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Yoshimura Suzuki crate up for debut at Monza

Tuesday, 27 April 2010 12:56 GMT
Yoshimura Suzuki crate up for debut at Monza


A release issued by the Japanese parts and tuning company revealed that Yoshimura were "proud to join the WSBK grid which promises fierce competition together with major motorcycle manufacturers and their factory and private teams." They aim to "challenge the tough competition of the factory teams with strong confidence in order to achieve our primary aim and would like to provide our machine and parts developed during WSBK activities, as inexpensive as possible, to those who participate in WSBK with a Suzuki motorcycle, and through the support of privateer teams by offering availability of Yoshimura parts."


The Yoshimura Suzuki machine that will be present at Monza is a modified version of the 2009 Suzuka 8 Hours winning machine adapted to WSBK regulations. "We are confident that the engine, the machine weight and total balance are competitive enough for the Yoshimura idea and passion in WSBK challenge," continued the note. "We will participate with Yukio Kagayama as first race to enter the WSBK, and also the final round in Magny-Cours in October also with Kagayama. His experiences in these courses and WSBK will show the high performance. Then we enter the race at Imola in September with Daisaku Sakai. It is going to be his first race at WSBK, however his experiences of Suzuka 8H and Suzuka GP250 wild card entrant should help him."


Yoshimura's history dates back to 1954 when Hideo ‘Pops' Yoshimura founded the predecessor of ‘Yoshimura Japan' with the name of ‘Yoshimura Motors.' They won the first edition of the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in 1978 and followed that up with another win in 1980, while in 1988 the legendary Kevin Schwantz won the equally legendary Daytona 200 Mile race in the USA. Company founder Hideo Yoshimura died at the age of seventy-three in 1995, while two more wins at Suzuka came in 2007 and 2009. Yoshimura Suzuki have decided to abandon the All-Japan Superbike Championship this year to make first contact with World Superbike in view of full-time participation in 2011.