Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May started his 2006 race season by winning two CCS races, including what may be the first race win for the 2006 Suzuki GSX-R600, Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

In the 25-minute, 55-rider GTO event, May came from row eight of the grid to take the lead on lap four of the race. After two stoppages caused by crashes, May, who rode a Pirelli-shod GSX-R1000, pulled away in the final three-lap sprint to the finish to win by six seconds over Hooters Helpmeride.com Suzuki’s Eric Wood and Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich.

In the 57-rider GTU enduro, it took May three laps–with lap times as fast as 1:44.09–to come from row nine and catch the lead group of Arclight Suzuki’s Jeff Wood, Argo Cycles’ Scott Greenwood and May’s teammate Michael Barnes. May took the lead one lap later, but Barnes upped his pace and latched onto May. Just as it was looking like the race would come down to a classic Daytona draft finish, another crash and red flag stopped the race prematurely. Leading a 2006 GSX-R600 sweep of the podium, May was declared the winner over Barnes with Wood third.

“That was interesting coming from the back,” May told Roadracingworld.com. “It was scary at the beginning of those races, but I just tried to be patient. I saw I was catching the leaders after I broke free of the pack, so that told me I could breakaway.

“That last race, Barney and I started playing in the draft, and it was really good to get some quality drafting practice. It showed we were about a half-a-tooth off on our gearing.

“It’s great to come to Daytona and start off with two wins. I’ve just been training all winter — that’s all I’ve been doing is training, and the whole time I’ve been thinking about Daytona. This is a great sign for next week (AMA races).”

In other action Friday: Nate Kern ran away with the GT Lights race, winning by 30 seconds on his Main Line BMW R1100S; Mark McCormick rode a Yamaha YZF-R6 to victory in Formula 40; Robert Cole won the Formula 40 Lightweight race on a Ducati SS1000; and KNMotorcycles.com’s 19-year-old Will Gruy and 16-year-old Tyler McDonald rode a Michelin-shod, 2006-model Yamaha YZF-R6 to the overall and GTU class wins in the Team Challenge endurance race.

FRIDAY’S UNOFFICIAL CCS RESULTS:

GT LIGHTS EXPERT: 1. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S); 2. Bill Davenport (Suz SV650); 3. Eric Menetrier (Duc SS1000); 4. Greg Avello (Buell XB12R); 5. R. Keese (Suz SV650); 6. Ben Matheson (Suz SV650).

GT LIGHTS AMATEUR: 1. Nathaniel Mendell (Suz SV650); 2. Stephen Hill (Suz SV650); 3. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB9R); 4. Keith Weiner (Suz SV650); 5. Daniel Cohen (Suz SV650); 6. Thomas Noble (Yam FZR400).

GTO EXPERT: 1. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Eric Wood (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-10R); 6. Marco Martinez (Suz GSX-R1000).

GTO AMATEUR: 1. J. Seth Starnes (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Antal Halase (Kaw ZX-10R); 3. Charlie Mavros (Yam YZF-R1); 4. Carlos Contreras (Duc 996); 5. Donnie Kline (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Varian Hare (Kaw ZX-10R).

GTU EXPERT: 1. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600); 4. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R); 5. Eric Wood (Hon CBR600RR); 6. Darren Luck (Suz GSX-R600).

GTU AMATEUR (REVISED): 1. J. Seth Starnes (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Matt Sewell (Hon CBR600RR); 3. Jason Hayes (Hon CBR600RR); 4. Ryan Torres (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Scott Layman (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Ryan Whitaker (Yam YZF-R6).

FORMULA 40 EXPERT: 1. Mark McCormick (Yam YZF-R6); 2. David McPherson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Robert Lombardi (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Rick Shaw (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Morgan Murphy (Suz GSX-R600); 6. John Ashmead (Kaw ZX-6RR).

FORMULA 40 AMATEUR: 1. Scott Layman (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Hilton Geartner (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Charlie Mavros (Suz GSX-R600); 4. Phillip Doyle (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Ray Sanders (Suz GSX-R750); 6. Alan Leigh (Duc 996).

FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT EXPERT: 1. Robert Cole (Duc SS1000); 2. Eric Helmbach (Hon CBR600); 3. Bill Davenport (Suz SV650); 4. Scott Robertson (Suz SV650); 5. Robert Lee (Suz SV650); 6. C.J. Czaia (Suz SV650).

FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT AMATEUR: 1. Stanton Simmerson (Suz SV650); 2. Stephen Hill (Suz SV650); 3. Charlie Lohr (Suz SV650); 4. Keith Weiner (Suz SV650); 5. Marc Miller (Duc 900); 6. Patrick Doyle (Suz SV650).

THUNDERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Dave Estok (Buell XB9R); 2. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB12R); 3. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB12R); 4. Dave Maney (Duc 748); 5. Eric Helmbach (Hon CBR600); 6. Paul James (Buell XB12R).

THUNDERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Anthony Caligiuri (Buell XB12R); 2. Nathaniel Mendell (Suz SV650); 3. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB9R); 4. Marc Miller (Duc 748); 5. Keith Weiner (Suz SV650); 6. Daniel Cohen (Suz SV650).

ASRA TEAM CHALLENGE: OVERALL RESULTS: 1. KNMotorcycles.com (Tyler McDonald/Will Gruy), Yam YZF-R6, GTU, 44 laps; 2. Longevity Racing (Barrett Long/John Long), Yam YZF-R6, GTU, 44 laps; 3. Moon’s Super Cycle (Calvin Martinez/Scott Harwood), Suz GSX-R1000, GTO, 44 laps; 4. Fast Lane Racing (Rick Beggs), Kaw ZX-6, GTO, 43 laps; 5. Absolute Performance (Roy Caddo/Joe Riberio/Joe Rosso), Kaw ZX-6RR, GTU, 43 laps; 6. Steel City Racing (Krishna A. Pribadi/Henry Deluca), Hon CBR600RR, GTU, 43 laps; 7. Double-O-One Motorsports (Adrian Ooi/Aaron Aaronson), Yam YZF-R6, GTU, 41 laps; 8. Mighty Lumina Racing (Bill Davenport/Dan Riton/Eric Holmbach), Suz SV650, GTL, 41 laps; 9. Team HurtByAccident.com (C.J. Czaia/Ben Matheson), Suz SV650, GTL, 41 laps; 10. Motoclub (Robert Maldonado/Edguardo Ramirez), Yam YZF-R6, GTU, 41 laps.

GTO: 1. Moon’s Super Cycle, 44 laps; 2. Fast Lane Racing, 43 laps; 3. Mid-Illini/NFC Racing (Matt Flowers/Lonnie Michaels/Paul Gilchrist/Mitchell Stein), Suz GSX-R750, 40 laps; 4. Vallely Racing (Mark Crozier/Logan Young), Suz GSX-R1000, 35 laps; 5. Top Shelf Motorcycle Tours (Morgan Murphy/Spencer Stuart), 16 laps; 6. Mudafort Xtreme Race (Roberto Concepcion), Hon CBR1000RR, 7 laps.

GTU: 1. KNMotorcycles.com, 44 laps; 2. Longevity Racing, 44 laps; 3. Absolute Performance, 43 laps; 4. Steel City Racing, 43 laps; 5. Double-O-One Motorsports, 41 laps; 6. Motoclub, 41 laps.

GT LIGHTS: 1. Mighty Lumina Racing, 41 laps; 2. Team HurtByAccident.com, 41 laps; 3. BGV Racing (Daniel Lenarduzzi/William Meyers/James Hillis/Nathan Martin), Suz SV650, 40 laps; 4. Repsol Fastlane Light (Steve Kenner/Robert Lee), Suz SV650, 40 laps; 5. Team LMB (Neil Frank/Sean Kerns/Max Grant), Suz SV650, 39 laps; 6. JGGS Racing (Gerald Young, III), Suz SV650, 38 laps.

SOLO CHALLENGE: 1. Amantini Racing Team (Fernando Armantini), Kaw ZX-10R), 44 laps; 2. Team Celtic Racing (Alastair Seeley), Yam YZF-R6, 44 laps; 3. RightsForBikers.com (Bob Fisher), Suz GSX-R600, 44 laps; 4. McNology Racing (Mark McCormick), Yam YZF-R6, 44 laps; 5. Cgiatm.com (Johnny Rock Page), Yam YZF-R6, 44 laps; 6. Ray Bowman (Ray Bowman), Suz GSX-R600, 44 laps.

More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:

McDonald, Gruy Capture Team Challenge

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (March 3, 2006) — Daytona 200 Week by Honda got underway on Friday afternoon at historic Daytona International Speedway with the annual Team Challenge event.

The K&N Motorcycles team of Tyler McDonald and Will Gruy aboard a Yamaha 600 survived a late restart to capture the overall victory with the father-son duo of John and Barrett finishing second riding a Yamaha 600. Calvin Martinez and Scott Harwood, riding Suzuki 750, rounded out the overall podium.

The final two-lap shootout in the endurance race was set up by a pair of red flags.

