Stewart excited to race for hometown crowd at Daytona next weekend
Photographer: Jake Klingensmith
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (March 3, 2014) – Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s James Stewart demonstrated true grace under pressure at round nine of the 2014 AMA/FIM Supercross Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN, on Saturday night. Stewart rallied after another rider collided with him just off the start, charging through the field on his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to finish a well-earned seventh place.
Stewart’s day in Indianapolis started out on a positive note, with the Yoshimura Suzuki rider posting the fastest qualifying time during the day’s practice sessions. Then, he went on to dominate all comers on the rutted, challenging track to take his sixth heat-race win of the season.
“My heat race went pretty good,” said Stewart. “I was able to get out front on my Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 and put some good laps into it. After the heat, I knew the track was going to be gnarly in the main event… it was super-rutted.”
Photographer: Jake Klingensmith
Despite the demanding nature of the Indianapolis track, Stewart was feeling confident going into the 20-lap main event. At the start, he got a good launch but within seconds, another rider hit him from behind and he went down. Undaunted, Stewart got up, dusted himself off and rejoined the fray almost dead last. Despite this, he gave 100 percent and picked off the competition one by one and finished a solid seventh place.
“I was right there in, I think, a top-five start and then, boom, I was on the ground,” said Stewart. “Everything was all twisted up – I tried to fix my handlebars as good as I could, but they were still pretty bent – and I had to try to get back. I just fought my way up, and for the first half of the race, I was struggling. Then everybody started coming back and I was able to catch up to seventh. Obviously, it wasn’t what we wanted but I did everything I could. I’m all right, I’m healthy and I’m looking forward to going to Daytona and racing in a Florida town. I feel good, I feel very fast and super-confident, and we’ll get it next weekend.”
Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s next event is the 10th round of the 2014 AMA/FIM Supercross Championships on Saturday, March 8th, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.
Indianapolis 450 Supercross Results:
1. Ryan Dungey
2. Eli Tomac
3. Cole Seely
4. Ryan Villopoto
5. Broc Tickle
6. Andrew Short
7. James Stewart
8. Justin Brayton
9. Josh Hill
10. Dean Wilson
2014 450 Supercross Standings:
1. Ryan Villopoto – 184
2. Ryan Dungey – 161
3. Ken Roczen – 158
4. James Stewart – 154
5. Justin Brayton – 143
6. Chad Reed – 111
7. Justin Barcia – 109
8. Andrew Short – 109
9. Will Hahn – 93
10. Broc Tickle – 93
About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for more than 55 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket exhaust industry. Yoshimura pipes are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit and quality that has been their trademark for more than five decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.yoshimura-rd.com.
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. SMAI’s supplier, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide
