Former Roadracing World Young Gun and aspiring firefighter Ryan Matter took advantage of the opportunity presented by defending Moto West Grand Prix Champion Chris Duran’s misfortune and ran away with the Pacific Specialty Insurance Formula One victory in the season opener last Sunday, March 9 at Willow Springs International Raceway.

Riding an ACT Racing-backed, Dunlop-shod Yamaha YZF-R6, Matter was in the lead by the second corner and turned a best lap of 1:25.262 en route to the win over Jeff Stern on his Fastline Racing-backed, Dunlop-shod Honda CBR1000RR.

Matter was on Dunlop’s D211GP-A DOT-labeled tires, the company’s U.S.-made treaded race rubber, which Matter said held up well over the course of the 12-lap, 30-mile sprint around the fast, brutal-on-tires 2.5-mile main course.

Matter was prepared to go into battle against the literbikes on his 600, but his task was made easier when Duran crashed earlier in the day and was unable to make the Formula One start.

“My plan was to go out there and follow them (the literbikes) …” Matter said from the podium.

“That plan didn’t last long,” interrupted Stern, who said from the podium that his training program leading up to the weekend had involved “drinking beer.”

The battle for third was a brawl, as J.C. Gibbs and Travis Westermeyer traded the final podium spot back and forth the entire race on their Suzuki GSX-R1000s. The pair ran nearly identical lap times for the entire race, dove into Turn One side-by-side lap after lap, and in the end, Westermeyer edged Gibbs to take third on his Bridgestone-shod GSX-R1000.

After a crash earlier in the day, Ron Cole repaired his bike and took fifth aboard his Yamaha YZF-R1.

Matter also took the 600cc Superbike win. David Bozarelli took the Open Superstock win on his Kawasaki ZX-10R, while Duran took the 600cc Superstock win aboard his Yamaha YZF-R6 and the Open Superbike win aboard his BMW S1000RR.

Moto West Grand Prix officials said 120 racers attended the weekend’s events and registered 315 race entries.

RESULTS:

PACIFIC SPECIALTY INSURANCE FORMULA ONE:

1. Ryan Matter (Yam YZF-R6)

2. Jeff Stern (Hon CBR1000RR)

3. Travis Westermeyer (Suz GSX-R1000)

4. J.C. Gibbs (Suz GSX-R1000)

5. Ron Cole (Yam YZF-R1)

500cc SUPERSTOCK:

1. Neil Carlson (Yam)

2. Josh Fogel (Kaw 250R )

3. Wesley Lakis (Kaw 250R)

4. Richard Barnett (Kaw 250R)

600cc SUPERSTOCK:

1. Chris Duran (Yam YZF-R6)

2. Ryan Matter (Yam YZF-R6)

3. Sahar Zvik (Kaw ZX-6R)

4. Jason Gardner (Yam YZF-R6)

5. Ryan Harper (Hon CBR600RR)

6. Zach Harrington (Yam YZF-R6)

750cc SUPERSTOCK:

1. Sahar Zvik (Kaw ZX-6R)

2. J.C. Gibbs (Suz GSX-R600)

3. David McLarty (Suz GSX-R750)

4. Douglas McLarty (Suz GSX-R750)

5. Julian Wust (Suz GSX-R750)

OPEN SUPERSTOCK:

1. David Bozarelli (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Timothy Chin (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. Ron Cole (Yam YZF-R1)
4. Joshua Uebersetzig (Suz GSX-R1000)

600cc SUPERBIKE:

1. Ryan Matter (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Sahar Zvik (Kaw ZX-6R )
3. Fabrice Vilder (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Jason Gardner (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Ryan Harper (Hon CBR600RR)
6. Zach Harrington (Yam YZF-R6)

750cc SUPERBIKE:

1. Sahar Zvik (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Fabrice Vilder (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Jason Gardner (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Ryan Harper (Hon CBR600RR)
5. J.C. Gibbs (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Julian Wust (Suz GSXR-750)

OPEN SUPERBIKE:

1. Chris Duran (BMW S1000RR)
2. Jeff Stern (Hon CBR1000RR)
3. David Bozarelli (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Travis Westermeyer (Suz GSX-R1000)
5. Joshua Uebersetzig (Suz GSX-R1000)
6. David Price (Suz GSXR-1000)

250 GP:

1. Andy Edwards (Apr RS250)

FORMULA TWINS HEAVYWEIGHT:

1. Ryan Gagliano (Duc 749R)
2. Rick Carmody (Duc)
3. Lloyd Johnson (Duc 749R)
4. Max Cappellari (Duc)
5. Steve Slaughter (Bue XB12R)

DUCATI CUP FORMULA:

1. Richard Sadler (Duc)
2. John Sullivan (Duc 1199 Panigale)
3. Casey Holloway (Duc)
4. Max Cappellari (Duc)

DUCATI CUP HEAVYWEIGHT:

1. Rick Carmody (Duc)
2. Casey Holloway (Duc)
3. Max Cappellari (Duc)
4. Frank Marquez (Duc 1098)

DUCATI CUP MIDDLEWEIGHT:

