Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki is racing at the annual WERA Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia this weekend, but instead of star rider Steve Rapp challenging the lap record, the team is continuing its history of using the event to evaluate new talent.

“We have a long, storied history of talent tryouts at the WERA GNF,” said Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki Crew Chief Keith Perry.

The team signed current rider Matt Furtek after a tryout at the 2002 GNF and evaluated John Hopkins and Ben Spies at the 1999 GNF. Hopkins went on to win the 2000 AMA 750cc Supersport Championship and the 2001 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship for the team and is currently completing his second year in the MotoGP World Championship. Spies rode for the team in 2000 and 2001, winning an AMA 750cc Supersport race, and just won the 2003 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship on a Yoshimura Suzuki.

This year Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki (a.k.a. Team Hammer, Inc.) made the talent evaluation program official by starting the Team Hammer Talent Search Presented by Alpinestars. Two finalists in the 2003 Team Hammer Talent Search Presented by Alpinestars, Chris Siglin and Greg Moore, have fully-sponsored rides for the Suzuki Cup Finals held in conjunction with the WERA GNF and are being evaluated by the team.

“They get to ride our GSX-R750s on our Michelin tires, work with our mechanics, do their best, not fall down and just have fun,” said Perry. “They don’t have to worry about anything on the bike or busting their own tires. They just have to worry about their riding.”

“It’s awesome,” said Brookwood, Alabama’s Moore, when asked what he thought of the Team Hammer Talent Search. “It’s definitely something you don’t get to do every day. The team is really helpful, nothing negative, no pressure. They just want me to go out there and have fun. I like that. I’ve already learned a lot. I’m usually on my own at the racetrack and working hard just to change my own wheels and tires. It takes a good bit of stress off of me to not have to work on my own bike.”

“It’s great to have all of the help, the knowledge that’s available, and the equipment is just top-notch,” said Clayton, California’s Siglin. “It’s overwhelming. I have three guys there to help me, and it’s usually just me and Kenny Norman, my normal mechanic. Plus the availability of the Michelin tires and getting the feel for testing new compounds of tires. That’s new to me. I’m usually practicing on last weekend’s race tires. It just gives you that extra bit of confidence.”

As part of the program, finalists Moore and Siglin both got new Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki leathers, custom-made by Alpinestars. “It’s a nice suit,” smiled Siglin. “It’s the suit you see Rapp and Chris Ulrich and all the Pro riders wearing, the suit that’s not available for purchase by the public.”

“They’re awesome,” Moore said of his new Alpinestars leathers. “They fit really sweet.”

When they showed up at Road Atlanta, Siglin and Moore found their names on the team bikes they’re riding, and on lockers inside the rider lounge of the team’s semi-truck.

In addition, 2002 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Cup Champion John Haner is defending his title in a one-off ride with the team. “(Team Owner) John Ulrich gave me the opportunity to ride one of his Suzukis in the 1000cc Cup race, and I mean to take advantage of it. I won it last year on the Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R1000. He helped me out with that and I won. This year it’s my turn to take the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R1000 to the win on TV and return the favor.”

Furtek will compete in this year’s GSX-R600 and GSX-R750 Suzuki Cup finals and test a GSX-R600 built to 2004 AMA Formula Xtreme specifications “if we get far enough ahead in the game,” according to Perry.