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LOCHOFF SECOND AGAIN AT ROAD ATLANTA FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI

By April 25, 2022June 28th, 20222022 News
Sam Lochoff finished second again in Supersport on Sunday at Road Atlanta during the Suzuki GSX-R750's debut weekend in the new Next Gen Supersport class. Photo by JR Howell.

Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer added a third podium finish on Sunday to conclude an all-around strong performance at Road Atlanta, Round 3 of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship season. MotoAmerica Supersport title fighter Sam Lochoff again demonstrated the speed to battle for wins aboard the new Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR  Suzuki GSX-R750. The South African battled his way up from the second row to quickly seize control of second and then made serious inroads on the race leader. Lochoff’s charge was halted when a

mishap through the esses cost him a couple seconds, but he kept his head, regrouped, and powered his way to a second runner-up finish this weekend. After getting his race weekend on the GSX-R750 under his+ belt,

Lochoff came away impressed and excited about its potential. He said, “I’m taking nothing but positives from the weekend. I’m extremely happy with the bike. We struggled with it a little bit in the first session but we’ve been making constant progress. “I want to thank Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki powered by Team Hammer. They’ve been working day and night to get this bike sorted. Last year, we finished third in the championship and so far we haven’t finished worse than second, so I can’t wait to see how this season continues.” Lochoff’s 16-year-old teammate, Tyler Scott, again demonstrated his mammoth potential and this time earned the checkered flag. The Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rookie charged his way up to fourth and had third in his sights prior to a short offtrack excursion. Like Lochoff, he managed the drama well and ultimately snared a top-five result in his Team Hammer debut. The team’s third Supersport pilot, Liam Grant, also improved on his Saturday results, picking up 12th in the rematch. Meanwhile, MotoAmerica Superbike rookie Richie Escalante continued his promising premier class performances with a third-consecutive top five as he quickly comes to grips with the speed, power, and talent of the category. The Mexican battled for the podium throughout the once-stopped-and-restarted affair aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R, coming home a close fifth after making a late push for the box. “So far, so good,” Escalante said. “For sure, I’m learning every lap and that’s the most important thing. Two top fives is good for the championship. I need to learn more to understand the big bike better, but I’m super happy with the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team and my crew. I want to continue to fight for the podium, so we’ll keep working as we get ready for some of my favorite tracks.” Teammate Jake Lewis wasn’t so lucky in his follow-up to yesterday’s welcome return to the Superbike podium. The Kentuckian got away from the original start in fifth, but was forced to line up for the restart from the back of the field after leaving pit lane just over a second late. Still, he managed to fight his way from last to seventh position before his race ended prematurely due to a mechanical issue. Team Hammer will return to action in just under a month, as the ‘22 MotoAmerica slate resumes at Virginia International Raceway, in Alton, Virginia, on May 20-22.   *** ABOUT TEAM HAMMER The 2022 season marks Team Hammer’s 42nd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 128 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 332 times and have won 11 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. ABOUT VISION WHEEL Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com. ABOUT SUZUKI Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals 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.