Press Release –

Yoshimura and Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki swept round nine of the AMA ATV Motocross Championship at Pleasure Valley Raceway in Armagh, Pennsylvania, with defending champion and points leader Dustin Wimmer (#1) winning both motos for the second consecutive race, while teammate Doug Gust (#55) finished second overall with two podium finishes.

Wimmer started the weekend by posting the fastest time in practice and qualifying. At the start of the first moto, however, it was his veteran teammate Doug Gust with the holeshot.

But Gust’s lead would be short lived, as Wimmer quickly took the top spot and and easily held it to the finish line. Gust, after a race long battle for the podium, crossed the line in third.

The second moto would prove to be much more of a challenge for the team. Wimmer and Gust both started at the front and were part of a four-rider fight for first place. The race came to a head on the last lap, with the finish line in sight.

Wimmer, pressuring for the lead, and Gust, right behind him, were both able to capitalize on an incident that knocked out both leaders. The two Yoshimura-powered QuadRacer R450s continued to the finish line unscathed, giving Wimmer and Gust first and second overall, respectively.

“Everything worked out great,” remarked Wimmer. “I got a good start in the first race. When I passed Doug I just got a good lead and stayed out front. The second race was really good racing! We went back and forth five times for the lead. On the last lap, I was able to sneak through and get the win!” Wimmer was excited after re-taking the AMA ATV Motocross Championship points lead. “Everything’s working great right now. I feel strong. My conditioning is at 100% and I showed that I could come back. We’re 29 points ahead in the points, now I just need to ride smart!”

The next round of the AMA ATV Pro Motocross Championship takes place August 2nd at Red Bud in Buchanan, Michigan.

Press Release –

Rockstar Makita Suzuki Racing‘s Dustin Wimmer celebrated an outstanding AMA ATV Motocross victory at the Suzuki Summer Nationals at Pleasure Valley Raceway in Armagh, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.

Wimmer not only captured one-one moto finishes to take the overall victory, the defending AMA ATV Motocross Champion also moved into the championship points lead with this result. This victory marks Wimmer’s fifth win of the season, which is even more impressive considering he was injured mid-season and had to miss a round.

Adding to the excitement of the weekend, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Doug Gust followed his teammate home in an impressive second place. Gust carded third- and second-place moto finishes to take second-place overall at Pleasure Valley. This is Gust’s fourth visit to the podium this year and he is currently in fourth place in the points chase.

Dustin Wimmer:

“It feels good to take the win and be back in the points lead. I just need to put in three more solid motos to have the championship wrapped up. There was definitely some good racing going on this weekend. I think this round was the most exciting so far. There was a lot of back-and-forth, so I had to stay focused and fast on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki QuadRacer R450. I’m going to do some extra training for the next round at Red Bud because it can get really rough and I want to be ready for it.”

Doug Gust:

“This was definitely one of the best races of the year. My Rockstar Makita Suzuki QuadRacer R450 had plenty of power and got me to the front and there was some really good racing going on. I really like the changes they made to the facility and the track. It’s a technical track and requires a lot of throttle control. I’ve been training hard, I’m still in it and it’s not over until the last race.”

Rockstar Makita Suzuki Racing will race next at .the AMA ATV Red Bud National at Red Bud Track ‘N’ Trail in Buchanan, Michigan, the weekend of August 1-2, 2009.

AMA Pro ATV Motocross Top 10 Finishers:

1. Dustin Wimmer, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Racing
2. Doug Gust, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Racing
3. Josh Upperman, Honda
4. John Natalie Jr., Can-Am
5. Josh Creamer, Kawasaki
6. Joe Byrd, Honda
7. Thomas Brown, Yamaha
8. Cody Miller, Can-Am
9. Jeremy Lawson, Can-Am
10. Greg Gee, Honda

Press Release –

Not only is the championship on the line between current point leader Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chad Wienen and Rockstar/Makita/Yoshimura Suzuki’s Defending AMA Pro ATV MX Champion Dustin Wimmer but so is the Manufacturer’s Cup, which also features a tight race between the Suzuki and Kawasaki OEMs.

But while Kawasaki’s Wienen leads the riders, Suzuki leads the Manufacturer’s Points and has the most overall wins. Suzuki has 332 points, leading over Kawasaki’s 318 points.

“Suzuki is extremely proud to be leading the Manufacturer’s Cup,” said Pat Alexander, Sports Promotion Manager at American Suzuki Motor Corp. “The competition this year has been tough but the hard work that the Rockstar/Makita/Yoshimura team has put in is really showing in results. Dustin is just five points out of the Championship and is really coming on strong after his brief layoff from a shoulder injury and Doug’s results have definitely proven that he is still just as competitive as he has always been for so many years.”

“The Monster Energy Kawasaki team has worked extremely hard the past three years and to be in a position to be fighting for the championship and Manufacturer’s cup this year is very rewarding,” said Reid Nordin, manager of Kawasaki Team Green. “Having a solid platform like the KFX450R was a great start to our effort and the team was built for success around that machine.”

Team Honda and Can-Am are also close behind with 308 points and 273 points, respectively. While Kawasaki and Suzuki lead right now, with three rounds and six motos still to go, according to AMA ATVMX Series Manager Harv Whipple, all four brands that could still win the Cup.

“So far this season, five of the six brands participating in this ultra competitive AMA Pro Racing division have had a competitor put their machine in the top five on more than one occasion with all six brands having scored championship points,” said Whipple. “It goes beyond saying that all of the OEM’s are going above and beyond to see to it that their brand is what the consumers want to purchase.”

“In recent years both Honda in 2007 and Suzuki in 2008 claimed the Cup prior to the end of the season,” Whipple said. “But just like the championship itself, the Manufacturer’s Cup could come down to the last moto of the year.”