Heated Battles on a Chilly Track
This past weekend ushered in the first round of the 2017 season of the Masters of the Mountains race series, presented by Law Tigers, at Utah Motorsports Campus located in Tooele, Utah. The weather was dry for the first time in recent memory, but the temperatures were a little cool, never getting much higher than 60 degrees after some really chilly evenings. Despite the less than comfortable temperatures, the Utah Sport Bike Association experienced a very high participation rate for a round 1 because the weather was going to be dry all weekend. Saturday morning dawned clear and cold, and the practice sessions were spent getting bikes dialed in, and getting a feel for the track after a long winter off. As the temperature slowly rose, lap times started to drop, and it looked like the competition was going to be fierce. By the end of the morning practice sessions, the bikes were warm, the tires were fresh, and the racers were ready to grid up.
The Saturday races saw some stiff competition in almost every class. Michael Bradshaw and Marcel Irnie set the tone for the day during the Deseret Dash, the first race after lunch. They were both laying down blistering lap times for the temperatures, and Irnie kept the pressure on Bradshaw for the entire race, never letting him get more than a few bike lengths ahead, and always managing to close the gap before Bradshaw was able to gain a comfortable lead. Despite Irnie’s best efforts, Bradshaw crossed the line just .4 seconds ahead of him. There were several other notable performances throughout the day. Kory Cowan competed in Moto 2, Middleweight Superstock, and Open Superstock. He won every race handily, and no racer was able to get within two seconds of him. After several years racing on lightweight production class bikes, 15 year old Sean Thomas of Firestone, CO, started his first full year racing a Yamaha YZF-R6 with the UtahSBA and put on a dazzling show, eventually being able to put down lap times within 5 seconds of the fastest racer in his classes. His best finish of the day was a 4th place in Middleweight Superstock, but his potential is obvious based on his limited time on a new machine, and the fact that he showed everyone that he’s a threat despite the quickness of his competitors. Duncan Biles, only 16, is another up and comer and is just starting his second year on a Yamaha YZF-R6. He also started in the lightweight production classes, and is showing some major talent on the bigger bike. He managed to secure a 4th place finish in Moto 2, and a 5th place finish in Middleweight Superstock, edging out some talented and experienced riders.
Sunday morning also started a little on the chilly side, but expectations were high as the weather called for sunny skies and temperatures a few degrees warmer than Saturday. Time Attack was the first race of the day, followed closely by the combined Modern Vintage and Production 300 races. The Modern Vintage GTO/GTU race was spirited, but the real action happened far behind them in the Production 300 race. The top three riders in that class all had best lap times within half a second of each other, and they were nose to tail for the entire race, challenging each other for position almost every corner. Chad Carson took the win, followed by Russell Biles, and Mark Barton secured a third place finish. They all crossed the line in a bunch, with less than a second between first and third.
Barton, who graduated from his Provisional Novice status to fully licensed Novice this round said, “I really just want to say a massive thank you to the club for everything this weekend; you all made me feel right at home, and I’m very proud to be a part of the UtahSBA. I’m tired and sore, and I’m coming out of the weekend convinced that this is the best thing I do. See you all at round 2!”.
The weather got very nice for the start of the first of the club’s two premier races- the King of the Mountain GTU. Kory Cowan put on yet another display of skill, crossing the line a full 11 seconds ahead of Michael Bradshaw. Ryan Richardson rounded out the podium after a lonely race in third place.
Cowan was happy with the weekend, saying “I had a great weekend on the Moto Station Yamaha R6. On Saturday, I won Moto 2, Open Superstock, and Middleweight Superstock all on one set of Pirelli tires. I even set my fastest lap of the day in the third race. Sunday the weather was a little better, but still a little cool for really fast lap times. I won King of the Mountain GTU, Middleweight Superbike, and Heavyweight Superbike, again all on one set of Pirelli tires. It was great to be out on track again with the USBA”.
