MARRC News: CCS at Summit Point

CCS at Summit Point

July 10-11, 1999

CCS made it's 3rd stop at Summit Point for the 1999 season, following a successful NASB round in May. The weekend's racer turnout was understandably not as large, partly due to the WERA Dixie Cycle Jam at Road Atlanta during the same weekend. We would all like to think that the World Superbike round at Laguna Seca had something to do with it too.

First, kudos to the MARRC cornerworkers during the weekend for braving the wet weather on Saturday, and then the hot sun on Sunday. Although the heat was not as oppresive as the previous weekend, the sun was still as bright. Special thanks go to Randy Moran and Chris Wilcox. Both racers had events on Saturday, but traded their leathers for white cotton to work on Sunday. They're a great example of club's teamwork, and the respect the cornerworkers and racers share for each other.

As for the racing, the action was fascinating both days. On Saturday, the rain turned the GT events into tire changing sprints in the pits. First-time winner Ed Rodriguez attributed his win to his quick reaction when the rain started during the riders meeting. He ran back to his pits after the meeting and swapped to rain tires for the Amateur GT Lights, the first race of the day. His efforts paid off when he won the race by over 12 seconds. Other races were similar, and became wars of attrition and nerve as racers attempted to negotiate the slick track surface.

The action Sunday was under bright blue skies and cool breezes, and the track surface was remarkably sticky considering the lingering rains the previous day. Expert lap times dipped into the 1:18s during most of the Heavyweight races, and race action in both the expert and amateur classes was extremely close. No riders dominated the racing, which meant lots of lead changes and no overall run-away victories.

Chris Eklund had a day to remember, taking the win in Expert Lightweight Supersport, beating Summit Point master Brain Kcraget on his similarly provisioned FZR400. Eklund also took a close 4th place during the Expert LW Superbike race, outgunned by other riders on his supersport legal machine.

Adam Swetlow (#200 Amateur) also had a good weekend, winning the Amateur MW GP and GTU events, and taking a second place. During the MW Superbike race, Swetlow rode his Yamaha R6 against with Tim Cochran (#537) on his CBR600, with Shawn Stone (#75) and Rob Hutchison(#66) close behind. Cochran had the lead on the first lap, and sustained it until late into the race. Swetlow, meanwhile, slid to third place after Stone outbraked him mid-race. The four riders stayed within arms length of each other until Cochran pushed too hard in Turn 10 and crashed out, handing the lead to Stone. Swetlow was battling for a top finish in the Amateur Middleweight Supersport race when he too crashed out unhurt.

The SuperTwins race showcased a lot of action from Ducati riders. Expert riders Devon Battley (#85) and Bill Dietz (#186) stayed close the entire race and battled under braking. Eventually, Dietz made the pass and held off the charges from Battley. The race was combined with the GP Singles event, and Minh Le (#53) proved his speed as he dominated the expert race and cut into through the traffic of bigger bikes that had started ahead of him. Jeffrey Ozman (#268) also rode well on his Ducati 748, cutting through most of the expert field in front of him as he outpaced the rest of the amateurs behind him.

The Amateur HW Supersport race was one of the most exciting races of the day for spectators in the Carousel, watching the entire field weave through traffic in Turns 6 and 7. Winner Robert Goudy (#79) and consistent Tim Cochran (#537) battled back and forth, lapping a large number of riders. Cochran ran well on his Honda 600 against Goudy's larger Suzuki 750. Scores of 600s rode well in the HW Supersport event, demonstrating that Summit Point requires good skills and handling for a quick lap.

The Expert MW GP provided more thrills in the Carousel, just following the battle between the top two riders, Arthur Diaz (#83) and Edward Morgan (#5), both on Yamaha R6s. Both riders swapped the lead several times, doing it twice in the tight Carousel while passing lappers. Shawn Walker (#77) and Gary Lhommedieu (#726) also rode as if tied together, going wheel to wheel through Turn 6. Eventually Diaz held on for the win.

Thanks to Glen Ouye and Will Astle for the action shots. Click on each photo to see the enlargement. Check back later in the week for more photos!

