https://forum.cmraracing.com/blog.php?89-marcus-mcbain Central Motorcycle RoadRacing Association Forum en Sat, 02 May 2026 10:59:35 GMT vBulletin 60 https://forum.cmraracing.com/images/misc/rss.jpg https://forum.cmraracing.com/blog.php?89-marcus-mcbain https://forum.cmraracing.com/entry.php?40-Kelsey-begins-title-defense Mon, 24 Feb 2014 13:06:49 GMT *KELSEY BEGINS TITLE DEFENSE* RPSRaceTeam.com rider Danny Kelsey began his title defense while enduring a tough set of challenges during the CMRA Sprint Championship Series hosted by Mercedes of Sugarland Raceway located just south of Houston in Angleton, Texas. Kelsey scored a pair of wins... KELSEY BEGINS TITLE DEFENSE

RPSRaceTeam.com rider Danny Kelsey began his title defense while enduring a tough set of challenges during the CMRA Sprint Championship Series hosted by Mercedes of Sugarland Raceway located just south of Houston in Angleton, Texas. Kelsey scored a pair of wins and 2 more podium finishes. The event looked like another record weekend for the CMRA and competition looked to be fierce with several riders that looked ready to take advantage of the conditions.

Track conditions were very tricky and many riders found themselves off the pace until actual weekend races. At the same time, the team endured one of its most challenging weekends in recent memory as Kelsey suffered a massive high side when a water hose failed as his first laps of the year were being completed.



The crash knocked Kelsey’s shoulder out of socket, heavily damaged the team’s GSXR-750, and caused a lot of general soreness. Crew Chief Marcus McBain worked through the evening and got the bike back together, but was hesitant to put Kelsey back on the bike. “I really had to wonder if that was the right thing to do. We run things as long as we can to enable us to race 11-13 weekends a year on a very tight budget,” remarked McBain. The team was able to overnight all new hoses in to give Kelsey confidence to throw a leg back of the red Suzuki that enters its fifth year into team service.

Kelsey was able to put together only 3 short practice sessions together Friday afternoon and this left the team scrambling to get a good setup on a track that Kelsey did very well at last year. With the setup numbers not working, the team was really concerned. They could not get the bike to track well in the last two turns. Unfortunately a wall sits directly outside of the last turn and Kelsey just couldn’t get the confidence he needed to run at the pace he did last year.

The competition wasn’t concerned for the team and Kelsey lined up for his first race on Sunday. As 750 Superstock got underway, Kelsey got a terrible start. He found himself back in 14^th place as the pack exited the first turn. Although he put a spirited charge on M4 exhausts and Dynojet tuned GSXR-750, he was only able to move up to 5^th place. It was a very frustrating start to the season.

Kelsey was able to get back on winning track in Open Superstock as he launched his Pirelli shod and DP Brakes fitted GSXR-1000 quickly into the lead and took a convincing win by 13 seconds. Using this as a warm up for the premiere race of the day, Kelsey felt he may be able to secure a win in the Breast Cancer Research Awareness Formula One race and keep some momentum going. With special ceremonies taking place for a local injured fireman and over 35 entries, the class resembled a National event more than a club race.

As the starting lights launched the field for Formula One, Kelsey found himself in 2^nd place. He was able to move to the point by lap 2 and felt he may be able to seize his 2^nd win. He was quickly under siege though as he just was not able to keep the pace he needed to stay in front. Although he pushed on the new leader, he eventually found himself unable to push any harder. At the checkered flag, Kelsey found himself 2.5 seconds behind the race winner.



Kelsey noted, “That was a tough race. I was doing my best…and yeah I was definitely banged up from the crash, but really I just didn’t get to the pace I wanted to. I have to tip my hat to Eddie Thornton. He rode really well and deserved to be on top of the podium. I am definitely going to heal up and work to get back on top of the box next race. Congrats again to the competitors and the CMRA for putting on a premiere race that drew 37 entries. That is impressive.”

Kelsey got back on the winning track in Open Superbike and took his 2^nd win of the day on his Silkolene lubricated GSXR-1000. Several changes were made to ensure Kelsey would be able to run a winning pace with a key geometry recommendation by Jimmy Cambora of Raceworx. Kelsey finished the weekend off in 750 Superbike with a 2^nd place finish.

