YOSHIMURA-Backed Teams Dominate Jacksonville Supercross

CHINO, CA (March 21, 2011) –
Yoshimura-backed teams showed off the performance advantage of their
Yoshimura products by dominating the 11th round of the 2011 AMA/FIM
Supercross Championship at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, FL. The
Rockstar Makita Suzuki and Honda Racing supercross teams dominated
the podium after an exciting night of racing.

Team Rockstar
Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey rode a strong race aboard his
all-powerful Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki RM-Z450, claiming a
third-place podium finish in the 20-lap main event. Teammate Brett
Metcalfe sat out once again to continue his recovery from recent
crashes in Atlanta and Daytona. Metcalfe is hopeful to return to
action at next week’s event in Toronto.

Dungey rode determined in practice,
grabbing the second fastest time in timed qualifying. After a good
start in his heat race, Dungey’s RM-Z powered him to the front for
a convincing win. After a decent start in the main, Dungey was able
to work his way up to third position by the end of the first lap.
Dungey rode tenaciously on his RM-Z450 but couldn’t quite catch the
leaders and crossed the line, claiming a third-place podium finish.
Dungey’s consistent results have paid off, as the Rockstar Makita
Suzuki rider now sits third in the championship points race.

"All in all, today was a good
day,” said Dungey. “My Rockstar Makita Suzuki felt great,
practice was good, and the bike settled in really well too. Going
into the night race, I got a good start in my heat race and got the
heat win. In the main, I got caught up in the pack a little bit but
was able to work up to third. I was trying to gain on the leaders,
but I just couldn’t make up enough time and then made a pretty big
mistake on my part. Overall, I think it was a great night and big
step in the right direction. I’m looking forward to Canada. It’s
a big stadium and the track layout is pretty amazing there. It will
be good to go to another country as well. Hopefully we can get good
starts and put ourselves in a good position there."

American Honda Racing’s Trey Canard
won the supercross race, recording his second supercross-class win in
his rookie season aboard his Honda CRF450R, while GEICO Honda’s
Justin Barcia came out on top and scored his second victory of the
season aboard his CRF250R.

After finishing second in his heat
race, Canard got away to a good start in the main event, moving into
the lead on the opening lap. Once out front, Canard held on to his
lead for the majority of the race until fellow Honda racer, TwoTwo
Motorsports’ Chad Reed, made a pass for the lead during the closing
stages of the race. Canard retaliated and passed Reed that same lap
to resume control out front and take the victory for the second time
this season.

“I got a great start in the main
tonight, which I’m pumped about because starts are something I’ve
worked really hard to improve. And I’m ecstatic to get my second
win of the season,” said Canard. “I was really fast on most areas
of the track, but the whoops were a thorn in my side tonight.
However, I definitely made up time by keeping low over the jumps and
scrubbing hard. Reed was fast through the whoops, and he was there to
capitalize on my mistakes. We had a good battle late in the race in
which he passed me, and I got him right back. We battled to the very
end, and I’m just stoked to put the American Honda Racing Team on
top for the second time this season, plus it’s awesome to see Honda
finish one-two on the podium.”

Canard’s fill-in teammate Cole Seely
finished sixth in his heat race, and after getting a mid-pack start
in the supercross main had worked his way up into seventh position
when he went down on lap five. Losing a lap in the fall, Seely
recovered to finish a hard-fought 15th overall.

The next stop of the 2011 AMA/FIM
Supercross Championship for the Yoshimura-backed teams is Saturday,
March 26th, at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada.

About Yoshimura R&D of America:
Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for
more than 55 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for
racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket exhaust
industry. Yoshimura pipes are race bred and feature the same
legendary performance, fit and quality that has been their trademark
for more than five decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view
their wide variety of performance products, visit
www.yoshimura-rd.com.

Yoshimura products are designed,
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