Blackmans Aprilia’s Michael Himmelsbach rode his new AMA Superbike-spec Aprilia RSV1000 Mille R to a new motorcycle lap record for Summit Point Raceway en route to winning the CCS GTO Expert event, starting the Summit Point Cycle Fest at the West Virginia track. 14K The Movie’s Eric Wood got the holeshot for the 30-minute GTO event, but Himmelsbach took the lead on the first lap and set a new mark of 1:15.22, according to the starter’s hand-held stopwatch, on lap two. The old mark belonged to Arclight Suzuki’s Lee Acree at 1:15.488. Himmelsbach pitted mid-race to make adjustments, but shortly after, the race was stopped for a spectacular crash in turn 10. Realizing that he could re-start the race from the pole position after scoring was reverted to the last completed lap, Himmelsbach took the re-start, got the holeshot, led the remaining four laps and won the race by 2.4 seconds over KWS Motorsports’ Shawn Higbee on a Suzuki GSX-R750/813. Higbee had not raced at Summit Point for 13 years before Friday. Des Conboy took third on a Pepsi-sponsored GSX-R750 ahead of new Expert Nathan Kern, Roadracingworld.com’s Geoff May in fifth on a GSX-R1000 and Glenn Szarek on a Semoff Brothers Racing Suzuki GSX-R750. Szarek hadn’t raced for eight months prior to coming to Summit Point. Tim Bemisderfer rode away with the win in the Expert GTU 30-minute race on his Shenandoah Honda CBR600F4i over Jeff Wood and Eion Smith. Loudoun Motorsports’ Greg Harrison and Chuck Neighoff ran away with the SPR 250K Team Challenge race win. Harrison and Neighoff rode a Pirelli-slick-shod GSX-R1000 to win by two laps over second overall and GTU class winners Kevin Coles and Jeff Gochenour, riding the Yamaha of Camp Hill YZF-R6, and Rollin Fast’s Gregory Faiella and Anthony Fania, on another Yamaha R6. Team Orient Express’ Nathan Kern had run down Loudoun from behind early in the race on his Hooters Suzuki GSX-R600, but after he caught Harrison, Kern forgot that he was learning to shift in his partner Michael Barnes’ preferred GP-shift pattern, back-shifted to first instead of upshifting to third and crashed out of contention. Kern was unhurt and returned to ride the vast majority of his team’s race. Nearly every race winner Friday at Summit Point Raceway participated in the Team Hammer track day on Thursday. RESULTS: EXPERT GTO: 1. Michael Himmelsbach (Apr RSV1000R); 2. Shawn Higbee (Suz GSX-R750/813); 3. Des Conboy (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Nathan Kern (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Glenn Szarek (Suz GSX-R750). AMATEUR GTO: 1. Leonard Santangelo (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Tomer Levy (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Howard Cho (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Brian Clippinger (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Sean Corbett (Kaw ZX-7RR); 6. Kevin Jones (Hon CBR600). EXPERT GT LIGHTS: 1. Grady Anderson (Suz SV650); 2. Bob Robbins (Suz SV650); 3. Randy Rega (Suz SV650); 4. Samantha Cotter (Hon RS125); 5. Thane Stielow (Hon 700); 6. Mark Johnson (Hon RS125). EXPERT GTU: 1. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600F4i); 2. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Eoin Smith (Yam YZF-R6); 4. David Lamb (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Dustin Moore (Duc 998); 6. Arthur Diaz (Yam YZF-R6). AMATEUR GTU: 1. Leonard Santangelo (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Kenneth Dreyer (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Mark Denisiuk (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Tomer Levy (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Thomas German (Hon CBR600); 6. David Hockenberry (Hon CBR600). EXPERT MIDDLEWEIGHT SPORTSMAN: 1. Donnie Unger (Duc 750); 2. Thane Stielow (Hon 700); 3. Patrick Salonis (Apr RS250); 4. Brian McClain (Apr RS250); 5. Brian Kjar (Apr RS250); 6. Scott Chatigny (Apr RS250). AMATEUR MIDDLEWEIGHT SPORTSMAN: 1. Timothy Ballard (Apr RS250); 2. Robert Glittone (Duc 750); 3. Ken White (Suz 400); 4. Raymond Nicolich (Suz GS500); 5. Matthew Patton (Suz GS500). GP SINGLES: 1. Samantha Cotter (Hon RS125); 2. Christopher Parsons (Yam TZ125); 3. Aaron Butler (Hon RS125); 4. Richard Rorilarz (Hon RS125). EXPERT LIGHTWEIGHT SPORTSMAN: 1. David Watson (Yam 600). AMATEUR LIGHTWEIGHT SPORTSMAN: 1. Chris Dunn (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Matthew Patton (Suz GS500); 3. James Smith (Suz GS500); 4. Raymond Nicolich (Suz GS500). SUPERSINGLES: 1. Bob Robbins (Yam YZ426F); 2. Michael Tiberio (Apr 650). SPR 250K TEAM CHALLENGE: GTO: 1. Loudoun Motorsports (Greg Harrison/Chuck Neighoff), Suz GSX-R1000, 78 laps; 2. New England Motorsports (Gus Holcomb/Mark Reynolds), Suz GSX-R600, 73 laps; 3. Dragging On Asphalt (Eric Lashley/Geoffrey Allen), Kaw ZX-9R, 72 laps; 4. Recchione Racing (Ryan Lettich/Chad Klock/Thomas German), Kaw ZX-7R, 68 laps; 5. Brontos R Us Racing (Russell Bigley), Yam TZ750, 49 laps. GTU: 1. Team Yamaha of Camp Hill (Kevin Coles/Jeff Gochenour), Yam YZF-R6, 76 laps; 2. Rollin Fast Moto (John Costa/Gregory Faiella/Anthony Fania, Jr.), Yam YZF-R6, 75 laps; 3. T And T Racing (Tony Tinsley/Anthony Cammack/Paolo Mariano), Suz GSX-R600, 73 laps; 4. T Bone Racing (Gregory Tymon/Glenn Jacobi/David Jacobi), Yam YZF-R6, 73 laps; 5. Pit Stop Motorsports (John Dempsey/Dale Dandrea/Mervin Roderick), Yam YZF-R6, 73 laps; 6. Team Knee Dragon (Matt Albertson/Michael Feast/Marc Sherwood), Suz GSX-R600, 72 laps. GT Lights: 1. Cycle Pros Racing (Sebastian Di Pinto/Romeo Carelli), Suz SV650, 73 laps; 2. Reduc Racing (Papa Thiam/Patrick O’Hara), Suz SV650, 72 laps; 3. Team All Star Pepsi (John Lounsbury/Malcolm Bradsher/Rich Doucette), Suz SV650, 71 laps; 4. Bare Bones (Patrick Salonis/Richard Biebel, Jr./Frank Cupo), Suz SV650, 70 laps; 5. Naked Boy Racing (Harold Jordan/Cordell Green), Buell Firebolt XB9R, 65 laps; 6. GS Flyers (Matthew Patton, Raymond Nicolich), Suz GS500, 10 laps.
Michael Himmelsbach Starts F-USA Summit Point Cycle Fest With A Win And A New Lap Record
Michael Himmelsbach Starts F-USA Summit Point Cycle Fest With A Win And A New Lap Record
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