Jeff Tigert, who announced last season that he would chase the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club Formula One Championship in 2009, got his challenge off on the right foot with an impossibly narrow win over reigning WSMC Overall Champion Karl Lowry on Sunday.

Riding his American Honda-backed, Dunlop-shod Honda CBR1000RR, Tigert held off Lowry’s Dunlop-equipped Graves Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R1 by a margin that was so close that official timing and scoring had Lowry across the line first by 0.003-second. However, at Willow’s big track, the timing marker is not on the start-finish line, and Tigert was ahead where it counted, taking home $3000 in purse money for the win.

It was a titanic battle between the two, with Lowry leading the first six laps and Tigert hard on his tailsection. On lap seven, Tigert blew past Lowry on the back straight, but could not break away from the defending Formula One title holder, who hounded Tigert mercilessly. On the next-to-last lap, Tigert had a bobble coming onto the back straight, and Lowry shot past; Tigert re-passed him in the same spot on the last lap, and Lowry’s drive up the front straight toward the checkers came up inches short.

“I didn’t breathe for about three laps,” Tigert said on the podium. “It was hectic out there.”

“That first 10 laps, it was just go. After that, we were just trying to keep them under control,” Lowry said.

Four-time Formula One winner in 2008 Jeremy Toye took a borrowed Suzuki GSX-R1000 sponsored by Lee’s Cycle and shod with Dunlops to the final podium spot, 19.985 seconds back.

Lowry notched wins in 600cc Superstock, 650cc Superbike and Open Superstock, while Tigert won the Open Superbike and Open Modified Production races.

WSMC Classic Series Jan. 17-18, 2009 Willow Springs International Raceway Rosamond, California Results as Provided By WSMC Listed in Chronological Order

TRACK DAZ 650 SUPERBIKE: 1. Karl Lowry (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Chris Duran (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Jason Turner (Kaw ZX-6R) 4. Matthew Bergen (Suz GSX-R600) 5. David Christensen (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Sam Carnibucci (Yam YZF-R6)

CT RACING MIDDLEWEIGHT TWINS: 1. Bob Setbacken (Duc) 2. Pancho Spain (Suv SV650) 3. David Ortiz (Duc) 4. Dean Wallace (Duc) 5. Christopher Boileau (Suz SV650) 6. Stephen Ludwig (Suz SV650)

500 SUPERSTOCK: 1. Christian Rice (Yam FZR400)

VINTAGE LIGHTWEIGHT: 1. Jim Dobson (Yam RZ350) 2. Rick Carmody 3. Terence Geoghegan (Yam) 4. Charles Burnett (Hon Hawk) 5. Warren Spradlin Jr. (Yam RZ350)

660cc SINGLES: 1. Cody Burton (MZ) 2. Brad Gitchell (Hon Ascot)

FORMULA 40 HEAVYWEIGHT: 1. Mitchell Wissner (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. Richard Sadler (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Simon Williams (Duc) 4. Leo Ramirez 5. Calvin Hutchison (Yam YZF-R1) 6. Sherwick Min (Duc)

FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT: 1. Stephen Hewitt (Hon CBR600RR) 2. Michael Gougis (Suz SV500) 3. Tania Davidson (Yam YZF-R6)

TRACK RIDERS TAX SERVICE FORMULA 50: 1. Howard Lynggard (Yam YZF-R1) 2. Pancho Spain (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Chris Grabau 4. David Molitor (Suz GSX-R1000 5. James Davis (Yam) 6. Doug McLarty (Suz GSX-R750)

SPORT TIRE SERVICES 600cc SUPERSTOCK: 1. Karl Lowry (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Chris Duran (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Jason Turner (Kaw ZX-6R) 4. Matthew Bergen (Suz GSX-R600) 5. David Christensen (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Sam Carnibucci (Yam YZF-R6)

CYCLEMALL RACE TIRE SERVICES OPEN SUPERBIKE: 1. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR1000RR) 2. Karl Lowry (Yam YZF-R1) 3. Reno Karimian (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Mitchell Wissner (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Chris Duran (Yam YZF-R1) 6. Scott Tillery

CATALYST REACTION SUSPENSION TUNING 750cc SUPERSTOCK: 1. Ken Kramer (Suz GSX-R750) 2. Robbie Dowie (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Frank Gray (Suz GSX-R750) 4. Travis Westermeyer (Suz GSX-R750) 5. Doug McLarty (Suz GSX-R750) 6. Graham Faulknor (Yam YZF-R6)

ROADRACINGWORLD.COM 250cc GRAND PRIX: 1. John Ulrich (Yam TZ250) 2. Joel Manes (Yam TZ250) 3. Jamie Lenore (Hon RS250R) 4. John Fabijanic (Hon RS125)

2-STROKE PRODUCTION: 1. Brent Meeker (Aprilia RS250) 2. Warren Spradlin Jr. (Yam RZ350)

FORMULA SINGLES: 1. Cody Burton (MZ) 2. Terence Geoghegan (Yam)

ANTELOPE VALLEY HARLEY-DAVIDSON 500cc SINGLES: 1. Richard Barnett (Kaw Ninja 250R) 2. Brad Gitchell (Hon Ascot) 3. Tracy Bennett 4. Ernest Snair (Buell)

