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SUZUKI NEW ZEALAND LIMITED - PRESS RELEASE:
E-mail - SUZUKI
SUZUKI ADDS EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP TO BOL D’OR WIN:
SUZUKI’s GSX-R1000 continued to add to its win record, with further successes in September.
In addition to taking out the 66th running of the prestigious Bol d’Or 24-hour race at Magny Cours in France on September 15, the hyper-sports Suzuki also won the European Superstock Championship at Imola in Italy on September 29.
These wins add to Suzuki’s already incredible string of successes with the GSX-R1000 - the machine voted International Bike of the Year by a wide margin in 2001.
In virtually every country that stages races for open class sports bikes, the big Suzuki has been the motorcycle to beat, amassing a staggering tally of wins since its release in late 2000.
This year the GSX-R1000 reached new heights for Suzuki at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy meeting in June, taking out the Formula One, Open Production and Senior TTs in the hands of David Jefferies.
In addition, Jefferies raised his own lap record to a staggering average of 127.29 mph to establish the fuel-injected four cylinder as the fastest motorcycle ever around the daunting public roads TT course.
In addition the GSX-R1000 dominated the 2002 World Endurance Championship and has also wrapped up the U.S. Formula Xtreme title.
The Bol d’Or 25-hour race win was scored by Jean Michel Bayle riding with Nicolas Dussauge and Sebastien Gimbert on a Castrol-backed GSX-R1000, romping home a healthy three laps in front of the second-placed machine - another GSX-R1000.
In fact, the 988cc Suzuki swept all three podium positions and took four of the first five placings, and was easily the most popular model taking part, with 20 of the 42 finishing teams selecting Suzuki GSX-R1000 power.
The winning Castrol Suzuki team also established the fastest lap in the gruelling 24-hour classic, with a time of 1m 41.332s for an average speed of 150.988 km/h.
Two weeks later, Italian Vittorio Iannuzzo crowned an already impressive season the AXO European Superstock Championship, taking another win at the final round at Italy’s famous Imola circuit on September 29.
Iannuzzo had already clinched the championship on his Suzuki at the previous round but decided another win would be a fitting finale to his title winning season.
The Italian ended the year a massive 49 points a head of his closest rival.
Once again the GSX-R1000 proved the machine of choice: six of the first 10 bikes home were Suzukis