“Tyler went in there on his first stint and put us up there,” said the 19-year-old Gruy. “Unfortunately that was all kind of useless because it came down to the last couple of laps. It was a fight with me and a couple of 1000s. I had no idea what the standings were. I was just going for it.”

Gruy, a native of Dallas, Texas, who resides in Rome, Italy, competes in European Superstock and is taking his first laps at DIS during Daytona 200 Week By Honda.

“I’ve ridden for K&N all my life and then I went over to Italy,” Gruy said. “I came back over for this race because the weather (stinks) over there and I can’t ride. I’m glad to be in a beach town.”

Gruy is slated compete in more CCS and ASRA races this weekend and hopes to race in next week’s Supersport and Daytona 200 By Honda Formula Xtreme event.

“You’ve got some really good races,” Gruy said. “If you just watch, you got guys going elbow to elbow with one elbow on the other guy and one on the wall. A lot of good riders here and a lot of good bikes. It should be a good week of CCS and AMA racing.”

Motorcycles races continue at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday. For more information on tickets, log on to www.daytonainternatioanlspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Friday’s Results

Team Challenge Overall winner: 1. Tyler McDonald K&N Motorcycles.com, Tyler McDonald, Will Gruy, Yamaha 600; 2. Longevity Racing, John Long, Barret Long, Yamaha 600; 3. Moon’s Super Cycle, Calvin Martinez, Scott Harwood, Suzuki 750. 

GTU: 1. Tyler McDonald KN Motorcycles.com, Tyler McDonald, Will Gruy, Yamaha 600; 

GTO: 1. Moon’s Super Cycle, Calvin Martinez, Scott Harwood, Suzuki 750; 

GTL: 1. Mighty Lumina Racing, Bill Davenport, Dan Riton, Eric Holmbach, Suzuki 650; 

A&J Recognition Solo Challenge: 1. Amantini Racing, Fernando Amant.

GT Lights

Expert: 1. Nate Kern, Devon, Pa., BMW 1080; 2. Bill Davenport, Boston, Suzuki 650; 3. Eric Menetrier, Fort Lauderdale, Ducati 1000.

Amateur: 1. Nathaniel Mendell, Coconut Grove, Fla., Suzuki 650; 2. Stephen Hill, Ft. Myers, Fla., Suzuki 650; 3. James Delk, New Castle, Va., Buell 984.

GTO

Expert*: 1. David Loikits, North Hampton, Pa., Suzuki 1000; 2. Geoff May, Gainesville, Ga., Suzuki 1000; 3. Eric Wood, Ashburnham, Mass., Suzuki 1000; Amateur: 1. Seth Starnes, Huntersville, N.C., Suzuki 750; 2. Antal Balase, College Point, N.Y., Kawasaki 1000; 3. Charlie Mavros, Lutz, Fla., Ducati 996 *(Under protest)

Akrapovic Exhaust GTU

Expert: 1. Geoff May, Gainesville, Ga., Suzuki 600; 2. Michael Barnes, Boca Raton, Fla., Suzuki 600; 3. Jeff Wood, Winchenden, Mass., Suzuki 600

Amateur: 1. Seth Starnes, Huntersville, N.C., Suzuki 600; 2. Matt Sewell, Cape Coral, Fla., Honda 600; 3. Ryan Torres, Longwood, Fla., Yamaha 599

Formula 40

Expert: 1. Mark McCormick, Winter Springs, Fla., Yamaha 600; 2. David McPherson, Osteen, Fla., Yamaha 600; Robert Lombardi, Brooklyn, N.Y., Suzuki 750. 

 Amateur: 1. Scott Layman, Ellijay, Ga., Suzuki 750; Milton Geartner, Winter Park, Fla., Suzuki 750; 3. Charlie Mavros, Lutz, Fla., Suzuki 600

LW Formula 40

Expert: 1. Robert Cole, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Ducati 1000; 2. Eric Helmbach, Califon, N.J., Honda 600; 3. Bill Davenport, Boston, Mass., Suzuki 650 

Amateur: 1. Stanton Simmerson, Rougement, N.C., Suzuki 650; 2. Stephen Hill, Ft. Myers, Fla., Suzuki 650; 3. Charlie Lohr, Austin, Texas, Suzuki 650

CCS ThunderBike

Expert: 1. Dave Estok, New Smyrna Beach, Buell 900; 2. Dan Bilansky, Delafield, Wisc., Buell 1200; 3. Sam Rozysnki, Sparta, N.J., Buell 1200

Amateur: 1. Anthony Caigiuri, Effort, Pa., Buell 1203; 2. Nathaniel Mendell, Coconut Grove, Fla., Suzuki 650; 3. James Delk, New Castle, Va., Buell 984

*Scoring under protest