Soon after was the start of the King of the Mountain GTO, and there were some very fast riders gridded up for the start. Oleg Pianykh, the 2015 class champion, made his return debut in style, winning the race by a full front straight and crossing the line with the front wheel pointed to the sky in celebration. Jerry Hicks and Marcel Irnie were in a battle for second for the entire race, with Irnie making several pass attempts that didn’t stick. Hicks crossed the line just .8 seconds ahead of Irnie. In the Novice GTO class, Joshua “Ricky” Bronfman is starting his first full year of racing with the club, and quickly showed his competitors that he was a force to be reckoned with, finishing 32 seconds ahead of second place Braden Jones, and 42 seconds ahead of third place Genaro Lopez.
“What an awesome weekend! After my first two races ever at the end of 2016 and a long winter training with my coaches on and off the bike, we were really excited to get my first full race season underway in 2017. We couldn’t be happier with the results, coming home with three 1 place finishes, and one second. I’m really excited to continue learning and developing solid race craft throughout the season”, Bronfman said.
Don Losee (6th) and Eddie Santana (7th) had the most intense battle of the race, with Losee edging Santana out by a mere three/tenths of a second. Starting behind the Novice GTO race in a second wave start was the Moto 3 grid. Reciprocity racer Mike Surrat walked away with the win, but there was a knife fight for second and third, and another close fight for third and fourth. Brad Moore and Ryan Luke duked it out over the course of 6 laps, neither one willing to concede to the other. Moore eked out the second place finish over Luke by a scant tenth of a second. There were several other hard fought wins in the following races, and if all those races are any indication of how the season will go, then the majority of the championships in this series will be decided during the last round of the season. The UtahSBA moves to the East Course of the Utah Motorsports Campus for round 2 on May 20 and 21, 2017.
The Utah Sport Bike Association is a Utah Non-Profit dedicated to promoting education, safe riding and competition in the Intermountain West. You can find more information about the USBA, upcoming events, and schools at www.utahsba.com or find us on Facebook at www.utahsba.com
The Moto Station King of the Mountain GTO
1. Oleg Pianykh (YAM YZF-R1)
2. Jerry Hicks (SUZ GSX-R1000)
3. Marcel Irnie (BMW S1000RR)
4. Brian Childree (SUZ GSX-R1000)
5. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)
6. Ryan McGowan (KAW ZX-10R)
Rickdiculous Racing King of the Mountain GTU
1. Kory Kowan (YAM YZF-R6)
2. Michael Bradshaw (TRI 675R)
3. Ryan Richardson (YAM YZF-R6)
4. Duncan Biles (YAM YZF-R6)
5. Sean Thomas (YAM YZF-R6)