“I feel like I did not have the bikes or the team ready to the level we like to compete at for this first race. With only a few months between the end of the season and the start of this year, we needed another month to get things in order. I feel like we will be much more prepared for Texas World Speedway next month, and we will be working very hard to get back to the level of competition we like to compete at,” reflected crew chief Marcus McBain.

“I was pleased to come away with two victories. I was definitely sore riding all weekend, but I also realize we did not get the bikes to the level of competition that we normally achieve. I look forward to Texas World Speedway and getting back up to the level we like to compete at,” Kelsey stated.

Danny Kelsey will continue to contest the entire CMRA series in his efforts to defend the number one plate. The team would not be able to compete at this level without the special efforts of KMC Controls, RS Taichi, Pirelli, Dynojet, Vortex, Motoliberty, South Central Race Center, Motopia, M4 Exhausts, DP Brakes, K’s Motorsports, GP Suspension, JRi Shocks, Lone Star Track Days, Shoei Helmets, Hotbodies Racing, Silkolene, WRW Racing, Barnett, Maverick Moto Media, and Chicken Hawk Racing. Kelsey will resume racing action at Texas World Speedway in March during the second round of CMRA Sprint Championship Action. ]]> marcus mcbain https://forum.cmraracing.com/entry.php?40-Kelsey-begins-title-defense https://forum.cmraracing.com/entry.php?19-5-Wins-for-Kelsey-Eagles-Canyon-Raceway Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:57:10 GMT Georgetown, Texas rider Danny S. Kelsey won all five races he entered during the third round of the CMRA Sprint Championship Series held Sunday April 14th, 2013. Conditions were tricky as racers were greeted with drainage issues that created over 20 areas on the track where water was coming up on... Georgetown, Texas rider Danny S. Kelsey won all five races he entered during the third round of the CMRA Sprint Championship Series held Sunday April 14^th, 2013. Conditions were tricky as racers were greeted with drainage issues that created over 20 areas on the track where water was coming up on the racing line. Kelsey however persevered through the weekend and posted his personal best lap time (1:47.923) on Sunday as conditions improved over the weekend.

The third round of the CMRA Sprint Championship Series was also another opportunity for fans and racers to watch the on-going rivalry between Kelsey and fellow Texan Ty Howard. Both racers have really elevated their performance in the first two weekends of the “gentleman’s duel”. Entering the weekend Howard lead the “head to head” by a margin of three races to one. With less than a tenth of a second separating the two riders at TWS in both races, Kelsey was putting in “extra effort” to change the outcome in his favor.

Friday Practice and Team 60 Event

Electing to sit out the early sessions on Friday, the team worked diligently to overcome the trying track surface and posted a 1:51.2. Valuable setup information was gained, and crew chief Marcus McBain made critical geometry and internal suspension changes Friday to prepare for the CMRA’s inaugural “Team 60” race run on Saturday which features two rider teams riding 20-35 minutes each and making pit stops to swap transponders under “dead engine” conditions. The race also featured a Le Mans style start that put a historic wrinkle into what turned out to be a popular format with the CMRA racers. The team used the event for more setup data and Kelsey was able to turn the fastest lap of the race with a 1:50.6 on lap 3. Kelsey put in some fast laps while battling fellow CMRA veteran Derek Wagnon. It was a familiar sight in the history of the two fast CMRA veterans with Wagnon jumping out to the lead and Kelsey taking the point as they completed lap two. As teams entered the pits for the mandatory rider change, Kelsey stayed out for another 3 laps and assumed the lead building a 48 second lead over 2^nd place before handing off to teammate Brandt Dillon.

Kelsey was very disappointed with the overall performance of the team’s GSXR-1000 during the Team 60 event. Later inspection by the team found that the eyelet for the shock was actually making contact with the rear linkage during the top out on the stroke. Kelsey’s crew chief inspected all components Saturday night/Sunday morning and modified both the rear and front ride height to provide optimal geometry and performance. With the crew chief finishing up final changes at around 3:00am Sunday morning, the crew chief felt Kelsey would have what he would need to perform for maximum results during the CMRA sprints coming up in just a few hours.


