JE Pistons is excited to announced their continued partnership with JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki factory racing. JE will continue working with the team on piston development through the 2019 season. Read on for all the details.
Official release from JE Pistons.
JE Pistons, the industry leader in high-performance forged and billet racing pistons and JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing have agreed to renew their relationship for the 2019 season with JE continuing in its role as the Official Piston of the Joe Gibbs-owned organization.
JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing will field riders in both the 450 and 250 classes in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross competition.
Two-time Monster Energy 450SX Class Champion Chad Reed joins the team’s Supercross efforts in 2019 and will be flanked by 2017 Western Regional 250SX Class champion Justin Hill aboard a pair of potent Suzuki RM-Z450s.
Veteran Weston Peick is expected to return to the JGRMX lineup later in the season after recovering from the injuries he sustained in November at the Paris Supercross.
Reed and Hill will be joined in the paddock by Jimmy Decotis and Enzo Lopes for the Western Regional 250SX Class rounds, while Alex Martin and Kyle Peters will handle the team’s riding chores for the Eastern Regional 250SX Class events.
“JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing is a staple in the paddock and JE Pistons has been proud to support the partnership for over a decade.” stated Cindy Verkooij, General Manager for JE Pistons. “Every new season is exciting and comes with a fresh set of opportunities. We’re always eager to work closely with team engineers to find creative gains in horsepower, durability and consistency. It’s been a great relationship for a long time, so we’re pleased to carry the partnership forward for another season.”
Reed, the 2004 and 2008 premiere class Supercross Champion, returns to JGR after closing out the Pro Motocross season for the Huntersville, N.C., team with a solid 5-8 finish to be scored eighth overall at the Ironman National. Reed, who owns a Supercross record of 228 starts, spent most of last season in the privateer ranks and finished 13th in the premiere 450SX Class points.
JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing continues to serve as a proving ground for JE’s exclusive powersports piston designs and applications. The team will share information and work cooperatively with JE’s engineering staff to bolster its engine package while continuing to benefit directly from the Cypress, Calif’s. organization’s proprietary research and development programs.
“The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team is excited to continue our close relationship with JE Pistons,” said JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team Manager Jeremy Albrecht. “They are on the leading edge of performance, willing to go the extra mile to ensure that we have the absolute best product available. Our team is continually refining and testing. JE Pistons is able to meet our demands and provide exceptional quality. We are fortunate to have a great partnership with JE Pistons.”
Hill, who moves up from 250 competition to the 450SX Class fulltime in 2019, will race alongside Reed as the formidable pair look to challenge for podiums and wins when the starting gate drops on the new season next month.
Decotis was sidelined from Supercross action last March after sustaining a significant back injury at the Daytona Supercross. He returned to the saddle of his No. 47 Suzuki RM-Z450 in June and made six Lucas Oil Pro Motocross starts to close out his 2018 campaign. Lopes, a nineteen-year-old Brazilian, has notched 11 Brazilian National Championships and finished second twice at the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur Motocross National at Loretta Lynn’s. Lopes made eight Pro Motocross starts for Suzuki Factory Racing JGR in 2018 with a best finish of 12th overall coming in August at Budds Creek.
Martin is a two-time Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship runner-up and has a pair of 250 Class Pro Motocross wins highlighting his resume. Peters is an accomplished Monster Energy Supercross 250SX Class rider with four top-five finishes to his credit.
The 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season preview show will be televised on NBC Sat., December 22 at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Noon Pacific. NBCSN’s live coverage of the Monster Energy Supercross season opener from Angels Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., drops the gate Sat., January 5 at 10 p.m. EST, 7 p.m. Pacific.
