Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM) rider Aaron Yates and the #23 Jordan Suzuki team continue its second half surge with another top performance in AMA Pro Racing’s Superpole at Round 9 of the Championship at Heartland Park. Back on the calendar after nearly two decades, the Topeka raceway is playing host to another pair of great American Superbike races with four different brands represented on the front row for Saturday and Sunday’s 20 lap races. Yates, the quickest Suzuki in both Basic Qualifying and Superpole, placed his 2009 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 on the front row by posting a 1:36.513, good for second position (P2) at Heartland Park.
Yates’ MJM teammate Geoff May made a rare Superpole slip during his first visit to the Kansas circuit and suffered a harmless lowside at the conclusion of his flying lap. May, who has excelled at the Superpole format all season, will start Saturday and Sunday’s National Guard American Superbike races from P10 as a result.
Aaron Yates Speaks… (2nd 1:36.513 – Jordan Suzuki #23)
"It’s nice to put the Jordan Suzuki up here on the front row," said Yates. "The track was a bit more slippery than it was this morning so our times weren’t as fast, but I was able to put a decent one together and get the #23 in a good starting position for Saturday and Sunday’s races."
Geoff May Speaks… (10th no time recorded – National Guard Jordan Suzuki #54)
"Well, that didn’t go according to plan," May said. "Coming around through turn 14, I just got the front caught in one of the little ‘ruts’ crossing the track there. I just hung up enough to lose the front and that was that. It was a bit frustrating to go down with the finish line in sight, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Our laptimes are right there though, so when the green flag flies, the #54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki will be back in the fight."
Superpole Results
1) Larry Pegram – #72 Ducati 2) Aaron Yates – #23 Jordan Suzuki 3) Jake Holden – #59 Honda 4) Ben Bostrom – #2 Yamaha 5) Josh Hayes – #4 Yamaha 6) Michael Laverty – #8 Suzuki 7) Blake Young – #79 Suzuki 8) Tommy Hayden – #22 Suzuki 9) Neil Hodgson – #100 Honda 10) Geoff May – #54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki
