Guthrie Wins Again at Michigan SuperMoto Championship

August 20, 2009 3:23pm

Clio, Mich. – Racers from as far away as Quebec, Canada came out in the Michigan summer heat to compete at round two of the Michigan SuperMoto Championship, presented by College Bike Shop, at Auto City Speedway on Sunday, August 16. Coming off wins in the opening round, Bloomington Power Sports/Kawasaki’s Chase Guthrie and Team199/Cernic’s Suzuki/Red Bull’s Ron Meredith had to fight hard for their wins in the Pro and Amateur classes, respectively. Canada’s Cameron Sutherland came in to compete in the Beginner Class and won in convincing fashion.

The racing began after two random rain showers that soaked the track but quickly dried in the 90-degree heat. The Auto City Speedway course features an 80-percent asphalt, 20-percent dirt layout where power made a difference on the straightaway. Consistent laps were the key with the many, many turns on the course.

This round also served as a points-paying round of the Can/Am SuperMoto Championship.

First round Pro Class winner Guthrie was leading the heat race after the first lap and on lap three he slid out in the figure-eight section. This handed the lead to KTM’s Jason Hine who was then hounded by Jeremy Tucker, the only pro on a 250F. They were followed by Husaberg-mounted Timm Kiener. The three-rider battle was tight as the 12-lap heat race continued while Guthrie worked his way up from last place. As the laps wore down, Tucker snagged the lead from Hine and continued to the checkers. Showing his supermoto-prowess, Guthrie worked all the way up to third place, passing Kiener near the end. This set the grid for the Pro Main, though heat winner Tucker was moved to the back since he jumped the start which place Hine on the pole.

In the Pro Main, Guthrie focused on riding a flawless race. Starting on the front row, he worked his way to the lead on the first lap. Eighteen year-old Hine, one of the smoothest riders in supermoto, made Guthrie honest until he stalled his bike in the dirt section and had to work from the back of the pack. Guthrie continued out front, now with Kiener and Tucker in tow. Tucker was on Kiener’s back tire until he crashed near the end. Two riders ended up pulling out from the race, one due to a flat tire and the other likely as a result of the heat. In the end it was Guthrie, Kiener and Tucker. The top three received purse money, trophies, and will vie for the Honda CRF50F and DRD exhaust system awarded to the final pro champion.

College Bike Shop Pro Class Results – Round Two

1. Chase Guthrie (Kaw)

2. Timm Kiener (Hbg)

3. Jeremy Tucker (Kaw)

4. John Lukasik, Jr. (Yam)

5. Jason Hine (KTM)

College Bike Shop Pro Class Point Standings (after 2 of 3 rounds)

1. Chase Guthrie 20

2. Jason Hine 11

3. Timm Kiener 9

4. Jeremy Tucker 9

5. Alan Doneth 8

In the Amateur Class, first round winner Meredith had his work cut out for him. John Kelesy, who finished second at round one, got into the lead early on in the heat race. After working through some other riders, Meredith was inching up to Kelesy and couldn’t get close enough to make a pass. In the main event, with the two fastest riders in the class starting 1-2, the battle ensued. Meredith grabbed the holeshot and led the entire race though Kelesy kept him honest pushing him hard at many points on the track. The top three finishers received a pair of EKS Brand goggles and a MISuperMoto T-shirt.

DRD Amateur Results – Round 2

1. Ron Meredith (Suz)

2. John Kelesy (Yam)

3. Shannon Kelesy (Yam)

4. Kevin Kiddle (Yam)

5. Mike Beckwith (Yam)

DRD Amateur Class Point Standings (after 2 of 3 rounds)

1. Ron Meredith 20

2. John Kelesy 14

3. Shannon Kelesy 12

4. Noel Ash 6

5. Mike Beckwith 8

In the Beginner Class, Sutherland won both the heat race and main event. Meanwhile Martin Hanstein, who finished fourth at round two, showed significant improvement by finishing second. The top three finishers received a pair of EKS Brand goggles and a MISuperMoto T-shirt.

EKS Brand Beginner Class Results – Round 2

1. Cameron Sutherland (Hon)

2. Martin Hanstein (Hbg)

3. Alex Scott (Hon)

4. Paul Havercroft (Hon)

5. Tim Havercroft (Suz)

EKS Brand Beginner Class Point Standings (after 2 of 3 rounds)

1. Martin Hanstein 11

2. Paul Havercroft 11

3. Dan Marinucci 10

4. Cameron Sutherland 10

5. Scott Havercroft 8

The third and final round of the Michigan SuperMoto Championship, presented by College Bike Shop, will be Sunday, September 27 at Auto City Speedway. To learn more about the series, 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, Jackson Speedway in Jackson and Ogemaw Heights High School in West Branch. MISuperMoto’s goal is to become the premier regional supermoto racing and track day series east of the Mississippi. The series is made possible with support from College Bike Shop (Lansing, Michigan), Taco Bell, Dubach Racing Development (DRD), EKS Brand, AxiomTV, Midwest Motorcyclist, Auto City Speedway and Jackson Speedway. Visit www.misupermoto.com for more information.

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