Utah Sportbike Association Vortex Masters of the Mountains Round 1 2015
April 25-26 Miller Motorsports Park East Course, Tooele, Utah
Chilly conditions and mixed weather made for some surprising racing at round 1 of the Vortex Masters of the Mountains race series hosted by the Utah Sport Bike Association at Miller Motorsports Park. Round 1 was held on Miller’s technical East course configuration which provides racers with a little bit of everything including some fantastic overtaking opportunities.
Saturday saw wet conditions all afternoon forcing racers to mount up rain tires to do battle. Young Gauge Rees who is beginning to make a name for himself as a wet weather specialist impressed everyone with his pace in the conditions. He took victory in the Moto2 class with relative ease setting a pace that was unmatched. In the Middleweight Superbike Gauge again took victory but only after being closely chased by Brian Childree for the first three laps. Gauge was able to push even harder and set an amazing 1:47.4 on a cold, wet track stretching out a gap and going onto to take the victory. This would be the fastest lap time of the day, even faster than the best times of the Open Superbike racers.
Sunday begin much how Saturday ended, very wet and very cold. Luckily, the sun appeared midday and by the afternoon the track was dry and the racing was on. The premier middleweight class, King of the Mountain GTU saw a fierce battle between Gauge Rees and Michael Bradshaw with Bradshaw eventually pulling a gap to take the victory. Immediately following was the premier open class race, King of the Mountain GTO. The race began with Jerry Hicks taking an early lead after starting from the second row followed closely by Oleg Pianykh. Lap after lap the two riders grinded out a pace that was unmatched by anyone else on the grid. The battle was building toward what was sure to be a dramatic finale, but on lap 9 Hicks broke a shift rod and was forced out of the race, handing the victory to Pianykh. Bradshaw, who is normally a protagonist in the King of the Mountain GTO race was dropped off the back of the top two riders, surely feeling the effects of back-to-back races, was able to pick up the pieces and take a second place finish.
Great racing throughout the weekend but the biggest news of the weekend was that the 2015 season marks the 10th season of the Masters of the Mountains series in Utah and with it an entirely new racing structure with sprint races happen on both Saturday and Sunday, more practice session and flat fee racing.
“This past off-season our board has put in a ton of time to create an all new schedule, revamped our pricing structure and created several new race classes to better suit our riders. We want to give racers the best possible value for their money and time and I think what we have created is the best weekend schedule, at the best race track in the country, period. When racers compare what they’re getting with racing with us to other clubs there’s really no comparison.” ~ Brian Childree, Utah Sportbike Association Director of New Racers
More information on the new classes, weekend schedule and flat fee price structure can be found at www.utahsba.com as well as on the clubs Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/utahsba.
April 25-26, 2015 @ MMP East Track – Results
USGPRU Moto 3 Race 1
1. Stewart Aitken-Cade (Hon RS125)
2. Adrian Jasso (Yam TZ1225)
3. John Suel (Hon RS125)
4. Don Roberts (Yam TZ125)
5. Robert Gisseman (Hon RS125)
6. Sharad Shanbhag (Hon RS125)
Production 500 Race 1
1. Sean Thomas (Kaw Ninja 300)
2. Brandon Fosbinder (Kaw Ninja 300)
3. Duncan Biles (Kaw Ninja 250)
4. Anthony Morgan (Kaw Ninja 250)
5. Tyson Rapier (Kaw Ninja 250)
Moto2
1. Gauge Rees (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Brian Childree (Hon CBR600RR)
3. Brian Naylor (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. David Purcell (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Michael Carr (Hon CBR600RR)
6. Trevor Beard (Suz GSX-R600)
Moto1
1. Michael Bradshaw (BMW S1000RR)
2. Ryan Luke (Hon CBR1000)
Deseret Dash – GTO – Expert Race 1
1. Ryan Brand (BMW S1000RR)
2. Brian Naylor (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Brian Dobrowlski (Suz GSX-R600)
4. Mark Harper (Yam YZF-R1)
Deseret Dash – GTO – Novice Race 1
1. Sharad Shanbhag (Hon RS125)
Novice GTU
1. Joshua Smith (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Jason Koth (Suz GSX-R)
3. Trevor Beard (Suz GSX-R600)
4. Joseph Tapia (Yam YZF-R6)
5. James Smith (Yam YZF-R6)
USGPRU 250GP Race 1
1. Sharad Shanbhag (Hon RS125)
2. Stewart Aitken-Cade (Hon RS125)
Middle Wt. Superbike
1. Gauge Rees (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Brian Childree (Hon CBR600RR)
3. Nyles Gourlie (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Joe Resta (Yam YZF-R6)
5. David Purcell (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Brian Dobrowlski (Suz GSX-R600)
