Vesrah Suzuki’s Mark Junge, Tray Batey and Lee Acree took the overall win in a WERA/Bridgestone National Endurance Series 4-hour at Barber Motorsports Park on Saturday, waiting patiently through three red flags and finally finishing in the rain. The team also won in the Heavyweight Superbike class, on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Only four bikes were left on the lead lap after the first hour. Vesrah Suzuki took the lead on lap one with Batey at the helm, and the team never looked back. Vesrah pitted shortly after the first hour, and the first of the red flags flew just after Acree took the team’s Suzuki back out on track. A crash in turn two was the cause of the red flag, and after it was cleaned up the racing got underway again. Unfortunately, the restart lasted just over one lap before another red flag was thrown for a bike down at the pit-lane entrance. The race restarted once again at the two hour mark, but half-a-lap later the red flags flew again, this time for a four-bike incident in turn two. By that point, just Vesrah and ARNCHU Racing were on the lead lap. The timing of the red flags put many teams at a disadvantage because they had not yet pitted, and the ensuing warm-up laps and aborted starts left several running low on fuel. Things finally got underway again 15 minutes into the third hour, and the race continued without further incident to the checkered flag. Vesrah lapped the entire field in the third hour, and eventually built up a lead of two full laps. Rain began to fall with seven minutes left on the clock and became a heavy downpour on the cool-down lap. Second overall and the Heavyweight Superstock class win went to ARNCHU Racing, with Randy Sherman, Nathan Dressman, Rick Knuckles and Mark Crozier on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Justin Marm, Phil Caudill and Tony Palarie finished third overall and second in the Heavyweight Superstock class on the 5150 Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000. Macheca Motorsports’ Matt Macheca, Jeff Kramer, Bob Sandy and Lance Yeager finished fourth overall on a Kawasaki ZX-10R, earning second place in the Heavyweight Superbike class. Fifth overall went to Brian Dalke, Josh Smith-Moore, Gio Rojas and Daniel Parkerson on the Dalke Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R600, giving the team the Mediumweight Superststock class victory. Jeff Selbert, Skip Salenius, Blake Jones and Ryan Clay won in the Mediumweight Superbike class on the Ed Bargy Racing School Endurance Suzuki GSX-R600, finishing eighth overall. The Lightweight Superbike class victory went to Ghetto Customs with Russell Stoddard, Chris Parrish, Cale Swiger and Tim Brewer on a Suzuki SV650. The team finished 13th overall. OVERALL RESULTS: 1. Vesrah Suzuki (Mark Junge, Tray Batey, Lee Acree), Heavyweight Superbike, Suz GSX-R1000, 116 laps. 2. ARNCHU Racing (Rick Knuckles, Randy Sherman, Nathan Dressman, Mark Crozier), Heavyweight Superstock, Suz GSX-R1000, 114 laps. 3. 5150 Racing (Justin Marm/Phil Caudill/Tony Palarie), Heavyweight Superstock, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 113 laps. 4. Macheca Motorsports (Matt Macheca/Jeff Kramer/Bob Sandy/Lance Yeager), Heavyweight Superbike, Kaw ZX-10, 112 laps. 5. Dalke Motorsports (Brian Dalke/Josh Smith-Moore/Gio Rojas/Daniel Parkerson), Mediumweight Superstock, Suz GSX-R600, 112 laps. 6. TVR II (Steven Breckenridge/James Stroud/Joshua Day), Mediumweight Superstock, Yam YZF-R6, 112 laps. 7. Team Velocity Racing (Chuck Ivey, Andrew Nelson, Scott Harwell), Heavyweight Superstock, Yam YZF-R1, 111 laps. 8. Ed Bargy Racing School Endurance (Jeff Selbert, Skip Salenius, Blake Jones, Ryan Clay), Mediumweight Superbike, Suz GSX-R600, 110 laps. 9. Honk Bo-Bo Racing (Chris Normand/Opie Caylor, Scotty Van Hawk), Heavyweight Superbike, Suz GSX-R750, 109 laps. 10. Red Star (Brian Gibbs/Joe Prussiano/Dave Estok), Mediumweight Superbike, Yam YZF-R6, 109 laps.
Vesrah Suzuki Wins WERA 4-Hour At Barber Motorsports Park
Vesrah Suzuki Wins WERA 4-Hour At Barber Motorsports Park
© 2006, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. By Beth Dolgner.