Sunday Sprint Racing

Kelsey started Sunday off with qualifying for the Breast Cancer Research Awareness Formula One race. Danny was quick to get to business and despite using a tire with over 25 laps on it, he was able to set the initial pole time with a 1:49.7. With one minute to go in qualifying, Kelsey was robbed of the pole position by 0.1 second.
With B Superstock as the first opportunity for Kelsey to gain recognition for the team’s sponsors, Danny left nothing on the table as the green flag dropped. He put the Pirelli shod GSXR-750 in the lead early and navigated the constantly improving conditions with a race fastest lap of 1:51.935 on lap 3 en route to a 3.5 second victory. Kelsey was both excited and apprehensive as the team’s aging 750 appeared to be losing the fuel pump and the bike lacked a considerable amount of acceleration. Although he was able to keep the pace up with the performance of the JRi Shock and GP Suspension Cartridges as well as the stopping power of the DP Brakes, the team would replace the fuel pump to address the situation before his next race on the trusted red Suzuki.

As many of the liter bike participants gridded up for A Superstock, Kelsey would have a chance to see if some last minute changes would give him the extra performance he needed for victory. As the starting lights set the field into turn one, Kelsey launched the M4 equipped Suzuki GSXR-1000 off the line and took the lead by the end of lap one running a 1:51.859 from a standing start and posting a 2.1 second lead over Derek Wagnon. On lap 3, Kelsey posted a race fastest lap time of 1:49.316 to build a 4 second lead. As the checkered flag fell, Kelsey was able to post another big win by 2.904 seconds.

With the Breast Cancer Research Awareness Formula One race just one race after the A Superstock race, the team elected to mount a new rear tire to ensure maximum performance for Kelsey as the hungry and aggressive field provides no quarter for any competitor. Kelsey launched the Barnett Clutch equipped and Dynojet tuned GSXR-1000 off the line well and was able to capture the lead on the opening lap with an aggressive pass in turn 3. Although Howard appeared to be off his normal pace, Kelsey wasted no time in taking advantage of the opportunities presented and posted a 1:50.772 opening lap and backed it up with a string of laps in the 1:48 and 1:49 range. By lap 4, Kelsey held a 2.6 second advantage and the stage appeared set for Kelsey to take his first Formula One win of the season.


Howard however was not relenting and began chipping away at Kelsey’s lead. On lap 5, Howard dropped a burner of a lap with a 1:47.857 lap and closed the gap to 1.9 seconds. Kelsey seeing his pit board immediately responded with a fast lap of his own on lap six with a 1:47.923 and increased his lead back to 2.4 seconds. At the checkered flag Kelsey was shown with a 3.516 second victory en route to the team’s third victory of the day.

With the third victory for Kelsey and the team under their belt, they were beginning to believe that five victories may be possible. At the same time, the team was really concerned as the next race up (B Superbike) would be against some really hungry young riders and team could not be sure that the issue with fuel delivery was solved with the fuel pump replacement. As the race started, Kelsey found himself in a dog fight. Although the Suzuki was working better, it was apparent performance was down from what the team has been used to. Kelsey was able to will the team’s DP Brakes equipped GSXR-750 to the point on lap 3 and posted a race fastest 1:50.605 on lap 5 en route to a 1.712 second victory. Danny realized that to sweep the day he had to complete one more “knock down drag out” race ahead of him. “I knew that our competitors were making some changes to up their pace and that I needed to be ready for a hard battle to not only win A Superbike but to sweep the day”, reflected Danny as he gridded up for A superbike.

As the starting lights got the field off the line, Kelsey was right. Danny emerged in 2^nd place out of Turn 2, but quickly moved in behind early leader Howard. Kelsey made the decisive move with a pass in tricky turn eight to take the point on the opening lap and put down a blazing 1:50.628. From that moment on, Kelsey would see leads of “plus zero” on his pit board. This underscored the intense battle going on. On lap 4, the chess match between Kelsey and Howard got turned up a notch as lapped traffic began to emerge. The two Texans battled to stay on the “racing line” while safely lapping first and second year riders. As the lead shrunk each lap to as little as 0.3 seconds, Kelsey left nothing on the table and made decisive passes in lapped traffic to post his fifth victory of the day and take a 1.578 second victory. Kelsey was very pleased with the day and the lap times posted. Despite the horrible track conditions, he was able to run within 2.3 seconds of the track record even with running water on the track.


The team would not be able to compete without the special efforts of KMC Controls, RS Taichi, Pirelli, Dynojet, Vortex, Motoliberty, South Central Race Center, Motopia, M4 Exhausts, DP Brakes, K’s Motorsports, GP Suspension, JRi Shocks, Lone Star Track Days, Shoei Helmets, Hotbodies Racing, Silkolene, WRW Racing, Barnett, and Chicken Hawk Racing.

