Dave Lewis, Brant Wiwi and Oleg Pianykh showed up in top form for the first round of the Plaza Cycle Masters of the Mountains roadrace series at Miller Motorsports Park, running near-record pace on the green track surface. After a season of snow and cooler weekend temperatures traction was in short supply, but the racing was hot with Lewis, Wiwi and Pianykh trading wins in the middleweight and heavyweight classes. 

Dave Lewis won the premier King of the Mountain GTU race, dropping nearly a second off his qualifying time with an impressive 1:35.6 on Miller’s East Course. Lewis went on to win Middleweight Superbike, with Pianykh taking a close second in both races “I was pretty happy winning KOM GTU win by almost 8 seconds. A big thanks to Aaron Lanningham and Dunlop, and Lee’s Cycle for an amazing motor.” said Lewis. “Going into KOM GTU I was pretty nervous, but knew I had something for them. If I can just figure out how to get a better start I know I can run up front all year. In Middleweight Superbike, Oleg was really giving me a battle the first few laps and I couldn’t motor him anyplace, so I got him on the brakes going into turn seven. From there I had to keep focused and work hard to keep him behind me.” 

Lewis thanked Bud Light Lime, Dunlop, Traction Zone, Motorex, and Pilot Leathers for the support. Also the people who helped him all weekend, his family, Miller Motorsports Park, UtahSBA and Kory at Intermountain Racer Supply. 

Oleg Pianykh won the Middleweight Superstock and Heavyweight Superstock races with Brant Wiwi in a close second place by less than a second. Pianykh took second to Lewis in KOM GTU and Middleweight Superbike. “I struggled a little bit the first day and had some issues on the brakes, and Wiwi is really strong on the brakes so he’d end up catching me into every corner, then I’d get a good drive coming out. He kept me on my toes,” said Pianykh. “In Heavyweight Superstock we came up on traffic half way into the race. I thought I had a gap on Wiwi, but then he was right next to me, so I really had to put my head down. It was a lot of fun.

“Overnight Jason and Corporate Suspension helped me change a few things up so the bike was better on the brakes. That let me get into the low 1:36s and keep improving,” said Pianykh. “In KOM GTU I started from pole. Dave (Lewis) had a really strong pace and I had to work my ass off to try and keep up with him. I tried to get on the gas as early as I could, but I nearly highsided in almost every turn for two laps, so I had to back it off a little. We went to a softer rear tire for Middleweight Superbike and it let me stay with Dave, but I couldn’t get by him. It was a great way to start the season.” 

Brant Wiwi, of Studio City, CA, won the premier King of the Mountain GTO race and kept Lewis and Pianykh honest all weekend. Along with his KOM GTO win gaining valuable points to earning the #1 plate for the series, Wiwi took a close second place in Middleweight Superstock and Heavyweight Superstock, and third in KOM GTU to Lewis and Pianykh. “This was great weekend. It seemed like the fog just pulled back,  I had my priorities and focus all screwed up last year. I was up-tight with my racing and we were trying to make money as a professional racer. It skewed my focus away from why we all began racing, to have fun. I think that’s when I go the fastest,” said Wiwi. “We came out here this weekend to win KOM GTO. It really refreshing to set a simple goal like that and literally just get it done. That’s what was the most fun about it. Nothing else really mattered. In the Superstock races with Oleg (Pianykh) it was a little cagey. Really dicey. I knew where I wasn’t going to beat him. I knew I was only going to get around him into a corner on the brakes or some obscure spot, so I tried going around him on the outside in Release a few times “¦ the unorthodox nature of that racing was great. I didn’t really care that I lost. Those races were a hoot.

 “Kory Cowan at Intermountain Racer Supply in Salt Lake and Pirelli really stepped up and was a huge orchestrating factor getting get out to Utah. I’m glad I didn’t let him down and got the win. I’ll be out to Utah a lot this season.” 

All three racers will be out for the UtahSBA/WERA National round on May 22-23, and the Lucas Oils Superbike Challenge during WSBK on May 29-31. The seven-race Plaza Cycle Masters of the Mountains series, developed by Miller Motorsports Park, organized by the Utah Sportbike Association (USBA) and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), was created to encourage and develop fun and competitive road racing at the club and regional levels. In its fifth year, the series has quickly turned into a premier event drawing top-level talent from around the nation. View photos at: http://www.latebraker.com/galleries.shtml

Plaza Cycle Masters of the Mountains – Round 1 results

Middleweight Superstock – JakeWilson.com 1. Oleg Pianykh (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Brant Wiwi (Suz GSX-R600) 3. Jesse Sherstan (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Scott Decker (Suz GSX-R600) 5. Sean Black (Suz GSX-R600) 6. Travis Ohge (Yam YZF-R6) 

