2022 N2/WERA Endurance Series Preview

by Michael Copoulos · Published June 9, 2022 · Updated June 9, 2022

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Here we go again. We are just shy of the first round of the 2022 N2/WERA Endurance Series kick off. 2021 produced some great racing with healthy grids. For 2022, the successful formula continues with Dunlop returning as the title sponsor, and Yamaha has once again committed to awarding a new 2022 Yamaha motorcycle to a class champion (class has not been announced yet). Total cash payouts will exceed $125,000 with other contingency programs available. As in previous years, the ultra-lightweight bikes will run a 2 hour race while the lightweight, mediumweight, and heavyweight bikes will run together in a 4 hour endurance race, as well as the highly popular relay class. A class win in the 4 hour race yields a $2500 payday, with payouts all the way down to 7th place.

The 2022 Endurance series is once again 5 rounds, but there are some notable changes which could shake things up. Round one happens June 11th at Carolina Motorsports Park, followed by round 2 July 16th at Roebling Road Raceway, round 3 August 13th at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, round 4 September 3rd at Road Atlanta, and round 5 October 21st at Barber Motorsports Park. Each round is preceded by a Friday track day, with WERA sprints taking place on Sunday. The exception is the final round at Barber which takes place on Friday and is part of the WERA GNF. Take a look at the GNF schedule on the WERA website for details.

The first thing that comes to mind after looking at the schedule is holy hell it’s going to be hot. Anybody that has spent time in the Southeast United States knows it tends to get a bit hot and sticky in the summer months. Riders showing up in shape and well hydrated on non-alcoholic beverages will have a huge advantage, while the rest of us will be gasping for breath praying for that pitboard displaying “PIT” signifying the end of our stint. The riders aren’t alone dealing with the heat, the machines and the tires have to deal with it also. Most notable, is the fast and flowing Roebling Road Raceway which has just been repaved. Traditionally, new pavement is extremely abrasive and tires require some interesting tire pressures and compounds to survive. Friday tire testing could become crucial, and the ability to change a front tire quickly could come into play. Something that usually does not happen in a 4 hour race.

The second thing that comes to mind is there are no scheduling conflicts with the 2022 Moto America schedule, and the Pitt Endurance round happens the week before Moto America rolls into Pittsburgh. We could see quite a few teams with ringers on their roster, and we will no doubt see some wildcard teams show up at PIRC. Current Moto America regulations state only full time supersport and superbike competitors are restricted from being on the same track within 30 days of the Moto America Event. Maybe Harley will field a bagger…..

OK let’s get down to business. This is LWT Racer so that means it’s time to look at the 2022 Lightweight Endurance Teams and see what’s new and what’s not. We will start with the top ten points finishers from 2021, then fill in as we go. This list is not all inclusive as some teams have not responded to my request for information. That being said, if you want to add your team to this, contact LWT Racer and we can get you on here.

Team Yo! #41 – 2022 Yamaha R7 – Dunlop tires. Keith Buras, Chris Parrish, Kris Lillegard, Darren Crooks. The 2021 LW Endurance champs are back to defend their title on the brand new Yamaha R7 they won for taking the class championship. As much as they tried to lose the championship in 2021 by running out of gas (more than once), Team Yo took it by just 1.4 points. Team head honcho Keith Buras has been lacklusterly gathering parts for the new bike while Chris Parrish ponders on how to construct a fuel tank that will go 80 minutes. Let’s hope the fuel light still works and old man Parrish remembers to take a peek at the dash every lap. Speaking of Parrish, he’s a 9 time LW endurance champ and he’s going for #10. Impressive…..

Chief’s Racing Team #996 – 2003 Suzuki SV650 – Pirelli tires. Greg Reisinger, Kevin Boda, Dave Stauffer, Cassidy Heiser, Tuna. It all went wrong for Chiefs at the last round in 2021 when a rock holed the radiator and then after repairs were made, a red flag killed all hopes for making laps and racking up points. For 2022, team boss USN (retired) Chief Petty Officer Greg Reisinger brings back a capable crew, with a freshly rebuilt bike now outfitted with a radiator guard. Fast guy Heiser always has the pace to run up front, and we’ll see if Stauffer can get through Friday practice without hurting himself. Greg and Kevin are solid performers, and Tuna has shown great speed on some serious turd piles.

R2-DTwin #754 – 2nd gen Suzuki SV650 – Pirelli tires. Ryan Carson, Dan Hawkins, Ron Jenkins. After giving R2-DTwin a rather dismal 2021 pre-season review, they crashed, ran out of gas, burnt up an engine after taking a rock in the radiator, and still finished 3rd in points. For 2022, they stuffed a freshy engine in the same bike and are ready to go.

