SUZUKI SUPERBIKE DOMINATION HIGHLIGHTS EPIC WEEKEND OF RACING
April 12, 2016
Austin, Texas and Indianapolis shared the spotlight in the world of motorcycle racing this past weekend and Team Suzuki had a weekend fans won’t soon forget. Across the board, Suzuki motorcycles lived up to their racing performance heritage.
Superbike Sweep for Yoshimura Suzuki and the GSX-R
The combined MotoGP/MotoAmerica event drew a three-day total of 131,881 spectators in what is the biggest motorcycle racing weekend of the season in America. Yoshimura Suzuki could not have picked a more high-profile event to score a perfect sweep in both Saturday and Sunday’s races, with teammates Toni Elias and Roger Hayden finishing 1-2 respectively in both legs aboard the powerful Suzuki GSX-R1000.
With his joyful demeanor, spaniard Elias has become an instant hit among America fans. Not only did the Yoshimura Suzuki rider win the hearts of fans at COTA, but he also earned instant respect from his fellow competitors for scoring the double victory aboard his potent GSX-R in his MotoAmerica Superbike debut.
“This is a very exciting weekend for me,” said a beaming Elias. “A few weeks ago I was sitting at home without a ride and now I am again on the podium and winning races in front of thousands of fans. It really almost feels like a dream.”
Hayden was impressive in qualifying, the Kentuckian pushing his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a time of 2:09.151 to earn the fourth pole position of his Superbike career. Hayden’s speedy lap aboard his GSX-R was a new Superbike lap record at COTA, eclipsing the existing mark by a half of a second.
Another Suzuki highlight at COTA was the MotoAmerica Supersport podium finish (3rd) for Frenchman Valentin Debise on the M4 Sportbike TrackGear.com Suzuki GSX-R600.
The MotoAmerica Championship now moves to Road Atlanta next weekend for the MotoAmerica Suzuki Superbike Shootout of Georgia on April 15-17. The races will be televised on beIN SPORTS.
Roczen Part of an Indy Supercross Thriller
The Supercross in Indianapolis featured what many are calling the most exciting battle of the 2016 season, and RCH Suzuki’s Ken Roczen was in the heat of this epic battle from the drop of the gate to the checkered flag. Roczen, on his RCH Suzuki RM-Z450, chased down the leader early in the main event and the two began a race long battle that saw both riders passing one another several times for the lead, bringing the 60,085 fans who filled Lucas Oil Stadium to their feet.
Roczen made a small mistake on the final lap and crossed the line in second, 1.7-seconds behind the first place finisher. It marked the eighth podium of the season for Roczen.
“It was an amazing ride almost the whole way,” said Roczen, who is ranked second in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross standings. “I’m pretty bummed that I messed up on that dragon back, but I’ve been riding strong and overall the bike has been working amazing.”
Baggett Bags Top Five in Indy
The comeback from shoulder surgery for Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Baggett reached a new high point Saturday in Indianapolis when he took fifth aboard his RM-Z, marking his first top-five result of the year.
Also showing their Suzuki colors and putting their RM-Z450s in the main in Indy were Broc Tickle, Nicholas Schmidt and Jake Weimer. Matthew Bisceglia put his Suzuki RM-Z250 in the 250 East Supercross main event at Indy as well.
Look for Team Suzuki riders the day before the St. Louis Supercross to meet fans and sign autographs on Friday, April 15 at Big St. Charles Motorsports, 3830 West Clay Street, St. Charles, MO from 6-7 pm.
Two Suzukis in Top Five in MotoGP Action at COTA
In what was the strongest weekend yet for Team Suzuki Ecstar, both team riders Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro finished in the top-five aboard their Suzuki GSX-RR MotoGP machines. The teammates had a thrilling contest throughout the race, with Viñales finally getting the advantage to finish fourth, just ahead of Espargaro.
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