SUZUKI FACTORY RACING HAS THE WILL TO WIN IN OAKLAND
January 27, 2015
BREA, CA – Fresh off his dominant win at Anaheim II aboard his Suzuki RM-Z450, Ken Roczen and his Suzuki Factory Racing teammates made their way to the O.co Coliseum in Oakland, California for round four of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series. This stop on the tour would demonstrate to fans worldwide, not only how committed Suzuki Factory Racing is to winning, but it would also showcase our rider’s strong will to win.
Built To Win
The new 2015 Suzuki RM-Z450 is at the top of its class, and Suzuki Factory Racing’s team efforts run in parallel with the performance of the product. Suzuki Factory Racing is determined to provide the most solid foundations for its riders. At this high a level in the sport, every aspect of a rider’s program—from their fitness and conditioning, to their well-structured team environment, to the proven performance of the RM-Z450—are all integral to their individual success. Full support from Suzuki factory teams such as the Jimmy Johns/Soaring Eagle/Suzuki Factory Racing team and the Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team enable riders like Ken Roczen, Broc Tickle and Blake Baggett to keep a tight focus on their championship goals.
Once the support trucks pull in to the stadiums at each event, the race team staff begins to assemble their set ups. From making sure the tent is raised, to getting the mechanic areas ready, to fully race-prepping the rider’s RM-Zs, there is no detail left unturned.
One area where the teams pay particular attention is making sure the fans have a way to get face-to-face time with their favorite Suzuki riders. Ken Roczen, Broc Tickle and Blake Baggett all draw large crowds and long lines for autographs, as supportive fans await their chance to see, and perhaps even meet, their favorite Suzuki riders. In an effort to provide their fans with a totally unique experience, RCH has set up a second fan experience trailer so people can sign up for giveaways and get a photo of themselves sitting on Roczen's Suzuki RM-Z450.
Suzuki satellite riders like Brett Metcalfe, Ronnie Stewart and Robert Lind of the Dirt Candy/Fugoo Racing Suzuki team also provide a great atmosphere and fan-friendly environment in their pits. That attitude carries over onto the track as well. Veteran teammate Metcalfe continues to help out his teammates as they all continue to showcase their skills and performance of the Suzuki RM-Z450. Their hard work shows as their team’s results begin to improve and their fan base continues to grow.
At each race, as the lights go on and the stadium fills up, Suzuki's best riders line up to do battle against some of the fastest riders on the planet. Between the qualifying session and all-day prep, the crews migrate in and out of the stadium assuring each of their riders the highest level of attention and support. Riders and mechanics must communicate both on and off the track so they are prepared for any of the night’s challenges. And at Oakland, the RCH crew in particular would indeed have to face a couple strong challenges.
The night started out exceptionally solid for the Suzuki Factory Racing riders. Ken Roczen put in another dominating performance aboard his RM-Z as he went on to win the first 450SX heat race. Roczen was followed by his teammate Tickle, who also impressed the fans in attendance with an exciting third place finish. With their respective results, both Roczen and Tickle would immediately transfer to the main event.
Yoshimura Racing’s Blake Baggett also put in an impressive ride in the first 450SX heat race as well, finishing a respectable sixth place behind his fellow Suzuki riders. Baggett capped off that impressive run by coming back and winning the 450SX Semi 1 race (where he also posted the fastest lap in the Semi with a 53.077 lap time). Dirt Candy/Fugoo Racing Suzuki’s Brett Metcalfe would place third in the 450SX Semi 2, which also secured his transfer to the main event.
When the gate dropped for the 20 lap main event, the success from the earlier races didn’t carry over for the RCH teammates. After quickly making his way towards the front of the pack, Roczen cased a jump, which put the young rider off the track for a significant amount of time. By the time Roczen had regrouped, he was down a lap, but he went on to show the crowd at Oakland what champions are truly made of. Roczen regrouped and rallied back into the race, finishing a respectable 15th, while also collecting valuable championship points. Although that result may not be the finish that Roczen was looking for, he showed his fans that he is not going to give up easy and displayed a champion’s heart.
Roczen’s teammate Tickle would also have a tough evening, crashing out of the main event. Tickle, who later emerged ok, would simply say he is, "looking forward to Anaheim 3."
Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Baggett however put in his best ride of the season thus far and finished a respectable ninth place. The rookie 450 Suzuki rider is showing improvements at every race and soon hopes to be inside the top 5 with his RM-Z450. Brett Metcalfe also charged through the challenging course and crossed the line in 12th overall.
Monster Energy Supercross continues next week as Suzuki Factory Racing looks forward to returning to Anaheim III for the third and final stop at Angel Stadium. With the best crews, the best teams and some of the largest crowds in the pits, it's easy to see how much support is behind Suzuki Factory Racing in 2015. Suzuki Factory Racing wishes all our factory and privateer-supported riders the best of luck at Anaheim!
Contingency Update: Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross. Suzuki is paying double contingency for this event! The 6th Annual Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross once again returns to Daytona International Speedway for the biggest two-day amateur supercross event on the planet. Following Saturday night’s Daytona Supercross, amateur racing kicks off Sunday, March 8 and continues on Monday, March 9, 2015. Racers can CLICK HERE to register for the 2015 Suzuki Contingency Program and they can CLICK HERE to pre-register for the Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross.
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 and Outboard Motors. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has 147 distributors in 201 countries.
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