Official CMRA Press Release
Official RPSRaceTeam.com Press Release
On board video w/Danny Kelsey (Open Superbike Race)
Start of the CMRA "Team 60" event
Photos by Brandon Bones/Studio 819 & Joseph McBain
CMRA Breast Cancer Research Awareness Formula One awards podium
RPSRaceTeam.com weekend image collection on Youtube ]]> marcus mcbain https://forum.cmraracing.com/entry.php?19-5-Wins-for-Kelsey-Eagles-Canyon-Raceway https://forum.cmraracing.com/entry.php?18-FULL-HOUSE-FOR-KELSEY-Texas-World-Speedway Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:11:07 GMT Georgetown, Texas rider Danny S. Kelsey posted three wins, two second place finishes, and gained valuable championship points at Texas World Speedway during CMRA Sprint Championship racing action. The second round of the CMRA Sprint Championship Series provided a great opportunity for the team to... Georgetown, Texas rider Danny S. Kelsey posted three wins, two second place finishes, and gained valuable championship points at Texas World Speedway during CMRA Sprint Championship racing action. The second round of the CMRA Sprint Championship Series provided a great opportunity for the team to continue development on the new Suzuki GSXR-1000 and refinement of its trusted GSXR-750. Races would be held with a record turnout for the CMRA, so competition would be tight.

The weekend was anticipated to be another chess match for Kelsey and rival Ty Howard as the two riders split wins at MSRH. Howard turned in the fastest time, while Kelsey was consistent and quick off the starting line as he began development of his Pirelli shod GSXR-1000 that he is preparing AMA Superbike competition.


Friday practice went well for the team despite a full track. Lone Star Track Days always seems to be able to make Friday practice sessions more effective for teams and riders despite the enormous turnout and the team was able to gain valuable setup information. The team discovered some good baseline settings for the Pirelli superbike slick shod Suzuki GSXR-1000 and was able to run as fast as 1:45.1 despite the intense traffic. This would be the first race weekend that the team had time to install all of the Dynojet components including the PCV, Autotune, and Ignition Module. The performance increase with the full compliment of Dynojet components was very noticeable. Crew chief Marcus McBain fine-tuned both Suzuki’s Saturday with new valving for the GSXR-750 JRi Shock and adjustments to their GP Suspension cartridges to complement new clutch setups for both team bikes.

As Sunday morning practice started, a cold front that moved through Saturday evening caused havoc for many racers and unfortunately the team itself as 38 degree temperatures and 40mph wind gusts created a treacherous and dangerous environment. The CMRA wisely postponed some of the schedule to allow the temperatures to come up. Unfortunately, Kelsey was one of over a dozen victims in turn nine during the morning and the team’s GSXR-750 was heavily damaged before the decision to take a break in the practice session(s) by the CMRA race director. The actual culprit in Turn 9 was likely dirt on the track as the high winds were blowing dirt/sand on the track. This combined with the cold temperatures made for a very difficult track condition.

Despite a destroyed master cylinder, throttle, clip-on, and windshield, McBain and Kelsey were able to complete repairs and mount a new set of Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa DOT tires in less than an hour. In fact Kelsey was able to make the last practice session to get a “shake down” lap on the repaired Suzuki. The team was thankful for the great quality of its Vortex rear sets, Hotbodies Racing Bodyworkd, and the M4 Exhaust system which held up incredibly well!

Kelsey lined up for the start of the 750 Superstock race and jumped into the lead on lap one while ensuring the Suzuki would be “ready to run at the limit” after being repaired in the morning. The weather conditions showed almost all racers were 3-4 seconds off the “regular pace”. Kelsey however put the hammer down to turn the fast lap of the race on lap two with a 1:48.971 and was able to cruise to a 4.1 second win. The race was a relief for Kelsey as the winds were literally picking bikes up as they ran through turn one at over 120mph and to be able to safely race at the pace he was setting was a relief to the team as well as other racers.

Open Superstock would be Kelsey’s first opportunity to put the DP Brakes equipped GSXR-1000 through its race pace for Sunday. As the electronic lighting system started the race, Kelsey took the hole shot and began to immediately build a lead. Danny would again set the fastest lap of the race on lap two with a 1:47.661 en route to victory. With the weather conditions still not optimal, Kelsey rode conservatively as the entire field showed mother nature the respect she is entitled to.

