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Suzuki’s class-leading GSX-R750 just keeps on racking up the wins. Latest major title to come the way of the fuel-injected DOHC 16-valve rocket is the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Superbike Championship.
Australian rider Mat Mladin took the honours for Suzuki after a safe fourth place finish at the final race of the twelve round US Championship series at the race circuit at Pikes Peak, Colorado – near the famed hill-climb where Suzuki’s rally master Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima has performed with such distinction.
Mladin had been in contention for the AMA Superbike Championship right from the opening round at Daytona in March and, when he wasn’t winning races, he was always in the lead bunch. As a result, he took the title away from 1998 AMA Superbike Champion Ben Bostrom.
Also in American Motorcyclist Association sanctioned competition, Tom Kipp has retained the AMA 750 Supersports Championship for Suzuki on his GSX-R750, with Suzuki totally dominating the series and the final championship score sheet, taking the top seven places and the vast majority of the scoring positions.
And in Japan, the GSX-R750 is also proving a force to reckon with. At the eighth round of the All-Japan Superbike Championship at the Tsukuba circuit, Team Suzuki’s Akira Ryo and Keiichi Kitagawa took their GSX-R750s to a dramatic 1-2 finish.
Kitagawa was the early leader ahead of team-mate Ryo with the two Team Suzuki riders maintaining formation for the first 20 laps. But Ryo took over with a lap to go and took the chequered flag ahead of his team-mate. Still, second place for Kitagawa was enough to take him into the joint series lead with Yamaha’s Wataru Yoshikawa with two rounds remaining.
To further underline the strength of the GSX-R750, Akira Ryo ran out the overall winner of the final round of the World Superbike Championship at the Yamaha-owned Sugo circuit, winning the first race convincingly from newly crowned World Champion Carl Fogarty (Ducati) and finishing second in the final race.
These latest wins for Suzuki’s GSX-R750 continue the winning streak for the model, with the World Endurance Championship and the inaugural European Superstock Championship already falling to the four cylinder 750cc Suzuki’s dominance.
Underscoring the brilliance of the design, the 750’s GSX-R600 stablemate has also had its share of success this year with Frenchman Stephane Chambon winning the inaugural World 600 Supersport Championship after a torrid season-long tustle with Scotsman Iain McPherson (Kawasaki) and a raft of Yamaha YZF-R6-mounted rivals.
And across the English Channel, Scotsman John Crawford has retained the British 600 Supersports Championship on his Team Suzuki GSX-R600, with one round of the series remaining.
The GSX-R600 was developed in tandem with the GSX-R750, with both models sharing the same basic frame and engine configuration.
And unlike other manufacturers’ Superbikes, Suzuki’s winning machine is based on the road legal GSX-R750 available from any Suzuki dealer in New Zealand.
Once again Suzuki has proved its mass production motorcycles are the equal of any limited production FIM Superbike homologation special.
RESULTS
AMA Superbike Championship final points (after 12 of 12 races):
1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki GSX-R750), 361 points;
2. Ben Bostrom (Ducati 996), 351;
3. Anthony Gobert (Ducati 996), 315;
4. Doug Chandler (Kawasaki ZX-7RR), 307;
5. Larry Pegram (Ducati 996), 283;
6. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki GSX-R750), 243;
7. Eric Bostrom (Honda RC45), 237;
8. Aaron Yates (Kawasaki ZX-7RR), 234;
9. Jamie Hacking (Yamaha YZF-R7), 230;
10. Steve Crevier (Suzuki GSX-R750), 220.
AMA 750cc Supersport Championship final points (after 11 of 11 races):
1. Tom Kipp (Suzuki GSX-R750), 344 points;
2. Jake Zemke (Suzuki GSX-R750), 288;
3. Jimmy Moore (Suzuki GSX-R750), 274;
4. Grant Lopez (Suzuki GSX-R750), 252;
5. Mario DuHamel (Suzuki GSX-R750), 247;
6. James Randolph (Suzuki GSX-R750), 234;
7. Jamie Bowman (Suzuki GSX-R750), 228;
8. Tommy Hayden, 214;
9. Brian Parriott (Honda CBR600F4), 186;
10. Rich Alexander Jr. Brian Parriott (Suzuki GSX-R750), 183.
All-Japan Superbike Championship (after 8 of 10 rounds):
1. Keiichi Kitagawa (Suzuki GSX-R750), and Wataru Yoshikawa (Yamaha YZF-R7), 122 points;
3. Akira Ryo (Suzuki GSX-R750), 101;
4. Shinichi Itoh (Honda RC45), 99;
5. M Tamada (Honda RC45), 78.
ARTICLE COURTESY OF:
Tom Peck, Motorcycle Marketing Manager, Suzuki New Zealand Limited,
Private Bag 3008, WANGANUI
Tel: 06-3458544 Fax: 06-3454352
