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 SUZUKI WINS WORLD ENDURANCE TITLE AT LE MANS! 


Team Suzuki Press Office - September 22. 

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team has won the 2013 FIM World Endurance Championship after a drama-packed final round at Le Mans in France today that saw the Suzuki GSX-R1000-mounted team charge from last position after a small crash and subsequent cooling problem forced a complete engine rebuild on Saturday evening. 

SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Julien Da Costa and Alex Cudlin clinched the French team's 13th World Endurance Championship title by five points from Yamaha GMT 94 after 24 hours of racing - almost two of them spent in the pits - finishing 26th overall and 12th in class. 

Suzuki's GSX-R1000 machine also dominated the Superstock Class; Team Motors Events April Moto winning the race from Junior Team LMS, with both near standard production Suzuki GSX-R machines claiming fifth and sixth places respectively overall at the Circuit Bugatti. Team Motors Events also captured the FIM Superstock Cup title. To add even more Suzuki GSX-R1000 success to the podium, Team R2CL - who fielded Tyco Suzuki's TT rider Guy Martin to its Le Mans squad - captured second overall in the event; narrowly missing third position in the World Endurance Championship standings. 

SERT, who clinched its fourth-consecutive World Endurance Championship title and eighth aboard the Suzuki GSX-R1000 - four being won on Suzuki GSX-R750 machines and its first title in 1983 on a Suzuki GS1000 -  topped the timesheets in both Thursday and Friday qualifying sessions; despite the loss of regular team member Anthony Delhalle, who broke his leg and collarbone in a mid-week practice crash. And, despite setting the pace in the early stages of the race, the Le Mans-based squad began a war of attrition when a gentle slide-off by Philippe after just 15 minutes, due to suspected fluid leakage on the Dunlop Chicane, started a chain-reaction of issues inside the Suzuki GSX-R engine that required a further eight quick-fire pit-stops from Philippe; and Team Manager Dominique Meliand's subsequent decision for his crew to completely strip and rebuild the engine in less than an hour, to repair the damage done by the crash-damaged cooling system. 

It was a bold but well-timed move; and although SERT slipped back to 54th position, the defending World Champions got back into the race with Da Costa taking his first session and tasked with running-in the newly-rebuilt machine. From that point, the Suzuki trio forged consistent lap-times, cut everything down to minimal pit-stops; and also took advantage of other teams suffering similar drama: Race winners SRC Kawasaki were knocked-off before clawing-back through the pack, Monster YART - who were in a championship-winning position at one point, - were forced to retire along with mid-race leaders BMW Motorrad France; and also GMT 94, who were the first leading team within grasp of the title to crash-out on the problem corner; team leader David Checa remounting from a similarly-unusual slip-off to Philippe's. 

The most serious race incident involved Honda TT Legends' Michael Rutter, Michael Dunlop and Simon Andrews, (regular team rider John McGuiness handing-over his race slot to Dunlop), which was running in a strong third position in the race. The team was caught-up in a high-speed five-rider incident as the event progressed into the night and Andrews suffered two broken legs, broken ribs, a punctured lung and several fractured vertebrae, but was stable and undergoing surgery earlier today. However, the machine was destroyed and the team withdrew. 

Drama also surrounded the Superstock class with series leaders Penz13.com Franks Autowelt BMW being one of the large amount of 20 race retirements and being forced-out after 192 laps; which gave Team Motors Events April Moto's Gregory Fastre, Michael Savary and Claude Lucas a chance to claw-back the team's 11-point deficit and take the title ahead of Suzuki's Junior Team LMS riders Baptiste Guittet, Etienne Masson and Guillaume Deitrich. 

Long-standing SERT rider Philippe, who handed his normal 'race-finish' slot over to team stand-in Cudlin, said: "That was such a crazy race; it's very good for the team though. I'm just sorry that I made that mistake so early-on, but the team was brilliant in sorting the problem and I'm happy for everyone involved. I made a mistake braking but that little crash had enormous consequences: a cracked crankcase, a radiator leak, an overheating motor and a broken cylinder head seal. The mechanics went at it hammer and tongs for over an hour. We had to keep believing but it's hard to ride without the fight out front." 

SERT Team Manager Dominique Méliand said: "We are disappointed because I wanted it all. I wanted to win the title and the race! I started out in Endurance in 1969 and I have learned that you must never give up. The crew were just great. When I said we would have to take the engine out to fix a cylinder head seal, no one said a thing even though we weren't sure it would work. But it held for over 20 hours!" 

Team R2CL's Guy Martin, who joined regulars Dylan Buisson and Gwen Giabbani added: "I'm over the moon; that was mega! It's not about me though - it's about the team, as I was just a passenger. It's all about these boys and they are legend!" 