Production 250
1. Tyson Rapier (Kaw Ninja250)
2. Donovan Busby (Kaw Ninja250)
3. Anthony Morgan (Kaw Ninja250)
4. Duncan Biles (Kaw Ninja250)
Open Twins
1. Scott Rybarik (Duc 899)
2. Brad Moore (Suz SV650)
3. Don Losee (Duc 996)
4. TJ Hathaway (Suz SV650)
5. Brandon Fosbinder (KTM RC390)
6. Ryan Luke (Suz SV650)
Open Superbike
1. Gerald Hicks (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Mark Harper (Yam YZF-R1)
3. Damien Olson (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Ryan Brand (BMW S1000RR)
5. Scott Rybarik (Duc 899)
6. Nyles Gourlie (Yam YZF-R6)
Deseret Dash – GTO – Expert Race 2
1. Mark Harper (Yam YZF-R1)
2. Ryan Brand (BMW S1000RR)
3. Scott Rybarik (Duc 899)
4. Brian Dobrowlski (Suz GSX-R600)
5. Steve Kozicki (Yam YZF-R1)
6. Shane White (Suz GSX-R1000)
Combined GTO
1. Chris Canada (Kaw ZX-6R)
Sportsman Race 1
1. Joshua Smith (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Don Losee (Duc 996)
TimeAttack
1. Chris Canada (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Michael Hawkins (Suz GSX-R600)
3. John Hopperstad (Suz GSX-R1000)
Sportsman Race 2
1. Thomas MacNiece (Suz GSX-R750)
2. Joshua Smith (Yam YZF-R6)
Lightweight Twins Race 1
1. Brad Moore (Suz SV650)
2. TJ Hathaway (Suz SV650)
3. Brandon Fosbinder (Suz SV650)
4. Duncan Biles (Kaw Ninja 250)
5. Darren Knepper (Suz SV650)
Moto3 Race 2
1. Adrian Jasso (Yam TZ1225)
2. Stewart Aitken-Cade (Hon RS125)
3. John Suel (Hon RS125)
4. Robert Gisseman (Hon RS125)
5. Don Roberts (Yam TZ125)
6. Sharad Shanbhag (Hon RS125)
Modern Vintage GTO
1. John Hopperstad (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Shane White (Suz GSX-R1000)
3. Marshall Miller (Yam YZF-R1)
4. Jeff Masters (Buell 1125R)
Modern Vintage GTU
1. Brad Moore (Suz SV650)
2. Michael Hawkins (Suz GSX-R600)
3. Joseph Tapia (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Lindsey Willis (Tri Daytona 675)
5. Chris Canada (Kaw ZX-6R)
Novice GTO
1. Thomas MacNiece (Suz GSX-R750)
2. Chris Canada (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Joseph Tapia (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Ted Perkins (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Trevor Beard (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Andrew Blunt (Hon CBR600RR)
King of the Mountain GTU
1. Michael Bradshaw (Tri Daytona 675R)
2. Gauge Rees (Yam YZF-R6)
3. David Purcell (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Brian Childree (Hon CBR600RR)
5. Joe Resta (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Kinzer Naylor (Kaw ZX-6R)
King of the Mountain GTO
1. Oleg Pianykh (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Michael Bradshaw (BMW S1000RR)
3. Jeff Stern (Hon CBR1000RR)
4. Damien Olson (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Mark Harper (Yam YZF-R1)
6. Erik Grim (KTM RC8R)
USGPRU 250GP Race 2
1. Stewart Aitken-Cade (Hon RS125)
2. Adrian Jasso (Yam TZ250)
3. Sharad Shanbhag (Hon RS125)
Heavy Wt. Superbike
1. Brian Childree (Hon CBR600RR)
2. David Purcell (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Nyles Gourlie (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Brian Naylor (Kaw ZX-6R)
5. Michael Hawkins (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Scott Rybarik (Duc 899)
Lightweight Twins Race 2
1. Brad Moore (Suz SV650)
2. TJ Hathaway (Suz SV650)
3. John Suel (Hon RS125)
4. Brandon Fosbinder (KTM RC390)
5. Robert Gisseman (Hon RS125)
6. Anthony Morgan (Kaw Ninja 250)
Open Superstock
1. Oleg Pianykh (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Gerald Hicks (Suz GSX-R1000)
3. Erik Grim (KTM RC8R)
4. Damien Olson (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Ryan Brand (BMW S1000RR)
6. Mark Harper (Yam YZF-R1)
Middle Wt. Superstock
1. David Purcell (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Gauge Rees (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Joe Resta (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Kinzer Naylor (Kaw ZX6R)
5. Scott Peck (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Ryan Richardson (Yam YZF-R6)
Formula 40 GTO
1. Ryan Brand (BMW S1000RR)
2. John Hopperstad (Suz GSX-R1000)
3. Sherwick Min (Apr RSV4)
4. Steven Olson (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Don Losee (Duc 996)
6. Steve Kozicki (Yam YZF-R1)
Production 500 Race 2
1. Devin Husband (KTM RC390)
2. Anthony Morgan (Kaw Ninja 250)
3. Duncan Biles (Kaw Ninja 250)
4. Tyson Rapier (Hon CBR600RR)
5. Braden Randall (Kaw Ninja 250)
Formula 40 GTU
1. Danny Egbert (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Brian Naylor (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Michael Hawkins (Suz GSX-R600)
4. Tyson Rapier (Kaw Ninja250)
Combined GTU
1. Joe Resta (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Kinzer Naylor (Kaw ZX6R)
3. Brad Moore (Suz SV650)
4. Jeff Healy (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Chris Canada (Kaw ZX-6R)
6. Jason Koth (Suz GSX-R600)