Round Two Michelin Team Challenge Series

Heartland Park-Topeka
April 1, 2012

Topeka, KS – There have been two rounds of the 2012 ASRA Michelin Team Challenge and Jason Farrell aboard the Martinez/Farrell Performance Kawasaki has dominated both races from start to finish. At Heartland Park Topeka, Farrell led the entire race from the first lap to the final lap, with only the Kawasaki of Schaumburg Audi able to keep the winner in sight. While Brian Hall and Matt Hall on the Schaumburg Audi gave it a valiant effort, Farrell was able to keep the lead, bringing home the victory for Martinez/Farrell Performance by 8.039 seconds after the 44 lap event. Thrashed Bike Racing with Walt Sipp riding solo was able to bring the Buell 1125 to the flag in third place, one lap behind the top two teams. The top three teams Overall were also the top three in the GTO class.

The GTU class looked to be a four-way battle early on but as the laps passed, it was clear that the top spot on the podium would be decided between Xray Racing and the Premier Racing team. Team Xray, with Christian Meekma and Ray Hofman,  held the lead until lap 22 when they made their mandatory pit stop and swapped riders. For the next three laps, the Premier Racing team of Daniel Dougherty and Adam Horton held the point, only to return the lead to the Team Xray during their scheduled pit stop. That set up the run to the checkered flag with Team Xray ahead by a comfortable 48.956 seconds.  The Outaline Racing squad of Lucas Walta and Dalton Howard took third in the GTU class in their first Michelin Team Challenge of the season.

In the GTL class it was the Baltimore MD based GMB Racing team versus the G-Baby Racing team from Overbrook Kansas. The G-Baby Team took advantage of their track knowledge and pulled away from the GMB Racing squad to cruise to a one lap victory, extending their points lead to 14 after the first two rounds of the season.

For complete results click here. 

Bloomingdale, GA   Temperatures in the mid-seventies set the stage for potentially record-breaking lap times as the paddock prepared to compete in Round One of the 2012 Michelin PRO Series.  A number of past champions were on hand and the action got started with Michelin Pro SportBike.

Michelin Pro SportBike

Ricardo Valdez qualified on pole for the Sportbike sprint, but a jumble of riders on lap one sorted resulted in Valdez dropping to fifth at the back of the lead pack.  Mark Miller, Jr. took advantage and snatched the lead from the other four with his Livengood Motorsports-tuned Yamaha.  Scotty Ryan, whose qualifying effort lunched the motor he had planned to race with, used his R6 to nail down a space right behind Miller.  Stefano Mesa was third on another R6, and Matt Brown was fourth on a Kawaski as the gaggle headed for Turn One on lap two.

As the group cross the line next, it was Miller from Mesa and Valdez, then Ryan with Curtis Murray pulling his Suzuki up to fifth.  On lap three Valdez showed everyone the power exhibited in qualifying by moving to the front of the lead group with Miller, Mesa, Ryan and Murray just milliseconds behind, and one of the hottest contests of the afternoon was stating to come to a boil.

Valdez and Miller duked it out for the next four laps, but as the race was winding down to its conclusion Miller made his move to take the lead on lap nine. Miller maintained the edge around the 2.02-mile road course, and as they came to the checkered flag it was Miller and Valdez literally shoulder-to-shoulder at the flag.  Valdez squeaked across the line first but got some unhappy news at tech inspection with a pretty clear rule violation and his subsequent disqualification, which resulted in the win going to Mark Miller.

Miller told us after the race, "The race was good.  I was throwing my laps down and saw (Valdez) pulling away.  I put my head down to try to time it out perfectly to get him over the line.  I gave him the last lap.  I was right behind him and thought I could get a good drive out of the last corner, but he just took me at the line.  The Dunlops were awesome.  We couldn't do anything without Brian Livengood's motor work.  Hat's off to Tim at JRi; he really helped me out.  I want to dedicate this to Jim, because I know it would mean a lot to him." 

Miller's reference to Jim was to 2011 CCS Mid-Atlantic Champion Jim Cohrs, who crashed on Saturday and was airlifted out of the track. Cohrs returned to the track to visit late Sunday afternoon.  Cohrs was a little banged up, properly braced, and in good spirits.  Cohrs' tumble in turn one was the result of his front brake lever contacting a competitor resulting in a spectacular endo that launched Cohrs from the bike in epic fashion.

