WERA National Series Ready for Round Two at Talladega Oxford, Ala. The WERA National Series has a busy start to the 2006 season, with round two at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway scheduled just two weeks after the season opener. Teams are readying to head to the shortest track on the schedule the weekend of April 7-9. Friday’s practice day will include qualifying for the Expert Superstock classes and Formula 1. WERA first implemented the new qualifying system during the season opener at Jennings GP. “We were really pleased with how competitive qualifying made the races at Jennings,” said WERA owner Evelyne Clarke. “In the past, we have gridded riders according to points, but since WERA is a stepping-stone to AMA Pro Racing, it’s a benefit for riders to be familiar with the qualifying format.” The four-hour WERA/Bridgestone National Endurance Series will have a four-hour race at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Vesrah Suzuki won round one, and the team is anxious to retake the championship from Team Velocity Racing. Meanwhile, Team Velocity Racing is looking forward to defending their 2005 win at Talladega. At Jennings, Vesrah’s closest competition was Mediumweight Superbike entry Red Star. Talladega’s tight configuration gave Red Star’s 600cc motorcycle an edge last year, allowing the team to lead the opening laps, eventually finishing second overall. Sunday will feature the WERA/Michelin National Challenge Series sprint races, which begin at 12:30 p.m. As always, the three Superstock classes- Open, 600 and 750- are expected to feature some of the toughest competition of the day. Each class had a different winner at Jennings. Robert Jensen got two victories at Jennings, as did 600 racer Josh Herrin. Both riders did well at Talladega last season, with Jensen taking two victories. Heavyweight Twins Superstock will be worth watching, as well, with Taylor Knapp challenging Tray Batey’s title as the top big twin rider. Tickets for the WERA National Series weekend at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway will be $30 for all three days, $20 for Saturday and Sunday, and $15 for Sunday only. Driving directions to Talladega can be found online at www.tgprace.com. More information about WERA can be found online at www.WERA.com.