Team Suzuki Press Office – June 5.
Weston Peick #34 – 450 Class – 7-7 for 7th
Phil Nicoletti #54 – 450 Class – 8-8 for 8th
Enzo Lopes # 816 – 250 Class – 12-14 for 13th
Justin Hill #46 – 250 Class – 15-13 for 14th
The Autotrader/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing team followed the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship circuit back east, making a stop at Thunder Valley Raceway in Lakewood, Colorado for round three of the series this weekend.
The oxygen-thin altitude and grueling track didn’t stop Suzuki RM-Z450 riders Weston Peick and Phil Nicoletti from posting ultra-consistent results in route to top-10 finishes, while Suzuki RM-Z250 mounted Enzo Lopes continues to make progress during his rookie campaign, logging a career-best moto result and overall finish. Team-mate Justin Hill dug deep, nearly salvaging a top-10 finish in the second moto after getting caught up in a first-turn crash on his RM-Z250.
A strained hand would sideline most riders, but Peick refuses to back down from the challenge of outdoor motocross. The Menifee, California resident seemingly laughs in the face of danger, pushing beyond the pain in search of a coveted win. Peick nearly met his match in the arduous Thunder Valley circuit, which was rife with chop, ruts and unending bumps. The Suzuki RM-Z450 rider gritted his teeth and logged consistent 7-7 moto scores for seventh overall. Peick unswerving dedication has him sitting sixth in the point standings.
Results don’t lie and Nicoletti continues to hone his race craft on the all-new Suzuki RM-Z450. Nicoletti’s legion of loyal fans were ecstatic when “Filthy” came close to nabbing his second holeshot of the series during the second moto. The New Yorker stayed strong, running a blistering pace for most of the moto before settling into eighth. His 8-8 moto scores netted him eighth overall. Nicoletti has finished inside the top 10 at every round as a fill-in rider for the injured Justin Bogle. Nicoletti’s #54 machine has moved up to seventh in the point standings after his strong effort this weekend.
With each passing lap in the series, Autotrader/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Team’s Enzo Lopes takes one step closer to a top-ten finish. The Brazilian has embraced the pressure cooker that is professional racing. Lopes qualified 13th quickest in combined times, and followed that up with a hard-fought 12th place score in the first moto. It has been his best moto finish to date. He backed that up with a strong 14th place score in the second moto for 13th overall. The 18-year-old is quickly adapting to life in the fast lane, and now sits 16th in the standings.
Winners never quit, and when Suzuki RM-Z250 mounted Justin Hill was collected in a massive first-turn crash in the second moto, the veteran put his head down and charged to the front. Hill passed over 20 riders to finish 13th, which left him 14th overall on the day. The Yoncalla, Oregon native is currently situated 13th in the point standings.
Weston Peick [450 Class, 7-7 for 7th Place]:
“Thunder Valley didn’t go as planned. I struggled to find a flow around the track in both motos. I’ve never been able to get the results I feel that I should be getting at that track. It had a lot of medium-sized bumps that wrecked my injured hand. I can do better than 7-7 for seventh overall. I did learn where we can make some changes with the Suzuki RM-Z450 that will help me late in the motos. We should be looking a lot better for High Point. I’ll ride a little bit less this week leading up to the weekend off, and then I’m traveling to JGRMX in North Carolina, where I’ll stay for a month and do quite a bit of testing.”
Phil Nicoletti [450 Class, 8-8 for 8th Place]:
“Thunder Valley has always proven to be a fast and technical track. I feel like I’m making progress in this outdoor series, and am finding more speed as the motos wear on. I’m always up for a challenge, and I know I can make big steps toward the front as I get more time on the Suzuki RM-Z450. Eighth overall isn’t too bad, but I expect more from myself. I’ll take this break to work on the areas where I’m struggling and come out swinging at High Point, which is the first East coast race of the series. I like that.”
Enzo Lopes [250 Class, 12-14 for 13th Place]:
“Qualifying went well. I felt solid on the track, and also with the bike. I was close to the top ten in qualifying, so I was happy. I didn’t get the best start in the first moto, but I put in solid laps and was close to 11th at the end. I was happy with my speed. I was around 10th off the start in the final moto, but I couldn’t find a good rhythm. As for the track, it was decent in the first moto. The ruts became really long and gnarly for the second moto, which made things challenging. This upcoming weekend off will be spent testing some different settings, training, and preparing for High Point.”
Justin Hill [250 Class, 15-13 for 14th Place]:
“I’m learning every weekend. Man, that second moto was crazy! It was pure carnage. I rebounded as best as I could. Given the situation, I was happy to earn points. The speed is there; I just need to make a few minor tweaks and I think I’ll be up where I need to be. Thanks to the team for the support.”
Jeremy Albrecht [Team Manager]:
“Justin Hill has proven to be stronger in the second moto. He had a good start, but got tangled up. He worked his way up, and is improving each week. Peick was having difficulty with his hand, but he had two consistent motos. Nicoletti also had two reasonably good motos. He was running great in the first moto, but then there was a red flag from a rider crashing. Lopes rode the best I’ve seen him ride, but the competition is tough in the 250 class.
“The track wasn’t as deep as usual, but everyone talked about how difficult it was. It was really high speed, because the ruts didn’t develop like they normally would. I thought they did a good job with it. Lopes said that he had to hit every jump wide open, because the air is so thin at the track.”
The 2018 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will take a one-week break before returning to action in Saturday, June 16th. That’s when the Autotrader/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Team will take on southern Pennsylvania’s famed High Point Raceway for the fourth round of the series.
