YOSHIMURA-BACKED TEAMS SWEEP THE WEEKEND ON THE ASPHALT AND IN THE DIRT!!
Chris Borich
CHINO, CA (July 12, 2011) – Yoshimura-backed teams showed theirdominance on the asphalt and in the dirt at the AMA Pro Superbike races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH and the 2011 ATV Grand National Cross Country series, in Millfield, OH this past weekend. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki road race and ATV GNCC teams put their Yoshimura products to the test and dominated the competition.
Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki took the AMA Pro Superbike races by storm this past weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Ohio. The weekend started with Blake Young winning Saturday’s AMA Pro Superbike race and moving into the overall championship points lead. The weekend finished with Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden winning Sunday’s AMA Pro Superbike race, with Young finishing second and extending his newly acquired points lead.
Tommy Hayden
On Saturday, Young came out of the gates swinging. He got a great start on his Yoshimura-prepped Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and was running in second place. About eight laps in, however, a rider went down and there was a red flag. When the race re-started, Young came out in fourth but quickly moved back up into second place. With just a few laps left, however, Young made a bid for first and held it until the checkers. On Sunday, Young was again quick off the line at the start, and then he battled for the lead throughout all 21 laps. In the end, he walked away with a solid second-place finish.
“Saturday was the fifth anniversary of my dad’s passing,” said Young. “And that put a little bit extra on me… This place is pretty special to me – I won my 2005 Horizon Award here with my dad and I really wanted to get the win and dedicate it to him… I came to Mid-Ohio just really wanting to win it for my dad’s fifth anniversary, and that’s what we did.”
Meanwhile, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Hayden’s day to shine was Sunday. The 21-lap race saw him get a good start and slot into fourth place. Then, he maneuvered his Yoshimura-prepared Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 into third, then second and then finally, he passed Young for the lead, took the win and capped off an all-Suzuki sweep of the podium. Hayden had also had a strong showing on Saturday. Although he struggled a bit initially, after the re-start he was right there. Hayden picked off competitors until he was in a podium position. Although he made several attempts at second, he finished up in a strong third place.
“Overall, my weekend went pretty well,” said Hayden. “For some reason, we were struggling a bit on Friday, but my Rockstar Makita Suzuki team kept working hard and making improvements, and I was able to put up a good fight for the win on Saturday. I ended up on the podium for good, solid result. We made a few changes today that helped us be a little stronger. I was able to make passes a little easier. I got a good start on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000, was able to pick some guys off early and get in a good position with the leaders. It was a battle all the way to end, and it came down to the last lap with my teammate and, fortunately, I came out on top today.”
Blake Young
On the dirt side, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Chris Borich overcame multiple obstacles this weekend when piloting his Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki QuadRacer R450 to victory at the John Penton GNCC, round eight of the 2011 ATV Grand National Cross Country series, in Millfield, OH.
Saturday’s race saw reigning ATV XC1 Champion Borich get a great start on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki QuadRacer and take the lead immediately. Although he battled back and forth with rivals and had a few “moments,” Borich regained the lead on the last lap and made it stick to the checkers. This marks Borich’s fourth win of the season.
“I got a good start and got up front and was just having a great time,” said Borich. “But then I got stuck on a hill and dropped way back. Then, I got back up behind Bithell and there was a limb hanging down and he ducked and I didn’t see it and it cleaned me completely off the bike. I hit my head pretty hard and I sat there for a while getting my bearings before I could take off again. Then, I just put the hammer down and took some good lines and did what I needed to do to get back up front. It ended up being a good race for the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team and I’m happy to be on top.”
Borich and the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team have a two-month break before the next race. Although Borich currently leads the 2011 GNCC title chase by 24 points, he’s not taking any chances and is already planning his training for the remainder of the summer.
“My Rockstar Makita Suzuki worked awesome today and my Yoshimura-prepared motor worked great,” said Borich. “I’m excited to have the lead going into the summer. I’ll probably take a little break and then get right back at it in some local races and be ready for Unadilla.”
The Yoshimura-backed team’s next events are the 2011 AMA Pro American Superbike Championship series at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA, on July 22nd – 24th, 2011 and the ninth round of the 2011 ATV Grand National Cross Country series in at the Unadilla GNCC in New Berlin, NY, on Sunday, September 11th.
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.
Yoshimura products are designed, manufactured, intended, and sold for use on vehicles that are operated only on closed course racing circuits unless otherwise noted. Use of these products on public roads or lands is strictly prohibited and may be a violation of local, state, or federal laws. Products intended for use on vehicles operated on public roads or lands are clearly so indicated.
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