YOSHIMURA-BACKED TEAMS SHOW THEIR DOMINANCE ON THE ASPHALT AND IN THE DIRT
CHINO, CA (May 17, 2011) – Yoshimura-backed teams showed off their Yoshimura products this weekend with strong results during the AMA Pro Superbike event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, as well as at the Indy 100 GNCC, round six of the 2011 ATV Grand National Cross Country series, in Gosport, Indiana. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki teams utilized the performance advantage of their Yoshimura products to show their dominance both on the asphalt of Infineon and in the dirt at the Indy 100.
Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki had cause for great celebration after this past weekend’s AMA Pro Superbike event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden went out and rode an aggressive and impressive race on Sunday, taking the AMA Superbike win on his Yoshimura-prepped Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000. Teammate Blake Young also battled hard throughout the weekend and brought home a solid podium finish on Sunday.
In Saturday’s race, Hayden got the jump on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 before moving into second place. He stayed right with the leader for all 22 laps and brought home a remarkable second-place finish. On Sunday, however, Hayden pulled out all the stops. His GSX-R again powered him to the front and he again fell into second place. But he was simply biding his time. Riding one of his most determined races ever, Hayden made a pass for the lead with five laps left and then made it stick to take an extraordinary win. This win marks Hayden’s 32nd AMA Pro Racing win, his third win at Infineon, and his sixth career Superbike victory.
“I got an awesome start in Saturday’s race on my Suzuki and I felt good from the beginning,” said Hayden. “I knew it was going to be tough, but I tried to put my head down and see if I could pick up some speed in a couple areas. Overall, it had been really positive and we’d been fast and competitive all weekend. On Sunday, I got another good start, I led a couple of laps, and I realized that as the race went on, my GSX-R was working great and I was more comfortable. This win feels really good, for both my Rockstar Makita Suzuki team and me. I can’t thank them enough for all the work they’ve put in. I was really disappointed with myself here last year so I really wanted to redeem myself.”
Meanwhile, Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Young finished up fourth on Saturday after an intense race-long battle. Then, on Sunday, Young put his head down and just rode his heart out, bringing home a hard-won third-place podium finish.
“Saturday went pretty well,” said Young. “We got off to a good start, though it took me a while to get into a rhythm. On Sunday, I knew I needed to get a good start and get the momentum going, so that’s what I tried to do. I felt good about the start; my GSX-R1000 felt great and I tried to go out and just put my head down and race my own race. I’m happy to get a podium for my Rockstar Makita Suzuki team because they’re working really hard for me. Now, I’m just looking forward to the next race and being there for the team.”
The 2011 Rockstar Makita Suzuki team’s next event of the 2011 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship series is at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, on May 28 – 30, 2011.
On the ATV side, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Chris Borich added to his already massive lead in the 2011 ATV GNCC series point standings with a solid second-place podium finish aboard his Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki QuadRacer R450 at the Indy 100 GNCC, round six of the 2011 ATV Grand National Cross Country series, in Gosport, IN.
The Yoshimura-backed Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider started the race in fifth place and then steadily worked his Suzuki into second as a driving rainstorm moved in overhead, turning the red Indiana farmland into slime.
“I was sitting back in fifth or sixth after the start, just taking my time, but it was pretty hard to pass out there,” said Borich. “Every time I would get to the front, I would get hung up or hit a little bottleneck and drop back to second or third, or to third or fourth. We worked up to second again at the two-lap board and started charging; my dad was giving me pit boards and we were closing in – 40 seconds, 30 seconds. I came into the pits that last time and got fresh goggles and came around and got the checkers.”
“My Suzuki QuadRacer R450 ran great. I felt good and we were charging hard, but we just ran out of time,” added Borich. “We’ll come back strong in two weeks in Pennsylvania.”
Borich, the reigning ATV XC1 champion, now leads the race for the 2011 ATV Grand National Cross Country series championship by 16 points as the series moves to Patton, PA on May 29th for the Rock Run GNCC.
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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