Le Mans 24-Hour Image Gallery (David Reygondeau/ www.Good-Shoot.com): CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS 

Le Mans 24-Hour Results (WEC & Superstock): 1 Team SRC Kawasaki (Kawasaki) 820 laps, 2 Team R2CL (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 813, 3 Yamaha France GMT 94 (Yamaha) 812, 4 Team 18 Sapeurs-Pompiers (Kawasaki) 806, 5 Team Motors Events April Moto (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 806, 6 Junior Team LMS Suzuki (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 804, 7 Maco Racing Team (Yamaha) 803, 8 National Motos (Honda) 798, 9 Synergyforce Trickstar (Kawasaki) 798, 10 Team Louit Moto 33 (Kawasaki) 797. 26 SERT (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 748.

World Endurance Championship Final Standings: CLICK HERE FOR POINTS 

Superstock Endurance World Cup Class: 1 Team Motors Events April Moto (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 806 laps, 2 Junior Team LMS Suzuki (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 804, 3 Team Louit Moto 33 (Kawasaki) 797, 4 Atomic Motor Sport (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 794, 5 No Limits Motor Team (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 786, 6 Yamaha Vittais Experiences (Yamaha) 785, 7 Reseau Honda (Honda) 769, 8 Volpker Team Schubert Motos (BMW) 768, 9 Probike-TeamGPMoto (Kawasaki) 765, 10 DGSPORT Herock (Yamaha) 762. 

Superstock Endurance World Cup Final Standings: 1 Team Motors Events April Moto (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 97 points, 2 Junior Team LMS Suzuki (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 83, 3 Penz13.com Franks Autowelt RT (BMW) 68, 4 No Limits Motor Team (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 52, 5 Yamaha Vittais Experiences (Yamaha) 52, 6 Team Louit Moto 33 (Kawasaki) 50, 7 Atomic Motorsport (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 43, 8 AM Moto Racing Competition (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 42, 10 Volpker Team Schubert Motors (BMW) 29. 


SUZUKI WORLD TITLE-WINNING MODEL HISTORY: 

1983 - (Suzuki GS1000) 
1987 - (Suzuki GSX-R750) 
1988 - (Suzuki GSX-R750) 
1997 - (Suzuki GSX-R750) 
1999 - (Suzuki GSX-R750) 
2005 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2006 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2007 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2008 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2010 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2011 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2012 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2013 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 

 http://www.motorcycleshows.com

Follow the Link Above if you are looking for some Motorcycle Shows in the USA end of 2013, 2014!!

Canadian 2014 Snow Sneak Peek Tour

Free Admission!!


March 22nd & 23rd -- Laval, Quebec
Place Forzani

4855 Louis-B-Mayer St., Laval, QC, H7L 6C8

Admission: Free
Fri, March 22 - 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Sat, March 23 - 10:00am to 5:00pm
Information: (450) 687-5200



March 25th & 26th -- Kanata, Ontario
Bell Sensplex

1565 Maple Grove Road, Kanata ON, K2V 1A3
Admission: Free

Mon, March 25 - 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Tue, March 26 - 11:00am to 9:00pm
Information: (613) 599-0363



March 29th & 30th -- Quebec, Quebec
Les Galeries de la Capitale

5401 Blvd Des Galeries, Quebec, QC, G2K 1N4
Admission: Free
Fri, March 29 - 9:00am to 9:00pm
Sat, March 30 - 9:00am to 5:00pm
Information: (418) 627-5800



April 5th & 6th -- Winnipeg, Manitoba
Red River Exhibition Park

3977 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3K 2H7
Admission: Free
Fri, April 5 - 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Sat, April 6 - 10:00am to 5:00pm
Information: (204) 888-6990



April 9, 2013 -- Edmonton, Alberta
Alberta Aviation Museum

11410 Kingsway Avenue NW, "The Hangar on Kingsway", Edmonton, AB, T5G 0X4
Admission: Free
Tue, April 9 - 10:00am to 9:00pm
Information: (780) 451-1175



April 14th -- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Prairieland Park

503 Ruth St. West, Saskatoon, SK, S7M 0G7
Admission: Free
Sun, April 14 - 10:00am to 5:00pm
Information: (306) 242-6100


April 19th & 20th -- Barrie, Ontario
Eastview Arena

453 Grove St. E, Barrie, ON, L4M 5S1
Admission: Free
Fri, April 19 - 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Sat, April 20 - 10:00am to 5:00pm
Information: (705) 739-4223

 The Wisdom of a Woman

A saleswoman is driving toward home in Northern Arizona when she sees a Navajo woman hitchhiking. Because the trip had been long and quiet, she stops the car and the Navajo woman climbs in. During their small talk, the Navajo woman glances surreptitiously at a brown bag on the front seat between them several times.

"If you're wondering what's in the bag," offers the saleswoman, "it's a bottle of wine. I got it for my husband."

The Navajo woman is silent for awhile, nods several times and says, "Good trade."

 The Pro RMK 800 is the #1 selling sled in the mountains. How can Polaris make it even better?

The 2014 Polaris Pro RMK gets an improved Quickdrive system, updated piston rings, small refinements and tighter tolerance thresholds to improve reliability.

