Sutton Wins 4, MacKinnon Doubles Again as WMRRA Season Heats Up

WMRRA Round 6, Pacific Raceways, Kent, Wa.

August 11/12, 2012

The Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association held Round 6 of its 2012 season this past weekend, with uninterrupted warm sunny weather and near-ideal track conditions throughout both days. In typical Pacific Northwest fashion, the hardcore racers were there rain or shine, and many new and returning riders showed up for the opportunity to race in the Seattle sunshine as well.

The weekend started with a crash in first practice Saturday morning which delayed the schedule and cut the normal practice sessions to one for each group before the start of racing. After scheduled practice was completed, the 750 Supersport class took to the track, with Ryan “Chromie” Sutton putting on the first of several dominating performances for the weekend, his fastest lap a full second ahead of the second place finisher. After only a short break, Sutton gridded up again for the 600 Supersport race, this time just over a second a lap faster than the rest of the field for his second win of the weekend.

“It was a great weekend for sure,” said Sutton, “I’ve learned a lot the last year and a half racing with Eli (Edwards), and I miss him on the track. I’ve learned a lot racing in Portland as well, and I kept waiting for some of the other guys to step up and push me around, but I just put my head down in the first couple laps and was able to build a gap that let me get away. It felt great!”

As usual, the 650 Supersport Twins class featured close racing, with Ted Hawkins and Rhett Halpin fighting for second place on their SV650’s as Eric May escaped for the win. The Open Singles class saw a fascinating mix of machines, from Greg Canright’s KTM Supermoto bike to Jonathan Friesen and Dave Alexander’s 450 Super Singles and the Moriwaki MD250H of Sean Galt, mixing it up with the Honda RS125 of John Gessner.

On Sunday, Sutton’s perfect weekend continued, with wins in both 600 and 750 Superbike, while Wes Stults, in his second race weekend as an expert racer, made his way to the 600 Superbike podium after a heroic ride on his Yamaha R6.

Former club president Allister MacKinnon made two return trips to the top step of the podium on Sunday, beating challenger Mark DeGross in the Open Superbike and Formula Ultra classes and setting the weekend’s fastest race lap of 1:25.5 in the process.

The Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association was formed in 1974 to organize and promote the sport of motorcycle road racing in Washington State. WMRRA Currently races at two tracks in the state, Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington, and the newly constructed The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. To learn more, go to www.wmrra.com, or contact club president Tim O’Mahony at [email protected]

WMRRA Round 6 Race Results:

Saturday August 11, 2012:

750cc SUPERSPORT: 1. Ryan Sutton (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Kevin Klemmer (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Doug Hillius (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Jared Barnes (Suz GSX-R750) 5. Mark DeGross (Hon CBR600RR) 6. Brad DeLong (Yam YZF-R6)

SATURDAY NOVICE: 1. Steve Kidd (Kaw ZX-10R) 2. Blake Jarvis (Suz GSX-R600) 3. Vaidas Trakys (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Kent Swendseid (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Tim Wartchow (Suz GSX-R600) 6. Brad Huhta (Duc 996)

600 SUPERSPORT: 1. Ryan Sutton (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Kevin Klemmer (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Brad Delong (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Kyle Staples (Suz GSX-R600) 5. Mark DeGross (Hon CBR600RR) 6. Doug Hillius (Yam YZF-R6)

650 SUPERSPORT TWINS: 1. Eric May (Suz SV650) 2. Ted Hawkins (Suz SV650) 3. Rhett Halpin (Suz SV650) 4. Krister Fast (Suz SV650) 5. Kenny Buckner (Suz SV650) 6. Eric Sweet (Suz SV650)

OPEN SINGLES: 1. John Gessner (Hon RS125) 2. Sean Galt (Mor MD250H) 3. Jonathan Friesen (Hon 450 SS) 4. Dave Alexander (Hon 450SS) 5. Greg Canright (KTM 560SMR)

OPEN SUPERSPORT: 1. Mark DeGross (Hon CBR1000RR) 2. Peter Drott (Duc 1199) 3. Robert Workman (Duc 1198) 4. Jerry Kassebaum (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Scott Claboe (Hon CBR1000RR) 6. Tony Connell (Suz GSX-R750)

