Back in February I wrote about Supercross and how that series is really foreign territory for me. On the opposite end of the spectrum is AMA Pro Road Racing, and this past weekend I returned to my home track of Road Atlanta for the Big Kahuna Atlanta.
My history with Road Atlanta goes back a long way. I volunteered there during college and, after graduation, I got a job at the track, launching a career in motorsports that has yet to make me wish I’d pursued a more “normal” line of work.
I’ve worked many a Big Kahuna race at Road Atlanta in the years since, and of course I’ve had my own racing adventures there, from a four-hour endurance race in the rain to dealing with my fiancé’s (now husband) brutal crash in turn five.
I also hosted some EPIC Halloween parties during the WERA Grand National Finals.
With a history like that, heading up to Road Atlanta for a weekend was, as always, like going home in a sense. It’s always nice to see familiar faces, both in the paddock and among the fans.
There were plenty of Galfer-sponsored riders to cheer for, and no team came away with better results than Josh Chisum Racing. The team took first and second in the Vance & Hines XR1200 race, with Tyler O’Hara claiming first and Michael Barnes taking second.
Martin Cardenas won both of the Daytona SportBike races on his Geico Suzuki GSX-R600. He absolutely took off in race one, winning by over four seconds. Cardenas won the Daytona SportBike championship in 2010, and it’s no wonder why. He’s quickly become a favorite rider to watch: he’s not only fast, but smart and calculating.
Galfer-sponsored Dane Westby took second in the first Daytona SportBike race on his M4 Broaster Chicken Suzuki GSX-R600, and he followed it up with third in race two. Other Galfer riders who did well in Daytona SportBike race one include Bobby Fong and Huntley Nash, who were sixth and seventh, respectively, and JD Beach, who finished ninth. Half of the top ten riders in race one were using Galfer brakes!
In the second Daytona SportBike race, Jake Gagne was fifth. Fong, Beach and Nash took the sixth through eighth spots. Again, it was a great result for Galfer, with six riders in the top ten.
SuperSport race one was a great battle, with James Rispoli winning it for Galfer on board his Celtic Racing/Orient Express Suzuki GSX-R600. Dustin Dominguez was third on his Castrol Triumph Daytona 675, Stefano Mesa was fifth and Hayden Gillim was sixth. Galfer riders rounded out the top ten, with Tomas Puerta and Corey Alexander taking ninth and tenth.
In the second SuperSport race, Rispoli had to contend with second after a fantastic race-long battle. Dominguez was third again, while Gillim and Mesa completed the top five. Puerta was seventh.
All in all, it was a great weekend of racing for Galfer riders. It was also a great weekend to be a fan: we had unexpectedly cool weather and competitive racing. For me, it was a chance to go home again, but this time with a whole new crop of riders to cheer on. Congratulations to all of our Galfer riders!
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HELLO GALFER, I INSTALLED 4 LINES ON MY SV1000S 2007 IN ORANGE. IN LESS THAN A YEAR THEY HAVE FADED VERY BADLY.IS THERE ANYWAY I CAN SEND THESE TO YOU FOR REGULAR SILVER /CLEAR LINES? INSTALLED ARE THE CLUTCH,FRONT BRAKE ,AND THE REAR THANKS STEVE