Suzuki’s Jimmy Decotis Returns to Pace at Atlanta Supercross
The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing Team Bounces Back as Riders Heal and Strengthen
JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki’s Jimmy Decotis put in impressive lap times on his Suzuki RM-Z250 during an exciting night at round nine of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross series in Atlanta, Georgia. Suzuki RM-Z450 riders, Joey Savatgy and Fredrik Noren also came out to the race to meet with fans and cheer on “Jimmy D”.
After a hard hit last weekend during practice, Decotis spent a week recovering and it paid off with solid pace. Jimmy D may have missed a round, but he didn't skip a beat, posting the eighth fastest lap time in qualifying. In his heat race, Decotis ran as high as third, but a small mistake cost him a direct transfer to the main. Jimmy got a mid-pack start in the LCQ; running the fastest lap times of that race allowed him to steadily move forward and easily qualify into the main.
In the main event, Decotis rounded the first lap and hovered just outside the top-ten, eventually bringing his return ride home in 13th. Decotis currently sits in 14th in points even after missing one round out of the first three. As he feels better and recovers fully, he expects to put his JGR-tuned RM-Z on the podium during the closing rounds of the series.
"Atlanta is always a cool race for the JGR team as it’s the closest to our home,” said Decotis. “The track was awesome and my bike was working great. I’m bummed on my finish as I haven’t been riding much and it’s showing on the weekends. I’m really proud of everyone at JGR for sticking with me and believing in me. It’s an amazing feeling when a team supports you through your struggles. I'm looking forward to Daytona this weekend!"
"Jimmy was good early on in the day but was struggling from being banged up and not riding during the last three weeks. He was eighth in lap times during qualifying. He had a good start in the heat but crashed while running fourth and had to go to LCQ to get into the main. He should get better each week."
The team heads south to the sands of Florida at the Daytona Supercross. JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing will be on site for Fanfest in the pits and is looking forward to helping Decotis deliver a strong podium finish.
Images courtesy of Brown Dog Wilson
About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (SMAI) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Outboard Motors and Automotive Parts and Accessories via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
About JGRMX: Joe Gibbs Racing Motocross (JGRMX), based in Huntersville, NC, was founded in 2007 by Coy Gibbs, son of NFL Hall of Fame head coach and multi-time NASCAR Championship winning team owner Joe Gibbs. JGRMX competes in both the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship series as well as the Monster Energy Supercross series with support from Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. aboard Suzuki RM-Z250 and RM-Z450 race machines.
About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for 65 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket. Yoshimura exhaust systems are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit, and quality that has been their trademark for six decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.yoshimura-rd.com.