6. Danny Grenier (KAW ZX-6R)
The Edge Motorsports Deseret Dash GTO Expert Race 1
1. Michael Bradshaw (BMW S1000RR)
2. Marcel Irnie (BMW S1000RR)
3. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)
4. Eugene Alston (YAM YZF-R1)
5. Ryan McGowan (KAW ZX-10R)
6. Shane Fraser (YAM YZF-R6)
The Edge Motorsports Deseret Dash GTO Expert Race 2
1. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)
2. Michael Bradshaw (BMW S1000RR)
3. Eugene Alston (YAM YZF-R1)
4. Jason Johnson (KAW ZX-6R)
5. Christopher Robison (KAW ZX-6R)
6. Spencer Kruger (YAM YZF-R1)
The Edge Motorsports Deseret Dash GTO Novice Race 1
1. Matt DeVico (DUC 899)
2. Zac Miller (BMW S1000RR)
3. Eddie Santana (DUC 848)
4. Thomas Dark (SUZ GSX-R600)
5. Travis Edelman (YAM YZF-R6)
6. Donald Rothfuss (DUC 848)
The Edge Motorsports Deseret Dash GTO Novice Race 2
1. Zac Miller (BMW S1000RR)
2. Matt DeVico (DUC 899)
3. Eddie Santana (DUC 848)
4. Donald Rothfuss (DUC 848)
5. Thomas Dark (SUZ GSX-R600)
6. Travis Edelman (YAM YZF-R6)
Harrison Eurosports Combined GTO
1. Joshua Bronfman (YAM YZF-R1)
2. Eugene Alston (YAM YZF-R1)
3. Justin Delong (BMW S1000RR)
4. Spencer Kruger (YAM YZF-R1)
5. Marshall Miller (BMW S1000RR)
6. Matt DeVico (DUC 899)
Novo Advisors Combined GTU
1. Jerome Samarjian (YAM YZF-R6)
2. Genaro Lopez (YAM YZF-R6)
3. Randy Schuler (KAW ZX-6R)
4. Gilbert Gonzalez (YAM YZF-R6)
5. Eddie Santana (DUC 848)
6. Thomas Dark (SUZ GSX-R600)
Carey’s Cycle Production 500 Race 1
1. Brandon Fosbinder (APR SXV450)
2. Ryan Luke (YAM YZF-R3)
3. Brad Moore (YAM YZF-R3)
4. Cameron Lee (YAM YZF-R3)
5. Chad Carson (YAM YZF-R3)
6. Russel Biles (KAW 250)
Carey’s Cycle Production 500 Race 2
1. Brad Moore (YAM YZF-R3)
2. Ryan Luke (YAM YZF-R3)
3. Brandon Fosbinder (APR SXV450)
4. Chad Carson (YAM YZF-R3)
5. Cameron Lee (YAM YZF-R3)
6. Anthony Morgan (YAM YZF-R3)
Recycle Solutions Moto 1
1. Jerry Hicks (SUZ GSX-R1000)
2. Joshua Bronfman (YAM YZF-R1)
3. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)
4. Eugene Alston (YZF-R1)
5. Ryan McGowan (KAW ZX-10R)
6. Kevin Dolan (SUZ GSX-R1000)
Fastline RaceTires Moto 2
1. Kory Cowan (YAM YZF-R6)
2. Michael Bradshaw (TRI 675R)
3. Ryan Richardson (YAM YZF-R6)
4. Duncan Biles (YAM YZF-R6)
5. Danny Grenier (KAW ZX-6R)
6. Sean Thomas (YAM YZF-R6)
Edge Motorsports Moto 3
1. Mike Surrat (KTM 690 Duke)
2. Brad Moore (YAM YZF-R3)
3. Ryan Luke (YAM YZF-R3)
4. Anthony Morgan (YAM YZF-R3)
5. Chad Carson (YAM YZF-R3)
6. Russel Biles (KAW 250)
Wright’s M/C Parts and Accessories Production 300 Race 1
1. Chad Carson (KAW 300)
2. Russell Biles (KAW 250)
Wright’s M/C Parts and Accessories Production 300 Race 2
1. Chad Carson (KAW 300)
2. Russel Biles (KAW 250)
3. Mark Barton (KAW 250)
4. Stephen Webster (KAW 250)
5. Parissa Azarvand (KAW 250)
The Green Pig Pub Open Twins
1. Erik Grim (KTM 1290 Super Duke)
2. Daniel Egbert (DUC 999R)
