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VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI’S TYLER SCOTT EARNS THE PODIUM IN ATLANTA

Brea, CA, (May 5, 2025) — Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer were prepared for any and all contingencies as the 2025 MotoAmerica season arrived at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, and were rewarded with multiple top fives across classes and conditions.

Race Highlights:

  • Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
    • Superbike
      • Sean Dylan Kelly was a constant presence near the front of the field with a pair of fourths on the GSX-R1000R Superbike. Richie Escalante twice narrowly missed out on top fives with a solid performance in the wet and dry.
    • Supersport
      • Tyler Scott was quick and confident in his return to the podium aboard his GSX-R750. 
      • Max VanDenBrouck again demonstrated his skill in mixed conditions with a fine seventh on a drying surface
  • RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines
    • Stock 1000
      • Rocco Landers picked up a pair of top tens as he acclimates to Stock 1000 action.

Sean Dylan Kelly (#40) pushes his GSX-R1000R to back-to-back fourth-place finishes in a commanding Superbike effort at Road Atlanta. 

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly backed up his impressive Team Hammer return outing at Barber Motorsports Park with a similarly strong showing at Road Atlanta. Just as at BMP, SDK qualified on the first row aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike and then put that pace to good effect in the form of a pair of fourths, including Saturday’s near third after reeling in the reigning class champion from more than three seconds back.
 
Of that last-gasp bid for a come-from-behind podium, Kelly said, “It was hard to really be right next to him for the braking at the end of the straightaway for Turn 10, but I knew that’s where I had to get it done. I felt really strong on the brakes, and that’s exactly where I got it done. But I went in pretty deep and pretty hot and lost the front and rear. I still kept it together but that made me lose my drive out of the chicane. I tried and I was committed to trying. It feels good that I’m figuring things out, I just need to figure them out a little quicker.”

Richie Escalante (#54) overcomes tricky conditions to secure a pair of sixth-place finishes on the GSX-R1000R Superbike. 

SDK’s Superbike teammate, Richie Escalante, added a pair of sixths to Kelly’s twin fourths, despite contending with vastly different conditions on the two race days. The Mexican born racer applied considerable pressure from close behind in search of top fives both times out on the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R, a good indication that even better results are coming soon.

Escalante said, “It was honestly a difficult weekend to get confidence with the bike, but we made steady progress and it kept improving. The team did a great job coming up with solutions. The bike felt great in the rain, and now I feel I have the ability to contend in the wet. We have been working hard to get there, and that is a big step for us. On Sunday, I got a poor start and spent the first three laps making passes. At that point, I settled into the race and kept improving my lap times until the end. The podium is close, and I believe we can be better at Road America and Laguna Seca. I am super happy with the team and sponsors. We will keep trying to do our very best.”

Tyler Scott (#70) charges to a well-earned third-place finish aboard his GSX-R750, marking a strong return to the MotoAmerica Supersport podium in Atlanta. 

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Supersport ace Tyler Scott received an injection of confidence after some testing between rounds allowed the team to hone in on a set-up to the young star’s liking. Scott capitalized on those gains by qualifying on the second row aboard his next-generation GSX-R750 and by coming out on hard-fought battles in both the wet and dry to leave Atlanta with third- and fourth-place results.

“We were due to be back on the box,” Scott said. “We struggled to get the bike figured out at Barber Motorsports Park, but the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team really put in the work. We went testing between races and straight out of the truck, the bike felt amazing. I had great confidence all weekend.”

Max Van (#48) shows promise in mixed conditions with a strong seventh-place finish on Saturday aboard the GSX-R750. 

Scott’s young teammate, Max VanDenBrouck, again demonstrated his ability to excel aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 in difficult conditions. At Road Atlanta, he claimed an impressive seventh place in Saturday’s mixed weather contest after earning a top five in the wet at the previous round. Unfortunately, he suffered a crash while running just outside the top ten in Sunday’s rematch.

“It was a good learning weekend, but we struggled a little bit getting up to speed,” Max Van said. “Saturday was a nice improvement to get seventh after qualifying 12th. Sunday’s race was going along well until I crashed in the Esses. I’m still not sure exactly what happened on that one. I know it was human error and I went down, but we will figure out exactly what happened between races. The bike had minimal damage, but, unfortunately, we could not continue. Getting used to the bike and team has been great. Everyone works so hard and that’s a great motivator. The bike is really fast and that bodes well for Road America.”

Rocco Landers (#97) adapts quickly to Stock 1000 action, finishing as the top Suzuki with a pair of ninths on the GSX-R1000. 

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Rocco Landers gained valuable literbike experience with a steady performance at Road Atlanta in Stock 1000 duty. After qualifying seventh, Landers piloted the team’s GSX-R1000 to a pair of ninths.

Landers said, “We were the top Suzuki, but we have a way to go. I’m not happy unless I am on the podium or winning, but I am not unhappy with how the weekend went. I have never ridden a 1000cc sprint race bike before now, and this thing is a beast. It’s got some beans. The power is incredible, and it handles really well, too. I just have to figure out how to get the most out of it with more seat time. I know I need to ride it inline more, and honestly this feels like how I had to adjust in racing the different classes. It’s going to be fun.”

The 2025 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship resumes on May 30-June 1 for high-speed action at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Please visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/road-racing for more team news.

About Team Hammer

The 2025 season marks Team Hammer's 45th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 135 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 377 times and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running "Methanol Monster" GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol and won four F-USA Championships.

About Vance & Hines Motorsports

Vance & Hines Motorsports is a powerhouse in the world of motorcycle racing, boasting a rich legacy of success. With a focus on innovation, performance, and commitment to pushing boundaries, the team continues to redefine excellence in NHRA and MotoAmerica.

About Suzuki

Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals 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.