Doug Gust and Dustin Wimmer, duly dubbed the “Double D’s”, are on their way to Pell City, Alabama to kick off the season opener for the ATVA GNC. With a new look, new sponsors, new mechanics, and a new rider – everyone involved with the team is jumping at the bit to get out there and watch it all come together.

Most of you recall the highlight of last season when Gust and Wimmer were battling down the short stretch to the checkers at Englishtown for a nail-biting finale to the WPSA season. With the addition of Wimmer to the Suzuki squad, 2007 has every promise of being the most exciting season ever on four wheels.

Ace Yoshimura engine builder Ryan Cox has been busy making ever-larger horsepower numbers in the off season. “It’s been a challenging development season,” Cox said. “In addition to the normal engine development, we also have a lower Db pipe requirement (99Db) mandated from AMA. The new sound level sent us to the dyno’s but we worked out a good combination that the riders seem to like.”

In addition to Team MSR/Pro Taper/Suzuki/Yoshimura, Lost Creek Cycles has been added as a Suzuki support team and Joe Haavisto will be joining Jason “Dunk” Dunkelberger. Kevin Mummah’s new team will be called Team Lost Creek/Yoshimura/Suzuki.

The weather outside was cold and snowy, but the action at the ITP display inside the Indiana Convention Center & RCA Dome was hot, hot, hot! Stormy conditions seemed to affect overall attendance at the 41st Annual Dealernews Magazine International Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis – the biggest and most important trade show of the year for this industry – but you wouldn’t know it by the number of people crowding the ITP booth. For three days straight, dealers and distributors jammed in to check out the many new products ITP debuted at this event. Included on this list were the QuadCross MX and Holeshot SR tires, as well as the SS108 and T7 Beadlock wheels. Visitors were also interested to see many new sizes and options on exciting ITP products, such as colored rings for our Sport-Lock and Trac-Lock wheels (a custom choice for the new T7 Beadlock, too).

Also grabbing plenty of attention were several exotic vehicles. For example, the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team rolled in a race-prepped KXF450R equipped with ITP’s QuadCross MX tires. A couple of wild side-by-side UTVs filled more space: DragonFire Racing built an ITP Rhino featuring long travel suspension and a 3000 watt Kicker stereo, as well as 14-inch SS112 wheels and TerraCross R/T tires; and Rox Speed FX put together an eye-catching Arctic Cat Prowler with Mud Lite XXL tires on 14-inch SS108 wheels.

Many other of the approximately 1,000 exhibitors at the 2007 expo utilized ITP products on vehicles in their displays as well, so it’s not an exaggeration to say ITP practically stole the show!

Check out all the pictures at http://www.itptires.com/indy07.html

Chino, CA – March 6, 2007 – Lost Creek Cycles has signed Joe Haavisto to join Jason “Dunk” Dunkelberger on the newly formed Lost Creek/Yoshimura/Suzuki racing squad. The likeable Northeastern rider is ready to rip in the new Lost Creek Cycles rig. Both riders will campaign Suzuki LT-R450 racing quads equipped with full Yoshimura engine modifications.

“I’m really excited about hooking up with Dunk and Kevin and riding the LT-R450,” Joe remarked. “The bikes are top-notch. We’ve been testing, trying different combinations, and everything is pretty much dialed in. We’re ready to go race.”

While both Joe and Dunk have completely different styles, each has their own strengths. “I’m looking forward to playing off each other,” Dunk explained about his new teammate.

Yoshimura’s Brant Russell is equally excited about the new team. “Yoshimura is 100% behind growing the sport and supporting a talented team like Kevin’s demonstrates our level of commitment. Kevin also fields a large and very impressive amateur team with some great kids riding for him. We especially like being involved helping this group move up.”

Press Release –

Yoshimura racing activities are gearing up to a fever pitch. March is always a hectic time as all disciplines of racing activities collide at once.

In AMA Pro Road Racing, Daytona is set to kick the year off with a bang. Last year’s Champion Ben Spies is ready to defend his crown against multi-time champion and teammate Mat Mladin, as well as new team member Tommy Hayden.

All three of the GSX-R1000 Suzuki riders set fast times at the recent Fontana tests, setting the mark for others to shoot at.

In Supercross, Team Rockstar/WBR/Suzuki is keeping Yoshimura plenty busy. Michael Byrne is currently running 5th in the Supercross title chase. The Satoshi Momma tuned RM-Z450 is plenty fast and Byrne is twisting the grip.

In the Supercross Lites class, the East Coast leg of the series has started up with Kelly Smith and Teammate Andrew McFarland looking for podium finishes. In Supercross Lites West, Troy Adams continues to make consistent top ten finishes. The RM-Z250 Suzuki Lites bikes have proven to be lightening fast and very competitive.

The MSR/Pro-Taper/Suzuki/Yoshimura ATV racing team is in race mode heading into the ATVA opening round in Pell City, Alabama. Perennial champion Doug Gust is ready to rip alongside new teammate Dustin Wimmer for the WPSA title chase. The new sponsorship package has created a new look for the 4 wheeled racers, hopefully the same results will be revisited.

In house, Yoshimura ATV Brand Manager Kory Ellis is attacking the ITP Quad Cross series. Kory is coming off a big win at the Arizona round and has a good points lead heading into the third race of the series.

In off road racing, the new Gary Jones/Yoshimura team is forming up. Team rider Casey Johnson has turned in some impressive rides this season and now stands 4th overall in the prestigious WORCS series. The RM-Z450 has turned out to be quite a capable mount for off-road as well as MX.

Look for the Yoshimura marque at a race near you.

Press Release –

American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) today announced a new partnership with Driving 101, parent company of the Mario Andretti Racing School and Jeff Gordon Racing School, making Suzuki the Official ATV of the Mario Andretti Racing School.

This school will use the Suzuki KingQuad 450 at all school facilities in the United States. Mario Andretti Racing School has headquarters at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the Jeff Gordon Racing School has headquarters at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

“Suzuki has always been associated with racing champions,” said Mel Harris, vice president of ASMC’s motorcycle and ATV division. “Our motorcycles and ATVs have carried some of the industry’s greatest riders to championships, and we’re thrilled to extend that connection to a champion like Mario Andretti, one of the best-known names in motorsports.”

Suzuki’s feature-packed KingQuad 450 ATV will be used at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway and eight other locations nationwide to help start and move the school’s race vehicles and serve in the pits at these famous circuits.

The three-year agreement, coordinated with the help of NASCAR Scene magazine’s Carol Stacy and Driving 101’s Scott Gordon, will continue the growth of the Suzuki KingQuad ATV brand beyond its utility roots.

“Suzuki’s KingQuad ATVs have long been known for their strong utility capabilities,” said Rod Lopusnak, ATV operations manager for American Suzuki. “And now we’ll grow that reputation as the premier sport-utility vehicle through this association with the Mario Andretti organization.”

Founded in 2003, the Mario Andretti Racing School is operated with the goal of providing the most professional, technically advanced racing school in the world, and to bridge the gap between fantasy and reality in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.