Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM) scored a double podium and maintains the championship points lead after completing races three and four of the 2010 AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike Championship held at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA this weekend. National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Jake Zemke scored a second place podium finish on Saturday and finished fourth in Sunday's race. After a strong third place finish in Saturday's race, Jordan Suzuki's Aaron Yates crashed in the Sunday practice, sustaining a fracture to his lower right leg.
During Saturday's race, Zemke came up just short of the win at the line with a second place finish after leading 12 of the 21 laps. Zemke had started the wind-delayed race from the second row but was in the lead by turn three. On Sunday, Zemke struggled a bit from a poor start, ending up with a fourth place finish. Zemke leaves Fontana with an 11-point lead in the championship.
"I got a great jump at the start of Saturday's race and was able to get to the front after a few turns," Zemke said. "Aaron and I mixed it up for about the first 10 laps or so. My bike was working great and I was feeling pretty good. (Larry) Pegram was able to get by me there near the end and I tried to catch him at the line but just came up short. It was great to be up on the podium with my teammate. The whole team did a great job. Today's race was a different story for me. I didn't get the jump at the start like I did on Saturday and that made it tough starting from the second row. I just wasn't able to hook up with the front group, so I had to settle in for fourth. My crew did an awesome job once again and we learned a lot from this weekend so we'll come back even stronger for Road Atlanta. It's a bummer Aaron broke his leg – it was a bizarre, unfortunate incident. I hope to see him back out here as soon as possible."
Jordan Suzuki's Yates started out the weekend on a positive note by setting the fastest time in Friday's first qualifying session, earning the pole since Saturday's second session was cancelled due to the high winds. Yates was strong in Saturday's race one, leading several laps and ending up on the box with a third place finish. Yates had already thrown down the fastest time in Sunday morning's practice session when he crashed coming out of turn 10 and was run over by M4 Monster Suzuki's Chris Ulrich. Ulrich was right behind Yates when he crashed and was unable to avoid the contact. Yates sustained a fracture to his right tibia and fibula and will require surgery later this week.
The 2010 Michael Jordan Motorsports team's next event will be at the Superbike Showdown at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA on April 16-18, 2010.
ABOUT MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS:
Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM) in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry.
Michael Jordan Motorsports is proud to partner with: Jordan Brand (a division of Nike), National Guard, American Suzuki, Upper Deck, Hanes, Gatorade, Bazzaz, MMI - Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Vortex Racing Components, Gemini Racing, K-Tech Suspension-Orient Express Racing, Maxima Racing Oils, K & N Air Filters, Dainese Leathers, AGV Helmets, Ancra Tie-downs, Chicken Hawk Racing Tire Warmers, Armour Bodies, DID Chains, Factory Pro Dyno, Roclun International, STAR Motorcycle School, Motion Pro Tools, Zero Gravity Windscreens, with transportation provided by Eastside Trucking.