1. Ryan Gagliano (Duc 749R)
2. Lloyd Johnson (Duc 749R)
3. Casey Holloway (Duc)

BOTT MIDDLEWEIGHT:

1. Ryan Gagliano (Duc 749R)
2. Lloyd Johnson ( Duc 749R )
3. Steve Slaughter (Bue XB12R)
4. Niccole Cox (Kaw 650R)

BOTT LIGHTWEIGHT:

1. Lance Lewman (Suz SV650)
2. Tommy Woodbury (Suz SV650 )
3. Clinton Whitehouse (Yam RZ350)
4. David Garner (Suz SV650)
5. Andrew Yzabal (Suz SV650)
6. Brian Lensch (Suz SV650)

SUPERSPORT LIGHTWEIGHT TWINS:

1. Andy Palmer (Suz SV650)
2. Lance Lewman (Suz SV650)
3. Tommy Woodbury (Suz SV650 )
4. Joey Calanni (Suz SV650)
5. David Garner (Suz SV650)
6. Andrew Yzabal (Suz SV650)

FORMULA SINGLES:

1. Marc Rittner (Yam YZ450F)
2. Richard Downer (KTM 690 SM)
3. Cody Burton (Yam TZ660)

ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT CUP:

1. Josh Fogle (Kaw 250R)
2. Wesley Lakis (Kaw 250R)
3. Richard Barnett (Kaw 250R)
4. Mike Ripley (Kaw 300R)
5. Tony Serra (Kaw 250R)
6. Eric Anderson (Kaw 250R)

FORMULA 40 HEAVYWEIGHT:

1. David Price (Suz GSXR-1000)
2. Richard Sadler (Duc)
3. Jaime Mantel (Hon CBR1000RR)
4. Doran Boctor (Hon CBR1000RR)
5. Timothy Chin (Kaw ZX-10R)
6. Frank Marquez (Duc)

FORMULA 40 MIDDLEWEIGHT:

1. Fabrice Vilder (Yam YZF-R6)
2. J.C. Gibbs (Suz GSX-R600)
3. Alex White (Tri 675R)
4. Tori Miller (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Julian Wust (Suz GSX-R750)
6. Rich Hua (Kaw ZX-6R)

FORMULA 50 HEAVYWEIGHT:

1. Rocky Caceres ( Suz GSX-R1000 )
2. Jeff Stern (Hon CBR1000RR)
3. Jaime Mantel (Hon CBR1000RR)
4. Doran Boctor (Hon CBR1000RR)
5. Frank Laster (Hon CBR1000RR)
6. Rob Weaver (EBR 1190RS)

FORMULA 50 MIDDLEWEIGHT:

1. David McLarty (Suz GSX-R750)
2. Douglas McLarty (Suz GSX-R750)
3. Michael Gougis (Suz SV650)
4. Mark Ainslie (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Steve Slaughter (Bue XB12R)

FORMULA 60 HEAVYWEIGHT:

1. Travis Westermeyer (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Steve Slaughter (Bue XB12R )
3. Rob Weaver (EBR 1190RS)

BRACKET B:

1. Michael Gougis (Suz SV650)

BRACKET C:

1. Brian Herzfeld (Kaw 650R)

2. Alex White (Yam FZR400)

3. Ed Guzman (Yam YZF-R6)

BRACKET D:

1. Brian Lensch (Suz SV650)
2. Richard Downer (KTM 690 SM)
3. Cody Burton (Yam TZ660)
4. Eric Anderson (Kaw 250R)

VINTAGE LIGHTWEIGHT:

1. Cody Burton (Yam TZ660)

NOVICE HEAVYWEIGHT A (Race 1 of 2):

1. John Edmondson (BMW S1000RR)
2. Andre Lewandowski (Suz GSX-R1000)
3. Alex Chavez (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Rob Sheets (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Andrew Hoffman (BMW S1000RR)

NOVICE HEAVYWEIGHT B (Race 2 of 2):

1. John Edmondson (BMW S1000RR)
2. Andre Lewandowski (Suz GSX-R1000)
3. Alex Chavez (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Rob Sheets (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Andrew Hoffman (BMW S1000RR)

NOVICE MIDDLEWEIGHT A (Race 1 of 2):

1. Aaron Shmuckler (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Ernesto Pena (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Lindsay Ross (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Keir Leonhardt (Suz GSX-R600)
5. Vincent Meraz (Hon CBR600RR)
6. Matt Potter (Kaw ZX-6R)

NOVICE MIDDLEWEIGHT B (Race 2 of 2):

1. Aaron Shmuckler (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Ernesto Pena (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Lindsay Ross (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Keir Leonhardt (Suz GSX-R600)
5. Vincent Meraz (Hon CBR600RR)
6. Matt Potter (Kaw ZX-6R)

RUN WHAT YA BRUNG:

1. Scott Hebert (Suz GSXR-1000)
2. Luis Ortiz (Suz)
3. Shannon Smith (Yam YZF-R1)
4. Jason Kim (Hon CBR600RR)
5. Raul Serrano (Yam YZF-R6)