YOSHIMURA SUZUKI CAPTURES DRAMATIC VICTORY IN ROAD ATLANTA SUPERBIKE RACE
April 22, 2012
BRASELTON, GA (April 22, 2012) – The Yoshimura Suzuki team tasted victory and then some at round two of the AMA Pro Superbike Championship series at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA, this past weekend. The double-header event saw Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Young card a thrilling, come-from-behind win on Saturday and a well-earned podium finish on Sunday, while teammate Chris Clark earned two impressive top-10 finishes.
Young came out of the gates swinging on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, qualifying in the second spot on the grid. In Saturday’s race, Young got an excellent start and was battling for the lead when he suffered a horrific crash that brought out a red flag. In the face of adversity, the Yoshimura Suzuki crew took immediate action and repaired Young’s badly damaged bike in time for the restart.
“When I first hit the ground, I had the wind knocked out of me,” said Young. “But I wanted to get my bike back to the pits as quick as possible so we could get back to the race. The Yoshimura Suzuki guys did a great job putting the bike back together. When I got back on the GSX-R1000, it was… perfect. This weekend definitely showed what our team is capable of under pressure.”
Coming from the back of the pack on the restart, Young was ferocious in his charge through the field, gaining approximately 15 positions on the first lap. He went on to race his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to victory on an awe-inspiring last lap. In Sunday’s race, Young was still recovering from the previous day’s crash and was a little more conservative. But he again got a great start and turned in consistent laps to bring home a solid second place.
“This weekend was exciting and I had fun,” said Young. “I think we learned a lot. I was happy with my results and we need to take the confidence from this weekend’s performance to Infineon and get both wins there. Sonoma is a good track for us and I can’t wait to get back there.”
Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Clark also enjoyed a successful weekend at Road Atlanta. After qualifying on the second row of the grid, he had solid launches on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 in both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races. In the former, Clark got off the line clean but struggled midway through the race before taking ninth. In the latter, he ran as high as sixth before finishing 10th for the day.
“I have to thank the whole Yoshimura Suzuki team,” said Clark. “This weekend, we got out with some points and we’re not too far from my goal of fifth overall. The Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 is running great and we’re figuring out the best package for me to beat the guys in front of me, and hopefully come out of the season in the top five. Now, we have a few things we’re going to test and a few things we have better knowledge on. So I’m looking forward to going to Infineon and having a good race.”
The 2012 Yoshimura Suzuki team’s next event of the 2012 AMA Pro Superbike Championship series is at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA, the weekend of May 4 - 6, 2012.
Atlanta Superbike Race 1:
1. Blake Young
2. Josh Hayes
3. Josh Herrin
4. Roger Hayden
5. Geoff May
6. Chris Fillmore
7. Steve Rapp
8. Ben Bostrom
9. Chris Clark
10. Danny Eslick
Atlanta Superbike Race 2:
1. Josh Hayes
2. Blake Young
3. Josh Herrin
4. Roger Hayden
5. Larry Pegram
6. Taylor Knapp
7. Chris Fillmore
8. Steve Rapp
9. Danny Eslick
10. Chris Clark
2012 Superbike Standings:
1. Josh Hayes – 116
2. Blake Young – 110
3. Roger Hayden – 78
4. Josh Herrin – 60
5. Larry Pegram – 59
6. Steve Rapp – 58
7. Chris Clark – 49
8. Chris Fillmore – 45
9. Robertino Pietri – 42
10. Geoff May – 40
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 have 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 Corporation (SMC) founded The Motorcycle and ATV Division of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), Brea, CA, in 1963. ASMC markets motorcycles and ATVs via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. ASMC's parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, automobiles and marine engines. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, it has 120 distributors in 191 countries. For more information, visit www.suzukicycles.com. Follow Suzuki Scoop on facebook for exclusive team content www.facebook.com/suzukiscoopfans.
Team Yoshimura Suzuki is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Yoshimura R&D, Suzuki, Parts Unlimited, Dunlop, Motorex, Renthal, BMC Air Filter, Zero Gravity, Catalyst, RK Racing Chain, Motion Pro, Chicken Hawk Racing and Speedcell.
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