Taco Bell Presents Michigan SuperMoto Championship Round One Results
WEST BRANCH, Mich. – Just like Taco Bell’s® tagline “Think Outside the Bun®,” SuperMoto is a unique form of motorcycle racing that brings out some of the most versatile riders in the sport. Taco Bell® joined with MISuperMoto and College Bike Shop on Thursday, July 16 to present the first round of the Michigan SuperMoto Championship on the grounds of Ogemaw Heights High School in West Branch, Mich. Bloomington Power Sport’s Chase Guthrie, who hails from Indiana, took home the Pro win fighting off charges from KTM’s Jason Hine and AMA Flat Track Championship racer Bryan Bigelow, both of Michigan.
The track was 70 percent asphalt with sweeping sections built on the high school parking lot. The dirt section was crafted on a hillside with bowl turns, a triple jump and a couple single jumps. The first time in the race’s three-year history, the main events were run after dark under the lights. Forty racers participated in the Beginner and Amateur Classes presented by EKS Brand and the Pro Class presented by College Bike Shop.
More than 450 fans watched the heat races that were highlighted by an epic battle between Hine and Guthrie in the Pro Class. Hine got into the lead early on his KTM in the Pro heat while Guthrie worked his way up into second on his Kawasaki. For more than five laps, Guthrie hounded Hine hoping for a mistake. Both riding nearly flawless, they were running the same pace. As the final lap wore down, Hine continued to hold the lead. On the final straight, Guthrie pulled hard onto the inside of Hine and beat him at the line by not much more than a front wheel.
In the Pro main, Guthrie sat on the pole and pulled the holeshot leading the entire race. Bigelow was impressive riding a Honda CRF450R that was set-up for flat track and had flat track tires instead of SuperMoto slicks. He held second for most of the race until Hine finally nabbed him. This event marked Bigelow’s first-ever time on a Supermoto track, let alone a race.
Red Bull/Cernic’s/Team199.com’s Ron Meredith won both the Amateur heat and main event convincingly though John Kelesy made him work for it the entire way in the main, staying within 3-4 bike lengths. Meanwhile, in the Beginner Class, which was run for the first time this year, Dan Marinucci took the win. Meredith and Marinucci will each receive a pair of EKS Brand goggles.
“A big thanks to Taco Bell® for stepping in to make this race possible,” said MISuperMoto’s Dave Duprey. “Considering we only added this event to the schedule a month ago, the rider and fan turnout was solid. Breaking the program into three classes based on experience level and not on bike size was well received, including by the number of people who came out for their first SuperMoto race.”
Each class awards points toward the three-round Michigan SuperMoto Championship, presented by College Bike Shop. The Pro Class winner after three rounds will receive a Honda CRF50F courtesy of College Bike Shop, a Dubach Racing Development (DRD) gift card, an AxiomTV gift card and a MISuperMoto 2010 season pass. Each Beginner and Amateur class winner will receive a EKS Brand goggle and a MISuperMoto T-shirt.
The second round of the Michigan SuperMoto Championship is Sunday, August 16 at Auto City Speedway in Clio, Mich. MISuperMoto will be run a Test & Tune Day at the track this Sunday, July 26, 2009 in order for racers to practice for the next round and casual riders can try a real SuperMoto track.
To learn more about the Michigan SuperMoto Championship and see full results from round one, visit www.misupermoto.com.
About MISuperMoto
MISuperMoto is one of the fastest-growing regional supermoto series in the nation with both racing events and track days. Its Test and Tune Days enable current enthusiasts to ride supermoto on a safe course while new riders can try their hand at this growing motorcycle discipline. In 2009, MISuperMoto will have the three-round Michigan SuperMoto Championship, presented by College Bike Shop, and 11 Test and Tune Days. Events are held at Auto City Speedway in Clio, Ogemaw Heights High School in West Branch, and Jackson Speedway in Jackson. MISuperMoto’s goal is to become the premier regional supermoto racing and track day series east of the Mississippi. The series is made possible by College Bike Shop, Taco Bell, Dubach Racing Development (DRD), EKS Brand, AxiomTV, Auto City Speedway and Jackson Speedway. Visit www.misupermoto.com for more information.
About MotoPR
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