	Gregory Tymon (#110) discovers the hard way that his front brakes have locked up during the start of the Amateur Middleweight Supersport race on Sunday. Miraculously, Tymon only inured his wrist and no one else was hurt during the incident. Tim Cochran (#537) went on to win, with Rob Hutchison (#66) in a close second. Photo sequence by Glen Ouye.
	MARRC cornerworker Chris Wilcox (one-time Amateur Twins Rider of the Year) takes a break from the rigors of racing to help push Bob Schmidle (#211) out of the Turn 1 gravel trap. Bob had previously won the Amateur Lightweight Supersport race the same day, and got back on track to catch the pack. However, Bob's luck didn't last long. He lowsided in Turn 6 on the brakes and wisely decided to rest for the next race. Photo by Glen Ouye.
	An unknown rider looks dejectedly at the track during the Amateur GTU on Saturday during the rain. This section of the track, the exit of the Carousel, is a deceptively slick area, and pitched many riders into the mud as they tried to accelerate into Turn 9, just off-camera to the left. Photo by Will Astle.
	During the Amateur Heavyweight Supersport race, Nolan Ballew (#685) gets hard on the brakes on his Honda F3 to prevent John Campbell (#414) on his Kawasaki ZX-7 from slipping by into Turn 5. Ballew's nimbler 600 stayed ahead of Campbell and finished 13th. Campbell finished right behind in 15th. Photo by Will Astle.
	A typical start of an Amateur Middleweight Supersport race. Tim Cochran (#537) has the right idea - its easier to get through Turn 1 when your out in front. He is closely pursued by Adam Swetlow (#200) and William Torbert (#404). Cochran stayed in the lead to win, followed by Rob Hutchison (66) and Rob Stone (#15). Photo by Glen Ouye.
	Adam Swetlow (#200) tosses away a top-three finish in the Amateur Middleweight Supersport race. Fortunately, Adam and his bike survived to race again later in the day, earning himself several more podiums. Photo sequence by Glen Ouye.
	Bobb Seitz (#301) cuts through Turn 1 on his new Suzuki SV650 in the Amateur Supertwins race. Bobb not only got 2nd place in the race, but he also supplied his brother-in-law, Kenneth Micalizzi, as a cornerworker! Now if we could only get every other racer to do that too.... Photo by Glen Ouye.
	MARRC Corner Captain Phil Sears calls for a pick-up for Edward Morgan (#5) during the Expert Lightweight Sportsman race. Edward's Yamaha 400 was later taken back to the pits by the MARRC pick-up truck. Also note the new brake marker signs in the background, generously made by a MARRC member, no doubt because signs look much cooler than orange traffic cones. Photo by Glen Ouye.
	Thomas Novelli, Jr. (#715) and Nolan Ballew (#685) tangle in Turn 1 at the start of the Amateur Middleweight SuperSport race on Sunday. Neither rider was injured after the collision, and both raced later in the day. Hopefully this photo sequence will also clear up the debate on how the incident actually started. Photo sequence by Glen Ouye.
	The start of the Expert Unlimited Supersport race proves that large bikes can actually fit into a small area, while moving at high speed. The willing demonstrators in this photo are led by Michael Hoffman (#84) on his GSXR 750, followed by Rick Beggs (#1) and Nick Yoskin (#99). Yoskin also proved that he was the fastest that day by taking the victory on his Suzuki, closely pursued by Beggs and Brandon Bayshore (#78). Photo by Glen Ouye.
	Bill Deitz (#186), prominent member of DucPond Racing, on his way to a victory during the Expert Supertwins race. Bill has been racing at Summit Point for over a decade, and certainly knows his way around the circuit and how to setup a Ducati. Photo by Glen Ouye.
	The Expert Lightweight GP riders also get in the spririt of things by going 2-wide into Turn 1. Darrell Myers (#44) pulls a significant lead on his TZ250. Donnie Unger (#88), David Mones (#696), and Steve Keener (#444) hope to catch up. Amazingly, only Brian Kcraget (not pictured, but on #473) passed everyone to catch Myers. Myers beat Kcraget to the checkered flag for the win. Photo by Glen Ouye.
	MARRC cornerworker Dawn Cook (#250) and Steve Shoul (#151) battle for position during the Amateur Lightweight Superbike event. Dawn held her line and passed Shoul. Shoul got his revenge during the LW GP event by finishing several positions ahead of Cook's Aprilia. Photo by Glen Ouye.
	David Yaakov (#36) demonstrates the fast line through Turn 1 on his Yamaha R-1 during the Unlimited GP on Sunday. Dave also earned the win and $1000 for his technique. Yaakov also happens to own Cycle Accessory Discounters, a very racer-friendly shop in Rockville, MD. Photo by Glen Ouye.
	Joseph Kimble (#213) crashes on the brakes in Turn 1 during the Amateur Unlimited SuperSport race on Sunday. Joseph was tangled with his bike during the fall and was attended to by an on-site ambulance. Photo sequence by Glen Ouye.
	Devin Battley, owner of Rockville Harley-Davidson and Battley Cycles, leads the Expert Supertwins race on Sunday. Devin fought for and lost the lead to Bill Deitz (#186), settling for second place. Battley had had little to prove after winning the Expert GTO on Saturday and the Expert Formula 40 on Sunday. Photo by Glen Ouye.

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