Team Komodo-RPS chills the House at Oak Hill Raceway...

The CMRA season kicked off at Oak Hill Raceway this past weekend. Although near freezing temperatures greeted racers, RPS customers faced the elements with the knowledge that their suspension solutions are some of the most versatile products available in the country. The weekend also featured the debut of 2006 Pro Rider Development Program student Danny Kelsey. Danny impressed all as he won 4 of 5 races wearing his Provisional Novice yellow shirt. Danny started most races from 2nd and 3rd wave starts while passing many experts and turning a lot of heads. In short, Danny is on the road to success! Also kicking off the season was the Komodo-RPS racing team. The team of Danny Kelsey, Todd Fleeman, Bill Drake, and Tony Moore captured no less than a dozen wins and podium positions. Just as exciting were the regular RPS customers that once again came out and asserted themselves in trying conditions. Team EMGO/M4 Suzuki Development rider and 2005 Pro Rider Development Program graduate Shea Fouchek took some of his last laps on "club" bikes this weekend. Although the Suzuki GSXR-600 that Fouchek piloted appeared to "eat" a ring in the morning session, Fouchek still rode well as he picked up 4th and 6th place finishes in the B Superstock and C Superstock races respectively. Fouchek did not finish the day out as the motor went completely sour after the C Superstock race. This should be the last time this happens to Fouchek as he should be receiving his M4 Suzukis (for club racing)  in the next month and not be forced to ride "put together bikes" any longer. Here is a run down of the weekend. We thank each of these sponsored riders and customers that showed onlookers just how dominant RPS suspension and trackside support solutions are.

Provisional Novice Bryan LeMaire actually fired the first shot in anger for RPS as he won the Provisional Novice race just a day after he had his Honda CBR600rr fitted with RPS Supersport v2.0 valving and springs. Chris Romeo, Steven Sinclair, and Christopher Corder followed up immediately with podium spots in the Formula 2 class.

Race 3 (B Superstock) was the true test for team Komodo-RPS. RPS has turned its focus to developing riders into the best in the club. Although the last several top rated Novices were all RPS customers (Cory Burleson -2005, Brad Kelly - 2004, Mark Delano - 20003 for example), RPS has teamed with Komodo to develop an entire class of riders that will be able to run strong throughout their careers. All riders have received on-track training and suspension development personally by RPS owner Marcus McBain and Komodo has provided their finest racing leathers and accessories to ensure the riders would be comfortable and safe. It was hoped that Danny, Todd, and Tony would do well, but with 2nd wave starts for 2 of them and the races shortened to five laps because of the cold, it didn't look really good for the much anticipated 1-2-3 finish that Komodo and RPS desired for the riders. At the start of the race, it appeared that it would be tough for any of the riders to finish on the box for a podium, never mind a win. After lap one, Todd had managed to sneak into the top 10 and Tony and Danny were charging hard but had over 10 seconds to make up in the next 3 1/2 laps. Well, the fact of the matter is that no one was able to match the pace of  Danny, Todd, and Tony. They were flat out the fastest guys out there and they were not going to be denied. What was amazing was that although Danny Kelsey received his Green flag over 30 seconds AFTER the Expert class and still finished in front of the 12th placed expert. AMAZING. In fact only 8 experts were able to turn faster times than Danny or Tony. It was a 1-2-3 finish for Danny, Todd, and Tony. Komodo and RPS were very proud of the job they did. It was exciting to watch and amazing to see the Komodo-RPS team ride and ride well. Todd, Danny, and Tony continued on the rest of the day to take over a dozen wins and podium finishes in the team's first outing.

The rest of the day was amazing for RPS customers and sponsored riders. Komodo-RPS rider Bill Drake is the lone expert on the team and he was able to put an impressive inaugural ride on his GSXR-1000. He was fast and impressive in only his 4th ride on the bike and finished 3rd in A Superbike, 4th in Formula 1, and 6th in A Superstock. Rounding out the day of RPS customers and sponsored riders earning wins and podium positions were Ronnie Lunsford, Brian Driver, Charles Christine, and  Paul Wilkinson. RPS was thankful that most all of the riders were safe and no serious injuries were experienced by any of the competitors on this COLD, COLD raceday. A tip of the hat is also provided to the CMRA as it pulled off a hell of an event in trying conditions.