Millnic Media Honda on the Podium, first for the all new Honda CBR600RR! www.millnicmediahonda.com The Millnic Media Honda team of Melissa Paris and Greg White finished the first round of the WERA/AMA National Endurance Series on the Middle Weight Superstock podium at Roebling Road Raceway over the weekend. Millnic Media Honda had a great first outing on the all new Honda CBR600RR by posting some fast lap times and holding off Apex Racing by just over six seconds to finish third in class. WERA announced that the National Endurance Series is now co-sanctioned by the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) making it a “Pro” Series. With the co-sanctioning of WERA and the AMA for the National Endurance Series, Millnic Media is the first team to put the 2007 CBR600RR on the podium. Even before race action gets started, the planning of pit strategies plays an important role in any Endurance race result. Millnic Media Honda talked extensively about the tire situation. With the help of Steve Brubaker from Dunlop, Millnic Media Honda felt confident going the entire four hour race on one set of tires. The talk around the paddock was how hard the fresh pavement at Roebling Road Raceway was eating front tires. Steve told Greg White and Melissa Paris of Millnic Media Honda that a one heat cycled front would go the distance”¦ and it did! The big unanswered question for the team was fuel consumption. The 2007 CBR600RR Millnic Media Honda raced had zero miles on it Friday morning and started the race Saturday afternoon with just over 200 miles on it. With the stock fuel gauge intact the plan was to ride the motorcycle until the last bar was blinking red. That plan worked out great. Melissa Paris started the team from the second wave. After 50 minutes at full throttle she rode the Honda into the pits 4th in class. When Greg brought the motorcycle back in to the pits for the second pit stop of the day the Millnic Media Honda Team was 2nd in class. Toward the end of the race and 2 pit stops later Melissa found herself 3rd in class, but right on the edge of a possible last lap pit stop for fuel. So with the help of 2006 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Josh Hayes, master mechanic Chuck Giacchetto and Millnic Media Honda team rider Steven Breckenridge it was decided that with 12 minutes to go they would bring Melissa in, do a splash and go and put Greg on the bike for the last part of the race. When Greg re-entered the race track to finish things off he was only 5 seconds ahead of fourth place Apex Racing. A few quick laps ensured a solid 3rd place in class for the first time endurance team. After the race it was noted that Greg White of the Millnic Media Honda team set the team’s personal fastest lap of the race on lap 141 of 177! How good were the Dunlop tires? The team did the entire race on one set of Dunlop D209 DOT approved tires. After the race Melissa Paris has this to say, “I am totally stoked on this result! We came into the weekend not expecting anything. We just wanted to set some good laps, represent our sponsors well and most of all have fun. Finishing on the podium is a great way to start the season. This is exactly the quality track time I need to keep my lap times low during my sprint races on Sunday.” Greg White echoed Melissa comment with this statement, “3rd today is a great boost for our team. Not having to make tire changes saved us a lot to time in the pits and Melissa really got us off to a great start. We really have to thank Josh Hayes for all his work. That guy sat on pit wall all day long taking every single lap time. A huge thanks to Chuck Giacchetto who worked the fuel can and Steven Breckenridge for the pit board and fire extinguisher work. This is such great motivation to keep working out and working on my riding. WERA put on a great event, without any red flags. You can check out www.millnicmediahonda.com for more information about the team. Look for a variety of video features from the team over the course of the 2007 racing season.