Motorcycles and news

Bemisderfer snags Thunderbike Win at rain-soaked V.I.R. June 28, 2006

Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick rider Bryan Bemisderfer survived an off-track excursion from the rain-soaked Virginia International Raceway and recovered to pass Veatch Motorsports rider Dave Estok on the last lap to win the American SportBike Racing Association (ASRA) Thunderbike National, part of the Sixth Annual VIR Festival of Speed. Bemisderfer and Estok were both riding Buell Firebolt motorcycles. Arnold Hasting was a distant third on a Suzuki SV650.

Estok, the defending National Thunderbike champion, led qualifying for the race, posting a lap of 1:33.461 on the 2.25-mile VIR road course.

Heavy rain on Sunday posed a significant challenge for riders during the eight-lap Thunderbike National. BMW rider Nate Kern, who was in second place in Thunderbike season points, crashed out on the second lap, while Hal’s H-D/Buell-Hal’s Speed Shop rider Dan Bilansky crashed his Buell Firebolt on lap three. Neither rider was able to return to the race.

Bemisderfer was in third place behind Estok ad Bilansky when he rolled onto the run-off area on the first turn of lap two, after entering the corner too fast for the wet conditions.

“I was really going pretty slowly when I left the track,” said Bemisderfer. “I just didn’t have confidence I could make the corner and decided to play it safe.”

Bemisderfer did not fall, but lost significant time, and spent the next six laps reeling in Estok.

“I could tell I was gaining on him in every turn,” said Bemisderfer, “but I wasn’t really close enough to try and pass him until the last half of the last lap. I planned to make a move on the last corner, because I’m quite a bit heavier than David and on this wet track I was getting better traction on my rear tire. I thought I could get a little drive on him there and make the pass, and that’s just how it worked out.”

Buell riders Walt Sipp (Blue Springs Harley-Davidson/Buell), Sam Rozynski (Sound Waves/Hal’s Speed Shop), James Delk, Jr. (Roanoke Valley Harley-Davidson/Buell), and Anthony Caligiuri (Liberty Harley-Davidson/Buell) finished fourth through seventh.

Buell racers also took three wins and four podium finishes during the Championship Cup Series support races at VIR. Estok won CCS Expert Thunderbike, while Bemisderfer took a victory in CCS Expert SuperTwins, and Delk won the Amateur GT Lights race.

His victory at VIR gives Bemisderfer a boost in the Thunderbike season points race. After five of eight races, Bemisderfer has 135 points, Estok moves up to second with 125 points, and Kern drops to third with 108 points. The next race on the ASRA Thunderbike National schedule is August 11-13 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.