Press Release –
Not only is the championship on the line between current point leader Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chad Wienen and Rockstar/Makita/Yoshimura Suzuki’s Defending AMA Pro ATV MX Champion Dustin Wimmer but so is the Manufacturer’s Cup, which also features a tight race between the Suzuki and Kawasaki OEMs.
But while Kawasaki’s Wienen leads the riders, Suzuki leads the Manufacturer’s Points and has the most overall wins. Suzuki has 332 points, leading over Kawasaki’s 318 points.
“Suzuki is extremely proud to be leading the Manufacturer’s Cup,” said Pat Alexander, Sports Promotion Manager at American Suzuki Motor Corp. “The competition this year has been tough but the hard work that the Rockstar/Makita/Yoshimura team has put in is really showing in results. Dustin is just five points out of the Championship and is really coming on strong after his brief layoff from a shoulder injury and Doug’s results have definitely proven that he is still just as competitive as he has always been for so many years.”
“The Monster Energy Kawasaki team has worked extremely hard the past three years and to be in a position to be fighting for the championship and Manufacturer’s cup this year is very rewarding,” said Reid Nordin, manager of Kawasaki Team Green. “Having a solid platform like the KFX450R was a great start to our effort and the team was built for success around that machine.”
Team Honda and Can-Am are also close behind with 308 points and 273 points, respectively. While Kawasaki and Suzuki lead right now, with three rounds and six motos still to go, according to AMA ATVMX Series Manager Harv Whipple, all four brands that could still win the Cup.
“So far this season, five of the six brands participating in this ultra competitive AMA Pro Racing division have had a competitor put their machine in the top five on more than one occasion with all six brands having scored championship points,” said Whipple. “It goes beyond saying that all of the OEM’s are going above and beyond to see to it that their brand is what the consumers want to purchase.”
“In recent years both Honda in 2007 and Suzuki in 2008 claimed the Cup prior to the end of the season,” Whipple said. “But just like the championship itself, the Manufacturer’s Cup could come down to the last moto of the year.”
