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KELLY AND ESCALANTE EARN THE PODIUM FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI IN VIRGINA

Brea, CA, (August 4, 2025) — Suzuki Motor USA reeled in ten top ten finishes, including multiple top fives – highlighted by a spectacular twin Superbike podium – as the MotoAmerica season made its annual stop at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Race Highlights:

  • Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
    • Superbike
      • Sean Dylan Kelly claimed a pair of top fours, including second place, his first podium finish of the season
      • Richie Escalante joined his teammate on the box following a thrilling five-way melee for third place
    • Supersport
      • Tyler Scott closed out a solid weekend with a blistering final lap to lock down a fourth-place result
      • Max VanDenBrouck secured his third top ten of 2025
  • RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines
    • Twins Cup
      • Matthew Chapin claimed pole position and rebounded from a Race 1 crash with a Race 2 top five
    • Stock 1000
      • Rocco Landers was consistently fast en route to equaling his best finish of the Stock 1000 season

Sean Dylan Kelly charges to his first Superbike podium of the season at VIR.  

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly earned his first podium of the 2025 Superbike season on Sunday. Kelly had been plenty fast on the GSX-R1000R throughout and had come incredibly close on multiple occasions – finishing fourth six times, including in Saturday’s Superbike Race 1. But it all finally came together in Sunday’s rematch, when Kelly successfully countered teammate Richie Escalante’s last-lap pass with one of his own to finish as the race’s runner-up.
 
SDK said, “That was unbelievable. We’ve been working really hard since the start of the season, which feels like two years ago. I think everyone knew this was coming; but it’s one thing knowing and another actually making it happen. I’m really happy with the work we’ve done. A huge thank you to the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team – those guys have worked so hard. This feels so good to be back. I’m so, so excited.”

 
Richie Escalante shows up, completing a double podium for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki. 
 
Escalante completed the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki double podium by claiming the checkered flag fractions of a second behind Kelly. Escalante found his form at VIR on the GSX-R1000R during Sunday’s race after finishing ninth on Saturday as a result of a mid-race mishap. The Mexican threw haymaker after haymaker to claw his way forward and ultimately finish in third.
 
“I’m really happy, honestly,” Escalante said. “We started the weekend with many problems, but my team did an amazing job. Every session I felt better and better. Today’s race was insane. It’s amazing to have both of us finish on the podium. Big thanks to my Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for an amazing job and believing in me. We’re going to enjoy this moment and be ready for Ohio.”

Tyler Scott delivers a hard charged fourth-place despite lingering injury.  

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott battled it out in Supersport duty all weekend long despite riding at less than full health. After qualifying fifth aboard the team’s next-generation GSX-R750, the hard-charging pilot came out on top of a three-rider scrap for sixth in Saturday’s Race 1. Scott pulled off the same feat in a four-way fight for fourth on Sunday, passing his way up to the position on the final lap and then successfully executing a late break to lock down the spot at the checkered flag.
 
Scott said, “Going into the weekend, I had a sore shoulder from being taken out by another rider at a practice day about ten days ago, then had some respiratory issues on top of that. Saturday, I wasn’t feeling that great, and the weekend became about doing as well as I could at less than 100%. Sunday, I felt better. The bike was great, and this time I was able to battle more, so we got fourth. This doesn’t seem like it will be a problem at Ohio, so I am looking forward to those races.”

Max VanDenBrouck keeps pushing with respectable finishes on Saturday and Sunday.   

Scott's Supersport compatriot, Max VanDenBrouck, enjoyed an impressive weekend himself. Starting from eleventh, Max Van raced his way to his third top-ten result of the season aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750, crossing the line in 10th on Saturday. He nearly did so again on Sunday, coming home a very respectable 11th.
 
“I like riding at VIR, so every lap I enjoyed,” VanDenBrouck said. “We qualified 11th, finished 10 in Race 1 and 11th in Race 2. I was able to maintain my qualifying position in the races. The starts went better, and I was able to be aggressive early. The team worked flawlessly all weekend. With Mid-Ohio two weeks away, I will go home and work out hard to be ready.”

Twins Cup pole winner Matthew Chapin rebounds from an early crash to earn a top-five finish. 

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Matthew Chapin continued to make his mark in the Twins Cup by securing the fifth and sixth podium results of his stellar rookie campaign. The reigning Junior Cup champion put the squad’s Suzuki GSX-8R racebike second on the grid and then proceeded to twice battle for that same position to the checkered flag. Chapin pulled off a pass in the Corkscrew en route to a runner-up result on Saturday and then backed that up with a close third on Sunday.
 
Chapin said, “I was really trying to stay consistent and keep working. The tire let go with three laps left on Sunday, but sometimes that’s how it goes. My team really worked their tails off to give me a good bike this weekend, so I have to take my hat off to the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki team for all the hard work they do.”

Rocco Landers continues his progression with a career-best-matching sixth place finish in Stock 1000.

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Rocco Landers continued to showcase his developing literbike chops by demonstrating consistent pace aboard the team’s Stock 1000-spec GSX-R1000. Landers qualified on the second row, from where he logged seventh- and sixth-place results, the latter matching his best result on the 1000cc machine to date.
 
“Our best weekend so far,” said Landers. “Race 1 was one of the best times I have felt on the bike and Race 2 was the best. We're getting closer and learning more every time. I got to ride the 1000 in the rain and the rider aids made it very controllable. We’re looking forward to racing again and continue to make improvements.”
 
The 2025 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship resumes on August 15-17 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

 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 381 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.