Next up for Kelsey was Formula One. This would be first “face off” with rival Howard. Both of the crew chiefs (McBain and (Brandon) Spradling) knew the two riders would push each other and it was discussed by both how fast they would go. It was debated if they would get into the 1:45's despite the difficult conditions. As the green flag dropped, Kelsey lead off the line and fought to get any type of gap on second place. As lap two completed, Kelsey was in second shadowing Howard. Both riders were shown running in the 1:44’s and quickly separating themselves from third place. The high speed chess match continued with Kelsey taking the lead entering turn one as the crossed flags were shown. Kelsey fought to maintain the point trying to put the race on ice, but Howard was pushing the Georgetown, Texas rider through turn 7 and 8. Kelsey surrendered the lead to Howard on lap 8. Kelsey worked to draft back into the lead, but came up 0.059 seconds short.

Kelsey would be facing Howard and most of the hungry Formula One racers in just a few races as most of the field was scheduled for a rematch in the Open Superbike class. Kelsey provided critical input to make changes and up his pace. The main culprit was the Suzuki GSXR-1000 would not turn once it started running in the low 1:44 range.

As the green flag dropped for the Open Superbike, Kelsey entered turn one in second place behind Howard. Danny moved to the point in turn five and clicked off an amazing 1:47.835 from a standing start to complete lap one. Kelsey continued to set the pace and posted a 1:43.6 on lap two. On lap 3, Kelsey surrendered the lead in Turn 8 to Howard. Kelsey shadowed Howard for the final lap and a half, and waited to make a draft move on the final lap. As the two riders entered the front straight for the checkers, Danny put down his best drive of the day on the banking, but came up 0.089 seconds short of victory. Kelsey was frustrated with the result, but also realized the team was able to get the big Suzuki 1000 working amazingly well despite treacherous conditions that claimed many riders during the weekend’s racing.


“I am really excited about what we got accomplished today with the development of our bike. There are only a handful of riders that have ever run a 1:43 pace or faster at TWS. Most of them have been top National riders. For us to get that done on our second weekend of riding this bike in this weather is just flat out amazing. It speaks volumes for Danny and our sponsor’s products that he accomplished the lap times he did”, observed crew chief Marcus McBain.


Despite the exhaustion of the day’s races, Kelsey lined up for 750 Superbike to complete his busy Sunday schedule. In the race, Danny took the lead on lap one and posted a 1:45.7 on lap two to put the race on ice and take a comfortable third victory for the day. The three wins and two runner-up spots stretched Kelsey’s lead for the CMRA #1 plate.

Danny Kelsey will continue to contest the entire CMRA series in his efforts to regain the number one plate. The team would not be able to compete at this level without the special efforts of KMC Controls, RS Taichi, Pirelli, Dynojet, Vortex, Motoliberty, South Central Race Center, Motopia, M4 Exhausts, DP Brakes, K’s Motorsports, GP Suspension, JRi Shocks, Lone Star Track Days, Shoei Helmets, Hotbodies Racing, Silkolene, WRW Racing, Chicken Hawk Racing. Kelsey will resume racing action at Eagles Canyon Raceway during the third round of CMRA Sprint Championship Action.

Associated Links:

• CMRA Press Release on RRW
• RPS "OFFICIAL" Press Release on RRW
• Photos Blair Harsfield/Hart Photograhy
• RPSRaceTeam.com video presentation OPEN SUPERBIKE EXPERT on board video
• RPSRaceTeam.com video presentation of Kelsey at TWS

]]> marcus mcbain https://forum.cmraracing.com/entry.php?18-FULL-HOUSE-FOR-KELSEY-Texas-World-Speedway https://forum.cmraracing.com/entry.php?12-Kelsey-takes-msrh-with-4-aces Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:58:30 GMT *FEBRUARY 17, 2013 - **KELSEY TAKES MSRH WITH 4 ACES * RPSRaceTeam.com lead rider Danny Kelsey started the 2013 season with 4 big wins during CMRA Sprint Championship Series action at MSRH in Angleton, Texas. The team and Kelsey faced some formidable obstacles to achieve this outstanding... FEBRUARY 17, 2013 - KELSEY TAKES MSRH WITH 4 ACES

RPSRaceTeam.com lead rider Danny Kelsey started the 2013 season with 4 big wins during CMRA Sprint Championship Series action at MSRH in Angleton, Texas. The team and Kelsey faced some formidable obstacles to achieve this outstanding result.

