Suzuki Motor USA
Continues Extended
Manufacturer Support
of Pro Motocross
Championship
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Celebrated Brand Poised
to Build on Legacy of RM-Z
Line of Motorcycles
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MORGANTOWN,
W.Va. (June 25,
2024) – MX Sports Pro
Racing, Inc., has
announced the
continuation of the
extended manufacturer
partnership with
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC,
with the
Pro Motocross
Championship,
sanctioned by AMA Pro
Racing. The celebrated
Japanese manufacturer
has been a mainstay in
American motocross,
having competed in the
championship since its
inception in 1972 and
now building upon an
impressive legacy
surrounding its RM-Z
line of motorcycles.
“As the Motorsports
Manager at Suzuki Motor
USA, I take pride in our
unwavering commitment to
the Pro Motocross
Championship,” said
Chris Wheeler,
Motorsports Manager,
Suzuki Motor USA. “Our
continued support and
OEM partnership are a
testament to our
dedication to the sport
and its athletes and we
are looking forward to
even more great racing
this summer.”
With more than a
half-century of
competition under its
belt, Suzuki’s decades
of success on the
racetrack have made it
one of the most
decorated manufacturers
in Pro Motocross
history. Its maiden
championship in 1975
with Tony DiStefano
kicked off the
three-year reign of
dominance that saw the
Pennsylvania native
secure a three-peat of
250cc titles with the
brand. Just a couple
years later in 1980,
Suzuki was once again on
top, sweeping the 250cc
and 125cc championships
with Kent Howerton and
Mark Barnett,
respectively. Through
the first decade of Pro
Motocross, no
manufacturer had
captured more titles
than Suzuki, with a
combined nine
championships across the
125cc, 250cc, and 500cc
divisions, which
cemented the brand’s
legacy for the years
that followed.
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Shane McElrath (12)
and Kyle Chisholm (11)
spearhead Suzuki's 450
Class efforts
at Twisted Tea Suzuki
Presented by Progressive
Insurance
Photo Courtesy
MX Sports Pro Racing,
Inc.
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All told, Suzuki has
amassed 18 total
championships over 52
seasons of the Pro
Motocross Championship
and more than 180
combined victories. The
list of riders that have
competed for the brand
is littered with AMA
Hall of Famers,
including the likes of
DiStefano, Howerton, and
Barnett, as well as the
“G.O.A.T.” Ricky
Carmichael, Ryan Dungey,
Danny LaPorte, Mike
LaRocco, Travis
Pastrana, James Stewart,
and Marty Smith, with
Kevin Windham soon to
join them as a member of
the Class of 2024. Other
Suzuki legends over the
years include Greg
Albertyn, Guy Cooper,
George Holland, Erik
Kehoe, Broc Hepler,
Branden Jesseman, and
Chad Reed, who is also
one day destined for the
AMA Motorcycle Hall of
Fame.
“And we can’t forget
about New Jersey legend
Barry Carsten, who owns
the record for Pro
Motocross starts on
Suzuki motorcycles, with
a remarkable 164 starts
between 1989 through
2008,” stated Davey
Coombs, President, MX
Sports Pro Racing. “In
fact, Carsten made more
starts on a Suzuki than
any rider has on any
other brand.
“Suzuki has long been
one of the pillars of
competing OEMs in the
Pro Motocross
Championship, with a
celebrated legacy packed
with championships and
race wins from some of
the sport’s most iconic
figures,” Coombs
continued. “The RM line
of motorcycles has
amassed an incredible
following amongst
enthusiasts, and the
RM-Z remains one of the
most formidable
motorcycles on the
starting gate. We are
grateful for the many
years of support the
brand has provided the
series and congratulate
them on their decades of
success on Pro Motocross
racetracks.”
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Toyota Redlands BarX
Suzuki contests both the
450 Class and 250 Class
with a lineup of
establish and
up-and-coming talent.
