Suzuki Experiences Tough Night at Round Eight of Supercross Season
JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing Looks Ahead to Strong Second Half Results
The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing team fought hard in Arlington, Texas where round eight of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross series hosted the second Triple Crown event of the season. Broc Tickle was looking to build on last weekend's strong return to racing on his Suzuki RM-Z450 but his night ended early with an injured hand in race one. 250 East series rider Jimmy Decotis was also injured early in practice, but team fill-in rider Isaac Teasdale qualified directly into the 3-race night show and earned championship points on his JGR-tuned Suzuki RM-Z250.
Tickle has shown that he has the speed and conditioning to make a strong return to the Supercross series. Unfortunately, a collision with another rider's machine early in race one of the Triple Crown format ended his night with only strong qualifying times. Tickle is undergoing treatment to determine if he can return at next weekend's Atlanta round or if he will require time off.
"Broc just had bad luck the first lap of the first main event, when his hand got hit by another rider's wheel,” said Jeremy Albrecht, Team Manager. “He was in too much pain to continue racing and walked straight to the Alpinestars Mobile Medical rig to fix him up the best they could. We will have Tickle evaluated first thing with a hand specialist and see what’s required and at that point determine a timeline for his return to racing."
Jimmy Decotis was another rider with a rough night in Texas. After a crash in practice before timed qualifying laps began it was determined that Jimmy D would not race. After preparing with three 450 rounds early in the season and riding strong last weekend at round one of the 250 East series, “Da Rippa” was disappointed to exit round two without event points. Decotis is looking ahead to round three in Atlanta.
"It was a tough night," said Albrecht. "Jimmy had a crash in the free practice and was not able to ride. Jimmy has had a few tough weeks, but I believe he can get on the podium these next few rounds."
JGR support rider Isaac Teasdale was quick during daytime qualifying, using his fast lap time to earn a direct qualification into the night program. This marks the young racer's steady improvement following a 21st place finish in Tampa. Teasdale broke into the top-20 in his third main event, posting race scores of 20th, 18th, and 17th. The team is helping guide Teasdale's development as he climbs steadily higher up the rankings.
"Freddie Noren and Joey Savatgy are doing well with their recovery and plan to be in Atlanta to see the fans," said Albrecht. No return date is set for either rider yet.
The JGR team looks forward to strong improvements in Atlanta at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium for round nine of the Supercross series.
Images courtesy of Brown Dog Wilson
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, Outboard Motors and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
About JGRMX: Joe Gibbs Racing Motocross (JGRMX), based in Huntersville, NC, was founded in 2007 by Coy Gibbs, son of NFL Hall of Fame head coach and multi-time NASCAR Championship winning team owner Joe Gibbs. JGRMX competes in both the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship series as well as the Monster Energy Supercross series with support from Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. aboard Suzuki RM-Z250 and RM-Z450 race machines.
About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for 65 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket. Yoshimura exhaust systems are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit, and quality that has been their trademark for six decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.shopyoshimura.com.