YOSHIMURA SUZUKI CELEBRATES YET ANOTHER SUPERBIKE PODIUM AT MID-OHIO
July 16, 2012
LEXINGTON, OH (July 16, 2012) – This past double-header race weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH, saw Team Yoshimura Suzuki Racing put another podium finish into the proverbial books for the 2012 AMA Pro Superbike season. Rider Blake Young raced his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a well-earned second place in Saturday’s race, while Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Chris Clark picked up a top 10 result the following day.
In Saturday’s 21-lap race, Young started out strong by getting a good launch on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and was running in fourth when a red flag stopped the race. After the restart, Young got another good start and fought hard for his second-place finish. On Sunday, Young wasn’t as fortunate with his start but worked his way up into fourth place to battle for a podium position. Unfortunately, Young went down but managed to recover and finish 13th.
“In Saturday’s race, I got two good starts and I can’t complain,” said Young. “I ended up slotting into first for the first few laps, but I was kind of hesitant to run up front. I had a tough time finding my flow, but I need to thank my Yoshimura Suzuki team because the GSX-R1000 was great. On Sunday, I had some issues and the crash is going to make the points battle pretty tough. But we have a bike capable of winning, so I just need to keep my head down and do my best at Laguna Seca.”
Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Clark pushed hard all weekend and walked away from Mid-Ohio having made some overall progress. On Saturday, Clark put his head down on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and rode a smart, consistent race to finish 11th. On Sunday, he again turned in a smart, solid performance and finished an even better ninth.
“Overall it was a really positive weekend,” said Clark. “Mid-Ohio is a track I’ve always struggled at, but the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 is an incredible bike. By the end of the weekend, I’d improved my lap times by almost two seconds over my qualifying pace the year before. Obviously, I’m not too happy with where I finished, but it was a huge step in the right direction. I have to thank my Yoshimura Suzuki crew for their efforts and I’m really looking forward to Laguna Seca.”
Team Yoshimura Suzuki Racing’s next event of the 2012 AMA Pro Superbike Championship series is at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA, the weekend of July 27 - 29, 2012.
Mid-Ohio SBK Race 1:
1. Josh Hayes
2. Blake Young
3. Roger Hayden
4. Steve Rapp
5. Larry Pegram
6. Geoff May
7. Ben Bostrom
8. Taylor Knapp
9. Danny Eslick
10. Chris Ulrich
Mid-Ohio SBK Race 2:
1. Josh Hayes
2. Roger Hayden
3. Josh Herrin
4. Steve Rapp
5. Geoff May
6. Larry Pegram
7. Danny Eslick
8. Taylor Knapp
9. Chris Clark
10. Chris Ulrich
2012 Superbike Standings:
1. Josh Hayes – 383
2. Blake Young – 316
3. Josh Herrin – 225
4. Roger Hayden – 204
5. Geoff May – 190
6. Larry Pegram – 182
7. Steve Rapp – 151
8. Danny Eslick – 147
9. Ben Bostrom – 146
10. Chris Clark – 146
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 American 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 147 distributors in 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzukicycles.com. Follow Suzuki on facebook for exclusive team content http://www.facebook.com/SuzukiCycles.
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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