Team M4 EMGO Suzuki rounded out the high-profile USGP weekend at Laguna Seca on Sunday by claiming their best finish of the season in the AMA Supersport class. Geoff May rebounded from a poor launch off the line to battle in the top five throughout the 17-lap race aboard his Pirelli-shod GSX-R600. On the final lap he held off the defending class champion by just 0.012 at the checkered flag to claim fifth place.
After picking up the best Supersport finish of his career, May said, “My initial reaction at the very beginning was ‘uh oh, this is not going to be fun.’ I got a horrible start. But it allowed me to see what was going on going into Turn 2 and I just rode around the outside of everybody. Those guys all slowed down in front there.”
He continued, explaining, “I got past a couple guys and then I saw the leader go down and I realized I was in fourth. I thought at that point I might be able to get a podium, and I kept charging as hard as I could the entire race. The Pirelli tires were great the whole way — they had tons of grip — and the Suzuki worked great too.”
Unfortunately, the Superstock final didn’t go as smoothly for Team M4 EMGO Suzuki. May was forced to pull his GSX-R1000 into the pits on lap five due to a minor mechanical problem. The team quickly repaired his racebike but elected not to send him back out on the track a lap down.
Michael Barnes worked his way up from twelfth place on the opening lap to ninth on lap ten but crashed out of the race the following circulation.
Team M4 EMGO Suzuki will be back in action in two weeks time as the AMA roadracing championships descend upon to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 22-24.
