Rockstar/MSR/Pro Taper/Suzuki/Yoshimura
Dominates Kentucky WPSA
Blue Ridge Double Header - London, KY
Brea, CA (6/18/2007) - Team Rockstar/MSR/Pro
Taper/Suzuki/Yoshimura headed down to London, KY for the
Blue Ridge Open Championship doubleheader of the World
PowerSports ATV Series. Coming off of a stormy weekend
at the last race in Oklahoma, the team (and the fans)
were happy to see bright sunny skies and 90+ degree temperatures.
With two main events crammed into Sunday afternoon,
the weekend was jam packed with two practices and two
sets of heat races both Friday and on Saturday. This
intense schedule gave little downtime and mechanics
and riders went nonstop the whole weekend.
Friday's heat races were for Round Four and the weekend
started out well for Doug getting a third in the first
round and second in the next. Chad not only got the
holeshot but pulled first place in his first heat and
third in the second. Wimmer was having difficulties
that left him with an 11th and a DNF. He used a provisional
to get into the main.
Saturday's heat races for Round Five fared better for
Dustin winning his first heat and coming in second in
the next round. Dustin got the fastest time of the day
with a 1:31. Doug placed 5th in his first and third
in the next. Wienen got stuck in the first turn of the
first moto and ended up fourth. The second round of
heats had Natalie and Wienen battling it out for a neck
and neck race with Natalie beating Chad to the finish.
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Chad
Wienen on his way to double wins in London. |
Sunday's first main event was for Round Four, and it
started with a bang, literally, as several collisions
resulted in a chaotic 5th lap. Race officials threw
a red flag and ordered a total restart from the beginning.
At the restart Keith Little led, followed by John Natalie
and Chad Wienen. Doug Gust gated 6th while Dustin Wimmer
was mired back in 8th.
Natalie and Wienen made quick work of Little and then
the race was on. Chad "Wide Open" Wienen was
all over Natalie in a replay of their last heat race.
About five laps in, Wienen went around Natalie at the
top of the track and that was it. The Suzuki QuadRacer
R450 set sail and Wienen was gone.
In the meantime, a tremendous race set up between Doug
Gust and Little. Lap after lap Little held off a hard
charging Doug Gust. While all of this was going on,
Wimmer, worked up from his bad start and was fast closing
on the Gust/Little duel.
Gust finally set Little up in the whoops and past the
fading rider into 3rd. Later that same lap Wimmer also
made it past Little and started closing on Gust. Gust
looked like he had third in the bag, but on the last
lap, he hit a hole and bobbled just for an instant.
Teammate Wimmer pounced and was past. Gust recovered
right away and the final finishing order at the checkers
was Wienen in a commanding win, Natalie in a fading
second, Wimmer, then Gust.
Wimmer was happy with the third. "I got hung up
with some guys on the restart and to be honest, I'm
really happy to get a third. Another lap and Doug and
I would have had Natalie, but that's the way it goes."
Chad had said before the race that he was motivated
to get in the same position with Natalie and finish
what he started. "I knew I could do it, I just
needed some more time. Today, Natalie was holding back
to have reserve to last the whole race and I was able
to sneak around him in a clean pass and then just go
from there."
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