DALKE Motorsports
Motorcycle Endurance Roadracing Team

Welcome To Endurance Racing - Two Wheel Style
What do you get when you combine the excitement and tension of NASCAR pit stops with the high tech, high RPM scream of Lemans-style prototype racers and then mix in the physical demands of a triathlon? In my book that's the perfect description of WERA's highest profile and most demanding series, the WERA National Endurance. Typical motorcycle races are over quicker than a stop at the gas station for five dollars worth of unleaded these days. Who could blame spectators for not packing up and staking out a spot at their favorite motorsports park for ten to fifteen minutes of racing? That's followed by waiting for another shot of the same stuff over and over again. I've seen longer drag races. WERA's endurance races cut straight to chase to combine the best aspects of all motorsports by allowing the bikes to stay on the track for 4 hour, 6 hour, or 8 hour long races. This format requires motorcycles to pit periodically for fuel, tires, mechanical adjustments, and a fresh rider. That's right - pit stops! About every hour each bike comes roaring into the pits for hopefully a quick stop and rider change. Teams can consist of up to five riders and no one can ride more than two hours without a thirty minute break. But just like a rodeo rider who wouldn't want to stay on a bull more than eight seconds, these riders are ready for rest and recuperation after exhausting a tank of high octane. Did I say "roar" into the pits? I really mean it because unlike any of the "car" sports, there is no pit speed limit and it's typical for a bike to come screaming in at over a hundred mph and leave out even faster. This ten race series requires that teams travel nationwide to earn points just like the NEXTEL Cup race teams in NASCAR. This season pushes teams to travel as far west as Utah, as far south as Florida, and northward to Michigan. Teams can count their highest nine finishes toward their points total and they also compete for class wins as well as overall finishes. It breaks down to lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight bikes, and those groups are further split up as either superbike or supersport class. Sound confusing? It can be, but as Robert DeNiro would say, "Furrr-git about it!" When the green flag drops on the standing start field of 38-50 thoroughbred racebikes, they are all fighting each other for the same track position - up front and ahead of any trouble that might develop over the course of several hours. And oh yea, trouble does tend to develop. Riders will tire, especially during the hot humid summer races, and mistakes of both physical and mental in nature can cause races to be won or lost in an instant. Faster classes of motorcycles start lapping the field and create passing throughout the event. With so many bikes on the track, there are always close races between motorcycles of the same class. Most race classes are won by a total distance of less than a lap and the most recent race at Grattan, Michigan, found the overall winner passing for the lead in the last fifteen minutes of the race! And did I mention the fact that at least one race this year is scheduled to run into the night? This will require teams to mount lights on their machines and cope with pit stops and communications in the darkness. The WERA Endurance series continues to be a must see for those who have discovered the excitement of seeing a day long motorcycle race. Talk about getting your money's worth! Attend the next scheduled event and you'll be able to visit the teams in their paddock area as they prepare for the morning practice session. See their equipment and talk to the riders. Then find a good viewing area at the Start/Finish line to witness the entire field accelerate toward turn one in mass as they begin hours of non-stop racing. You'll have time during the race to move to different locations on the track to watch various turns and straightaways. And of course, get to a spot and watch some pit stops and see why NASCAR or the IRL have nothing on these athletes.