Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Lisa Theobald

Canadian Frank Trombino won the CCS Florida Region’s Expert Unlimited Grand Prix race on his Yamaha YZF-R1 at Jennings GP on Sunday. He also set the CCS lap record at Jennings with a lap time of 1:17.101. All of the Shootout’s podium finishers ran in the 1:17s.

Trombino was gridded on row five and had to work his way through the field to get to the front. He took the lead in the six-lap race just before the white flag, passing Scott Ritchey and his GSX-R1000. Marco Martinez finished third on his CBR600RR.

After the race, Martinez explained why he decided to run the smaller machine. “I was able to handle turn six a lot better, my times were a lot faster, so I figured I’d just park the 1000 and just do the best I can,” he said. “And, I’m very happy just to make the podium.”

Trombino was very noticeably backing his machines into the corners at Jennings GP, providing a spectacular show. Ritchey commented, “I was hoping that he’d maybe slide a little sideways too much and I could stuff it underneath. But he was on the throttle, too, so maybe next time. It was close. It was fun. He’s a good rider, that’s for sure. I didn’t have anything for him.”

Trombino said, “I had a little bit of traffic there, but that’s the fun part, you know, up in Canada we have a lot of that, so it’s just a matter of getting comfortable, and don’t get over your head to pass somebody.”

Trombino won in every class he entered, including the GTO race on his YZF-R1 and the GTU and Middleweight Supersport races on his YZF-R6. At the end of the day he issued an invitation to the Florida racers, saying, “That was great. I mean especially riding with the new crew out here, you know Scott, Marco, that’s great. You guys ought to come up to Canada. It’d be quite interesting.”

This CCS event hosted the USGPRU 125cc and 250cc Grand Prix National Championship Series’s East Coast Region. Stewart Aitken-Cade won the 125cc Grand Prix race after taking over the lead from Brian Kcraget on the last of nine laps. Florida’s Steve Wenner won the USGPRU 250cc Grand Prix race after taking the holeshot and simply running away with that win. Aitkin-Cade finished second.

Wenner had crashed his 250 just two races earlier while competing in the CCS GTU class, but managed to get it back on track and up to speed with the help of Zambrana Performance. Wenner won an additional three CCS races, including the Lightweight Grand Prix, 125cc Grand Prix, and 250cc Grand Prix classes.