Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Indy Report

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Dungey Finishes 4th in Supercross-Class Debut at Indy

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Izzi podiums in second SX Lites race

Round 9 – AMA Supercross Series
Indianapolis, IN
RCA Dome
March 1, 2008

Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing’s Ryan Dungey made a huge splash in his AMA Supercross-class debut by finishing fourth on the RM-Z450 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis on Saturday night. Dungey started the evening with a third-place finish in his heat race and then he finished it with an impressive fourth-place result in the 20-lap main.  Dungey got great starts in both races and put on a strong showing for his first time in the premier class.  Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s David Vuillemin rounded out the night by winning the Last Chance Qualifier and then picking up his fourth top-10 Supercross finish in a row.  Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mike Alessi is still recovering after breaking his collarbone at the San Diego round and did not race.

In the AMA Supercross Lites class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Nico Izzi celebrated his first podium finish in only his second-ever Pro Lites race.  At the beginning of the night, the young rookie rode his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 to a fifth-place finish in his heat race and then followed that up with a third-place result in the 15-lap main event.  With this finish, Izzi is now fourth in the overall championship points chase.

Ryan Dungey:
“It’s not a win but it feels like one.  Coming into this race, I was just looking to put in 20 good laps and I feel like I did that.  It’s my first SX ace, and there’s definitely room for improvement, but I’m just stoked on how I rode.  Coming off the West Coast rounds in SX Lites, well, it hasn’t been so great, so to come here and get seat time and be racing, it was just great.  I learned a lot in this race, mostly that I just need to be patient.  The Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 is a rocket -- it’s got a lot of power and it’s a lot of bike, and I have to respect that.  Twenty laps is a good race, it’s five m ore than I’m used to, but I gave it my all and I was just trying to have fun.  I race dirtbikes for a living, and you’ve got to enjoy that while it lasts.”

David Vuillemin:
“It was a pretty rough day, I wasn’t very comfortable with all those ruts, but I felt like I got better as the night wore on.  I had to go to the LCQ again, which actually wasn’t too bad, and I got the win.  And in the main event, I think I could have gotten a few spots better but I just haven’t been able to ride in the races the way I’ve been riding during training in the week. Now, I need to work on that.”
 
Nico Izzi:
“I had a real good ride on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250.  I’d had kind of a tough day, I was struggling a bit in practice, but I pulled it together.  It seemed like every time I went out, I got better.  In the main, I got a good start and was riding good and then a couple of guys fell and I was battling for a podium spot.  But I really couldn’t have done any of it without the whole Rockstar Makita Suzuki team behind me during the week and at the races.  I’m so pumped about the race.  I just tried to get in the groove and I guess I feel like this is what I was born to do.”
 
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race next at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday, March 7, 2008.