KWS Motorsports Wins 2012 WERA Superbike National Championship in Dramatic Finals Showdown
- 25 Feb 2013
It came down to the last race, Dwyer versus Bemisderfer, whoever won the race earned the title. Dwyer lost ground going into the last lap, and most fans didn't think he would be able to make it up. Dwyer however didn't read that script, he put his head down on the back straight and went after Bemisderfer, squeezing past in the last corner and beating him to the finish line by a fraction of a second. Millennium/KWS Racing Teammate, Luie Zendejas rode his most consistent race to date, finishing third in the race and the championship. The team also credited their crew chief, Michael Godin for all his tireless hours at the shop, traveling and for his work at the races, for helping to get his guys on the box so often. How does winning the championship in such a spectacular finish stack up against your other championships?
Dwyer - "In the past, I've honestly never really paid attention to championships. I have won many, but I've always just cared about winning races and figured if I did that, the championship would take care of itself. That being said, coming into this season, I really wanted to win this WERA Superbike Championship. I see it as the premier event at the WERA Nationals, the best riders, on their best bike, pushing at the limit. I guess that is why it seemed worth it, because of the level of talent and how hard it would be. That's what it's all about. We really had a lot of good people behind our effort this year and I wanted to give 100% towards this championship as a way to thank all those people for their support." "The final race of the season was just an epic way to decide this championship. With Tim and myself separated by only a point or two and three points spread between 1st and 2nd place, it was basically a "winner take all" situation. The race itself turned out to be a war, with close racing throughout. I led some, Tim led some, and there were some bar banging moments and just good hard racing. Coming to the white flag, I thought I might not be able to get it done, but just decided at the beginning of the final lap that it was worth hanging it all out. Tim made a mistake and I put together a real good lap. In the final corners, I had been saving a move all weekend that I hadn't shown to anyone, even in practice. I wasn't sure it would work, but I threw everything I had at it and got it done. What a race! Zendejas - "I think this year's championship was unlike others, and the reason for that is the lack of money in motorcycle racing as a whole. We did a very good job on supporting our sponsors and focusing on care and attention to detail of our equipment, rider training (on and off the track) and a more strategic team focus. I believe those are the key ingredients in our success this year."
Godin - "This championship means so much to us. It is a series that really reflects the talent of the riders and the dedication of everyone involved. It has been over ten years since we last won a championship (2001 Formula USA Superbike) and after running the AMA series for many years against the factory and big budget teams, we went back to where we started and have been focusing on the WERA Nationals and Regionals. This is the heart of our customer base for roadracing, and is a place where winning on Sunday sells on Monday." What was the overall reaction to having the final stop of WERA at Barber Motorsports Park this year? Dwyer - "We really liked the GNF at Barber. This was my first GNF experience, but certainly not the teams, and the track made for a perfect venue for a winner take all situation. The track is really challenging and a joy to ride. Barber is a real "riders track" and for that reason, it makes for a great place to decide a championship." Zendejas - "It's a great facility and a challenging track, however the history of having the GNF at Road Atlanta is hard to beat especially for the super bikes. Road Atlanta suits us for high speed and big power, and I kinda miss that in the Grand National finals." Anything new planned for next season that you'd care to share? Godin - "There is possibly of a bike change for Luie while Sean will be defending his No. 1 plate. We are also adding another support rider, James Dellinger, into our lineup, and we're looking to sweep the podium at all the race's we enter. And we are always looking to squeeze out those last few ponies out of any of the bikes we race, and it all starts at the K&N air filter. Huge thanks to K&N Filters for the support this year. The filters were great and a big part of our excellent power. Thanks guys. Look for us on the podium in 2013!" Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
