Yates Wins AMA Superstock Race At VIR
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Aug 18, 2008
Suzuki Racing
Alton, VA – Michael Jordan Motor Sports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates won today’s AMA Superstock race at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). This is Yates fourth win for the Jordan Suzuki team and his eighth consecutive Superstock podium finish in the class.
Yates, who qualified for the pole position with a time of 1:24.874, was the only rider to get into the 24s, narrowly missing (by. 064 seconds) a new track record on the 2.25 mile VIR North course. His strong qualifying time earned Yates an additional point toward the overall championship, increasing his lead to 32 points before race time. “I was amped up about the session and I wanted to go out there and get that extra point,” said Yates. “I had to settle down and cool out a little bit. I ended up getting it done.”
On the green flag of the 17-lap event, Yates got off to a good start, quickly grabbing the hole-shot on his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Heading into turn one, teammate Geoff May was able to catch the tow behind Yates for second place, bettering his starting position by two. The Jordan Suzuki duo shadowed each other for three laps before May snuck past Yates, taking the lead on lap four. A trackside incident caused officials to stop the race. With 11 laps remaining on the restart, it was May who captured the hole-shot ahead of Yates, who followed closely in second position. Yates stalked his teammate for eight laps before retaking the lead, where he remained through the waving checkered flag. “It’s good to get the win,” said Yates. “I’m trying to get the championship for the Jordan Suzuki team!” Yates is currently leading the AMA Superstock championship by 36 points.
On lap 12, May ran wide on the course, and remaining upright, he quickly returned to the track in fourth place. While charging hard toward the finish line, May mistook Yates’ pit board as his and rolled off the throttle. “I thought it was my board,” said May. “His is written differently than mine, so I thought I had a three second gap.” Understanding his error, he rapidly returned to speed and captured fifth place in the event. A rookie with Jordan Suzuki, May has earned three Superstock podium finishes, including his first AMA National win, in eight outings with his new team. In today’s event, May was awarded an additional point for leading the most laps, in addition to 27 points for his top five finish. He remains third in overall points in the AMA Superstock championship.
Jordan Suzuki’s riders and crew have two more race weekends in the AMA Superbike Championship: a Superbike doubleheader at Road Atlanta August 29-31 in Braselton, Georgia and the season finale September 27-28 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.
Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motor Sports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry.
