WERA National Challenge Series, Round 1

Roebling Road Raceway, Bloomingdale, Georgia

Sunday, March 18, 2007 by Dan Schmitt

  Young Russell Wikle snatches the green at Roebling

  Tray Batey wasted no time charging into the lead and checking out in the Open SuperStock Expert final. In the process, he set a new track record at 1:11:395 on this newly repaved roadcourse. At the halfway point, he held a three second lead over Chris Opie Caylor and Robert Jensen. Batey’s teammate, Mark Junge was moving up after getting one of his worst starts in his career.  Clint McBain was also on the charge. With one lap to go, both Junge and McBain got by Jensen as Caylor moved to second..

In the Open SuperStock Novice race, Russell Wikle took his 600 Suzuki to a ten-second lead over a battling Andrew Anderson and Chris Vanover. Wikle came back to capture the 600 SuperStock race with Ethan Ellis second. Again in 750 SuperStock, he won with Chris Fruits in second. At end of the day, he won both of the Novice SuperBike races. He beat Jim Wirth in the 750 race and Ellis again in the 600 race. Now, if you add the victory with his dad on Saturday in the Middleweight SuperBike class and you can see why all of other racers were green with envy on this St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

The Expert 600 SuperStock race became a three-way battle with Cory West, Jensen and Lee Acree. West led a few laps then Jensen moved up and Acree took the point a couple of times. Behind this threesome, James Chance, Joshua Day and Dane Westby had their personal skirmish for fourth. It was anyone’s race at the white flag, but West took his Yamaha to the victory.  

  Twice it was a four-man fight for the lead in the 750 SuperStock Expert final with Acree, Jensen, John Jacobi and Caylor. With the third start, second fast qualifier, Chance, came up to make it a five-man contest. Just before the halfway point, Chance tried the inside line going into turn four and ran himself and Acree off the track. Before the dust settled as Chance’s Suzuki flew over the berm, Jacobi took the lead and did not look back. He held off the attacks from Jensen and Caylor to take the victory.

It was Batey in the big twins race as Westby beat Kris Wall in both the Lightweight Twins SuperStock class and Formula 2. Todd Thelin was victorious in the Lightweight Twins Novice race and Michael Buffington won the Novice Formula 2 final.

 Daniel Parkerson, Day, Jimmy Wood and Wesby ran together for ten laps in the 600 Expert SuperBike final. Parkerson led the majority of the laps but it was Day who nipped him at the line. In the 750 race, Parkerson held on to pick up the trophy as Justin Marm beat Tim Hunt and Lyles Sanders to the line for second.

  In was a barn-burner in the Formula 1 final as Jensen had enough to run with and finally to beat Batey by a fraction of a second. A few seconds back, Caylor, McBain, Junge and Jacobi battled for third, with Pit-Bull’s Caylor being there at the checkered flag.

RESULTS:

  Open Ex SStk: 1. Tray Batey, Suz, 2. Chris Opie Caylor, Suz, 3. Clint McBain, Suz

750 Ex SStk: 1. John Jacobi, Suv, 2. Robert Jensen, Suz, 3. Chris Opie Caylor, Suz

600 Ex SStk: 1. Cory West, Yam, 2. Lee Acree, Suz, 3. Robert Jensen, Suz

750 Ex SBk: 1. Brad Parkerson, Suz, 2. Justin Marm, Suz, 3. Tim Hunt, Suz

600 Ex SBk: 1. Joshua Day, Yam, 2. Daniel Parkerson, Suz, 3. Jimmy Wood, Suz

Open No SStk: 1. Russell Wikle, Suz, 2. Andrew Anderson, Yam, 3. Chris Vanover, Suz

750 No Stk: 1. Russel Wikle, Suz, 2. Chris Fruits, Hon, 3. Philip Hart, Suz

600 No SStk: 1. Russell Wikle, Suz, 2. Ethan Ellis, Yam, 3. Chris Fruits, Hon

750 No Sbk: 1. Russel Wikle, Suz, 2. Jim Wirth, Kaw, 3. Paul Gerlesky, Suz

600 No SBk: 1. Russell Wikle, Suz, Ethan Ellis, Yam, 3. Chris Fruits, Hon

H TW Ex SStk; 1. Tray Batey, Suz, 2. Nathan Kern, BMW, 3. Van A. Salt, Suz

L TW Ex SStk: 1. Dane Westby, Suz, 2. Kris Wall, Suz, 3. Steve Green, Suz

L TW No SStk: 1. Todd Thelin, Suz, 2. Ryan Stoddard, Suz, 3. Michael Buffington, Duc

Formula 1 Ex: 1. Robert Jensen, Suz, 2. Tray Batey, Suz, 3. Opie Caylor, Suz

Formula 2 Ex: 1. Dane Westby, Suz, 2. Kris Wall, Suz, 3. Avery Clark, Suz

Formula 2 No: 1. Michael Buffington, Duc

Photos by Dan Schmitt

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