Michael Jordan Motorsports’ Aaron Yates matched his 2008 USGP performance, putting his Jordan Suzuki superbike on the podium once again at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday. The Michael Jordan Motorsports rider notched his second consecutive third place finish in front of 46,679 sun-drenched in Monterey, California, after also finishing third at Round 6 at Road America last month. Yates has now reached the podium three times this year, matching the three podiums his MJM counterpart #54 Geoff May has already collected this season. May and his National Guard Jordan Suzuki team had a challenging Round 7 of the AMA Pro Racing Championship, ultimately finishing in ninth position during Sunday’s contest.
3rd – Aaron Yates Speaks… (Jordan Suzuki No. 23)
After starting today’s National Guard American Superbike race from sixth position on the grid, Yates moved forward through the field and soon found himself embroiled in a spirited battle with Ben Bostrom and Josh Hayes. After moving past the factory machines of #2 and #4, Yates settled into third position during the closing laps of the shortened 18-lap race. Drama ensued in the final corner, however, as Hayes moved past Yates to briefly take P3 before the veteran Yates sliced the #23 under Hayes on the exit and powered the GSX-R to the line for the final rostrum.
"It’s real nice to be back on the podium and make it a Suzuki sweep at Laguna Seca," said Yates. "I was hoping to challenge for the lead after our good result in warm-up, but I just didn’t have the same front-end feel during the race. We’ll take another podium though, no doubt. A big thank you to my Jordan Suzuki team for all the hard work they put in this weekend. The GSX-R 1000 had what it takes to finish 1-2-3 here at Laguna and it was a nice finish in front of all these great fans."
9th – Geoff May Speaks… (National Guard Jordan Suzuki No. 54)
Racing his National Guard Jordan Suzuki over the 4th of July weekend had special meaning for Geoff May, as he knows he represents much more than himself when he takes to the track. The #54 rider had higher than normal expectations for himself this weekend and came into Round 7 ready to go. Though not for lack of effort, that elusive set-up never materialized for the rider and crew and May finished Sunday’s race in ninth place. Running as high as P7 at one point, May struggled with his unbalanced bike, which contrasted greatly with his ultra-smooth riding style. May soldiered on throughout the 18-lap affair and brought his National Guard Jordan Suzuki
home inside the top 10.
"Of course I’m not happy with my finish. I really wanted to get a good result for the National Guard this weekend," said May. "We just didn’t have the set-up all weekend long and it was a struggle. The guys worked hard all weekend for me, long into the night, but we just didn’t put it together. I want to thank my crew for all the work, the fans for coming out, and the National Guard on this 4th of July weekend. I want redemption and I’m real fired up right now for the next race."Yates and May are now tied for sixth in the Championship with 173 points each."
Photo by: Brian J. Nelson