In Michelin PRO Sportbike Stefano Mesa finished behind Miller in the runner-up slot, Ryan was third, Murray was fourth and Justin Holderman rounded out the top five on another Yamaha R6.

Michelin Pro ThunderBikes

In Michelin PRO Thunderbike Walt Sipp intended to use pole position to full advantage, but a less-than-perfect start opened the door for Ducati rider Ray Hofman to control the pace for the first three laps.  Sipp, riding a Buell, and Bob Robbins, also a Ducati, trailed Hofman.  Russell Masecar was fourth. 

Hofman and Sipp's duel opened a gap to the field as the pair ran laps in the low 1:16's.  By lap four, Sipp pushing ever harder and made his way past Hofman in Turn One.  With Hofman behind, Sipp shifted his focus to pushed his Buell XB12R to a new ASRA PRO Thunderbike race lap record for Roebling Road at 1:15.872 on lap seven, eclipsing former record-holder Trey Yonces' mark from 2011.

Said Sipp, "Ray was riding really well.  I didn't want to make a mistake and look over the wrong shoulder like I did yesterday and let him come around me.  This allowed me to start off the season well and thanks to everybody for helping me out

Hofman added, "I started drifting back towards the end of the race.  There was one lapper that held me up in Turn Three, but I didn't have what it took today to catch Walt.  He had a good race.  The Michelin tires were working great.  Indy Ducati is helping me out on this bike, so I'm real thankful for those guys.

Bob Robbins rode a nice race hanging in ahead of Masecar's Suzuki at the end. Bob added, "Third place is good.  These guys were in another zip code, but that's okay.  I I was out there and held onto it.  Russell Masecar was chasing me down.  Good pace.  The bike is working beautiful."

Gino Angella placed his Ducati fifth behind Masecar.

In the Amateur Thunderbike race Brian Mullen of Deland, Florida, brought his Suzuki 650 home as runner-up to Ducati-mounted Ervin Kollek, who took the class win.  Kollek hails from Atlanta, Georgia.  It's Kollek's second year racing.

Michelin Pro SuperStock

Michelin Pro Superstock brought a strong field of liter bike riders and a mix of machines to the grid for the first race of the season. On pole position was Jason Farrell aboard his Kawasaki with the BMW of Eric Helmbach and the two Suzukis of Tim Bemisderfer and Paul Decouto also on the front row.

Farrell led from the first lap and showed that on this day he had the measure of everyone, setting an ASRA Superstock lap record for Roebling Road at 1:11.826 on lap two.  Bemisderfer and Michael Garner, who rode another Kawasaki, both turned laps within two tenths of Farrell's blistering pace and Bemisderfer also broke into the 1:11's, but no one had enough to catch Farrell.

A red flag stopped the race at just after half-distance, and the race was done.  Said Farrell of the race, "It went really good.  I just went out there and put my head down.  It's the second time I've ever been here, so I just tried to figure the lines out and get the track right.  Yesterday we had a used tire on for qualifying, and I threw on some new tires.  The thing is handling good..I want to thank Farrell Performance and Calvin Martinez, Pirelli Tires, US Chrome, Line2Line and Kawasaki..I heard I just broke the track record so I'm satisfied with that too.  It was good"

Bemisderfer added, "It was good. Obviously you want to come away with the win, but the race got cut a little short. I was hoping a little later in laps I could run him down, you know, but coming out of this place with a second-place finish isn't so bad.  The Dunlops are working great.  My Vesrah Suzuki Tweak Cycle, CTR-sprung bike was working great today. And it was my first time on it this year, so it's just going to get better from here."

Michael Garner was down from his home in Illinois and said of his third place finish, "It was fun.  It was my first time here, so I was just trying to keep up with everybody and have a good time.  The Pirelli tires were awesome.

In Amateur Superstock, Brad Plemmons took his Honda to the victory with Jason Brigmon, who also rode a Honda, finishing on the second step of the podium.

Bloomingdale, GA – March 10, 2012

Calvin Martinez and Jason Farrell teamed up for the Round One overall victory and GTO top spot on their Martinez Farrell Motorsports Kawaski ZX10R.  Martinez and Farrell fielded two entries, one with Calvin Martinez and Dustin Young sharing duties, but it was Farrell riding solo who out-paced 2011 Overall Champion Eric Helmbach's Chester Auto Repair BMW and the BEI/Vesrah Endurance GSXR entry of Billy Etheridge and Tim Bemisderfer.

