Safety First Suzuki equaled their best finish ever in the Daytona 200 with rider Bobby Fong crossing the finish line in 12th. Teammate Scott Ryan was in 15th place with six laps to go when a mechanical issue robbed the team from placing both riders in the top fifteen. Stockton, CA resident Fong completed his first ever AMA race and was as high as 11th place, before losing out to a late race battle on the last lap to finish a very credible 12th.
The quality of the Michelin tires on the Suzuki GSXR 600’s, along with very quick pit stops by the Safety First Suzuki Team played a big role in the riders steady progress through the field. Lemont, Illinois rider Scott Ryan had an up and down weekend, finishing 35th in the talent-deep Supersport race and falling mid-way through the FX 200 race, only to rapidly remount his bike and work his way back through the field and come up just a few laps short when a mechanical sidelined Ryan.
Kevin Hanson- Safety First Suzuki Team Owner
“What really stood out this weekend was that both riders first saw and rode this daunting track on Wednesday. I am delighted with the outcomes of their performances in both the Supersport race on Thursday and the 200 on Saturday. Bobby and Scotty both came here with virtually no Daytona experience and left with a diploma in their hand. What they learned here will certainly benefit them the rest of the year with their racecraft and both of these guys rode their hearts out.”
Bobby Fong: 21st- Supersport, 12th- Formula Xtreme
“Overall, it was a great learning experience. There are a lot of fast guys here. I got a chance to really try out my Komodo leathers by having several “offs” during the weekend, but I stayed on the bike when it mattered and finished 21st in Supersport and almost got a top ten for the biggest race in North America, all in my first time. The Komodo leathers and Suomy Helmets really held up to their reputations as being the highest in quality. I had a huge highside and whacked my head in the International Horseshoe and had a fast get-off in the back chicane. There were no holes or burn through in my leathers. They are ready to go for the next race!”
Scott Ryan: 35th- Supersport, 42nd- Formula Xtreme (DNF)
“I was able to whittle away and get to know this track during the weekend and I am looking forward to Barber, a track I have been too before. I also fell in love with my Komodo leathers and Suomy helmets as Bobby and I did some pretty intense field testing and they held up awesome!”
The team was very happy with the performance of their Michelin DOT’s tires that they ran all week. “After each race and after the pit stops, the tires looked great” declared Hanson. “Ron and the guys at Michelin gave us some great tires and we were proud to be the highest Michelin team in the prestigious Daytona 200. Both riders also wanted to thank engine-builder Ed Hilton back at the Safety First Racing shop in Chicago, as he gave them some very fast bikes for this horsepower dominated track.
Safety First Suzuki was formed in 2004 by police officer/racer, Kevin Hanson, based out of Chicago, IL. For 2007, Safety First Suzuki will be competing in the AMA Superbike series in the Supersport and Formula Xtreme classes and is proud to be partnering with American Suzuki, Michelin, 4&6 Racing, Hindle Exhaust, GP Suspension, Suomy Helmets, Pit Bull, Flipside Graphics, Sportbikes.net, Vortex, Performance Friction, Penske, Komodo Gear, Hotbodies, Tsubaki, 7th Gear Performance Lubrication, Bazzaz Performance, R-Tech fuel, Kinesio Taping and Biofreeze. Checkout
www.SAFETYFIRSTRACING.com to see the Safety First Suzuki line of apparel and casual wear. Kevin Hanson continues to educate elementary school aged children nationwide about the importance of helmet usage.
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Any questions or comments regarding the press release can be directed to:
Dr. David Boll- Operations Manager 920-450-6066
doc@safetyfirstracing.com
Kevin Hanson- Team Owner/Principal 217-493-3811 kevin @safetyfirstracing.com
Dr. David Eric "Doc" Boll
Operations Manager/Team Doctor
Safety First Racing
www.safetyfirstracing.com
Safety First Suzuki reflects on Daytona
2001 Honda CBR600 F4i
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