ATVA
SuperMoto Grand Championship
State Fairgrounds Music City Motorplex Nashville,
TN - September 1, 2007
Photos By:
horsepowermarketing.com |
|
NASMOTO
ATV SuperMoto
Grand Championship - Links |
|
|
|
Nashville, TN - On September 1,
2007, the North American Supermoto (NASMOTO) Grand
Championship was held at the Music City Motoplex
in Nashville TN. There were approximately 35 pro
racers there, including Zac Willet, KTM Factory
rider Tim Farr, and three time, defending NASMOTO
Grand champion, Nic Granlund.
|
|
Supermoto
tracks consist of a mixture of dirt &
pavement along with some jumps |
The Pro supermoto race consists of two, six lap
heat races and a ten lap main event. The track
is usually a 50/50 mix of pavement and dirt, but
this time it was a little different than what
most racers are accustomed to. “This race
was about 90% pavement and 10% dirt.” Stated
Granlund. “It was a really fast track, one
of the fastest I have ever been on.”
Even though it was a fast track, it was a little
more technical than last year’s set up according
to Zac Willet. “There was a small step up
in the dirt section coming up over a concrete
wall, and a pretty decent whoop section that was
kind of technical and then a small tabletop, a
180 turn, and a small double and then it was back
to pavement.” Said Zac.
With speeds reaching close to 95 MPH, it was
all about who had the most horsepower and better
acceleration. “The gearing was ridiculous
compared to anything else I’ve ever run.”
Stated Willet. “I was running 14/35 gearing
on my Honda, Tim (Farr) had 15/33 on his KTM,
and Nic Granlund was using something like a 16/38
on his YFZ450. It was crazy. We were carrying
a lot of speed.”
|
|
#4
Tim Farr |
#4
Nic Granlund |
Farr grabbed the holeshot in the pro main event,
just like in the heat races, with Zac Willet in
second and Nic Granlund in third. Granlund slipped
by Willet in the first lap, but couldn’t
catch up to Farr who’s TT bike seemed to
have the perfect set up for that particular track.
“I was able to close the gap on Tim in the
corners, but in the straight-a-ways he just kept
pulling away. He simply just had more horsepower
than I did and there was nothing I could do.”
Stated Granlund.
Granlund, who was hoping for another victory
at this year’s event, had some mixed feelings
about KTM Factory racer Tim Farr showing up for
this race and taking the win. “Tim is a
great guy and an amazing rider. He has a lot of
support and it’s really awesome recognition
for the sport when someone like him is out here
racing…but maybe not so great for me.”
He said jokingly in regards to his second place
finish behind Farr.
Granlund and Willet both know the benefits of
having factory racers participating in supermoto
events. “KTM really pushed for Tim to be
out here. It’s really great to have the
factories involved and supporting the riders.”
Said Willet, who finished in third place. “It’s
really good for the sport when the factories are
willing to back these racers for a series like
this.” Added Granlund. “It also helps
get more sponsor support for privateer racers
such as myself.”
|
Tim
Farr takes home a guitar as his Trophy for
winning the ATV Supermoto Championship |
Supermoto racing appears to be growing in popularity,
particularly on the west coast. “There has
been a good turnout for west coast events with
lots of new riders in the amateur classes.”
Said Granlund. “I hope that more factory
riders such as Farr become involved and continue
to come out to the races so it draws in even more
riders.”
With KTM being a big supporter of Supermoto and
Grand Prix style events in the bike community,
it does seem quite possible that more factory
support could be on the way for this unique type
of racing.
The next NASMOTO event will be the Mid-Atlantic
GP held on September 29-30 at the Beaver Run Raceway
in Wampum, PA. If you want more information or
want to become involved in Supermoto racing, you
can check out the NASMOTO 2007 race schedule at
www.nasmoto.com.
|
Finish |
Name |
Location |
Model |
1 |
Tim Farr |
Massillon, OH |
KTM |
2 |
Niclas Granlund |
Las Vegas, NV |
YFZ |
3 |
Zac Willett |
Henderson, KY |
TRX |
4 |
Jason Anderson |
Dublin, CA |
YFZ |
5 |
Gray Parker |
Humboldt, TN |
TRX |
6 |
Shawn Bigham |
Lake Havasu, AZ |
YFZ |
7 |
Brad Riley |
Thomasville, NC |
TRX |
|
|
Finish |
Name |
Location |
Model |
1 |
Hunter Haswell |
Olive Branch, MS |
TRX |
2 |
Ryan Partee |
Bryon, OH |
TRX |
3 |
Partrick Clark |
California |
YFZ |
4 |
Aston Haswell |
Olive Branch, MS |
TRX |
|
www.nasmoto.com
6 Royal Rouge Trail,
Scarborough, Ontario
Canada, M1B 4T4
416-907-6817
|