Photo Courtesy
MX Sports Pro Racing,
Inc.
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The 2024 season is
highlighted by
factory-supported
efforts from two teams,
with H.E.P. Motorsports
spearheading the
manufacturer’s 450 Class
effort with Twisted Tea
Suzuki Presented by
Progressive Insurance
with riders Kyle
Chisholm and Shane
McElrath, along with
Progressive Insurance
ECSTAR Suzuki and the
highly anticipated
return of two-time Pro
Motocross Champion Ken
Roczen, who captured the
2016 crown with the
brand. Additionally,
Toyota Redlands BarX
Suzuki features a pair
of 450 Class entries
with Derek Drake, who is
on the mend from injury,
and Max Miller, along
with an up-and-coming
lineup of 250 Class
talent featuring Preston
Boespflug, Dilan
Schwartz, and Leo
Tucker.
The 2024 Pro Motocross
Championship is nearing
its halfway point, with
Round 5 of the summer
set to bring the world’s
fastest racers to the
legendary sands of The
Wick 338 in Southwick,
Massachusetts, for the
Crestview Construction
Southwick National on
June 29. Tickets for
Southwick and the
remaining rounds can be
purchased by visiting
www.ProMotocross.com. |
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For information
about the Pro
Motocross
Championship, please
visit ProMotocross.com and
be sure to follow
all of the Pro
Motocross social
media channels for
exclusive content
and additional
information on the
latest news:
Available for download
for both Apple and
Android devices is the
official Pro Motocross
App. Fans of American
motocross can have
access to the world’s
most prestigious
off-road motorcycle
racing series right at
their fingertips on
their mobile devices.
Developed by AMA Pro
Racing, the Pro
Motocross App provides
users with the most
important information
surrounding the Pro
Motocross Championship,
from series news to
schedule and ticket
information, as well as
broadcast schedule
details and live timing
& scoring. Download it
now via the App
Store or Google
Play.
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MX Sports Pro
Racing
MX Sports Pro Racing,
Inc., manages and
produces the world's
premier motocross racing
series - the Pro
Motocross Championship,
sanctioned by AMA Pro
Racing. MX Sports Pro
Racing is an industry
leader in off-road
powersport event
production and
management, whose
mission is to showcase
the sport of
professional motocross
competition at events
throughout the United
States. Through its
various racing
properties, partnerships
and affiliates, MX
Sports Pro Racing, Inc.,
organizes events for
thousands of racing
athletes each year and
attracts millions of
motorsports spectators.
Visit
www.mxsportsproracing.com
for more information.
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Pro Motocross
Championship
The Pro Motocross
Championship features
the world's fastest
outdoor motocross
racers, competing aboard
homologated bikes from
one of eight competing
manufacturers on a
collection of the
roughest, toughest
tracks on the planet.
Racing takes place each
Saturday afternoon, with
competition divided into
two classes: one for
250cc machines, and one
for 450cc machines. MX
Sports Pro Racing, the
industry leader in
off-road powersports
event production,
organizes the Pro
Motocross Championship.
More information can be
found at
www.ProMotocross.com.
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AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the
premier professional
motorcycle racing
organization for North
America, operating a
full schedule of events
and championships for a
variety of motorcycle
disciplines. It serves
as the sanctioning body
of the Pro Motocross
Championship.
Learn more about AMA Pro
Racing at
www.amaproracing.com.
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SuperMotocross
World Championship
The SuperMotocross World
Championship™ is the
premier off-road
motorcycle racing series
that combines the
technical precision of
stadium racing with the
all-out speed and
endurance of outdoor
racing. Created in 2022,
the SuperMotocross World
Championship combines
the Monster Energy AMA
Supercross Championship
and the Pro Motocross
Championship, sanctioned
by AMA Pro Racing, into
a 31-event series that
culminates in a
season-ending two round
playoff and
SuperMotocross World
Championship Final.
Visit
SuperMotocross.com
for more information.
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