3. Brad Moore (SUZ SV650)
4. Mike Surratt (KTM 690 Duke)
5. Donald Rothfuss (DUC 848)
6. Parissa Azarvand (YAM YZF-R3)
Trackstar Racing Middleweight Superstock
1. Kory Cowan (YAM YZF-R6)
2. Ryan Richardson (YAM YZF-R6)
3. Danny Grenier (KAW ZX-6R)
4. Sean Thomas (YAM YZF-R6)
5. Duncan Biles (YAM YZF-R6)
6. Shane Fraser (YAM YZF-R6)
South Valley Motorsports Open Superstock
1. Kory Cowan (YAM YZF-R6)
2. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)
3. Ryan McGowan (KAW ZX-10R)
4. Eugene Alston (YAM YZF-R1)
5. Justin Delong (BMW S1000RR)
6. Kevin Dolan (SUZ GSX-R1000)
Stansbury Concert Series Sportsman Race 1
1. Matt DeVico (DUC 899)
2. Zac Miller (BMW S1000RR)
3. Eddie Santana (DUC 848)
4. Don Losee (BMW S1000RR)
5. Gilbert Gonzalez (YAM YZF-R6)
6. Harold Herdt (YAM YZF-R6)
Stansbury Concert Series Sportsman Race 2
1. Zac Miller (BMW S1000RR)
2. Matt DeVico (DUC 899)
3. Don Losee (BMW S1000RR)
4. Eddie Santana (DUC 848)
5. Harold Herdt (YAM YZF-R6)
6. Briar Handly (YAM YZF-R6)
The Mechanic Modern Vintage GTO
1. Kevin Dolan (SUZ GSX-R1000)
2. Braden Jones (HON CBR1000RR)
3. Daniel Egbert (DUC 999S)
4. Mike Surratt (SUZ GSX-R750)
The Mechanic Modern Vintage GTU
1. Joshua Bronfman (YAM YZF-R6)
2. Phil O’Bryan (KAW ZX-6R)
3. Brad Moore (SUZ SV650)
4. Jerry Carson (SUZ GSX-R600)
5. Gilbert Gonzalez (YAM YZF-R6)
Discount Tire Novice GTO
1. Joshua Bronfman (YAM YZF-R1)
2. Braden Jones (HON CBR1000RR)
3. Genaro Lopez (YAM YZF-R6)
4. Matt DeVico (DUC 899)
5. Zac Miller (BMW S1000RR)
6. Don Losee (BMW S1000RR)
Keystone Solutions Novice GTU
1. Thomas Dark (SUZ GSX-R600)
2. Andy Blunt (YAM YZF-R6)
3. Randy Schuler (KAW ZX-6R)
4. Eddie Santana (DUC 848)
5. Donald Rothfuss (DUC 848)
6. Travis Edelman (YAM YZF-R6)
The MotoStation Middleweight Superbike
1. Kory Cowan (YAM YZF-R6)
2. Michael Bradshaw (TRI 675)
3. Ryan Richardson (YAM YZF-R6)
4. Danny Grenier (KAW ZX-6R)
5. Duncan Biles (YAM YZF-R6)
6. Sean Thomas (YAM YZF-R6)
The MotoStation Open Superbike
1. Oleg Pianykh (YAM YZF-R1)
2. Jerry Hicks (SUZ GSX-R1000)
3. Brian Childree (SUZ GSX-R1000)
4. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)
5. Eugene Alston (YAM YZF-R1)
6. Ryan McGowan (KAW ZX-10R)
Lamonica’s Restaurant Supply Heavyweight Superbike
1. Kory Cowan (YAM YZF-R6)
2. Duncan Biles (YAM YZF-R6)
3. Donavon Mortensen (YAM YZF-R6)
4. James Peterec (TRI 675)
Harrison Eurosports Formula 40 GTO
1. David Purcell (KAW ZX-10R)
2. Kevin Dolan (SUZ GSX-R1000)
3. Sherwick Min (APR RSV4)
4. Steve Kozicki (YAM YZF-R1)
Harrison Eurosports Formula 40 GTU
1. Mike Surratt (KTM 690 Duke)
2. James Krstich (SUZ GSX-R1000)
3. Donald Rothfuss (DUC 848)
Southpaw Motorsports Lightweight Twins
1. Mike Surratt (KTM 690 Duke)
2. Ryan Luke (YAM YZF-R3)
3. Brad Moore (YAM YZF-R3)
4. Robert Nolan (YAM FZR-400)
5. Chad Carson (YAM YZF-R3)
6. Anthony Morgan (YAM YZF-R3)