BREA, Calif. (July 16, 2009) -- Rockstar Makita Suzuki Racing heads into this weekend's round nine of the AMA ATV Motocross Championship series at Pleasure Valley in Armagh, Pennsylvania, determined to take over the championship points lead. Currently, Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Dustin Wimmer is a mere five points out of first place overall and the defending champion hopes to move into the leader's spot this weekend, while his teammate Doug Gust is currently close behind in fourth place overall.
"We at Suzuki are so proud of the Rockstar Makita Suzuki ATV team," said American Suzuki Sports Promotion Manager Pat Alexander. "The competition this year has been significant but the time and effort that the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team have put in is really showing. Dustin is just five points out of the lead and is coming on strong after that shoulder injury and Doug's results show that he is just as competitive as ever. Suzuki is excited about the race this weekend and looks forward to another strong showing from the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team."
After winning the first three out of four 2009 AMA ATV MX rounds and leading the points from the season's onset, Wimmer dislocated his shoulder in a practice crash. As a result, he missed one round but then rebounded back to take one-one moto wins and the overall victory on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki QuadRacer R450 at the last round at Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tennessee.
"I'm really looking forward to the Pleasure Valley race this weekend," said AMA ATV Motocross Defending Champion Wimmer. "The whole Rockstar Makita Suzuki team has worked really hard to help me come back from my injury. They've given me a great bike with the Rockstar Makita Suzuki QuadRacer R450. It's made transitioning back into racing really easy with its impressive power and good handling, particularly in off-camber turns. This weekend, my plan is to go out there and do my job, and make sure I do the best I can and come out on top for Suzuki." Meanwhile, Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Gust stepped up while his teammate was down with an injury. Gust has finished on the podium in the last three out of four races. Indeed, the last two rounds saw Gust and his Rockstar Makita Suzuki QuadRacer R450 bring home two impressive second-place finishes in a row.
This weekend, the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team will race at Pennsylvania's Pleasure Valley facility, which is owned by long-time race supporter and Suzuki dealer Jeff Cernic. According to Cernic, Pleasure Valley was established in 1969 and is the oldest track in the country.
"We are so happy to be hosting the Pleasure Valley National," said Cernic. "This race is our biggest event of the year. We expect to have as many as 700 riders participating. The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend and the whole event should be a good showing for Suzuki."
For more information on Wimmer, Gust and the rest of the Rockstar Makita Suzuki teams, please log on to www.SuzukiCycles.com.