Gallery: 2014 Jettribe Lake Perris Grand Prix Endurance Race Recap

March 25, 2014

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PWCOffshore’s KC Heidler came in fourth behind the Mike Klippenstein in Pro Open (he also double entered in Vet Masters) class.

The inaugural Lake Perris Grand Prix Endurance Race debuted to great reviews, making for a fun day on the water as well as a race well positioned for future growth of the PWC endurance racing niche. The format of the race consisted of two motos, each one an hour-plus-one 5.3 mile lap completed throughout the day with a Le Mans start. Racers could race solo, have a race partner to split the motos and perform pit stops if they chose to do so.

The origin of the race was a result of collaboration between Ross Wallach, the promoter RPM Racing Enterprises and PWCOffshore.com soliciting feedback from local California racers back in 2013 regarding what additional race format they’d like to see in the West.

The Lake Perris recreational area was suggested as it is local to Southern California, is very close to many PWC dealerships and to a very large population of people, making it the ideal location and logistically easy for racers to attend.

Powered by R&D Racing’s wicked T1 turbo kit, Mike Klippenstein greedily lapped the entire field at least once during each of Saturday’s two motos. Klipper kept the 90-something-mph Yamaha in the mid-80s to save the ski from over-taxing.

Pete Yauri grabbed the win in the standup class, with Jettribe’s own Tony Vo taking second.

With very little time between the official announcement and the actual race date (less than one month), attendance was understandably limited as many struggled to negotiate travel and work schedules in such short notice. With less than two dozen entries, the lineup was thin but raring to go.

The very flat water and still winds combined to give Mike Klippenstein all the extra edge that his new rocket ship – a R&D Racing T1 turbocharged Yamaha FX SVHO – needed to lap the entire field at least once during each of Saturday’s motos. Klipper to walk away from the field and take the overall victory on his wicked fast Turbo Yamaha platform.

The last minute timing of the first inaugural Jettribe Lake Perris Grand Prix limited the number of potential participants, but both attendees and event organizer Ross Wallach feel confident that next year will welcome far more racers.

Although Kawasaki’s legendary racer and watercraft developer Minoru Kanamori would race a STX-15F to victory in the Manufacturer Stock class this day, he couldn’t help but pose with the brand’s new 310R.

Unofficial reports stated that Klipper’s SVHO was well within the capabilities of 90-plus-miles per hour, but dialed back the throttle to keep the machine together long enough to bring in the win.

Second would go to former TCO Champion Mark Gerner piloting PWCOffshore’s backup Kawasaki Ultra 300 while his primary Ultra 300X craft underwent a rebuild.

Former three time IJSBA Vet Master World Champion and PWCOffshore.com Core Racer KC Heidler would struggle with fuel issues on his 310R but would still pull off 28 laps for a fourth place finish.

Beginning with a slightly modified Le Mans’ style start, rather than sprinting down to waiting skis, racers acted as their own holders and boarded immediately behind their craft after the starter pistol fired.

Less than a month after the 10th annual Mark Hahn Memorial 300, the Lake Perris Grand Prix is a more budget-friendly enduro that eliminates pitting and allows for secondary fuel tanks.

Evelyn Mangan would win the 4-stroke Stock Class on her Kawasaki Ultra 300X, as Kawasaki’s own Minoru Kanamori and Takahiro Takahiro Tsujimotu would win the Manufacturer Stock Class on their Kawasaki STX-15F.

The 4-Stroke N/A Open class was won by Shane Newton on his Kawasaki 15F. Pete Yauri would take yet another victory in the Standup class, while Jettribe’s own Tony Vo would come in second.

Overall, the inaugural Jettribe Lake Perris Grand Prix Endurance Race was a success. The venue itself offers a large pitting area, beautiful setting and friendly staff, and the promoter and racers are optimistic that the Lake Perris race has been positioned for great success in the future!

The flat water and still weather made for sublimely glassy conditions. Although not nearly as challenging as open water or rough ocean conditions, it does lend itself towards more participant-friendly racing.

Pro Am Open: 1. Mike Klippenstein 33 laps, 2. Mark Gerner 30 laps, 3. #102 Bill Scott & Kyle Scott 28 laps, 4. #58 K.C. Heidler 28 laps; Vet/Master Open: 1. Mike Klippenstein 33 laps, 2. Tom Cruz 29 laps, 3. Scott McIntosh & Jonathan Mangan 15 laps; 4-Stroke Stock: 1. Evelyn Mangan 30 laps, 2. Josh Glenndenning & Charles Anderson 29 laps, 3. Derek Newton 26 laps; 4-Stroke N/A Open: 1. Shane Newton 26 laps, 2. Louis Nguyen & Tony Hoa 14 laps; MFG Stock: 1. Minoru Kanamori & Takahiro Tsujimotu 27 laps, 2. Eric Graff 26 laps; Stand Up: 1. Pete Yauri 18 laps, 2. Tony Vo 2 laps