YOSHIMURA SUZUKI’S JAMES STEWART SALVAGES DAYTONA SUPERCROSS DESPITE DAMAGED HEADER PIPE
March 10, 2014
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 10, 2014) - Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's James Stewart is unsurpassed when it comes to rising to the occasion. Case in point: at round 10 of the 2014 AMA/FIM Supercross Championships at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL, a relentless Stewart turned in an amazing ride after his bike was damaged at the start. Stewart made the most of his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450, earning enough points to hold steady at fourth in the overall championship points.
Florida native Stewart was eager to race the challenging, motocross-style track at Daytona, and enjoyed two good practice sessions and a solid heat race where he finished second. In the main event, however, Stewart got off the line in a tight group of riders when one went down. In the melee, Stewart’s bike sustained damage and he pulled into the pits. After a quick fix, he returned to the race and turned flawless laps on his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to finish 18th.
“Daytona was not good, as far as results go,” said Stewart. “I came around the first corner and a rider was down. I swerved out of the way but his handlebar caught my header pipe. I didn’t know what the problem was so I rode about a lap. I thought my bike was blowing up so I pulled into the pits and my Yoshimura Suzuki guys saw the header pipe was smashed in. They fixed it and I got back on and I rode really, really good. Fitness-wise, I felt unbelievable. This might be the best ride I’ve had all year but I finished 18th. There was just nothing I could do, these things happen. But overall I feel good and I feel confident. All we can do at this point is win some races and make some things happen. Now I’m looking forward to Detroit and getting back to winning.”
Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s next event is the 11th round of the 2014 AMA/FIM Supercross Championships on Saturday, March 15th, at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.
Daytona 450 Supercross Results:
1. Ryan Villopoto
2. Ken Roczen
3. Ryan Dungey
4. Broc Tickle
5. Andrew Short
6. Will Hahn
7. Dean Wilson
8. Matthew Goerke
9. Justin Brayton
10. Josh Grant
2014 450 Supercross Standings:
1. Ryan Villopoto – 209
2. Ryan Dungey – 181
3. Ken Roczen – 180
4. James Stewart – 157
5. Justin Brayton – 155
6. Andrew Short – 125
7. Justin Barcia – 118
8. Chad Reed – 111
9. Broc Tickle – 111
10. Will Hahn – 108
Check out the Daytona “Behind The Scenes Race Report” at
http://youtu.be/38fazoKRDaw
About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for more than 55 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket exhaust industry. Yoshimura pipes are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit and quality that has been their trademark for more than five decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.yoshimura-rd.com.
About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (SMAI) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Outboard Motors and Automotive Parts and Accessories via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. SMAI’s supplier, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles and Outboard Motors. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has 147 distributors in 201 countries. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com
Team Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Suzuki Motor of America, Yoshimura Racing, Motorex, Dunlop, Renthal, Vortex, Showa, Seven, Hinson Clutch Components, Renegade Fuels, Mechanix Wear, Works Connection, Twin Air, Moto Tassinari, Shorai, Matrix, N-Style, Zero Gravity, D.I.D., Excel, NGK, GET and RG3.
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