Team Suzuki Press Office – August 11.
The second weekend of August sees Suzuki’s MotoGP, AMA/ MotoAmerica Superbike and AMA Motocross teams in action from the Red Bull Ring in Austria for round 11 for the 2018 MotoGP™ World Championship, to Sonoma Raceway in California for round 7 of MotoAmerica, USA and also round 10 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Unadilla, New York, USA.
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins have been on track today for the final MotoGP qualifying sessions with the GSX-RR duo posting 8th and 10th positions in mixed weather conditions at the spectacular and picturesque circuit. This means that they will start tomorrow’s race from the 3rd and 4th row respectively and are aiming to put the new 2018 GSX-RR back on the podium after a total of 4 already this season (2 from Iannone and 2 from Rins).
In AMA/ MotoAmerica Superbikes, the Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing Team of Toni Elias and Roger Hayden are on track today (Saturday) and Toni Elias qualified his 2018 GSX-R1000 in 4th place for the opening race while team-mate Roger Hayden took ninth position.
At the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship at the longest-running AMA Pro Motocross venue on the calendar; the Unadilla National, the Autotrader/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Team, with Weston Peick and Justin Hill aboard the 2018 RM-Z450 and Enzo Lopes and Jimmy Decotis on the 2018 RM-Z450, are looking to move-up the standings and turn their previous podium-pace into podium positions this weekend.
August 12: Round 11. MotoGP™ World Championship. Red Bull Ring. Spielberg. Austria. Iannone and Rins, fresh from their recent test on Monday following the Brno GP in the Czech Republic have improved pace from Friday’s opening practice sessions. Following today’s final Q2, Iannone said: “Tomorrow I’ll try my best and I hope we end up in a good position,” while Rins added: “I feel good and I feel ready to battle with the other riders.”
August 11-12: Round 7. MotoAmerica Superbikes. Sonoma Raceway. California. USA. Defending Champion Elias currently holds 2nd in the points after a couple of unlucky non-points scoring rides, one after being controversially knocked out, but is only 49 points off the lead, while team-mate Hayden is ninth.
August 11-12: Round 10. Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Unadilla National. New York. With Justin Bogle announcing he will not race the remainder of the series following his injuries and time needed to heal, Weston Peick and new 450-class rider Justin Hill will fly the flag aboard the factory RM-Z450 machinery this weekend. In the 250 class, young rookie Enzo Lopes and Jimmy Decotis both continue to improve in the standings and are looking for the podium aboard the RM-Z250.
