STRONG RESULTS FOR SUZUKI ACROSS ALL CLASSES IN TEXAS
A Win, and Multiple Podium Finishes for Suzuki Racers at the Circuit of the Americas
Brea, CA — The official MotoAmerica entries of Suzuki Motor USA (Suzuki) collected some serious trophy hardware at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend, scoring podium finishes across all three of its classes.
Race Highlights
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Superbike
Richie Escalante finished on the box for the second time in his premier-class career in only his second weekend back from injury.
Brandon Paasch enjoyed a strong weekend, scooping up two sixths and a seventh.
Supersport
Tyler Scott was in dynamic form, battling up front en route to second- and fourth-place finishes.
Teagg Hobbs endured a difficult weekend in Austin.
Joel Ohman continued to gain experience and speed as the weekend progressed
Twins Cup
Rossi Moor bravely fought back following a devastating Saturday crash to finish as the race runner-up on Sunday.
Altus Motorsports
Supersport
Jake Lewis takes the Supersport Race 1 victory on his GSX-R750.
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines
Twins Cup
Rocco Landers had a weekend to forget in Twins Cup action but still wound up second in the final championship standings aboard the all-new GSX-8R.
It didn’t take long for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike ace Richie Escalante to return to peak form after missing the bulk of the ‘24 campaign due to an injury suffered in the season opener. The Mexican raced near the front aboard his GSX-R1000R all weekend long, highlighted by a third-place finish in Race 1 that marked his second-career MotoAmerica Superbike podium. While he crashed out of fifth in Race 2, Escalante finished out the weekend with an excellent run to fourth in Race 3.
“I’m super happy to finish on the podium – especially this season where I wasn’t expecting to be able to do it,” Escalante said. “My goal was just to get back out there and race these final three weekends to prepare for next year. I love this track, and my bike and crew worked so well this weekend.”
Escalante’s premier-class teammate, Brandon Paasch, rounded out an all-around strong weekend for the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike crew, stringing together finishes of seventh, sixth, and sixth aboard his GSX-R1000R.
“The second race on Sunday was really nice, running at the front end of the field,” said Paasch. “I didn’t have a lot left in the tank the last couple of laps, but I felt confident being up there. The bike felt good, and they weren’t getting away. That’s the closest I have been to the winner in a Superbike race although not the best result. We have one more event at my home track and maybe we can build on this.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Supersport ace Tyler Scott took a starring role this weekend himself, qualifying second quick aboard the next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750 and then tussling for the podium in both outings. He came up just short of a top-three on Saturday, finishing fourth in what was a five-rider melee for second. Scott got his revenge on Sunday, successfully defending his position over a tense final few laps to hold on for second.
Scott said, “I wasn’t really happy with fourth – we’re trying to be on the top of the box, but today was a lot better. I have to give thanks to the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for all the hard work they put in over the second half of the season to get the bike dialed in. I couldn’t ask much more out of the bike today – I had a great feeling on it.”
Scott’s Supersport teammate, Teagg Hobbs, found the going considerably more difficult in Texas. Hobbs finished 16th on Saturday and then suffered a DNF on Sunday.
“We were having a problem slowing down the bike in both races,” Hobbs said. “I couldn’t slow down going into the corners, and I pulled in about halfway. I wasn’t able to ride around it, and we weren’t getting good data. We will work hard to get it fixed for the next race.”
The squad’s third Supersport pilot, Joel Ohman, continued to accumulate experience, twice improving upon his qualifying position in the races.
Ohman said, “I went 1.8 seconds faster than last year, and my race pace was better. We are still working on setup, and I didn’t feel I could fully battle with the bike yet. But we are improving and the lap times are the real story. We have a strong idea of what to address for New Jersey so we can still keep making more solid progress.”
Vision Wheel M4 Suzuki’s Rossi Moor showed serious grit, determination and speed aboard the Suzuki GSX-8R in Twins Cup action. Moor’s race on Saturday ended in prematurely due to a terrifying highside crash suffered while holding down second position. Undaunted, the young gun came back out on Sunday to earn a runner-up result. Doing so secured him fifth in the class’ final championship standings on the strength of four podiums.
“I’m still a little banged and bruised, but nothing ever stopped me,” Moor said. “It was a great race – it was definitely a hot one. I’m glad to be on the podium, and I can’t thank my team enough. It’s been a great year developing this bike. It’s been a bit up and down, but looking back on it, it was worth all the hard work we put in, especially finishing up with a second-place finish.”
Suzuki congratulates Jake Lewis and Altus Motorsports on their Supersport Race 1 victory. Lewis was able to capitalize on his great start and finished out front with a near three second lead on his GSX-R750.
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines star Rocco Landers had a similarly difficult Saturday but was less fortunate in his hopes of a successful rebound on Sunday. Landers crashed twice in Saturday’s race, resulting in a DNF, while Sunday’s rematch saw him forced to retire due to mechanical issues. Despite the disappointing Twins Cup finale, Landers wrapped up the season ranked second in the points with four victories and seven total podiums.
“I had a small mistake in Race 1 that cost me a good finish, and we had a mechanical in Race 2. The team was great all weekend, anything that went wrong was on me. It was a great season, and the bike performed way better than I expected. It’s the most fun twin I have ever ridden. I learned a lot of great lessons this year and am looking forward to what the future holds.”
While the Twins Cup season is now complete, the official Suzuki Superbike and Supersport runners will conclude their season at the 2024 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship season finale, which will be waged at New Jersey Motorsports Park on September 27-29.
