CLEAN SWEEP FOR YOSHIMURA SUZUKI IN NEW JERSEY
Hayden and Elias Split Wins in MotoAmerica Season Finale
Chino, CA (Sept. 12, 2016) – The 2016 MotoAmerica AMA Superbike season came to an end Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, and Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing ended the year with a bang, victorious in both races. Roger Hayden raced to a thrilling victory in race one. Then it was Toni Elias and Hayden finishing one-two in the final race of the season giving Yoshimura Suzuki a clean sweep on the season finale.
Hayden grabbed the victory in race one aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike by just .104 of a second. It marked his second win of the season. Elias was a hard-charging third after qualifying eighth and starting from the third row.
"I've really been working hard on the last 10 laps of the races - where I'm always there, but I can't close them out,” Hayden said after winning race one. “The last lap I didn't know if I was going to make turn one because I had the thing locked up. After I got through there I kind of knew some places where I needed to block, but I didn't want to over block and kill my speed. So I'm just happy for the team, happy for myself. We all work hard."
The second race on Sunday came down to a battle between teammates as Hayden and Elias were just inches apart on the final lap. This time Elias, again moving up from his third-row start, was able to hold on at the line to take the nail-biting victory.
"I felt very comfortable since the beginning," said Elias, who scored six wins in his first season in MotoAmerica. "I could arrive quickly to the top of the race. I would like to fight more for the championship, but 35 points was a lot. I still think (back on) the rain race we had here in April because I lost 47 points in one day and said, maybe this will be the key of the championship. And finally it's like this. Anyway I led a lot. We had great battles. We work with Suzuki with my team hard to improve this bike. Here we make a step. We will try to make more steps for the next season. We will see. Thank you, everybody, my team to give me this opportunity, the MotoAmerica staff and all the people of this paddock because everybody treat me really well. I feel like home."
Elias finished the season ranked third in the final standings, only seven points back to champion Cameron Beaubier. Hayden was ranked fourth.
Yoshimura Suzuki won eight races in all during the 2016 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, adding to the legacy of the team and the legendary Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Team Yoshimura Suzuki is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Yoshimura R&D, Suzuki Motor of America, Motorex, Dunlop, Parts Unlimited, Shorai, Sunstar, K&N Performance Filters, NGK Spark Plugs, RK Racing Chain, Kushitani, Zeta and Chicken Hawk Racing.
About Shorai
Founded in 2010 and based in Morgan Hill, CA, Shorai, Inc. has quickly become the world's best-known producer of lithium ion power sports batteries.
Shorai is leading the conversion from traditional lead-acid batteries to lighter, more efficient and higher performance lithium starter batteries.
For more information visit www.shoraipower.com
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.
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. SMAI’s supplier, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles and Outboard Motors. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has 147 distributors in 201 countries. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.