Suzuki Motocross Racers Rack Up Championship Points at Red Bud Double Header
September 8, 2020
JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing Team Battles on Friday and Monday at
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Series Rounds Four and Five
Alex Martin (26) raced to top-ten finishes in every moto at the Red Bud double header event.
Brea, CA (September 8, 2020) – In a first for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series, two events were held just three days apart and the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing riders took away four top ten overall finishes at the Red Bud MX double-header. In the 250cc class, Alex Martin and his Suzuki RM-Z250 placed inside the top ten in every moto and pulled down a top-five overall finish on Friday. In 450cc racing, Joey Savatgy put his Suzuki RM-Z450 in the top ten overall in both Friday's and Monday's racing and just like teammate Fredrik Noren, posted strong starts and good speed to advance in the overall points standings.
RED BUD I - Friday
After putting together the fifth quickest in timed qualifying, Alex Martin started moto one in approximately tenth place and from there threaded his way through a tight lead pack that kept within a few seconds of a podium position. In the second moto, A-Mart got his JGR-tuned Suzuki up into the top three on the opening laps and kept the leader within a few seconds for the bulk of the race. He, unfortunately, lost one spot late in the race and finished fourth in spite of being one of the few riders to launch the track's famous 120-foot triple jump, LaRocco's Leap.
"We had a decent day. My starts and speed were plenty good for a podium but I just didn’t ride well in the first moto," Martin summed up his race. "In the second moto, I waited too long to jump the leap. I really love this track."
Joey Savatgy (17) raced to a top-ten overall finish on Friday at Red Bud
Joey Savatgy made the best of a mediocre start and by the end of moto one he'd put his JGR-tuned Suzuki
inside the top ten. A poor start in moto two stacked the odds against him, but "Versace" put his RM-Z450's power into the Michigan soil and finished the day with a top ten overall finish.
"Today for me was a big struggle." Savatgy said afterward, "I didn’t get great starts and I just had a hard time getting comfortable out there."
Fredrik Noren (31) continued his great starts with a top-three start on Friday
Fredrik Noren jumped out with a top-three start in the first moto, right on the rear wheel Suzuki-mounted Max Anstie, but an issue on lap six ended Noren's moto early. "Fast Freddie" was ready when moto two dropped the gate and used consistent fast laps to hold a top ten position for the entire moto.
"It's so much fun being back racing at Red Bud." Noren said. "The track got rough and challenging but I had a lot of fun racing. A freak issue happened in the first moto while I was running fifth, but my start was good and my riding felt great. Having 39th gate pick in the second moto, I did my best to get off the gate good. I think I was somewhere around 12th after lap one. My riding and starts were good."
"It was a decent day." Jeremy Albrecht, the Team Manager added, "Alex rode well and had speed to be on the podium. Noren rode good and Joey had consistent finishes but is still just needing to be a little more comfortable. The track was great and high-speed so we learned some things and feel Monday will be better,"
Alex Martin (26) fought hard on Monday and maintained a top-five position in the points
RED BUD II – Monday
Alex Martin's moto one start put him just outside of the top ten, but he quickly fought into and finished in a single-digit position. Moto two proved more challenging, but A-Mart pushed into the lead group and finished the day's racing inside the top ten, allowing him to maintain a top-five position in the points.
"The second Red Bud was a tough one for me. Starts were really important as everyone was really close in
speed," Alex Martin observed. "My starts were subpar, and some mistakes and a crash didn’t help the cause. I'm going to regroup and come out swinging at the hometown race."
Joey Savatgy (17) set the fastest lap time in the first qualifying session at Red Bud II
Savatgy started the day by laying down the fastest lap time in the first qualifying session, which turned out to be the second-fastest qualifying lap time overall. In moto one, Savatgy battled inside the top ten throughout the 30-minutes plug two-lap race. In the second moto, "Versace" was second at the holeshot stripe; he held firmly in the third position until a tip over ten minutes into the race set him back to seventh. Savatgy's moto results netted him seventh place overall for the day and the weekend's efforts climbed Savatgy up two positions in the season points standings.
"For Red Bud 2 we made some changes to the bike and overall it got better," Savatgy told after the racing. "My starts were good and I rode well, I just had a little issue in the first moto and a small crash in the second moto while running third. My speed is getting better and I'm excited to have a week off to work on some things to get ready for Millville."
Fredrik Noren (31) finished strong on Monday and improved his position in the season points standings
"Fast Freddie" Noren kicked off the racing with a top ten start right on the rear wheel of Suzuki teammate Joey Savatgy. Noren put in strong rides for both motos, ultimately leaving the Michigan track one position higher in the season points standings.
“It was not a very good Red Bud 2 for me." Noren explained, "My riding was pretty good but I struggled to make passes and also fell in both motos. I know what I need to work on so it will be good with a weekend off to regroup and come back strong for Millville.”
A JGR/Yoshimura/Suzuki RM-Z gets a thorough cleaning at Red Bud
"Alex rode hard but did not get the finishes he needed. The highlight was that he did the leap at the end of moto one when not many 250s could make it. Alex is still in the fight so we will keep working to come back strong at his parents' track in Millville," Albrecht said after the long weekend had wrapped. "Joey had better speed and a great start in moto two. It was good to see Joey running third for a while until going down. Freddie was riding good in both motos but had some mistakes. He went down battling for a top 10 in moto one and in moto two he made a mistake while running ninth."
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series takes next weekend off, then the riders are back to a Saturday schedule re-starting on September 19th at Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota. The JGR Suzuki team will be
charged up and ready to bring in more strong results for the Suzuki brand and climb further up the rankings in 2020 motocross racing.
Please visit jgrmx.com for more team news.
Photos by Brown Dog Wilson
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