Strong weekend for West in Georgia

From Pirelli North America

ROME, GA -- Pirelli racers took three wins and more than a half-dozen podium positions in Sunday’s National Challenge Sprint Championships premier classes at the annual WERA Grand National Finals (GNF) at Road Atlanta, outside Braselton, GA.

After a win on Saturday in the Sportsman class of C Superstock, and second place finishes in A Superstock and Formula 1, Cory West started out Sunday’s National Challenge races by winning Open Superstock, and he closed out the WERA event with a second place finish in final race of the day, Formula One. West’s win and second place finish won him championships in both A and C Superstock.

In between those races Taylor Knapp earned the win in 600 Superstock with West taking second, while Tray Batey was joined in his win in 750 Superstock with West earning third. Staying with the “West” theme, West-Coast teenage sensation, Elena Myers again proved her skills by taking second place in 600 Superbike in this invitation-only championship final.

In all, Pirelli riders in the GNF National classes, using its latest Diablo Supercorsa DOT race tires and Superbike slicks, racked up three wins, six seconds and three thirds.

In the Sportsman classes run on Saturday of the GNF, the results were equally impressive; Pirelli riders took 12 of the top three places in the GNF’s Sportsman races. These podium finishes included Katie Carney earning the win in Women’s Superstock, adding to the Experts score of Batey’s and West’s wins.

In action of a different sort taking place on Friday at the GNF, Vesrah Suzuki put the ribbon on their package of a perfect season, winning every round of the 2009 WERA National Endurance Series, adding to the championship that they had wrapped up prior to the last race of the season on their Pirelli shod Suzuki GSX-R1000, using the new 190/60-17-sized rear Diablo Superbike Slick.

Chris Jensen, Pirelli racing manager, said, “Although we are the spec-tire from the Parts Canada Superbike Series to World Superbike, I really get a kick out of how well our tires perform when we compete directly against other brands. With Vesrah Suzuki totally dominating season in the WERA Endurance by winning every race, to our winning so many of these eight- and 10-lap sprints this weekend, we’ve shown how our tires have it all in terms of speed, reliability, and feedback. From six hour races to 20-minute races we have conquered the competition.”