AMA tech inspectors busted Jordan Suzuki and M4 EMGO Suzuki for changing the routing of the PAIR (Pulsed-AIR) anti-emissions systems on Jake Holden and Aaron Yates’ GSX-R1000s and on Martin Cardenas’ GSX-R600 after the Superstock and Supersport races at Laguna Seca. The PAIR system injects air from the airbox into the exhaust ports to reduce unburned hydrocarbons. Both teams had inserted a T-fitting into the crankcase breather hose, which is routed into the airbox, and added a hose leading directly to the PAIR system, reducing crankcase pressure and eliminating a problem with GSX-R crankcases developing excess pressure on high-speed tracks and blowing out the countershaft seal. The extra hose not only bleeds off peak crankcase pressure but also bleeds off peak airbox pressure, slightly reducing the effectiveness of the ram-air system. Jordan Suzuki’s Kenny Abbott said that his team’s mechanics had gotten permission from AMA Tech Director Kevin Crowther, who was not at Laguna Seca, to change the crankcase vent routing to prevent countershaft seal failures and resultant oil spills. AMA tech staffers on site at Laguna Seca said they knew nothing about any permission granted by Crowther. M4 EMGO Suzuki Crew Chief and manager Keith Perry said that his team had shown the routing to Crowther in 2006 and had gotten approval to run it then, and had been running the same PAIR valve hose routing for two years on its bikes, which have passed post-race tech at every event up to this point. Perry said that if the policy toward PAIR valve routing had changed, the teams should have been notified. Perry said that his team had again shown the routing to Crowther at Daytona earlier this year, after a rash of blown-out GSX-R countershaft seals and oil spills, and that Crowther had approved its use. Perry said “They knew exactly what we were doing both last year and this year, and they approved it. Crowther looked at the things multiple times, including when we had two bikes in tech at Road America (in June of this year). They’ve looked at this multiple times and said it was fine. They’ve okayed this in the past, over two years. There’s no wording in the rulebook to justify what they said here at Laguna and to change their position with no warning is just not right. This is supposed to be the new AMA and they just changed their mind and wanted to cut our head off with no warning, wanted to give people the death penalty for something they had said was okay and knew was going on for two years.” The last time AMA Tech inspectors busted a team for PAIR valve routing was at Fontana in April 2002, when Richard Stanboli’s Attack Performance was still running Suzukis, and rider Ben Spies was docked points, not disqualified. Problems with blown countershaft seals led AMA tech officials to allow the PAIR valve routing in subsequent years. Generally, any reduction in crankcase pressure will also produce a small horsepower increase. At one point last night at Laguna Seca, AMA officials issued a new set of provisional results showing Holden and Yates as being disqualified. Those results were then recalled. Contrary to some news reports, the involved motorcycles have not been confiscated and were returned to their teams, and no parts were confiscated. At post time, no information was available on how the issue will be resolved.