Gary Johnson to race Crescent Suzuki at Macau

[barrygrussell]

First published on FMSCT-Live and StayOnTheBlack and reproduced here by kind permission


Gary Johnson with Crescent Suzuki electronics ace Tim Seed at Macau in 2010

Roads ace Gary Johnson hasn’t let the recent financial demise of East Coast Racing take away his momentum in a year that has seen him begin to fulfil his potential.

The Lincolnshire racer has been hot property since taking his first TT win in June, but has been keeping careful control over his future to make sure he gets the right factory ride for 2012. He bought his 600 Supersport machine from East Coast Racing which he will run for the rest of the season under long term sponsor Lincs Lifting. At his first solo outing at Cadwell Park at the weekend, he took a seventh and fifth place.

Johnson was ready to take the Honda Superbike he has been racing on the roads to Macau, but has agreed to race the Samsung Crescent Suzuki on which John Hopkins has been contesting the British Superbike Championship this season.
Explaining the recent developments, Johnson said, “I am absolutely gutted for East Coast. They are a top bunch of lads who helped me get my first TT win and it is so disappointing to go under because of the economic situation.

“The offer from Crescent Samsung Suzuki is incredible though. The only slight downside is that they have no data for Macau, but I think we will overcome that with Tim Seed who worked with me on the electronics at Macau last year and the TT and has been full time with Hopper this season. We have also agreed that James Hillier, my teammate from last year will be on Jon Kirkham’s bike. He was running me close last year before his tyre shredded, so we will both really be going for it this time out!”

Both Johnson and Hillier are Macau exponents who wrung outstanding performances out of a pair of relatively primitive AIM Suzukis in 2009 and 2010, so should be able to make up for the lack of technical data with their experience.

The Macau Grand Prix will be on Saturday November 19th, with two practice and qualifying sessions over the Thursday and Friday beforehand.

 

[Brian66]

Barry, I think these guys who race the road circuits of the world have a screw loose. They ride on the limit and risk their lives every few seconds they lap these road circuits. Macau track is just a wall lined road. Crazy!!! But I give them their due as they really don't hold back.
I have seen a few reports of this Johnson guy in the Australian Motor cycle news over the years and by all accounts he is a talented rider. I can’t understand why they don't focus on the BSB and get noticed and move into WSBK etc. but I do know it is a competitive world out there and the cost is prohibitive to most.
Quite a few Aussies have joined the Asian Super bike champion’s ship events this year with mixed success. Alterton won Sepang on a Looi" s BMW a month ago. The Brits should consider doing the same.

 

[Brian66]

Barry, while we are on the subject of riders, i know you were interested when you knew that a girl was leading the Spanish road racingchampionship, well here is another one.

I got the following piece from AMCN.

16 year old Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge dominated the 2011 Australian Women’s Moto cross Championship
She won all five motos at the 2011 Australian Women’s MX Championship at Coolum, QLD to be crowned the Australian Champion in her maiden year in the Senior ranks.
Rutledge, rode her KX250F superbly in the extremely wet and muddy conditions to hole-shot and win five from five motos. Rutledge was so dominant at Coolum, she led every lap of every moto, posting a winning margin of more than 1 minute in some races.
“I didn’t expect to be as dominant but after the first race when I won by a fair bit, I just wanted to win every moto by as big a gap as I could.”

Ben Lane, who normally spins spanners on Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Dean Ferris’ KX450F took upon himself Rutledge’s mechanical duties at Coolum.

Lane says, “I’ve never seen anything like it! Meghan’s style and the way she rides is unreal, especially for her age. She was probably the youngest one out there. It was definitely a good day. She made standing around in the rain worth it.”

Monster Energy Kawasaki Team manager Troy Carroll says, “Rutledge is just on a different level. She’s an amazing rider and the whole team congratulates her. It was a pleasure for the Monster Energy Kawasaki team to be at Coolum helping the Kawasaki riders at the Australian Women’s MX Championship”.

Rutledge will now enjoy two weeks holiday in QLD that will include training and riding time with Monster Energy Kawasaki at the team’s headquarters in Toowoomba. Rutledge continues her preparation for the upcoming Monster Energy SuperX Championship where she will compete, probably as the only female entrant, in the Under 19s class.

I posted an image from Photobucket of her. If it does not show i will try image shack later. I havent used it before so i have to figure it out.

She looks like she has good form and body posture leaving the gate.

 

[barrygrussell]

Thanks for comments, Brian. I'm just catching up after a few days of travelling and a bunch of meetings in Misano.

Agree about road racers being crazy, but they do it partly for the reason you suggest - you can make up for a technical disadvantage with big cajones - and also because the thrill of road racing is on another level to short circuits.

Reall interesting about Meghan Rutledge too. There have been some female champions in Thailand too.

Cheers!