Friday practice was used to focus on the big Suzuki 1000 as crew chief Marcus McBain installed the GP Suspension 25mm cartridges to replace the “big piston fork” technology in the Showa forks and compliment the JRi shock that easily bolted in. The work was completed at 5:00am Friday morning, and the team went “on-track” within just a few hours of completing the last component installations.

Extremely heavy traffic on the track resembled Beijing rush hour, and Kelsey was really concerned that both of the team’s GSXR’s were not properly working and he would not be up to pace as the team was only able to measure a fast lap of 1:36.8. Historically, the deterioration of the surface at MSRH has shown that lap times have been mostly “stagnant” over the last 3 years. Crew chief McBain was confident that the pace they were running would be up to the competition as there wasn’t any meaningful track time was available with the traffic. The Diablo Supercorsa (DOT) tires had over 60 laps on them and the Diablo Superbike tires now had over 50 laps. Although Kelsey specifically commented that the tires had not begun to “fall off”, McBain felt that with an open track and new tires, Kelsey would be at least 3 seconds a lap faster. In addition, the tires the team were using for setup were SC2 rears (medium) rather than the preferred SC1 (soft).



As the team made final preparations on Saturday for Sunday’s races, both Kelsey and McBain were second and third guessing the setup and bike performance. With only two and half weeks since the purchase of the GSXR-1000, the team had no spare wheels for the team’s GSXR-1000 and this was somewhat problematic with the busy morning practice sessions. With Formula One qualifying up immediately after the Sunday morning practice session(s), the team decided to use the SC2 Diablo slicks that had 62 laps on them entering qualifying.

Qualifying was really an eye opener for the team as Kelsey was able to qualify 3^rd in front of 27 other entries with a 1:35.359 lap time. That was the “good news”. The “bad news” was that Kelsey was over 3 seconds a lap in arrears of the pole sitter Ty Howard. The team and Kelsey were really frustrated as the lack of a set of spare wheels really made the first “measurable performance” of the season very disappointing. The team decided to have faith and be very happy with the 3^rd place in qualifying and realize that when “new tires” were put on, Kelsey to run with Howard.

The first race of the weekend was 750 Superstock and Kelsey wasted no time in posting his first win of the season for the team and its sponsors. Using a Diablo SC2 front and SC1 rear for the first time, Kelsey used the race as practice to get the feel of the new tire he had never used before. Leaning on the stopping power of the DP Brakes RDP X-Race Titanium brake pads to compensate for the lack of tire familiarity to ensure success, Kelsey took the point early and managed the race until the checkered flag waived.

The second race of the weekend was the Open Superstock class. Kelsey would be able to finally test the pace of the team’s GSXR-1000 with the new SC1 Diablo Superbike slick. Again for Kelsey this would be the first time he used the SC1 compound rear. Danny wasted no time and put the big Dynojet and M4 exhausts equipped Suzuki into the lead as lap one completed, but a red flag quickly erased the effort. On the restart Kelsey was third, with Brandt Dillon putting a small gap on Kelsey and second place. Kelsey took full advantage of his Diablo Superbike Slicks and DP Brakes and took the point on lap 2 and on lap three turned in the fastest lap of the race (1:34.221) as again he used this race for practice. Kelsey held off an impressive onslaught from Dillon and took his second win of the day.



Kelsey would be somewhat “caught out” with the Formula One race just 15 minutes after Open Superstock and no spare wheels. With five laps of racing familiarity with the SC1 rear though, Kelsey was ready to take full advantage of the tire despite the hard laps on the Pirelli tires during Open Superstock race. As the green flag dropped, Kelsey dropped a 1:36.7 from a standing start and was second to Ty Howard as lap one completed. On lap two, Kelsey posted a 1:33.529 (his fastest lap of the day up to this point), but Howard was not relenting and lead by 2.3 seconds as lap two completed. Kelsey did not give up, but was unable to make any progress on Howard as his rear tire overheated a bit from the crew chief’s unfamiliarity of the tire (pressure). At the checkered flag, Kelsey and crew chief McBain were really excited despite the second place finish. “We still did not know what the bike and tires would do at that pace, but I was really pleasantly surprised that we ran the pace we did on the first weekend riding this new Suzuki”, reflected Kelsey. The cash and prizes provided during the Formula One podium celebration were icing on the cake for the team.

