Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki had a strong weekend in AMA action at Road America, reaching the podium in two of three races and remaining in the thick of the title points chase in two classes, 750cc Supersport and Formula Xtreme.
In Formula Xtreme, John Hopkins qualified second-fastest on race tires while Grant Lopez, still struggling with a right shoulder injury suffered at Road Atlanta, qualified ninth. In the Formula Xtreme race Hopkins moved his GSX-R1000 into second place almost immediately and pulled away from his pursuers in a trouble-free run to the finish. Lopez soldiered on to finish eighth and in pain, his injury being aggravated by a vicious slide and near-highside on another rider’s spilled water during the final pre-race practice. Lopez is a close third in Formula Xtreme points while Hopkins is fifth.
In 600cc Supersport, Hopkins qualified fifth-fastest on race tires and then finished a strong fourth on his GSX-R600 after surviving a second-lap incident that saw him knocked off his machine by another rider. Hopkins got back in the race when an unrelated crash brought out the red flag and resulted in a complete restart. Grant Lopez did not ride, due to his separated shoulder being aggravated in practice.
In 750cc Supersport, Ben Spies qualified second fastest, led early in the race, and came back to draft his way into second place at the line, 0.226-second out of first place, in the process turning the fastest lap of the race on his GSX-R750. Spies is second in points, a handful out of the points lead.
