YOSHIMURA-Backed Teams Strong At Daytona Supercross

CHINO, CA (March 7, 2011) –
Yoshimura-backed teams showed their strength and fortitude in the
ninth round of the 2011 AMA/FIM Supercross Championship at the
Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.. The Rockstar
Makita Suzuki, Rockstar Energy Suzuki, and Honda racing teams
utilized the performance advantage of their Yoshimura products with
their solid results on the extremely tough Daytona track.

Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan
Dungey overcame adversity after an unfortunate mechanical issue in
his heat race and a trip to the LCQ to put his Yoshimura-equipped
Suzuki RM-Z450 on the podium with a third-place finish. Teammate
Brett Metcalfe had a rough night, finishing 18th in the grueling
20-lap main event.

“I owe a lot to my Rockstar Makita
Suzuki team today,” said Dungey. “They worked their butt off to
get my Suzuki ready for the LCQ and for it to run that good in the
main was unbelievable. I’m really happy – we had our work cut out
for us tonight. With the cards that were dealt and the circumstances,
I think we handled everything the best we could and did all we could.
I think at the end of the day, we’re happy with the result. I’m
really looking forward to Indy; the new Lucas Oil Stadium is really
cool and the fans there are great. It’ll be good to get back
indoors.”

“This track is always tough,” said
Metcalfe. “And last week’s crash took a lot out of me physically.
I knew it was gonna be tough coming in, but I tried to be positive.
We got better through practice – My Rockstar Makita Suzuki team
really got the bike working good for me and I couldn’t really ask
for anything more. I just wasn’t physically prepared for that kind
of race. I tried to make a game plan and stick to it, but I lost that
game plan about halfway through the main. I felt good at the
beginning of the main, but by the halfway point, it was tough for me
and I lost a bit of focus there. We’re still in one piece and I
just hope to have a good week and move on.”

After finishing third in his heat race,
Canard got away to a mid-pack start in the main. Nearing the end of
the opening lap, he tangled with another rider, with both riders
going down. Rejoining the race at the back of the field, Canard
worked his way through the pack and by lap 12 was holding down ninth
position. Midway through that lap, a rider crashed right in front of
him and he was again on the ground. Relinquishing several spots in
the fall, Canard got up and soldiered on to take the checkers in 13th
place.

“Man, what a tough night,” said
Canard. “Every rider knows that nights like tonight are going to
happen some time in their career, but knowing that doesn’t make it
any less frustrating when it actually happens to you. I had one of
those nights where I was always in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But that’s just racing, I guess. I can’t really complain because
I’ve been among the top finishers each week up until now. I’ll
put this race behind me and focus on staying positive and preparing
for next weekend’s Indianapolis round.”

Team Rockstar Energy Suzuki scored a
top ten finish in the third round of the 2011 AMA/FIM Supercross
Lites East Championship season. Jason Anderson powered his
Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki RM-Z250 to a sixth-place finish in the
15-lap lites main event.

“Daytona actually worked out pretty
good for me,” said Anderson. “I struggled a little bit in my heat
race but made it through to the main. In the main, I got bumped at
the start and bent my shift lever; it ended up stuck in third gear. I
had to ride the whole race in third gear so I was on the rev limiter
every lap through the whoops, but my RMZ was amazing and held
together – I was pretty excited to come away with a sixth. The
Daytona track was kind of a curveball for me, so I’m excited to go
to Indy and get back to an indoor stadium.”

Anderson’s Rockstar Energy teammate,
Ian Trettel, suffered a bad crash in the afternoon’s first timed
practice and sustained a serious head injury. Trettel was treated
onsite by the Asterisk mobile medical crew and local EMTs and
immediately transported to Halifax Medical Center, where he remains
under sedation and observation. Reports indicate no sign of spinal
cord damage or paralysis and initial CT scans were positive.

The next stop of the 2011 AMA/FIM
Supercross Championship for the Yoshimura-backed teams is Saturday,
March 12th, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. You can meet
the Team Suzuki riders on Friday, March 11th, from 6 to 7 PM at
Dreyer Motorsports, 4170 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN.

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,
manufactured, intended, and sold for use on vehicles that are
operated only on closed course racing circuits unless otherwise
noted.  Use of these products on public roads or lands is
strictly prohibited and may be a violation of local, state, or
federal laws. Products intended for use on vehicles operated on
public roads or lands are clearly so indicated.