For Immediate Release
Brea, CA (June 29, 2020) – Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. and M4 ECSTAR Suzuki returned to Road America for Round 2 of the 2020 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season where they scored four podium finishes, capped off in spectacular fashion by Bobby Fong’s maiden MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike class victory. In addition, Altus Motorsports’ Cameron Petersen and Roadracing World Young Guns Rocco Landers both grabbed impressive victories over the weekend on their Team Hammer-built Suzuki machines; Petersen won the Stock 1000 on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 while Landers took the Twins Cup win on his Suzuki SV650.
The 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport champion built upon the impressive pace he flashed aboard his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the opener and translated it into a highlight-packed follow-up weekend. On Saturday, Fong qualified second for the twin premier-class finals and raced to an unchallenged second. He took another step forward on Sunday, ultimately rewarding the team with a victory.
“It’s been a pleasure riding for M4 ECSTAR Suzuki,” said Fong. “They gave me an opportunity to ride this Superbike and showcase my talents and show what I can do against the big boys and now it’s paying off. We’ve just got to keep the ball rolling.”
________________________________________________________________________________
Toni Elias (#24) during Superbike Race 2 at Road America.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike teammate Toni Elias endured another eventful weekend, but it was a big step up from his zero-points opener. The 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike champion appeared to have taken a podium position in Saturday’s Superbike Race 1, but was later assessed to have overtaken under yellow-flag conditions on the final lap. As a result, he was docked a position and awarded fourth in the official results. On Sunday, the Spaniard was again in podium contention before being knocked off his machine by another rider. Elias remounted and raced his way to a hard-earned seventh.
Cameron Petersen (#45) takes the Stock 1000 win on his Suzuki GSX-R1000.
In addition, Petersen, who rides for Suzuki’s dealer effort Altus Motorsports, clinched a win on his Team Hammer-built Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the Stock 1000 class. Petersen showed good pace on the high-speed Road America track and is eager to add to his points standings.
Rocco Landers (#97) displays impressive speed at Road America on his Suzuki SV650.
Landers grabbed his first Twins Cup victory on Sunday aboard the Roadracing World Young Guns/Sportbiketrackgear.com Suzuki SV650 built by Team Hammer after topping qualifying with a new class record lap of 2: 27:452. Landers is looking forward to adding another win to his young career throughout the season.
Sean Dylan Kelly (#40) grabs a podium finish in Race 1 and 2 on his Suzuki GSX-R600.
Sean Dylan Kelly, who earned the team’s sole podium result in the opener, stepped up his game in the MotoAmerica Supersport class. ‘SDK’ took full advantage of the capabilities of his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R600 to secure the first pole position of his MotoAmerica career. He then backed that up with a pair of runner-up results, each one a step closer to the win than the last.
“It was a fun race,” said Kelly. “We definitely showed a lot of fight and had some nice passes for the lead. We’re taking it race by race, but at the end of day, we want the championship and that means taking as many points as possible.”
Lucas Silva (#23) logged a solid seventh-place finish on his Suzuki GSX-R600 in Race 1.
Supersport teammate Lucas Silva remained steady, notching up seventh- and eighth-place finishes on the weekend.
Alex Dumas (#16) finishes within the top-five in the Stock 1000 class.
Alex Dumas made huge strides of his own in his second weekend in the Stock 1000 category after previously winning national titles in the Junior Cup and Twins Cup classes. After both qualifying and finishing seventh in his literbike debut, the French Canadian qualified fifth and finished fourth in his second go on the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000, battling for the podium throughout.
Suzuki and its riders will look to capitalize on its renewed momentum when the series resumes for Round 3 at Road Atlanta on July 31-August 2.
Photos by Brian J. Nelson.
******************************************************************************************************************
Press Contact:
Rachel Anderson
Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Lead, Press Relations & Marketing
rachel.anderson@suz.com
(714) 996-7040 x2009
*********************************************************
About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (SMAI) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Outboard Motors and Automotive Parts and Accessories via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
About Team Hammer: The 2020 season will mark Team Hammer’s 40th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 86 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 239 times and have won seven AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