Farrell started from the third row behind Bemisderfer and BMW-mounted Nate Kern on the outside of row one.  At the drop of the green flag Walt Sipp on the Thrashed Bike Racing Buell 1125 edged out Kern down the front straight.  But by the entry to turn one Jimmy Cohrs muscled his way past the duo for the lead.  By the middle of lap two Cohrs opened a two-second gap from Bemisderfer, Kern and Sipp.  Farrell was missing from the lead pack as on the first lap a shifter bolt backed out forcing him to pit for a quick repair.  As Cohrs and the field came around, Farrell rejoined a lap down but even with the leaders.

By lap four Helmbach had moved up to second behind Cohrs with Bemisderfer trailing.  Dan Heverly on the Angry Peaches GTU entry secured the GTU lead from the #62 RNR Repsol Kawasaki by lap four.  RNR's #4 Repsol entry was third in class.

In GT Lights the GMB Now Racing Suzuki 650 of Clayton Fisk led from the start.  Mark Gage on the DaytonaSportbikes.com SV ran second and G-Baby Racing's Jim Doyle was third on another Suzuki 650.

Bemisderfer passed Cohrs on lap eight for the lead.  Helmbach, Kern & Sipp trailed the pair.  Cohrs got back past Bemisderfer on lap nine but on lap 11 Cohrs pulled his GSXR behind the wall.  On the following lap the order in GTO was Bemisderfer from Kern with Sipp turning one of his best laps a 1:14.747.  Helmbach was fourth and Justin Neyra was fifth on a ZX10R.  RNR's #62 machine led GTU just ahead of Dan Heverly riding the Angry Peaches entry.  Ray Hofman lay third in GTU on Christian Meekma's XJR Racing.  Fisk led from Doyle in GT Lights with Gage was third.

On lap 48 Tim Bemisderfer pitted for his rider change and Jason Farrell had the chance he was looking for to take the lead.  Said Farrell, "A bolt backed out on the first lap.  I came in. We fixed it and when the field came around I was a lap down.  The bike was good and we did the whole race on the same tires."

Farrell scored the win with Helmbach second and Bemisderfer and Etheridge rounding out the podium for the Overall and GTO.  

After the race Billy Etheridge said, "Tim started and went to lap 50 where the team took on a rear tire and fuel and then I took over and brought home."  Etheridge managed a third with Eric Helmbach taking the second slot for Chester Auto Repair.  Walt Sipp finished fourth.  Sipp said, "When the ignition problem went away we were doing some good times.  Only the rear tire degradation kept us from bring it to the other guys today."

Kern and Alfredo Braca teamed on the BMW.  Kern started the race from the front row and they switched riders on lap 38.  Braca commented, "I took the bike from Nate.  Everything was good, but I started to lose rear traction towards the end of the race.  I pulled in to check the pressure, but there was nothing wrong so I continued.  We had zero issues on the BMW."

In GTU Premier Racing's Daniel Dougherty snagged the top step and finished sixth overall.  Second in GTU went to Angry Peaches' riders Dan Heverly and Allison Fournier.  Said Allison, "Dan started the race and with about 25 to go he handed off to me.  The bike was good but the tire was starting to go off a little toward the end."  Third in GTU were Rick Beggs and Jason Ebbens on the #62 RNR Cycles Repsol Kawasaki.

Nicole Ayers teamed up with Jim Doyle on the G-Baby SV.  Nicole started the race and did 25 laps, her first time at Roebling.  And they won GT Lights.  The G-Baby team is going try and do at least five rounds in 2012 in their hunt for the GT Lights Michelin Team Challenge title.

Bill Wissinger and Mark Gage ran the DaytonaSportbikes.com entry with Mark starting and handing off to Bill just over halfway.  Other than Bill reporting he was 12" taller than an SV rider should be there were no problems and they came home second in GT Lights behind G-Baby.  Third in GT Lights, Clayton Fisk and Brad Faas shared the GMB Now SV650.  Clayton started the race and handed of to Brad.  When Brad put it into gear to leave the pits the clutch basket had failed.  The engine stalled and they could not re-enter the race.   The failure put them third.