DALTON SHIREY STEALS SRA GP WIN: AUGUST 2022 SRA RACE REPORT

The SRA GP series resumed racing this past weekend at Glen Helen Raceway. Most racers coming off the summer break were welcomed to a 6+ mile race course that utilized both Main and REM tracks, stadium truck course, long sand-washes, and the back areas of Glen Helen. It was a nice 90+ degree day with blue skies and well over 300+ racers who came to share great racing and the joy of being back after the Summer break.

**Dirt Bike Magazines Mark Tilley on his way to taking the 30+ and 40+ Overall Win. Photo by: Logan Stupin**

In the early morning race, the 30+ and 40+ racers lined up and took to the race course. Dirt Bike Magazine’s own Mark Tilley cleaned house, taking the morning overall and 40+ class win over Gordan Ward and SLR’s team owner, and eventual 30+ class winner Mark Samuels.

**Mark Samuels elected to ride a CRF450X, a bike known to win multiple 24 hours of Glen Helen.**

Up next were the legends of today and heroes of tomorrow, 50+, 60+, 70+, Vintage, and Women A/B. The weekend’s biggest entered race saw Bill Saurio get to the early lead. Bill led the first lap until Gordan Ward railed past and never looked back. Ward, who placed 2^nd in the 40+ class just the race prior, made it look easy and took the checkered a full minute ahead of Saurio. Randall Fout took home the 60+ race win, just as Ward; Fout got to the early lead and rode to an easy win and besting 2^nd place finisher Jerry Black.

**Mr. Glen Helen (Gordan Ward) won the 50+ Expert race just after grabbing 2nd in the 40+ race.**

Concluding the days racing was the PRO450/250 and Expert racers. SLR Hondas’ Tallon LaFountaine nabbed the hole-shot and was closely followed by Purvines Yamaha racer Trevor Stewart. The first lap saw the two match each other, battling at the front of the pack and leaving 3^rd place racer Dalton Shirey behind. A rear wheel mechanical on the first lap saw the SLR racer having to pull off and hand the lead over to Stewart. After that, the Purvines racer started to settle into a pace and clicked off laps during the 45-minute race. Shirey’s slow start put him almost 20 seconds back on the first lap, but the 3BROS/HATCH racing Husqvarna racer only grew stronger as the laps wore on. Dalton kept the pressure pacing forward until a crash took out Stewart and saw Shirey get to the front. Dalton went on to win the Pro Race by almost 2 minutes to DC Yamahas Robby Schott and Pro 250 Winner Thomas Dunn.

**Dalton Shirey’s opening laps were not the best, but his late race charge to the front saw him reeling in Stewart.**

**Trevor Stewart was on pace to win until a late race crash interrupted.**

The following SRA is bound to be exciting as the series will bring back its Night race event. Saturday, September 24^th, racers will get to team up and try their racing skills at night. It will be a double-header race weekend as Sunday will be a traditional race-scheduled day of racing; be sure to come and make a weekend out of SRA racing!

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