SAM LOCHOFF RETURNS FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK

BREA, Calif., September 7, 2022 — Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki racer Sam Lochoff will return to action at this weekend’s 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing round at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Lochoff missed the last three Supersport rounds of the series at Laguna Seca, Brainerd International Raceway, and Pittsburgh International Race Complex due to injury.

Lochoff, who won titles in his native South Africa and Europe earlier in his career, broke through as a MotoAmerica Supersport race winner last year in New Jersey. Lochoff finished third in Supersport points in 2021 and earned the podium six times

The 20-year-old had high hopes for the 2022 season and finished second in both Road Atlanta contests before a training accident left him with broken bones for the Virginia round. Lochoff tried to race through the injury but more crashes during the season meant he could not make strides in his recovery from a number of broken bones. Due to his physical condition, Lochoff missed six races.

“You have to train very hard to see the results we expect, and you cannot eliminate risk in training, no matter what. That’s the nature of our sport,” said Lochoff. “There was a risk with motocross, but I was feeling myself get stronger. Then I had an accident and that was that.”

“I’m not 100 percent but the doctor says I won’t do any further damage by racing on it,” said Lochoff. “I will be able to manage the pain. I really want to get back racing. We’ve got two more events to see what we can do. I’m looking forward to seeing how the next generation GSX-R750 has developed since I have been out. I was excited to see what Cory Ventura was able to do while I was recovering.”

Team Hammer would like to thank Cory Ventura for his performances as Lochoff’s replacement. The young racer finished in the top five on three occasions and was competitive in his time on the team’s Suzuki GSX-R750.

Team Hammer will be back in action on September 9-11 for the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.

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 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 344 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.