IN
THE
WIND
P40
SUZUKI,
YOSHIMURA
CELEBRATE 40-YEAR
PARTNERSHIP
T
he 2018 MotoAmerica
season opener in Atlanta
next April will mark the 40th an-
niversary of the Suzuki Factory
Racing and Yoshimura partner-
ship—one of the most successful
in the history of motorcycle road
racing.
Since aligning forces in 1978,
Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Rac-
ing has taken 14 MotoAmerica
AMA Superbike Championships
and a total of 189 wins. That
helped give Suzuki both the
all-time record for MotoAmerica
AMA Superbike Championships
and series wins by a manufac-
turer.
The team will
celebrate the
milestone with
a new livery for
2018 and there will be a series
of commemorations during the
2018 MotoAmerica Champion-
ship.
"Motorcycle racing is a
forward-looking sport, but it's
nice to stop for a moment and
reflect on the major accomplish-
ments Suzuki and Yoshimura
have achieved over the years,"
said Kerry Graeber, Suzuki's
Vice President of Sales and
Marketing. "It's wonderful to look
back and realize how many great
riders have ridden under the
Yoshimura Suzuki banner. From
Wes Cooley to Kevin Schwantz,
Doug Polen, Jamie James, Scott
Russell, Mat Mladin, Ben Spies,
Toni Elias, Roger Hayden and so
many more. The team has built
an amazing legacy and we want
to honor that relationship that
began 40 years ago." CN
New threads for Toni Elias' ride
will signal an incredible 40-year
relationship between Suzuki and
Yoshimura in 2018.
DUNLOP'S DAN CUNNINGHAM PASSES
T
he Dunlop tire family lost one of its own with the passing of Dan Cunningham who was a regular on
the supercross circuit. Cunningham passed away March 18 at the age of 43. He was from Westfield,
Massachusetts, and is survived by his wife Melissa and son Damon.
"It is with a heavy heart that the Dunlop team enters the forthcoming race weekend," Dunlop posted
on social media just prior to the Indianapolis Supercross. "Dan Cunningham, a member of the Dunlop
fitting crew, tragically passed away after last weekend's race. Dan joined the Dunlop family three years
ago, and quickly became beloved member of the supercross
support team. Always bringing a smile and sense of light
heartedness to the pits, Dan's presence will be missed far be-
yond the Dunlop rig. Dunlop will leave Dan's tire fitting stand
empty for the rest of the season in his honor."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help his young fam-
ily. You can donate by clicking here. CN
Dunlop's Dan Cunningham passed away at the age of 43.