The Quickdrive belt will be 25% stronger at hot temperatures and 40% stronger at milder heat. The specifications for each pulley will also have a higher production standard to reduce failures before and after the break in period. No tensioner and no machined pulleys. Improvements to tolerances for the drive and jackshaft as well as torque specifications have changed to eliminate failures and premature shaft/bearing failures. A Service Bulletin was released to adjust torque specs last Friday for the 2013 Pro RMKs that will improve durability as well. The 2014 Polaris Pro RMK 600 and 800 will come with the driveshaft collar from the factory that was added to the 2013 models.

The 2014 Polaris Snowcheck color combinations and accessory options seem infinite with multiple options of colors and graphics for not only the hood and side panels, but factory customized colors for the windshield, ski loops and rails. The 2014 Polaris Pro RMK LE comes in 10 major colorways: Matte Stealth Black, Matte Stealth White, Gloss Orange Madness, Matte Turbo Silver, Matte Nuclear Sunset Orange, Gloss White, Gloss Black, Gloss Red, Gloss Midnight Blue or Gloss White Retro. Pick from a Mid-Matte Black Windshield or the Low Black with Handguards. A handlebar bag, Underseat bag and Burandt Lock & Ride Tunnel bag are all factory options for snowcheck. Voodoo blue (and some other) side panels are available.

Billions of colors are great for a custom look, but don’t add power and reliability. As for the 2014 mountain sleds, Polaris engineers have addressed the most important durability needs in their quest to deliver the perfect snowmobile for the mountains. 

A long lasting winter and continued enthusiasm and interest in snowmobiling powered snowmobile sales to increase worldwide to 144,601 new sleds sold this past year. This is an increase of over 15,000 units, which is a 12 percent gain from last year. Sales in the United States were flat at 48,536 new snowmobiles sold, while sales in Canada rose over 8 percent to 44, 022 new sleds sold.

The snowmobile community is optimistic following the above average snowfall throughout most of North America this past season. The 2014 manufacturers spring snowmobile shows reported dramatic increases in attendance. In many of the spring shows, visitation was up over 30 percent. Spring orders are up and that points to a good 2014 sales year!

The snowmobile industry reports an increase in registered snowmobiles in North America to approximately 2 million registered sleds. Increased registration in Northern Europe and Russia continues, and there are over 700,000 registered units in the European community and Russia.

Snowmobile related tourism also increased in North America and beyond. This can be seen in economic impact studies conducted throughout North America by major business colleges and universities. Miles ridden by snowmobilers (which is always predictive of economic impact) showed a 20 percent increase in the 2012-2013 season. This is a result of good riding conditions and improved and expanded trail systems.

The average age of a snowmobiler this past season was determined to be 43 years of age. The average age increased slightly due to the fact that many younger adults are struggling to pay off school loans and are struggling due to the slower growth of the economy.

Surveys conducted by ISMA have shown that slightly over 70% of first-time buyers in the snowmobile market purchased a used snowmobile. Many of them are young adults and they move on to purchase a new snowmobile later in life.

The majority of snowmobilers in North America are Club members and/or Association-Federation members (over 50%). These active, involved, outdoor enthusiasts build the trails and support snowmobiling access. Snowmobilers are also active charity fundraisers who raised over $3.4 million dollars for National Charities last year.

The Go Snowmobiling website serves as another strong indicator for the interest in snowmobiling. This year, the Go Snowmobiling site got more than 4.4 million hits. This is a 15 percent increase above last year. Statistics show that approximately 20 percent of those visitors are individuals who do not own a snowmobile but are expressing a great deal of interest in owning a snowmobile and going snowmobiling. It was also noted that approximately 20 percent of the visitors to the site visited the rental outlet pages of the site. Indications are that many of the individuals visiting the rental site do not own a snowmobile but want to rent one during their winter vacation. This activity and interest in renting bodes well for future sales and the growth in the snowmobile rental market.

Additional surveys have found that snowmobilers are active in many outdoor activities. Many snowmobilers are also boaters, motorcycle riders, camping enthusiasts, hunting enthusiasts and general outdoor recreational activity participants.

Many individuals have discovered that snowmobiling is a great recreational family activity in the winter. Many of those individuals are snowmobiling for reasons such as viewing the scenery, be with family and friends, and to get away from the usual demands of life and be close to nature.

The continued broad-based growth of the snowmobile community includes the increased number of visitors and exhibitors in snowmobile shows. States and provincial organizations continue to grow and expand club membership. Many organizations report that new trails are being developed to support the positive economic impact of snowmobiling and job growth for the rural community. Economic impact studies generated by universities in North America show that snowmobiling is growing in importance as part of the overall economic engine and job growth for winter tourism. Estimates show that snowmobiling now generates more than $30 Billion Dollars of economic activity in North America. The economic activity generated by snowmobiling provides many jobs and investment opportunities and generates considerable tax revenue for local governments which eagerly support snowmobiling. 

Bryan Campbell
110 Bolt Rd.
Lefaivre On. K0B 1J0
(613) 679-1063
E-mail: vrcrv@xplornet.com