USGPRU Kicks Off the 2009 Season

Buttonwillow, CA - The 2009 USGPRU season got off to a windy start at Buttonwillow Raceway last weekend, hosted by American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM).  There was a wide range of talent out on the track as racing veterans mixed it up with some of the fastest kids on 2 wheels.

On Saturday, the Pilot 125GP Qualifying Round was held during moderate temperatures and high winds.  Benny Solis Jr., on a break from his stint in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, snagged pole position with 1:55.879, followed by Peter Lenz (1:58.200) and Ryan Matter (1:58.260). Jake Lewis and Bennie Taylor rounded out the top five qualifiers.  The under-16 set clinched the top 10 spots, with racing veterans Phill Krenn and Deb Barton qualifying 11th and 12th, respectively.

Rain and heavy winds plagued Buttonwillow Saturday night.  Racers woke up to wet pavement and questionable riding conditions Sunday morning.  The weather gods cooperated with the racers though, and although the wind kept up all day, the rain subsided before rubber hit the track for practice.

The Moto Liberty/RS-Taichi 250GP qualifying session on Sunday morning resulted in Peter Lenz’s 1:58.650 being good enough for pole position, followed by Bennie Taylor (1:59.266), Joe Roberts (2:00.467), Phill Krenn (2:06.139) and Barrett Meeker (2:14.149) to round out the top five.

The Moriwaki MD250H qualifying was held during blustery cold winds, but the kids worked it out. Benny Solis Jr. grabbed another pole position with a 2:01.241 lap, followed closely by Jake Lewis (2:01.568).  Luis “Rocky” Morales, Lex Hartl, and Conor Matthews rounded out the top five.

Jake Lewis grabbed the hole shot at the start of the Pilot 125GP race.  But a small bobble quickly had him in third as Lenz and Solis completed the first lap.  Lenz looked strong in his USGPRU debut, and was able to hold off Solis. But Lenz also made a mistake going wide in the last turn dropping him down to fourth behind Matter.  The four way battle lasted until two laps remaining when Solis checked out and never looked back.  Lewis, who had regrouped, held on to second with Matter and Lenz charging behind and Lenz earning his first podium at the line. Roberts rode home to a solid fifth-place finish.

The Moto Liberty/ RS-Taichi 250 GP race saw Marcello del Giudice launch into the lead into turn one.  However, he slowly went backwards as the younger racers got up to speed.  Lenz held a draft to the “Lost Hills” turn to out-brake del Giudice.  Taylor, also close in tow, made his pass into second on the following lap with Roberts moving into fourth.  Taylor took the lead from Lenz and started to open a little breathing room on his way to victory. Roberts made his way into third on the last lap with Krenn crossing the line in fifth.  After post race inspection, Krenn and Meeker were elevated to fourth and fifth respectively as del Giudice failed to show for tech inspection.

The Moriwaki MD250H Powered by HONDA race was another fantastic event for the fans and racers alike. Solis, Lewis and Matter were nose to tail, dicing it up lap after lap. Lewis and Solis swapped the lead multiple times with Matter content to take advantage of anyone’s mistakes. Hartl and Morales had a great scrap for fourth and fifth.  With one lap remaining, Lewis made a pass on Solis. Solis returned the favor once again only to get held up in lap traffic.  That allowed Lewis and Matter to go by Solis.  Matter had a great run on Lewis coming out of the last turn but the defending champion Lewis snagged the victory.

A few egos may have been bruised this weekend, but all of the USGPRU riders wrapped up the weekend injury-free.  Thank you to Shawn, Barbara, Paddy and the rest of the AFM Staff, the corner workers and safety crews for making this weekend a successful one.

The next USGPRU weekend is at Jennings GP, April 4th – 5th.

RACE RESULTS:

Pilot USA 125GP Race

1.      Benny Solis, Jr. (HON)
2.     Jake Lewis (HON)
3.     Ryan Matter (HON)
4.     Peter Lenz (HON)
5.     Bennie Taylor (HON)
6.     Joe Roberts (HON)
7.     Michael Martin (HON)
8.     Lex Hartl (HON)
9.     Luis “Rocky” Morales (HON)
10.  Cole Crowley (HON)
11.  Phillip Krennn (HON)
12.  Andrew Artola (HON)
13.  Conor Matthews (HON)
14.  Barrett Meeker (HON)
15.  Cameron Gish (HON)
DNS Debra Barton (HON)

Moto Liberty / RS-Taichi 250GP Race

1.      Bennie Taylor (HON)
2.     Peter Lenz (HON)
3.     Joe Roberts (HON)
4.     Phillip Krenn (HON)
5.     Barrett Meeker (HON)
6.     Kevin Winter (YAM)
DQ Marcello Del Giudice (YAM)

Moriwaki MD250H by Honda Race

1.      Jake Lewis (MOR)
2.     Ryan Matter (MOR)
3.     Benny Solis, Jr. (MOR)
4.     Lex Hartl (MOR)
5.     Luis “Rocky” Morales (MOR)
DNS Conor Matthews (MOR)

About USGPRU

The USGPRU is the officially recognized Motorcycle 125 Grand Prix National Championship ®, 250 Grand Prix National Championship TM series, and Moriwaki MD250H youth racing series. The USGPRU emulates true World MotoGP racing experience and serves to attract young riders to gain experience in a professional environment and provide a path to world-class motorcycle racing.  The USGPRU structures events with extended length grand prix racing exclusive to the GP machines, timed qualifying and strong contingency and sponsor support.  For additional details, visit www.USGPRU.net