A night of highs and lows for the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team
Huntersville, NC (March 25, 2019) – The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team was in Seattle, Washington this past weekend for round 12 of the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Championship and the seventh stop of the 250 Western Regional Supercross Series. It was a night of highs and lows for the team; Suzuki RM-Z250 rider Jimmy Decotis added to his strong podium streak with a third-place finish while RM-Z450 fan-favorite Chad Reed put his season on-hold after a bad crash in the main.
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-ten 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 Chad 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 Supercross Championship. This will also serve as the eighth round of the 250 West Regional Supercross series.
About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (SMAI) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Outboard Motors and Automotive Parts and Accessories via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
About JGRMX: Joe Gibbs Racing Motocross (JGRMX), based in Huntersville, NC, was founded in 2007 by Coy Gibbs, son of NFL Hall of Fame head coach and multi-time NASCAR Championship winning team owner Joe Gibbs. JGRMX competes in both the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship series as well as the Monster Energy Supercross series with support from Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. aboard Suzuki RM-Z250 and RM-Z450 race machines.
About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for 65 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket. Yoshimura exhaust systems are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit, and quality that has been their trademark for six decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.yoshimura-rd.com.