Dairy Boys Racing #36 – 2nd gen Suzuki SV650 – Dunlop tires. Nick Uselmann, Bryan Bishop. The Dairy boys have been doing their endurance homework. If you follow their youtube channel, you’ve noticed they took a very analytical approach (because that’s what kooky engineers do) scrutinizing their 2021 effort, and used the data to improve for 2022. Dairy Boys will be solid performers, although a 2 rider effort can be tough when the temps go up.

Brown Town Racing #110 – 2nd gen Suzuki SV650 – Dunlop tires. Reese Brown, Chase Brown, Dave (doo doo) Brown. 2021 was a learning year for Brown Town, now their back with lessons learned and ready to get down to business for their sophomore season. The bike is fresh and Dave has been dropping weight getting ready for those 80 minute stints. This team will be podium contenders every round.

419 Racing #419 – 2nd gen Suzuki SV650 – Pirelli tires Jerry Reeves, Jon Crawford. After suffering with tire wear issues in 2021, this Ohio based team saw the 2022 schedule and said “fuck that, we’ll do the last 3 rounds” Fair enough, we’ll see you at Pitt…

Four Dudes on a Twin #142 – 2006 Suzuki SV650 – Dunlop Tires. Bryan Muscavich, Chris Domi, Trevor Cece, Rob Cichielo Jr. The 2019 LW Endurance Champions are back with an expanded program for 2022. 4DOT will have 3 bikes under the canopy:
Four Dudes on a Twin #242 – 2005 Suzuki SV650 – Dunlop Tires. Chris Lenart, Tea Music, Korls Sobhy, Steve Wilson.
Four Dudes on a Twin/ The Bike Experience USA #442 – 2017 Suzuki SV650 – Dunlop tires. Mark Lapansie, Dave Hunt, Joe Pomeroy, Tony Pitcock, Mike Mays, Rob Cichielo Jr. The 4DOT #442 bike is quite unique as it is designed for adaptive riders. The bike is equipped so it can be ridden and raced by riders with limited to no use of their lower extremities. For more information on The Bike Experience USA, go check out the website at https://www.tbexusa.org/

Some Expense Spared #621 – 2007 Suzuki SV650 – Pirelli tires. Chris Bays, Tyler Freeman, Stephen Tsotsoros. Some Expense Spared showed flashes of brilliance in 2021, which was usually followed by a mechanical failure or a crash. The riders are fast, but bad luck seemed to follow them around. For 2022, team boss Chris Bays has made some sensible investments on the bike which should increase reliability and performance. The team has also made the decision to switch from Dunlop to Pirelli for 2022.

N2/Bobblehead Moto #22 – 2022 Yamaha R7 – Dunlop Tires. Blake Davis, Dustin Meador, Angel Olmedo. Blake Davis returns to the series for 2022 with a new bike and new teammates. There is a lot of experience and speed behind this effort. They should be frontrunners, but it is unknown if the bike has quick fuel and an enlarged tank.

Wrecking Crew Racing #30 – 2020 Suzuki SV650 – Dunlop Tires. Greg Callahan, Ben Wargo, Dennis King. After racing heavyweight bikes for years, team boss Greg Callahan has built a serious lightweight endurance weapon complete with quick change equipment front and rear, and a mongo sized fuel tank. Initial testing has gone well, but we’ll see how this Pennsylvania based team does in the scorching heat.

B Fast Racing – Yamaha hybrid R6 chassis/ CP2 engine. – Pirelli Tires. Brian Freedman, Bret Schardein. B Fast Racing thought outside the box when preparing to bump up from ultra-lightweight to lightweight for 2022. Endurance rules state superbike machinery, but there is a clause stating exceptions for LW class will be considered on a case by case basis. B Fast got permission from WERA to run a Formula 2 spec machine and will be riding the hybrid bike.

Scotty’s Scooters #54 – 2nd gen Suzuki SV650 – Bridgestone tires. Jared Trees, Heather Trees. Moto America Twins Cup competitors Jared and Heather Trees will be teaming up for 2022 in lightweight endurance. Last year, Jared was the always fast anchorman for CRT, often setting the fastest team times on worn out rubber. Heather moves up to Lightweight class after racing ultra-light weight class for the past couple of seasons. Crew chief Scott Nelson will also be the backup rider.

These are the teams we were able to gather information on. There are several more teams that will be racing in the WERA/N2 Endurance series but we weren’t able to get confirmation at this time. If you have a lightweight team and wish to be added, drop us a note and we will add you in. We look forward to seeing everyone at the opening round at Carolina Motorsports Park. Safe Travels!