HYPERCYCLE TRACK DAYS NOVICE LIGHTWEIGHT: 1. Brian Herzfeldt (Yam FZR400) 2. Brian Bourgeois (Kaw Ninja 250R) 3. Sean Landess (Kaw Ninja 250R) 4. Laura Orozco (Kaw Ninja 250R) 5. Mario Orozco (Kaw Ninja 250R) 6. Billy Meinke

HEAVYWEIGHT TWINS: 1. Eric Nolan (Duc) 2. Bob Setbacken (Duc) 3. Sherwick Min (Duc) 4. Simon Williams (Duc) 5. Damon Stewart (Hon RC51) 6. Steve Slaughter (Buell)

550cc SUPERBIKE: 1. Chris Speights (Suz SV650) 2. Pancho Spain (Suz SV650) 3. Christopher Boileau (Suz SV650) 4. Stephen Ludwig (Suz SV650) 5. Michael Quinn (Kaw 650R) 6. Jim Dobson (Yam RZ350)

PEAK PERFORMANCE MOTORCYCLES OPEN MODIFIED PRODUCTION: 1. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR1000RR) 2. Mitchell Wissner (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Matt Quigley (Kaw ZX-10R) 4. Scott Tillery 5. Mike Martin 6. Ryan Gagliano (Suz GSX-R1000)

750cc SUPERBIKE: 1. Ken Kramer (Suz GSX-R750) 2. Robbie Dowie (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Travis Westermeyer (Suz GSX-R750) 4. Frank Gray (Suz GSX-R750) 5. James Davis (Yam YZF-R6) 6. JC Gibbs

FORMULA TWINS HEAVYWEIGHT: 1. Eric Nolan (Duc) 2. Bob Setbacken (Duc) 3. Sherwick Min (Duc) 4. Damon Stewart (Hon RC51) 5. Dean Wallace (Duc) 6. Steve Slaughter (Bue)

500cc MODIFIED PRODUCTION: 1. Christian Rice (Yam FZR400) 2. Jerry Jirkovsky (Kaw Ninja 250R) 3. Terence Geoghegan (Yam)

L&L MOTORSPORTS 600 MODIFIED PRODUCTION: 1. Jason Turner (Kaw ZX-6R) 2. David Christensen (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Randy Smith (Suz GSX-R600) 4. Ricardo Vizcaino 5. Ryan Tarr (Suz GSX-R600) 6. Stephen Hewitt (Hon CBR600RR)

RACEBIKERENTALS.COM NINJA CUP (all on Kawasaki Ninja 250R): 1. Wesley Totsubo 2. Rickey Herd 3. Richard Barnett 4. Edwin Tamayo 5. Brian Bourgeois 6. Ross Wenger

TOYOTA GOLD CUP UNLIMITED FORMULA ONE: 1. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon CBR1000RR) 2. Karl Lowry (Yam YZF-R1) 3. Jeremy Toye (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Reno Karimian (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Brant Wiwi (Yam YZF-R1) 6. Michell Wissner (Suz GSX-R1000) 7. Ken Kramer (Suz GSX-R750) 8. Chris Duran (Yam YZF-R1) 9. Mike Martin 10. Matt Quigley (Kaw ZX-10R)

HYPERCYCLE TRACK DAYS NOVICE HEAVYWEIGHT: 1. Kenneth Bigler 2. Albert Andrade (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Tyler Purcell (Duc) 4. Michael Fredrick 5. Jeremy Ayers (Yam YZF-R1) 6. Adam Brandt (Yam)

HYPERCYCLE TRACK DAYS NOVICE MIDDLEWEIGHT: 1. Adam Brandt (Yam) 2. Loren Black 3. Omar Smith (Yam) 4. Alan Llenado (Yam) 5. Danny Sillett 6. Freddy Soriano

OPEN SUPERSTOCK: 1. Karl Lowry (Yam YZF-R1) 2. Mitchell Wissner (Suz GSX-R1000) 3. Chris Duran (Yam YZF-R1) 4. Matt Quigley (Kaw ZX-10R) 5. Scott Tillery 6. Ryan Gagliano (Suz GSX-R1000)

PRIVATEER’S GARAGE 750 MODIFIED PRODUCTION: 1. Ken Kramer (Suz GSX-R750) 2. Robbie Dowie (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Travis Westermeyer (Suz GSX-R750) 4. Frank Gray (Suz) 5. JC Gibbs 6. Doug McLarty (Suz GSX-R750)

FORMULA 2: 1. Chris Duran (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Matthew Bergen (Suz GSX-R600) 3. David Christensen (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Frank Gray (Suz GSX-R600) 5. Bob Setbacken (Duc) 6. Stephen Popoff

FORMULA TWINS LIGHTWEIGHT: 1. Chris Speights (Suz SV650) 2. Stephen Ludwig (Suz SV650) 3. Michael Quinn (Kaw 650R)

LIGHTWEIGHT TWINS: 1. Michael Gougis (Suz SV500) 2. Cody Burton (MZ) 3. Jerry Jirkovsky (Kaw 250R)

125cc GRAND PRIX: 1. John Fabijanic (Hon RS125) 2. Brian Heess (Hon RS125) 3. Andrew Artola (Hon RS125) 4. Barrett Meeker (Hon RS125)