freisen (Yam YZF-R6)

Middleweight Superbike Amateur by Law Tigers

1. Daniel Garrison (Suz GSX-R600)

2. Victor Pope (Yam YZF-R6)

3. Justin Berg (Yam YZF-R6)

4. Oscar Ybarra (Suz GSX-R600)

5. Andre Pettas (Yam YZF-R6)

Unlimited Superstock by Madd1 Racing

1. Dan Dickerman (Yam YZF-R1)

2. Roger Heemsbergen (Suz GSX-R1000)

3. Robert Roach Jr (Yam YZF-R6)

4. Scott Diehl (Suz GSX-R1000)

Unlimited Superbike Amateur by Madd1 Racing

1. Dan Junick (BMW S1000RR)

2. Bill Yelverton (Kaw ZX-10R)

Southwest Thunder

1. Nic Swensgard (Kaw 250)

2. Art Johnson (Yam YZF-R3)

3. Tim Byma (Yam YZF-R3)

4. Steve Elder (Suz SV650)

5. Tony Tavitas (Kaw 300)

ASMA Championship Roadracing resumes June 2-3 at Arroyo Seco Raceway near Deming, NM. For more information visit the website at www.asmaracing.com or call (575)494-4794