TEAM SUZUKI/YOSHIMURA ATV RACING EYES CHAMPIONSHIP ABOARD NEW RACE-READY QUADRACER LT-R450

BREA, Calif. (Jan. 31, 2005) – The Team Suzuki/Yoshimura ATV Race Team enters the 2006 season with a renewed determination to win and the race-ready equipment to do so.

“This will be the season so many ATV enthusiasts have longed for and Suzuki fans have dreamed of,” said Rod Lopusnak, ATV operations manager for American Suzuki Motor Corp. “The entire Team Suzuki/Yoshimura operation – racers, mechanics, crew and machines – is incredibly well-prepared for a winning year.”

Grand National Championship MX series
Team Suzuki/Yoshimura ATV features two incredible MX racers. Doug Gust, a 39-year-old veteran out of Salem, Wis., is a two-time Pro-class Champion ready to prove that he has the skills, strength and speed to regain the title he last won in 2004. Gust finished the 2005 season in second place overall. During the season, Gust played a large role in helping Suzuki design and develop the new QuadRacer LT-R450 he and his teammate will race in 2006. Gust’s equipment is prepped by ace tuner Paul Turner, one of the most-respected and hardest-working race mechanics in the pro pits.

Also returning to the team is Jeremiah Jones, a 26-year-old motocross phenom from Bowling Green, Ky. Jones raced his first season with the Suzuki team last year and earned one victory and a third-place overall finish on the season. His hard-charging style has Jones battling for the top position in every race, and he will certainly be a threat for the title aboard the new QuadRacer LT-R450. Jones’ ATVs are maintained and prepped by Ryan Cox. Cox also builds engines for both Gust and Jones.

Wayne Hinson returns as team manager of Team Suzuki/Yoshimura ATV Racing. Hinson is well known in the motorsports racing industry for his leadership of the Hinson Clutch Components company. An icon in the ATV racing industry, Hinson built the clutches Gary Denton – one of the original Suzuki QuadRacer pilots – used to win championships more than 20 years ago.

Assisting Hinson and the team this year is Travis Sylvester, the newest member of the race team. As Race Team Coordinator, Sylvester will handle logistics and will be hands-on at the track. He has experience racing and is an ATV tuner and metal fabricator. Suspension duties will be managed by Rick Stricklin.

The ATVA Grand National Championship Motocross season begins Feb. 5 at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif.

Grand National Cross-Country series
Competing in the Grand National Cross-Country (GNCC) series for Team Suzuki/Yoshimura is William Yokley, a 28-year-old racer from Tompkinsville, Ky. Yokley is a fan favorite and has been in the top ranks of the Pro Class for 10 years, earning third place overall in the 2005 GNCC series, capped by victories at two of the most prestigious races of the season: the Loretta Lynn’s round and the Ironman season finale. Yokley also competes regularly in grueling desert races such as the Baja 1000. Yokley and his ATV teammates finished third in the 2005 Baja race.

The GNCC series begins March 4 at De Leon Springs, Fla., marking the beginning of the famous Daytona Bike Week festivities.

Team Suzuki/Yoshimura Race Machine
The 2006 QuadRacer LT-R450 – the industry’s first race-ready motocross ATV – is the race machine Team Suzuki/Yoshimura riders will use in 2006. The QuadRacer is an all-new ATV Suzuki developed with the technical assistance of Doug Gust. It’s designed for racing and features a fuel-injected 450cc four-stroke engine based on the championship-winning RM-Z450 MX bike engine. The QuadRacer also features a race-inspired widetrack chassis with high-performance suspension, tires and wheels. The all-new LT-R450 is designed to make ATV racing affordable – and successful – for almost any budget and is available now at authorized Suzuki dealers nationwide.

Team Suzuki/Yoshimura MX sponsors
Team Suzuki/Yoshimura ATV MX Racing receives support from many outstanding companies. Sponsors include Genuine Suzuki Accessories, Fox Shox, Motul, BMC, Tag Metals, Streamline, Fly Racing, Hinson Clutch Components, Regina, Douglas Wheel, NGK, VP Fuels, Walsh Racecraft, Bling Star, Precision and Pro Design.

Team Suzuki/Yoshimura GNCC sponsors
Team Suzuki/Yoshimura ATV Cross-Country Racing receives additional support from: IMS, ITP, Roll Design, Elka Suspension, Temecula Motorsports, Hinson Clutch Components, Motorex, Tire Balls, Sunstar, Motion Pro, Galfer, CGR, ARC, RK Chains, Scott USA, Badger Racing, JPMX, QuadTech, GPR, VP Racing, Hardkor, Works Connection, CTi2, PowerMadd, Team Industries, Cardio Shack, IMS-Roll, Fulmer Helmets and Universal.