YOSHIMURA-Backed Teams Dominate In Tough Conditions At Highpoint Motocross

CHINO, CA (June 14, 2011)
– Yoshimura-backed teams showed their dominance at the Rockstar
Energy High Point National in Mt. Morris, PA this past weekend. The
Rockstar Makita Suzuki and American Honda Racing teams put their
Yoshimura products to the test in the tough conditions at High Point.

Team Rockstar
Makita Suzuki used the power of its Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki
RM-Z450s to tackle challenging conditions in Mt. Morris. The weather
was fine for the first moto at the notoriously fast High Point track;
however, a quick downpour hit just before the start of moto two,
leaving the track extremely muddy and slippery. Ryan Dungey rode
strong, grabbing a convincing second in the first moto, battling the
tough conditions for a third in moto two, and ending the day with a
second overall. Teammate Brett Metcalfe suffered a couple of bad
starts but was able to fight his way to an eighth-place overall
finish.

Dungey was strong all day, with solid
morning practices and great starts in both motos. The Rockstar Makita
Suzuki rider pulled the holeshot in moto one, but a little bobble put
him back to second. Dungey proceeded to pilot his RM-Z flawlessly for
the next 16 laps and cross the line for a convincing second-place
finish. In moto two, Dungey powered his Suzuki out of the gate again
in second; however, a couple of miscues in the slick conditions put
him on the ground and he fell back to sixth. Dungey pushed his
RM-Z450 hard for the remaining 12 laps and was able to come away with
a third-place moto finish and second overall for the day. Dungey has
moved into third place in the championship points race.

"It was a good weekend,” said
Dungey. “I had a couple good practices and we were good going into
the two motos. I got the holeshot in the first but had a little
bobble and got passed but was able to get back to second. I lost some
time in those first few laps. All in all, I felt good. My Rockstar
Makita Suzuki team made some changes on my RM-Z for the second moto,
but it rained really hard just before the start, so the track was
really muddy, slick, and very technical. I got off to another good
start but fell twice in the beginning but was able to catch up for a
third and a second place overall. It’s a good step in the right
direction. We just gotta keep plugging away and improving in the
areas that we can and be consistent and put ourselves in a good spot
to be there in the end. Next stop is Budds Creek and I really like
that track. I was able to come away with the overall last year there
and I’m looking forward to another good result.”

Teammate Brett Metcalfe started the day
with the sixth fastest time in the morning practices aboard his
Suzuki RM-Z450. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider suffered from a bad
start in moto one but worked his way to 12th at the end of the first
lap. Metcalfe was able to fight through the field to capture an
eighth-place finish. In moto two, Metcalfe was caught up in a first
turn pileup and essentially started from the back on the field. He
charged as hard as conditions would allow in order to work his way up
for a tenth-place finish and an eighth-place overall for the day.
Metcalfe sits fifth in championship points.

"It was a pretty tough day for me
at Mt. Morris,” said Metcalfe. “I didn’t get the results I
wanted and I had two bad starts at a track where it’s really
important to get a top five start in order to be in contention for a
decent overall finish. It was just one of those days where things
just didn’t happen. I feel like I rode strong and my Rockstar
Makita Suzuki worked great, and my team did a great job getting my
bike dialed in. It was a rough day, but we still came away with some
points. We know what we have to do moving into Budds Creek. I’m
looking forward to Budds – It’s a good circuit and I really like
it there. I’m looking forward to going there and redeeming myself
with some better results.”

The Honda Red Riders were on the gas in
both the wet and dry conditions aboard their Yoshimura-equipped Honda
CRF450R machines at High Point as well. American Honda Racing’s
Kevin Windham finished a solid sixth overall for the day in Mt.
Morris. Windham crashed hard in practice and took a handlebar to his
chest during the fall, yet the Honda veteran rebounded to finish moto
one in sixth. Heavy rainfall arrived between motos, but Windham
finished one spot better in the wet second moto, taking fifth and
earning sixth overall for the round.

“I felt like I’d be on my way by
this point in the season, so I’m a little bit frustrated,” said
Windham. “It’s the winner’s instinct in me that just makes me
want to come out here and win these things. If you’ve won before
you know how addicting it can be. It’s why we do this and that’s
what keeps us coming back even when we don’t do so well. To hear
all the cheers and feel the fan support is awesome. It’s great for
Honda and GEICO as well as for me. I have had a lot of success at
High Point, and although we couldn’t capitalize on it today I still
love this track and all the great fans.”

The Yoshimura-backed team’s next
events are the fourth round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross
Championship on Saturday, June 18th, at the Budds Creek National in
Mechanicsville, MD, the 2011 AMA American Pro Superbike Championship
series at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL, on June 17-19,
2011 and the seventh round of the 2011 ATV Grand National Cross
Country series in Snowshoe, WV on June 25th.

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www.yoshimura-rd.com.

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