ELKHART LAKE, WI, JUNE 2 – Riders Discount/Vesrah Suzuki’s Jake Lewis broke away late in the red flag-interrupted Supersport West race to take a convincing victory in the Subway Superbike Doubleheader at Road America. Kneedragger.com’s Stefano Mesa (Yam) was a distant second, with Supersport West points leader James Rispoli (Celtic Racing/Orient Express Racing Suzuki) third.
The first attempt to run the race lasted nearly five laps when it was stopped when Hunter Collins crashed in turn one, his leg getting caught in his motorcycle. With scoring reverting to the end of the fourth lap, the final would be six laps.
Rispoli led a three-rider breakaway with Lewis and Dustin Dominguez (Latus Motors Racing Castrol Triumph) going with him, and Stefano Mesa soon to join in.
Lewis took the lead entering the left hand Turn 8 on the sixth lap, a lap that would significantly impact the race. Several turns later Rispoli outbraked himself going into Canada Corner, sliding almost to the edge of the track and letting Dominguez past. That gave Lewis the opportunity to break the draft and pull away. When the lap ended he had .893 sec. on Dominguez, Rispoli and Mesa, now in fourth.
Dominguez fought back on the seventh lap, closing to within .353 sec. of Lewis. The momentum would shift on the eighth lap as Lewis pulled out over a second. And on lap nine Lewis’s victory was all but assured when Dominguez ran deep into turn five. Rispoli and Mesa quickly moved up, while Lewis finished the lap 2.027 secs. in front.
He’d speed to victory by 3.247 secs.
Because it was a Supersport West Race, Rispoli came away with the most points. After six of 12 West rounds, Rispoli has 166 points to 139 for Hayden Gillim (Road Race Factory/Red Bull Yamaha). Gillim was sixth today. SuzukiScoopFans on Facebook’s Elena Myers, seventh today, is third with 99 points.
Dominguez recovered to finish fourth with plenty of time on Tomas Puerta (American Supercamp/Road Race Factory Yamaha) in fifth.
Road America Supersport West Results:
1. Jake Lewis (Suzuki)
2. Stefano Mesa (Yamaha)
3. James Rispoli (Suzuki)
4. Dustin Dominguez (Triumph)
5. Tomas Puerta (Yamaha)
6. Hayden Gillim (Yamaha)
7. Elena Myers (Suzuki)
8. Tyler Linders (Yamaha)
9. Ryan Matters (Yamaha)
10. Devon McDonough (Yamaha)