MIDDLEWEIGHT GP TWINS: 1. Jonathan Friesen (Duc DS1000) 2. Barry Carlson (Suz SV650) 3. Brandon Knowles (Suz SV650) 4. Ted Hawkins (Suz SV650) 5. Eric May (Suz SV650) 6. Rhett Halpin (Suz SV650) 

ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT SPORTSMAN: 1. Adam Faussett (Kaw EX250) 2. Andrew Rogers (Kaw EX250) 3. Jonathan Wood (Kaw EX250) 4. Bill Cameron (Kaw EX250) 5. Attlia Denes (Kaw EX250) 6. John Stevens (Kaw EX250)

SUNDAY NOVICE: 1. Chase Glidden (Yam YZF-R1) 2. Tim Wartchow (Suz GSX-R600) 3. Mathew Waterfall (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Blake Jarvis (Suz GSX-R600) 5. Vaidas Trakys (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Dan Manheimer (Suz GSX-R750)

600 SUPERBIKE: 1. Ryan Sutton (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Kevin Klemmer (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Wes Stults (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Doug Hillius (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Kyle Staples (Hon CBR600RR) 6. Jonathan Friesen (Yam YZF-R6)

500 VINTAGE DAILY: 1. Jim West (Hon CB350)

160/175 VINTAGE DAILY: 1. Neil Jensen (Hon CL175) 2. Tim O’Mahony (Hon CL175) 3. Gunnar Jensen (Hon CL175) 4. Mark Etheridge (Hon CL175)

750 VINTAGE DAILY: 1. John Nilsson (Hon CR750) 2. Duncan Craick (Seeley Westlake) 3. Paul Brodie (EXC1000)

LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE: 1. Shawn Becker (Suz SV650) 2. Ted Hawkins (Suz SV650) 3. Eric May (Suz SV650) 4. Howard Crow (Duc 848) 5. Krister Fast (Suz SV650) 6. Kenny Buckner (Suz SV650)

LIGHTWEIGHT EARLY GP: 1. Chris Bostron (Apr SVX450)

PETER LENZ MEMORIAL 125GP: 1. John Gessner (Hon RS125) 2. Sean Galt (Mor MD250H)

750 SUPERBIKE: 1. Ryan Sutton (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Allister MacKinnon (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Doug Hillius (Suz GSX-R750) 4. Kevin Klemmer (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Brad Delong (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Wes Stults (Yam YZF-R6)

FORMULA THUNDER: 1. Shawn Becker (Suz SV650) 2. Don Brockett (Tri 675) 3. Howard Crow (Duc 848) 4. Ted Hawkins (Suz SV650) 5. David Marod (Duc 848)

HEAVYWEIGHT EARLY GP: 1. Jerry Kassebaum (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. Scott Claboe (Hon CBR1000) 3. Dan Cordon (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Brian Rose (Kaw ZX-10R)

250GP: 1. John Gessner (Hon RS125) 2. Brian MacConaghy (Hon RS450X) 3. Sean Galt (Mor MD250F, DNF)

NINJA 250 CUP: 1. Adam Faussett (Kaw EX250) 2. Andrew Rogers (Kaw EX250) 3. Bill Cameron (Kaw EX250) 4. Attila Denes (Kaw EX250) 5. John Stevens (Kaw EX250) 6. Sean Galt (Kaw EX250)

OPEN SUPERBIKE: 1. Allister MacKinnon (Suz GSX-R750) 2. Mark DeGross (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Brad Delong (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Jared Barnes (Suz GSX-R750) 5. Peter Drott (Duc 1199) 6. Tony Connell (Suz GSX-R750)

OPEN GP TWINS: 1. Peter Drott (Duc 1199) 2. Robert Workman (Duc 1198) 3. Tony Connell (Suz GSX-R750) 4. Howard Crow (Duc 848)

600TFS: 1. Dan Cordon (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Shawn Becker (Suz SV650) 3. Eric May (Suz SV650) 4. Anthony Bakker (Yam YZF-R6) 5. Greg Canright (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Robert May (Suz SV650)

FORMULA ULTRA: 1. Allister Mackinnon (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. Mark DeGross (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Jared Barnes (Suz GSX-R750) 4. Brian Rose (Kaw ZX-10R)