Metrakit racer Peter Lenz picks up where 2006 left off, on top
Mar 06, 2007, From a Press Release
Metrakit Canada factory rider MiniGP racer Peter Lenz started the 2007 race season exactly where he left off, on top of the box. Peter who hails from Fort Vancouver, Washington is the first American to be sponsored by the Canadian Metrakit racing effort. His efforts on the track this past Sunday resulted in 4 wins and 1 DNF (minor mechanical).
Peter’s family picked up the Metrakit Mini50GP and Metrakit 80XL just seven days before the first race from Metrakit Canada owner, Phil Gaze. The Saturday practice before this past Sunday’s Northwest Mini Road Racing Association (NMRRA) season opener was Peter’s first time riding the Spanish MiniGP motorcycles including his first time on an 80. Saturday itself wasn’t without incident with rainwater seeping through the surface in one corner.
“I really like the bikes, they are fast. I put my knee down first on the 80, then the 50,” commented Peter. “We need to paint the 80 cause I lost the rear once in the puddle. I saved it but then ran off the track and ran out of space and crashed. My dad was behind me so he dropped his bike to get the 80 off my leg. Now we need to paint the 80 and my dad’s bike too. I’m sorry I gave Kevin (Kevin Miller of Miller Paint and Graphics) more work to do. But I saved it before running off the track.”
By the end of Sunday morning’s warm-up Peter had become comfortable enough on the bikes that he once again looked like the rider that won 9 championships in 2006. Peter eagerly awaited the mains.
Peter elected to run his Metrakit MiniGP 50 up a class in the Formula Extreme class against the class dominant 65cc motards. “That was the toughest race I’ve had in a long time. I kept passing Tyler in the corners but his 65 is faster and he kept passing me on the straights. Then I got a really good drive onto the back straight. I braked real late and as hard as I could and he couldn’t get past me. Then I put my head down had a clear track. I carried lots more speed in the esses then him. That was a lot of work,” explained Peter.
He finished the eight lap main with a six second lead. He went on to show similar form in his other classes, winning the 65 class by eight seconds and Mod50 over a fellow Metrakit mounted racer by four seconds.
The only setback of the day came when Peter dropped out of the MiniGP 50 race just after the green flag dropped because his shift linkage that was adjusted earlier popped off due to a lack of clearance, resulting in a mechanical DNF.
Peter turned his fastest lap of the day aboard the Metrakit 80XL. It was Peter’s first time riding the 17” wheeled 26hp road racer. Previously the biggest bike he had ridden was a 12” 16hp 65cc mini-motard. While he was only able to put one foot on the ground at the start, Peter was stable enough to take third position by the first corner and quickly move into second position. “It was scary at first. The 80 is really fast and Cody’s dad was really fast on his 85. I got my knee down in all the corners that I do with my 50. I put my head down and kept pushing.” Peter’s pushing resulted in him turning a 49.03, by far the fastest lap of the day and less than half a second off the MiniGP track record he set last October.
Peter is in action again March 18th in Stockton, California for the SMRRC season opener. You can keep up with Peter via his website: http://www.PeterLenz.com
2007 Sponsors
Metrakit Canada, California Superbike School, Arai, EDR Performance, MiniGPX, Pro Caliber Motorsports, Miller Paint and Graphics, All Things Drywall, Vortex, SpyOptic, Tranquil Velocity, Speed Graffix, Echo Alley Web Development
