Team Suzuki Press Office – March 26.
Jimmy Decotis #64 [250 Class, 3rd Place]
Enzo Lopes #67 [250 Class, 9th Place]
Justin Hill #46 [450 Class, 12th Place]
Chad Reed #22 [450 Class, DNF]
The JGRMX/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Team was in Seattle, Washington for round 12 of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship and the seventh stop of the 250 Western Regional Supercross Series; a night of highs and lows for the team as Suzuki RM-Z250 rider Jimmy Decotis added to his strong podium streak with a third-place finish, while RM-Z450 fan-favourite Chad Reed put his season on-hold after a bad crash in the Main Event.
After a disappointing weekend in Atlanta at the 250 East/ West Showdown, Decotis was looking for redemption in Seattle. Showing impressive pace, the Massachusetts native posted the fastest lap time in both heat races including a second place finish. In the main, Decotis started inside the top-five and pushed his way into the lead for two laps. He held that pace for several laps before settling into third, which logged his second third-place finish of the series.
“I rode great all day, had an awesome heat race, and finished third in the main event,” said Decotis. “My Suzuki RM-Z250 is amazing, and I feel like I’m riding so well right now. I didn’t have the best main event, but to finish third on a track that difficult is a positive. I’m excited to keep things rolling in Houston.”
Teammate Enzo Lopes was eager to improve his Supercross rookie campaign during the 250 West break. His hard work paid off as the Brazilian ran within the top-five in the main event. Although fatigue slowed his advance in the late stages of the race, Lopes was able to finish in the top-10 and mark the best finish of his young career.
A mid-week bout of food poisoning sapped Suzuki RM-Z450 rider Justin Hill’s strength in Seattle but didn’t stop him from pushing through to finish 12th place in the main. It was decent effort given the circumstances.
“Hill got food poisoning on Wednesday and tried saving his energy for the main,” said Jeremy Albrecht, Team Manager. “He did big jumps and rode the whoops well. We will need big things from him now that Reed is out for a little bit.”
Two-time 450 Supercross Champion Reed had every intention of adding to his impressive list of podium finishes. The Australian finished fifth in his heat race and was fast in the treacherous whoop section. After a mid-pack start in the main, Reed was in position to move up. Unfortunately, he spun sideways off a jump, which sent him careening into a group of riders and resulted in getting landed on. Unable to continue, it was later determined that Reed suffered a broken scapula and multiple rib fractures. More information on his condition and return to racing will be announced when it becomes available.
The JGRMX/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Team will travel to NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, March 30th for the 13th round of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship. This will also serve as the eighth round of the 250 West Regional Supercross series.
Jimmy Decotis #64 [250 Class, 3rd Place]:
“I had a solid night in Seattle. I rode great all day, had an awesome heat race, and finished third in the main event. My Suzuki RM-Z250 is amazing, and I feel like I’m riding so well right now. I didn’t have the best main event, but to finish third on a track that difficult is a positive. I’m excited to keep things rolling in Houston.”
Enzo Lopes #67 [250 Class, 9th Place]:
“It felt good to be back at the races after Atlanta. The team and I worked a lot during the 250 West break to make sure we were 100 percent ready for Seattle. I felt really good right away. The track was challenging, especially the long set of whoops. I didn’t qualify the best, but I had a fresh mindset heading into the heat race and main event. I finished fifth in my heat, which was good. I made a lot of mistakes that cost me a better position. The main event was a completely different story. I had a good start and got into fifth place for half the race. I started getting tight and faded to ninth. I’m happy with the progress, and it’s nice to show that I can run that pace. Now I have to figure out why I got tight and work on that part of my riding. I can’t thank the team enough for their support and helping me through my rookie year of Supercross!”
Justin Hill #46 [450 Class, 12th Place]:
“I really struggled all week and on race day with food poisoning. Honestly, the main event was one of the worst 20 minutes of my life. I’m thankful that I got through the night without major problems, because I am going to regroup and come back healthy!”
Jeremy Albrecht [Team Manager]:
“Jimmy Decotis had a really good day. He was riding super well. I expected a podium out of him. If he would have hammered the whoops in the main like he was doing all day, he might have had a shot at a higher spot. Otherwise, he rode well. It was a bounce-back from Atlanta. Enzo Lopes got his first top-10 finish. It looked like he was going to finish fifth, but he got tired from running that pace. He knows what to expect now and will get better from here on out.
“Justin Hill got food poisoning on Wednesday. He was struggling and tried saving his energy for the main. He did big jumps and rode the whoops well, but he didn’t have energy. We will need big things from him now that Chad Reed is out for a little bit. As for Chad, he was on it all day. He was happy with the bike and feeling great. I thought he would do well on that track, especially with how difficult the whoops were. He slid off the face of a double in the main and came together with a couple of riders. It was a weird incident. We will see how long the injury takes to recover from and will provide more information at that time.”
