Team Suzuki 04

[Senior KX Rider]

cycle news.com

Former 125 and 250cc World Champion Sebastien Tortelli will again campaign the Suzuki RM250, as will returning Suzuki rider Sean Hamblin. New to Team Suzuki is Nick Wey, who finished fourth overall in the 2003 AMA Supercross Series and was a regular top-10 finisher throughout the season.

“I have a lot of confidence in the 250 team,” said Team Manager Roger DeCoster. “In spite of injuries, Sebastien and Sean both raced remarkably last year and I believe they are capable of winning on the RM250. Nick Wey, our newest rider, had a great season last year and should excel even more on a Suzuki.”

Leading the 125 charge is 2003 AMA 125 East Supercross Champion Branden Jesseman. “Branden is really an amazing athlete,” said DeCoster. “He’s very quiet and he just goes out and gets the job done. He’ll be a good role model for the rest of the 125 riders who are new to factory support.”

Teamed with Jesseman is 2003 AMA Supercross/Motocross Rookie of the Year Brian Gray and Broc Hepler, who turned heads after finishing 11th in his first Pro Motocross race last year. Rounding out the Suzuki 125 team is Davi Millsaps. Making his Pro debut this season, Millsaps has won a number of amateur championships and is the winner of the 2003 AMA Motocross Horizon Award.

Jesseman and Millsaps will race Suzuki RM125 models, while Gray and Hepler will compete on brand-new 2004 Suzuki RM-Z250 four-stroke motocross bikes.

 

[HiG4s]

Millsaps and Helper rode togeather on the junior MX team. Millsaps also raced and practiced on some of the same tracks in GA and FL that Gray did. Because one is the track I ride at, owned by Brian Gray's uncle, over the last two years I've seen them both in person practicing. I'm not suprised they made it to a factory team.

. I'm sure they know each other and it should make for a close knit team..

 

[zcookie49]

Not to send out any Bad Mojo or anything, But... any predictions on WHO or how many riders will be the active on this team by the end of the year?
-Maybe we'll see if the Suzuki curse has left since TP wont be racing with them this year......

 

[TheGrinch]

I hope so, otherwise DeCoster's going to have a stroke.

 

[zcookie49]

Originally posted by TheGrinch
I hope so, otherwise DeCoster's going to have a stroke.

I see that happening next year, a 4 STROKE :)
----yeah, that was pretty corny.....

 

[pro2k]

So what's happening with Pastrana? Is he retired for good?

 

[zcookie49]

I read an interview while he was at the last Supermoto. He said he is taking the year off to "recover to 100%". He had just had his knee surgery as well. What baffles me is while he is "recovering to 100%", he will be participating in car racing, freestyle, etc... He also mentioned that he will continue to ride a yellow bike, that suzuki is still good to him.
I also read somewhere where he mentioned that he could take a couple of years off and come back to race MX & SX and the be the age that RC is now. Basically stating that he is young and has some time on his side.

 

[whitesands26]

Jeez....What was Suzuki thinking when they hired Nick Wey? The only reason he got 4th is because no one raced last season...If more riders are able to avoid injuries and race the entire series you will see Nick Wey place further and further back....

Nick Wey is not factory rider material...Fast...Yes...But he needs to be a support rider...

 

[super rat]

Oh god here we go!! Dude whats next, Fad reed now Nick is not worthy of a factory ride. I can't waite to here what you come up with next.

 

[los36]

Yeah, they really bit the big one on that Hamblin guy a couple years ago, too!
:silly:

 

[whitesands26]

Originally posted by super rat
Oh god here we go!! Dude whats next, Fad reed now Nick is not worthy of a factory ride. I can't waite to here what you come up with next.

Now....Fad Reed can spank Nick Wey all day long...So can Ernesto Fonseca...Ezra Lusk...Kevin Windham...And most of the riders that were absent from last years Supercross series because of injuries...

Maybe Nick Wey was their only prospect...But...They'd probably be better off saving money and waiting for someone a little more worthy of a factory ride.

Nick had a hard time winning a 125 supercross race(did he even win one ?) and Suzuki thinks he'll pull off a miracle Supercross championship for them ?

Nick Wey will arm pump his "Wey" backwards towards the rear of the pack every race if he's lucky enough to get a top 3 start.