Double Victories at Barber for TVR/EBC Brakes Yamaha

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September 15, 2009

LEEDS, Ala.—The riders and crew of TVR/EBC Brakes Yamaha wrapped up Saturday’s four-hour WERA National Endurance Series race at Barber Motorsports Park in a celebratory mood: the team took two class victories and a second-place class finish.

TVR expanded to a three-bike team for the weekend, entering two Heavyweight Superstock Yamaha YZF-R1s and a Mediumweight Superstock YZF-R6. All three bikes were ready to go at race time with new Michelin tires and a fresh set of EBC brake pads, and the meticulous preparation—as well as stellar riding—paid off handsomely.

Roadracing legend Jamie James joined James Vanderhaar, Brett Champagne and Reuben Frankenfield on the No. 131 Yamaha R1. They took first in Heavyweight Superstock, finishing fifth overall behind a slew of Superbike-spec entries.

“We had a good race even though we didn’t get much practice time because of rain,” said Champagne. “I ran against Jamie last year at this race, so it was fun to ride with him for a change. The bikes were prepared really well: Chuck Ivey and Michael Dunn did a great job.”

“It was a steady race and the bike felt great,” added Vanderhaar. “I was on an old front tire during my stint, but the Michelins held up without any problems.”

The most significant victory of the weekend was the Mediumweight Superstock win. The No. 136 team—including James Dellinger, Reuben Frankenfield and Ethan Ellis—has been in a tight battle with Dalke Motorsports all year. The win finally allowed TVR/EBC Brakes Yamaha to open up a points lead in that class, taking off a lot of the pressure heading into the season finale next month. The R6 riders finished seventh overall.

“I started the race, and just tried to pace Dalke at the beginning,” said Dellinger. “They ran out of fuel and we got an instant lead. After that, we had to stay clean and maintain our pace.”

The third TVR entry of the weekend was comprised of Isle of Man veterans Richard “Milky” Quayle and Craig Atkinson. Neither rider had been to Barber before, and the trip marked Quayle’s first visit to the United States. Nevertheless, the two riders finished second in Heavyweight Superstock on the No. 132 TVR Yamaha R1.

“It was good to see Milky and Craig having so much fun out there,” said TVR team owner Chuck Ivey. “I’m glad we could give them this opportunity. They’re sponsored by Arai, also, so when they showed up with their helmets we knew they were a perfect fit for our team!”

TVR’s sponsors include EBC Brakes, Michelin, Yamaha, Aiken Motorcycle, XES Leather, MotoHeaven.com, Arai, Vortex, Repsol, EK Chains, VP Fuels, and Dyno Jet. Keep up with the team’s season and find pictures online at www.TeamVelocityRacing.com.

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