AMA/FIM SUPERCROSS

STRONG SUPERCROSS FINISH FOR SUZUKI IN UTAH


Team Suzuki Press Office – May 10.

Brandon Hartranft: Suzuki RM-Z450 – 8th
Justin Bogle: Suzuki RM-Z450 – 12th
Derek Drake: RM-Z250 – 14th

The Twisted Tea Suzuki Presented by Progressive Insurance team wrapped the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship season on a high at the Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Brandon Hartranft and his Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450 finished an impressive eighth in the championship standings in only his second year in the 450 class. Justin Bogle grabbed the holeshot and lead in the final 450 main event of the season aboard his Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450. And BarX/ Chaparral Suzuki's Derek Drake wrapped-up his return to racing with a top 10 season result in the 250 East Coast championship.

Hartranft got off to a solid start in the final race of the season. He rode strong inside the front group and moved past other riders in the closing laps. He climbed to eighth place in the main the time the chequered flag flew and the points earned in Utah secured him an eighth-place overall finish for the season.

Said Hartranft: "Round 17 was strong for me. I really jelled with the track. It was my best qualifying all year with P7. Going into this weekend another rider and I were battling for eighth in points. He was three points back, so my goal was to secure eighth overall in the standings. It's been such a great year for me and the team. In the main event I honestly rode my best all year. The whoops were super challenging, but it was definitely one of the better Salt Lake City tracks."

Bogle laid down the power perfectly to launch his Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450 out of the gate and ahead of the pack at the start of the main event in Utah. He held his own up front at the high-altitude venue and finished the year with a top 10 result.

“I had a good weekend in Salt Lake City. It was nice to get up front in the main event and take the last holeshot of the season,” said Bogle. “I am looking forward to the outdoors and see what we can do.”

Drake and his RM-Z250 faced the second Dave Coombs Sr. East/ West Showdown of the year at the season finale. Drake had the speed on the hardpack dirt to qualify inside the top 10, but in the main event a poor start put him in catch-up mode. Drake made passes and earned the points needed to put his BarX/ Chaparral Suzuki RM-Z250 into the top 10 in the championship's final standings.

"The last round was pretty challenging considering it was the East/ West shootout. But I made it into the main through the heat." Drake said. "Unfortunately, I had a bad start in the main and could only crawl my way back up to 14th. The track was really one-lined so it was hard to make passes. But I'm very pleased to walk away with 10th in points for the season!"

Adam Enticknap had a strong and unique season both on his Suzuki RM-Z450 and as ambassador to the Twisted Tea Suzuki team and the sport. Injuries held Enticknap back in the championship points, but the popular rider used any time off the bike to represent Suzuki and the Twisted Tea Suzuki team on several event broadcasts as well as in-person in the pits.

"It was a really tough race with getting hurt the weekend before and popping my ribs out," Enticknap said after the race. "I was dealing with that all day. Qualifying went well. I ended up 23rd overall. Unfortunately, I didn't get the starts I needed. I just didn't make it happen. It was a tough weekend for the last round, but we did the best we could with being hurt."

"It was a great way to end the Supercross season," said Twisted Tea/ H.E.P. Motorsports/ Suzuki Presented by Progressive Insurance Team Manager Dustin Pipes. "Brandon and Justin were both pushing the pace in qualifying practice, leading to great gate picks going into the night program. Justin was out front and leading early which is something we want to see more often. I am extremely proud of Brandon for having a great main event and securing eighth overall in the championship. It was a huge step for him, and he really rose to the occasion. The day went smoothly as the bike set-up was spot on from the beginning, which is really a testament to the growth the team has made throughout the season. I am looking forward to getting back to it in a few short weeks."

After a strong finish to the Monster Energy Supercross season the Suzuki riders have only a three week break to complete final preparations for the summer's 2022 AMA Pro Motocross Series. The Twisted Tea Suzuki and BarX/ Chaparral Suzuki teams are up to the challenges that outdoor racing puts on both rider and machine. The opening round takes place in Southern California at the Pala I National in Pala, California on Saturday, May 28th.

Utah Supercross Image Gallery (Photos by BrownDogWilson Photography): CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

Final Championship Points (round by round): CLICK HERE




For more stories about Justin Bogle, Click Here. For photos, Click Here.

For more stories about Adam Enticknap, Click Here. For photos, Click Here.

For more stories about Brandon Hartranft, Click Here. For photos, Click Here.

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