Kelsey enjoyed the lunch break and immediately after posted his third win of the weekend in 750 Superbike while battling Derek Wagnon. This would mark the first race that Kelsey would start with familiarity of the SC1 Diablo Supercorsa (DOT) rear tire. Taking advantage of the Diablo Supercorsa tire(s) and DP Brakes that were allowing Kelsey to brake extremely deep in the turns, Danny turned a 1:35.8 on lap three provide some breathing room from a tremendous effort by Derek Wagnon. The two riders continued to distance themselves from the field with Kelsey leading the entire distance despite the constant pressure. Kelsey posted the fastest lap of the race with a 1:35.392 on the final lap to win by nearly one second with both Kelsey and Wagnon 12 seconds clear of third place.

The final race of the day for Kelsey would be a rematch with Formula One race winner Ty Howard in the Open Superbike race. The team was able to mount a new rear tire for this race. Kelsey’s strategy for the race was simple, get out early and run as hard as possible. As the green flag dropped Kelsey executed his plan to perfection posting a 1:36.806 from a standing start. Kelsey cleared the field on his M4 Exhaust equipped GSXR-1000 as Howard worked through the pack. At the end of lap two, Kelsey held a 3.7 second lead over Howard. With Howard clear of the pack, he posted a 1:33.349 to start to close. Kelsey responded with a 1:33.487 on lap four to put the race on ice and take the win by 2.5 seconds.

“This was an incredibly tough and rewarding weekend. I can’t remember working this hard for some time, but the Pirelli tires were incredible and all of our sponsors helped out so much to make sure we had “top notch” equipment. I can’t thank my team enough and special thanks go to John Hutchinson with South Central Race Center helping us get the Pirelli tires to work their best on our first weekend of use. Lastly, thank you to my crew chief Marcus McBain for putting all the machines together. He stayed up until 5:00am Friday morning finishing the last build outs of my GSXR-1000 right before the CMRA practice started. I pushed him really hard this event, but he as usual responded with what I needed to win”, reflected Danny Kelsey.



Kelsey will contest the entire CMRA series in his efforts to regain the number one plate. The team would not be able to compete at this level without the special efforts of KMC Controls, RS Taichi, Pirelli, Dynojet, Vortex, Motoliberty, South Central Race Center, Motopia, M4 Exhausts, DP Brakes, K’s Motorsports, GP Suspension, JRi Shocks, Lone Star Track Days, Shoei Helmets, Hotbodies Racing, Silkolene, and Chicken Hawk Racing. Kelsey will resume racing action at Texas World Speedway March 23^rd during the second round of CMRA Sprint Championship Action.

Associated Links

CMRA Press Release on RRW

RPS "OFFICIAL" Press Release on RRW

Pirelli Tire press release

Photos Blair Harsfield/Hart Photograhy

Press Release by JRi Shocks

RPSRaceTeam.com video presentation 1

RPSRaceTeam.com video presentation 2

RPSRaceTeam.com Formula One award ceremony (courtesy Joseph McBain)

Prelude to the weekend ]]> marcus mcbain https://forum.cmraracing.com/entry.php?12-Kelsey-takes-msrh-with-4-aces https://forum.cmraracing.com/entry.php?10-Kelsey-wins-at-CMRA-finale Sat, 08 Dec 2012 06:11:33 GMT RPSRaceTeam.com sponsored Danny Kelsey posted two wins in the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association sprint championship series finale held at the very fast Texas World Speedway. The event was also an opportunity for Kelsey to capture three CMRA sprint championships as well as the CMRA #1 plate... RPSRaceTeam.com sponsored Danny Kelsey posted two wins in the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association sprint championship series finale held at the very fast Texas World Speedway. The event was also an opportunity for Kelsey to capture three CMRA sprint championships as well as the CMRA #1 plate for a second straight year.



Grids for the CMRA finale were full and riders from Mexico and all parts of the United States would make for intense competition, but mother nature trumped all riders with a recipe of strong winds with threats of rain on Sunday. Only 40 points separated Kelsey from his championship rival and current championship leader Ty Howard. The team knew first hand from last year’s final event that “anything can happen” when you are trying to capture the #1 plate.

Friday practice went well with Kelsey and the team as they sorted out the Michelin equipped Suzuki GSXR-750 to overcome more bumps and tricky traction areas that have developed on the aging road course. Although Kelsey appeared quickest on Friday, his main championship rival was absent and the team agreed that more work would need to be done to ensure that they would be ready to run up front on Sunday. Crew chief Marcus McBain pulled the shock and forks off to rework them a bit and provide an extra second or two for Kelsey come Sunday. With the displacement disadvantage the Suzuki 750 has in the liter bike classes, the chassis setup had to be optimal to overcome the long straights during this CMRA championship weekend for Kelsey to win all four races.

