Vallely Racing II’s Mark Crozier and Matt McBride and Vallely Racing 33’s Frank Trombino and Kevin Lacombe finished first and second, respectively, in the 52-lap ASRA Team Challenge endurance race Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
Each team rode a Pirelli-shod GSX-R1000, but Crozier and McBride were faster and won the race (and the GTO class) by a margin of one lap over the Canadian duo of Trombino and Lacombe.
Serpent Racing 2 was running near the front throughout the event, with Marco Martinez and Calvin Martinez (no relation) at the controls of their Suzuki GSX-R1000, but the team’s decision to not change its rear Dunlop during its one and only pit stop backfired. The rear tire wore down to the cords on most of the left-hand side, forcing the team to reduce its pace for the second half of the race. Still, Serpent Racing 2 held onto third place overall.
Serpent Racing’s Jason Temme and Scott Harwood took what may be the first National victory for the new Ducati 848 by topping the GTU class. Temme said they were able to do the entire race on one set of MOTO-ST-spec Pirelli tires. J&R Racing’s Andy Galindo and Chase Vivion finished second in GTU on a Dunlop-equipped Triumph Daytona 675, while Mid-Illini/Repsol’s Dr. Jeffrey Purk, Mitch Stein and Alan Federson placed third in class on a Yamaha YZF-R6.
In what may be a preview of the MOTO-ST Grand Sport Twins race, James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing’s Paul James and Jeff Johnson used their Buell XB12R to beat Touring Sport Ducati’s Frank Shockley and Brad Phillips in the GT Lights division. Coatzymoto Racing’s Fernando Barbosa, Kevin Mendez and Christopher Boy teamed up on a Ducati 1000 to finish third in GT Lights.
In the Solo class, Tyler McDonald was the victor on his Knmotorcycles.com Yamaha YZF-R6, which wore Michelin’s newest DOT-labeled race tires. Second place went to young gun Shane Narbonne, who rode the Dunlop-tired Team S-Works Commonwealth Triumph Daytona 675 he plans to race in the Daytona 200. Slovak-Czech Racing’s Ivan Milan finished third in the Solo class on a Suzuki GSX-R1000.
The ASRA Team Challenge had 63 entries.
ASRA Team Challenge Series Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida February 29, 2008 Race Results:
OVERALL: 1. Vallely Racing II (Mark Crozier/Matt McBride), Suz GSX-R1000, 52 laps; 2. Vallely Racing 33 (Frank Trombino/Kevin Lacombe), Suz GSX-R1000, 51 laps; 3. Serpent Racing 2 (Calvin Martinez/Marco Martinez), Suz GSX-R1000, 50 laps; 4. Serpent Racing (Jason Temme/Scott Harwood), Duc 848, 49 laps; 5. J&R Racing (Andy Galindo/Chase Vivion), Tri Daytona 675, 49 laps; 6. Ducati Miami Toshiba (Pedro Valiente/Rudolf Von Lighau/Jones Conception), Duc 1098, 49 laps.
GTO: 1. Vallely Racing II, 52 laps; 2. Vallely Racing 33, 51 laps; 3. Serpent Racing 2, 50 laps; 4. Ducati Miami Toshiba, 49 laps; 5. Bone Head Racing (Vinton Squires/David Willis), Suz GSX-R750, 47 laps; 6. Aprilia Puerto Rico (Robert Maldonado/Edguardo Ramirez), Apr RSV1000, 46 laps.
GTU: 1. Serpent Racing, 49 laps; 2. J&R Racing, 49 laps; 3. Mid-Illini/Repsol (Dr. Jeffrey Purk/Mitch Stein/Alan Federson), Yam YZF-R6, 48 laps; 4. RNR Cycles Racing (Rick Beggs/Rachel Sasse), Kaw ZX-6R, 47 laps; 5. Team Appel (Melissa Appel/Alan Federson), Suz GSX-R600, 46 laps; 6. H-D Macon Race Team (Brett Sassaman/Peyton Sassaman), Yam YZF-R6, 45 laps.
GT LIGHTS: 1. James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing (Paul James/Jeff Johnson), Buell XB12R, 47 laps; 2. Touring Sport Ducati (Frank Shockley/Brad Phillips), Duc 1000, 47 laps; 3. Coatzymoto (Fernando Barbosa/Kevin Mendez/Christopher Boy), Duc 1000; 4. Mid-Illini Repsol 2 (Aaron Stein/Jimmy Skeeter/Mark Stiles/Mitch Stein), Suz SV650, 42 laps; 5. PBJ Racing (Antonio Coma/Corey Howe), Suz SV650, 42 laps; 6. Shakka 4 Life (Michael Jordan/Steve Wilkins), Suz SV650, 41 laps.
SOLO: 1. Knmotorcycles.com (Tyler McDonald), Yam YZF-R6, 51 laps; 2. S-Works Commonwealth Triumph (Shane Narbonne), Tri Daytona 675, 49 laps; 3. Slovak-Czech Racing (Ivan Milan), Suz GSX-R1000; 4. Euro Racing (Martin Lazor), Suz GSX-R1000; 5. McNology Racing 2 (David McPherson), Yam YZF-R6, 48 laps; 6. Garrett Racing (Garrett Rick), Duc 848, 48 laps.