Open Superstock – Intermountain Racer Supply 1. Gerry Signorelli (BMW S1000RR) 2. Ray Thibedeau (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Ryan Brand (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Clint Warner (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Gary Poole (Suz GSX-R1000) 6. Alan Schmidt (Suz GSX-R1000) 

Heavyweight Superstock – Fastline Race Tire 1. Oleg Pianykh (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Brant Wiwi (Suz GSX-R600) 3. Scott Decker (Suz GSX-R600) 4. Matt Guiver (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Clint Gibson (Kaw ZX6R) 6. Shannon Moham (Yam YZF-R6) 

Sportsman 1. David Purcell (Hon CBR1000RR) 2. Douglas Pogue (Tri 675) 3. Brian Prax (Kaw ZX10R) 4. Austin Carpenter (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Chris Blockston (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Aaron Nourbakhsh (Suz SV650)

 Endurance GTU 1. Gary Poole () 2. David Lewis (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Adam Fetter (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Shane Kelsey (Suz GSX-R600) 5. Raymond Clark (Suz GSX-R600) 

Endurance GTO 1. Brian Whipple (Hon CBR1000RR) 2. Dustin Ohara (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Chris Peterson (Yam YZF-R1) 4. Shane White (Suz GSX-R600) 

Twins GTO 1. Brandal Glenn (Duc 848) 2. Brian Whipple (Duc 1098) 3. Pete Jenner (Suz SV650) 4. Daniel Short (Suz SV650) 5. Jon Glaefke (FO42) 

Novice GTO 1. Jeremy Ross (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Douglas Pogue (Tri 675) 3. Aaron Allina (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Shawn Nay (Suz GSX-R600) 5. Darrel Cherry (Hon CBR600RR) 6. Brian Prax (Kaw ZX10R) 

KOM GTU – Plaza Cycle 1. David Lewis (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Oleg Pianykh (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Brant Wiwi (Suz GSX-R600) 4. Jesse Sherstan (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Jeff Stern (Hon CBR600RR) 6. Travis Ohge (Yam YZF-R6) 

Twins GTU – Wright’s Motorcycle Parts 1. Jon Glaefke (FO42) 2. Sean Black (Suz SV650) 3. Don Roberts (Yam TZ250) 4. Ho Wong (Suz SV650) 5. Daniel Short (Suz SV650) 

Amateur GTU – Salt Lake Motorsports 1. Tyler Cenarrusa (Hon CBR600RR) 2. Brad Moore (Suz GSX-R600) 3. Brandal Glenn (Duc 848) 4. Douglas Pogue (Tri 675) 5. Aaron Allina (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Mark Sanders (Hon CBR600RR) 

Open Superbike 1. Jeff Stern (Hon CBR1000RR) 2. Gerry Signorelli (BMW S1000RR) 3. Alan Schmidt (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Ray Thibedeau (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Ryan Brand (Suz GSX-R1000) 6. Dustin Ohara (Hon CBR1000RR) 

Formula 40 1. Gary Poole (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. John Hopperstad (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Tommy Richardson (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Mark Snethen (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Chris Peterson (Yam YZF-R1) 6. Dana Wilson (Yam YZF-R6) 

Novice GTU – Apex Trackdays 1. Douglas Pogue (Tri 675) 2. Gerald Hicks (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Darrel Cherry (Hon CBR600RR) 4. Austin Carpenter (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Shawn Nay (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Adam Fetter (Yam YZF-R6) 

Middleweight Superbike 1. David Lewis (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Oleg Pianykh (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Jesse Sherstan (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Sean Black (Suz GSX-R600) 5. Matt Guiver (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Brad Moore (Suz GSX-R600) 

Amateur GTO – Sunoco 1. Brad Moore (Suz GSX-R600) 2. Tyler Cenarrusa (Hon CBR600RR) 3. Tommy Richardson (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Mark Snethen (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Chris Peterson (Yam YZF-R1) 6. Douglas Pogue (Tri 675) 

KOM GTO – Plaza Cycle 1. Brant Wiwi (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. Gerry Signorelli (BMW S1000RR) 3. Jeff Stern (Hon CBR1000RR) 4. Ray Thibedeau (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. David Lewis (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Alan Schmidt (Suz GSX-R1000) 

SuperTwins 1. Matt Cusumano (Duc 1098) 2. Brandal Glenn (Duc 848) 3. Brian Whipple (Duc 1098) 4. Daniel Short (Suz SV650) 5. Sean Black (Suz SV650) 6. Don Roberts (Yam TZ250) 

Formula 5 – Honda Suzuki of Salt Lake) 1. Brian Prax (Kaw ZX-10R) 2. James McKay (Kaw ZX-10R)