Kelsey and the team were correct in their assumptions when Howard dropped some fast lap times on Saturday during the CMRA endurance race. Sunday morning practice confirmed that setup had improved on the RPSRaceTeam.com GSXR and Kelsey bettered his lap times by over a second and half from Friday’s practice times. Kelsey was ready for the final round for the CMRA overall championship and his class championships respectively.



B Superstock was the first event of the day for Kelsey, and Danny dropped the hammer on the big red Suzuki to hold a two second lead as he crossed the line after one lap. On lap 2, Kelsey put in the fastest lap of the race with a 1:46.061 and continued to increase his lead. At the checkered flag, he won by 7.078 seconds and he secured his first championship for 2012.

A Superstock was the first “showdown” between Kelsey and Howard. With only 3 points separating the two Texas riders in the class, it would be a “winner take all” for the class championship. At the drop of the green flag, Kelsey dropped a 1:49.3 lap from a standing start to lead lap one. Howard was close behind Kelsey though as he would pull up to Danny at the end of the long front straight. Laps two, three, and four, played out the same with Kelsey entering the front straight on his JRi Shock equipped GSXR with a strong drive and a 0.5 - 0.7 second lead exiting the last turn and Howard pulling up by the end of the straight.

On the final lap Kelsey focused on creating as much gap as possible in the infield so that Howard would not be able to draft by at the line. As Kelsey entered the final turn, a lapper was right in the middle of the turn and Danny had to alter his line and lost almost all of his drive onto the long front straight. Howard did not need an invitation and pulled into his draft. As Kelsey drifted low on the TWS banking for the checkered flag run, Howard picked up Danny’s draft and took the win by less than 0.1 second as well as the class championship.



The team was disappointed, but B Superbike was up next and Kelsey’s final championship opportunity. With only three points separating Danny and Derek Wagnon, this was another “winner take all” event. Wagnon would be ready to take advantage of any miscue by the Georgetown, Texas rider, Kelsey was already focused on putting in an even stronger effort than his first two races. As the green flag dropped for B Superbike, Kelsey put in another fast first lap with a 1:49.709. He followed that up with the fastest lap of the race with 1:44.988 on lap two as he stretched his lead his lead to nearly 4 seconds at the end of lap two. At the checkered flag, Kelsey took the win by 6.353 seconds and his second CMRA championship for the year.

The final race of the day for Kelsey and the team was A Superbike and it would mark the final race between Danny and Ty Howard. Danny took the green flag and lead lap one on his GP Suspension equipped GSXR-750, but Howard was again following close. Kelsey continued to lead, but Howard would take the lead on lap three. Kelsey pushed hard, but was unable to recapture the lead. With the win Howard not only won the race, but the 2012 CMRA overall championship.

After the race, Danny Kelsey went over and congratulated Ty Howard on his race and his efforts for the 2012 CMRA overall championship. “I congratulate Ty on his season and his racing today. He ran strong all year and has definitely earned the overall championship this year. I also appreciate the sportsmanship that Ty and I are able to share despite the fact that we are competing against each other in some really tight racing on the track”, reflected Kelsey.

“I am really proud of Danny (Kelsey) and the job he did. We keep having competitors, fans, and sponsors watch him ride and realize he is doing a lot with a bike that is a little long in the tooth. For all the laps and races he completed this year, I can count the number of mistakes Danny made on one hand. Not too many crew chiefs can say that about their riders. Also, the level of focus and consistency he has while I try to keep the bike running after 3 hard years of racing on it is incredible. We don’t have a backup bike and he knows he can’t make any mistakes on the track. It is tough to compete like that and I can’t complement him enough on the job he has done this year”, observed crew chief Marcus McBain.

RPSRaceTeam.com would like to thank its sponsors KMC Controls, Rig Tech, Chris Hamilton, JRi Shocks, Motopiacafe.com, Shoei Helmets, Eagles Canyon Raceway, Komodo, Lone Star Track Days, GP Suspension, Dynojet, DP Brakes, LP Racing, Hotbodies, Arata, K's Motorsports, Vortex, WRW Racing, Sam’s Cycle Salvage, and Island Racing Services for their continued support. ]]> marcus mcbain https://forum.cmraracing.com/entry.php?10-Kelsey-wins-at-CMRA-finale