For Suzuki road racing news, results, and team updates, visit suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing.
For more information and updates on Team Hammer, visit teamhammer.com.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2024 season marks Team Hammer’s 44th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 134 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 373 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.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.:
Petersen Concludes MotoAmerica Superbike Tripleheader at Texas with Pair of Top-10 Finishes
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen finished seventh and 10th on the final day of racing at COTA
MARIETTA, Ga. – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen scored a pair of top-10 finishes, crossing the line seventh and 10th, respectively, in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 and Race 3 at the Circuit of The Americas. Fill-in rider Xavi Forés battled in the tricky conditions and finished eighth in the first race of the day, but unfortunately had to withdraw from the final race of the weekend.
It was another hot day making for challenging conditions on the newly resurfaced track in Austin, Texas. After a tough start to the tripleheader weekend, Petersen had a much better start from the fourth row of the grid in Race 2 and was ninth on the opening lap. He then passed his teammate on the following lap to move to eighth and gained another position when a rider ahead crashed. From there it was a four-rider battle for sixth, with riders jockeying for position. On the final lap, Petersen made the move to seventh, where he would finish.
In Race 3, Petersen got a great start in fifth, but unfortunately the race was redflagged after the opening lap with oil on track leading into the first turn. After the complete restart of the shortened 10-lap race, the South African was eighth and advanced to seventh, but was struggling with grip and shuffled to 13th on the following lap. Petersen continued to fight despite the challenges and made his way back to 10th, salvaging points on a tough weekend.
Forés had another good start in Race 2, slotting into the top five, but found himself eighth on that opening lap after running wide in the greasy track conditions. He then found himself further back in ninth, but the Spaniard regrouped and made his way to eighth before the halfway mark. In that four-rider battle for sixth, Forés exchanged positions and moved to sixth with two laps to go, but would ultimately cross the line eighth. After the complete restart of the final race of the weekend, Forés was ninth. He did what he could to maintain the position despite dealing with a technical issue but had to withdraw from the race with four laps remaining.
The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team heads to Millville, New Jersey, in two weeks’ time for the MotoAmerica season finale at the New Jersey Motorsports Park on September 27-29.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“It was an unfortunate situation at COTA. We did the best we could with the cards that we were dealt. We’re moving on to New Jersey and look to finish the season strong.”
Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45
“It was a challenging weekend for the team. We did everything we could to make the most out of what we had, but just couldn’t make it work. We will bounce back for Jersey.”
Xavi Forés – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #34
“It was a pretty tough weekend for all the Yamahas out there. The maximum we could do is fight for a top six. We struggled a lot with grip, especially in Race 3 where we had an issue and had to retire. It wasn’t what we were expecting before the weekend, but it is what it is. I want to say thanks to the team because they worked so hard to give me the best bike possible today. I’m looking forward to New Jersey, which I think is a track that will suit our bike better, and I will try to make some improvements on myself now that I am more familiar with the bike.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
Indian Motorcycle Racing and Troy Herfoss Win at Circuit of the Americas, Now Two Points Back in King of the Baggers Championship Standings
Three-Time Australian Superbike Champion Troy Herfoss Goes 1-2 Aboard S&S Indian Challenger, Eyes Potential First-Career King of the Baggers Championship as Final Round Approaches
AUSTIN, TX. – Indian Motorcycle Factory Racing delivered a remarkable performance this weekend at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Down 14 points heading into the eighth round of the 2024 King of the Baggers (KOTB) season, Indian Motorcycle factory rider Troy Herfoss delivered the results needed to make a final push for his first-career KOTB championship – piloting his No. 17 S&S Indian Challenger to his sixth win and sixth second-place finish of the season.
Herfoss started the weekend off hot, winning the Mission Foods Challenge, its $5,000 prize, and qualifying for the pole position for the weekend’s KOTB doubleheader. Race 1 saw both Indian Motorcycle factory riders run in the front pack, as Herfoss took second and Tyler O’Hara successfully edged out Harley-Davidson factory rider Kyle Wyman for third – further widening the point differential between Herfoss and Wyman. In Race 2, Herfoss showcased his racing prowess, leading all six laps with precision and successfully capping off the weekend with his sixth KOTB victory.
“This was a great team effort, as S&S had the Indian Challengers dialed in to near perfection while Troy and Tyler worked together to fully maximize this important weekend at COTA,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “We’re riding a high after that performance and carrying momentum into New Jersey that will put us in great position to fight for the No. 1 plate.”
MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers season concludes with a doubleheader at New Jersey Motorsports Park September 27-29. The 2024 season has seen an intense battle between the two factory teams, as both Herfoss and Wyman each have six wins and six second-place finishes this season. Since bagger racing’s debut in 2020, when O’Hara won the inaugural race aboard the S&S Indian Challenger, each American V-Twin factory team has earned one KOTB series championship, with Indian Motorcycle winning in 2022 and Harley-Davidson in 2021.
For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, X and Instagram. Indian Motorcycle Racing and the S&S Indian Challenger is sponsored by S&S, Progressive, Mission Foods, Drag Specialties, Parts Unlimited, and Performance Finance.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC. Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same. Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
ABOUT S&S® CYCLE
S&S® Cycle was born from a passion for racing and has spent over six decades building performance for the powersports market. Their unwavering focus on quality, reliability and top shelf power has made S&S® Cycle the absolute leader in high performance on the street and track.
