Stults & Verderico Each Win 4 Races in Round 5 of WMRRA
August 27 & 28, 2016 – Pacific Raceways
WMRRA was back to Pacific Raceways in Kent, WA to hold Round 5 of the KFG Racing’s 2016 sponsored season. The challenging track layout was covered in rays of sun, basking in 75 degree temps all weekend, with the majestic Mt. Rainier looming in the background. Idahoan Wes Stults jumped right in and made his presence known in his first race of the day, 750SS sponsored by Speed Dealer Motors. The young Stults took the lead and kept inching out time on his Pirelli laced Yamaha R6 over 2nd place finisher Mark DeGross, riding his 2Fast Track Days Yamaha R6. Zach Smith kept the heat on DeGross, pressuring him the entire race, finishing 3rd on his Arlington Flight Services Suzuki GSXR750. The gritty Stults after a single-race- rest, gridded back up in the GP Suspension 600SS class and put the second of 4 first place finishes for the weekend in the books. He lead from flag to flag over the rest of the riders in the field, putting on quite an impressive show for the excited fans. However, he was not satisfied and when Sunday rolled around, had big plans to drop his times. Wes’ first race of the day on Sunday was the Smarty Pants Bar 600SB. In dominating fashion, Stults crushed the field, taking a flag to flag win, as well as setting his personal best lap at 1:26.341 on lap 2. Later, in the Jimmy Boyle State Farm Insurance 750SB race, Wes would again take the top spot on the podium, making it the 3rd time of the season for WMRRA that Stults has swept his 4 races. Wes quietly shared with friends reflecting on the weekend, “I was just working on being precise and hitting all my marks. I felt comfortable out there and am really glad that I was able to get my lap times down on Sunday! My Pirelli tires were working great and Barry of KFG Racing had my bike handling as good as can be.” With all of these wins, Mr. Stults now lies 3rd overall in the points for the WMRRA championship.
On the big bike side of the racing, current #1 plate holder SuperBike Underground’s Sam Verderico, showed why his bike wears the 1 on the number plate. The confident Verderico also won 4 races, fighting back in his title hopes to keep his #1 plate. He opened his string of wins with a commanding start to finish victory in the Sol Performance/Pirelli Tires OpenSS Race. Later Saturday, Sam on his Yamaha R1, fought off fellow SuperBike Underground sponsored rider Danny Lippis and Mark DeGross to win Saturday’s Brothers Powersport’s Formula Ultra race. Lippis kept Verderico honest, applying the pressure the whole race. Come Sunday, Dunlop mounted Verderico put the smack down in Open SB beating Chase Glidden on his Yamaha R1 who earned second and Redline Motorsports Yamaha R1 rider Volga Mermut wrestled the final podium spot from Squid 2 Grids rider Kevin Nanthrup on his CBR1000RR. In Sunday’s Formula Ultra race, Verderico fought each lap with 2006 WMRRA overall champion Danny Lippis riding a GSXR1000, coming out victorious yet again over Lippis in 2nd, and current overall series points leader Mark DeGross on a borrowed GSXR1000 grabbing third. The podium trio are all sponsored by SuperBike Underground, Dunlop and KFG Racing, making the respective sponsors of Donald Beck, Jason Paden and Barry Wressell proud supporters of the dual Formula Ultra podiums with the trifecta of riders. In the WMRRA overall series championship, Verderico closed the gap to points leader DeGross, while he extended his points advantage over the hard charging Stults who is sitting in third overall. With one final Round at Pacific Raceways in mid September left, DeGross has not clinched the title up yet. Overall points at the end of Round 5 are; DeGross 822, Verderico 738, & Stults 692. With the final round typically a wet, rain filled round falling in September, anything could happen and WMRRA is excited to see who will earn its 2016 championship.