Michelin Team Pro Series Round 7 Sanctioned by ASRA September 23, 2012 Virginia International Raceway Alton, VA Wacker Surprises Bemisderfer, Miller and Sipp Move Forward With Victories Alton, VA The Michelin Pro Series enjoyed a near perfect weather weekend at Virginia International Raceway for the run to the 2012 National Championships. With all six class championships in doubt, it was time to see who could rise to the top and take the points lead into the final round at Daytona next month. In Michelin Pro SuperStock class favorite and 2011 National Champion Tim Bemisderfer sat in second place on the grid eyeing his second straight title as the green flag set the field in motion. Scott Carpenter got the holeshot with Bemisderfer second off the line as the 9 lap battle began. Bemisderfer on the Vesrah Suzuki lead the first lap followed by Carpenter on the Ron Ayers/KWS Suzuki and Reese Wacker on his Wacker Racing Suzuki. Wacker, who started from last the last row, came around to complete lap 2 as the leader followed closely by Bemisderfer and Carpenter. As the leaders were working on lap 4, Bemisderfer ran off the racing surface in turn 7 while battling with Wacker, losing 4 positions in the process. That miscue allowed Wacker to pull away unchallenged for the win in Michelin Pro SuperStock. Carpenter came under pressure from Lloyd Bailey for second place on lap 5, eventually giving up the spot to the LB Racing Suzuki on lap 6. Following Bailey and Carpenter to the flag was the BMW of Eric Helmbach in fourth and Bemisderfer in fifth. By virtue of his 5th place finish, Bemisderfer now leads the championship standings by 5 points over Florida’s Robbie Bright going into the final race. With the front runner’s only 5 points apart coming into this race, the Michelin Pro ThunderBike final seemed to be the best race of the day on paper. Walt Sipp, the current point leader, and Ray Hofman, the defending National Champion, were set to duke it out on a neutral track to see who could hold the advantage going to Daytona. On the start it was Hofman trying to prove a point as he edged in front of Sipp and came back to lead lap one. Alas, the lead was short lived as Hofman’s Ducati lost traction and tossed the Wisconsin rider to the track surface. As the field finished its second lap, fluid left behind by the Ducati could not be cleaned up in time and the race was stopped. After a 10-minute stop, the race resumed and Sipp wasted no time in taking his Bison Racing Buell back to the front in convincing fashion. Sipp led the remaining 7 laps to take the victory followed by the Ducati’s of Bob Robbins and Doug Stufflebeam. This victory gives Sipp a 21-point lead heading for Daytona. For the Michelin Pro SportBikes it was Mark Miller looking for 2 wins in the month of September and he did not disappoint. After pole sitter Nick McFadden on the Vesrah Suzuki took the holeshot, it was all Miller as he pushed his Mar Del Auto Wholesaler’s Yamaha to the front and pulled away. Miller led McFadden by 12.415 seconds at the checkered flag and third place Daniel Heverly on the MDM Honda finished 9 seconds back of McFadden. The win gives Miller a 6-point lead over Florida’s Robbie Bright with one round left in the championship chase. In Amateur Michelin action, Maryland’s Pulak Datt clinched the Amateur SportBike Championship by finishing second to Mike Faillace’s Metric Devil Moto Yamaha. Amateur SuperStock win went to Jason Brigmon on his Superbikesupply.com Honda 1000 and Brad Plemmons stretched his point lead in the class to 12 by finishing second to Brigmon. The Amateur ThunderBike victory belongs to Thomas Hall on his TH3 Racing Ducati as point leader Benjamin Loyle finished fourth. Loyle’s point lead has shrunk to just 18 points with one round left in the 2012 Michelin Championship. For complete results and point standings, visit www.ASRAracing.com. The American SportBike Racing Association (ASRA) is the parent organization to the Championship Cup Series (CCS), the largest amateur motorcycle road racing organization in the United States issuing over 3,000 licenses per year. ASRA sanctions eight Michelin Pro Series and eight Michelin Team Challenge road racing events for 2012. The CCS Series sanctions 45 events at popular tracks around the United States, including Daytona International Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Road America, Heartland Park, and Virginia International Raceway among other fine venues. In 2012 ASRA and CCS will provide riders with access to millions of dollars of sponsorship awards through participation in its sanctioned events. Join CCS and ASRA in the greatest road racing experience available today. Race CCS! To learn more visit our website at http://www.ccsracing.us or call us at (817) 246-1127.