Seth Starnes, Nicky Moore and Brad Hendry each won a CCS sprint race Friday at the 24th Annual Race of Champions at Daytona International Speedway.
When runaway leader Robert Jensen retired with unspecified “technical problems” with his Team Stargel Yamaha YZF-R1, Starnes, who entered the race at the last minute, took the victory in the GTO race. Lloyd Bayley, riding an ex-Matsushima Suzuki GSX-R1000, took second just ahead of Marco Martinez.
Moto Uno’s Moore, 21, was able to break the draft early and win the red-flag-shortened GTU race by 2.5 seconds over Argo Cycles’ Scott Greenwood and Pro Supermoto racer Chris Fillmore.
San Jose BMW’s Brian Parriott was running away with the GT Lights race on his R 1200 S, but Parriott pulled in on the last lap, handing the victory to 25-year-old Hendry, who rode a Foothills BMW R 1200 S. Jason Edmonds beat Garrett Rick to the line by four bikelengths. Parriott said he pulled in so he wouldn’t take a National Championship away from a rider who had been working for it all year.
The day started with the 43-lap ASRA Team Challenge, but at post time (6:30 p.m., four and a half hours after the completion of the race) no results, provisional or otherwise, had been produced by race officials.
Race of Champions XXIV Championship Cup Series (CCS) Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida October 19, 2007
Provisional Race Results:
CCS GTO EXPERT: 1. Seth Starnes (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Marco Martinez (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Taylor Knapp (Kaw ZX-6R); 5. Charlie Mavros (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Ivan Milan (Suz GSX-R1000).
CCS GTO AMATEUR: 1. Dustin Boyd (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Tiras Banks (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Jim Wirth (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Gary King (Yam YZF-R1); 5. Jason Runte (Suz GSX-R750); 6. Eric Poutch (Kaw ZX-10R).
CCS GTU EXPERT: 1. Nicky Moore (Kaw ZX-6R); 2. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R); 3. Chris Fillmore (Kaw ZX-6R); 4. Greg Melka (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Garrett Carter (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Brian Hall (Kaw ZX-6R).
CCS GTU AMATEUR: 1. Christopher Clark (Tri Daytona 675); 2. Mike Murray (Yam YZF-R6); 3. A.J. Krause (Kaw ZX-636R); 4. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 5. Allen Campbell (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Karl Sanders (Yam YZF-R6).
CCS GT LIGHTS EXPERT: 1. Brad Hendry (BMW R 1200 S); 2. Jason Edmonds (Duc 1000SS); 3. Garrett Rick (Duc 1000SS); 4. Paul James (Buell XB12R); 5. Arthur Diaz (Buell XB12R); 6. Scott Robertson (Duc 1000SS).
CCS GT LIGHTS AMATEUR: 1. Kevin Mendez (Bimota DB5); 2. Ted Siljestrom (Duc 1000SS); 3. Benjamin Clinton (Duc 1000SS); 4. Mark Zalke (Suz SV650); 5. Donald Elfstrom (Suz SV650); 6. Anthony Flaim (Suz SV650).
More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:
Higbee Ready To Ride In SunTrust MOTO-ST Series 8 Hours At Daytona
SunTrust MOTO-ST Series Finale Goes Green On Saturday At 1 p.m.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. So you suffer a compound broken femur, a dislocated shoulder, broken shoulder bone and a hip joint fracture in a motorcycle race, what do you next?
Well, for Shawn Higbee, he climbs back aboard a motorcycle for an eight-hour endurance race at historic Daytona International Speedway. After a nasty crash at Iowa Speedway in July, he’ll race for the locally owned Richie Morris Racing team aboard the No. 8 Daytona Harley-Davidson/Ocean Deck Buell XB12 in the BMW GrandSport Twins class in Saturday’s second annual 8 Hours At Daytona.
“A month ago, I didn’t think I would be here,” said Higbee, who is leading the GST class in points and will be chasing a championship in Saturday’s endurance race, which starts at 1 p.m.
Higbee suffered multiple injuries in a crash in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series’ most recent round at Iowa Speedway in July. The road to recovery has been a long and difficult journey for the Wisconsin rider.
“It’s definitely one of the worse crashes of my career,” Higbee said. “I’m fortunate it wasn’t any worse than it was. It’s been real challenge to get back in shape. I’ve never been injured to the point where I couldn’t walk. They had me in a wheel chair for a while. That was really awkward and hard to deal with. To get to crutches was a huge boost for me. From that point, things really sped up.”
In the last three to four weeks, Higbee has had a huge swing in his physical stamina and energy level.
On Thursday, he shook down his motorcycle during the Team Hammer Advanced Riding School and that has given him confidence heading into this weekend’s activities.
“Yesterday was really great,” Higbee said. “I was worried about getting enough track time with the weather coming in. Now I have some confidence and I know where I’m at. I know what I can do and can’t do. I’m a little relived after practice. I didn’t know how I would feel. I didn’t know what kind of lap times I could run.”
Russell arrives: Motorcycle legend Scott Russell, who is tied with Miguel Duhamel with a record five Daytona 200 By Honda victories, checked in at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. He’ll race a Kawasaki 650 for Pair-A Nines Racing in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series 8 Hours At Daytona finale on Saturday.
Known as “Mr. Daytona,” Russell dominated the Daytona 200 By Honda, America’s prestigious motorcycle race, in the 1990s winning five times (1992, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 1998).
Russell, who hails from Conyers, Ga. and hasn’t raced professionally since suffering injuries at DIS in 2001, is geared up about racing this weekend.
“This is my first time back at Daytona since I got hurt,” Russell said. “This is my first time back at Daytona. I’m experiencing this series here for the first time so I could tell you more after I get out there and ride for a little bit, see how it looks. I think this is a good format. I know Jim France is a big twins guy and it’s a cool series. I like the endurance format. It should be fun.
“It’s been boring sitting at home the last few years, watching everybody do what I used to do. But that’s what happened and that’s what I’ve had to deal with. This is a one-off deal. I don’t have plans to do anything else. We’ll see (about next March). I’ve got the Kawasaki green on again, and it feels good.”
More than motorcycle racing: DIS will host a plethora of activities surrounding the motorcycle racing including free manufacturer demo rides, Friday night’s Monster Dash charity ride, International Master Bike Builders Row and the Jagemeister Mobile Stage. The Daytona 500 Experience also has free admission through Saturday, Oct. 20 and bikers will be able to drive free into the infield to view the International Bike Builders Row and Jagemeister Mobile Stage.
Tickets: For tickets to any of the events, call 1-800-PITSHOP or they can be purchased at the game.
Friday’s ASRA and Championship Cup Series Results
GTU Amateur: 1. Christopher Clark, Triumph 675; 2. Mike Murray, Yamaha 600; 3. AJ Krause, Kawasaki 636; GTU Expert: 1. Nicky Moore, Kawasaki 600; Scott Greenwood, Kawasaki 600; 3. Chris Fillmore, Kawasaki 600; Expert GT Lights: 1. Brad Hendry, BMW 1200; 2. Jason Edmonds, Ducati 1000; 3. Garrett Rick, Ducati 1000; Amateur GT Lights: 1. Kevin Mendez, BIM 1000; 2. Ted Siljestrom, Ducati 1000; 3. Benjamin Clinton, Ducati 1000; Amateur GTO: 1. Dustin Boyd, Suzuki 1000; 2. Tiras Banks, Suzuki 1000; 3. Jim Wirth, Suzuki 1000; Expert GTO: Seth Starnes, Suzuki 1000; 2. Lloyd Bayley, Suzuki 1000; 3. Marco Martinez, Suzuki 1000.