The following is from Suzuki Motor USA LLC…
Suzuki Motor USA LLC (Suzuki) named two MotoAmerica Twins Cup race teams today. In partnering with Team Hammer and Vance & Hines Motorsports, Suzuki takes another step toward its objective to race the new GSX-8R following the recent homologation of the latest Suzuki middleweight sportbike.
Team Hammer will race the GSX-8R in the team’s new 2024 Twins Cup effort. Racing the GSX-8R is in addition to Team Hammer’s efforts racing Suzuki GSX-R sportbikes in Superbike and Supersport. As one of roadracing’s most successful programs, Team Hammer has earned over 130 pro race wins, 11 championships, and over 360 podium results. The team will race in the Twins Cup class as Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.
Also bringing the GSX-8R to the starting grid in 2024 is Vance & Hines Motorsports, which fields an all-new Twins Cup effort. Vance & Hines partnered with Suzuki to win the 2023 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle (PSM) World Championship drag racing Suzuki’s legendary Hayabusa. Vance & Hines Motorsports’ new twins class effort is a natural addition to this successful partnership. The team will race the GSX-8R as RevZilla/Mission/Vance & Hines Suzuki.
Each team will name riders for the Team Hammer and Vance & Hines Motorsports efforts shortly.
The 2024 Suzuki GSX-8R sportbike offers a new, powerful parallel-twin engine in a strong and compact chassis. The GSX-8R is ideal for middleweight sportbike enthusiasts seeking dynamic, real-world performance and is anticipated to be the motorcycle of choice in MotoAmerica Twins Cup racing.
“The GSX-8R is engineered to satisfy Suzuki riders wanting a versatile, middleweight sportbike, to deliver on our dealers’ business needs, and to prevail in competition. The GSX-8R is an important motorcycle in today’s market,” said Kerry Graeber, Senior Vice President, Division Manager, Sales and Marketing at Suzuki, “The GSX-8R also represents an exciting new chapter in Suzuki racing and it is a perfect complement to the Suzuki racing efforts in MotoAmerica’s Superbike, Stock 1000, and Supersport classes. Partnering with these two well-respected teams, we anticipate the GSX-8R to be a natural extension of Suzuki’s existing roadracing programs,” added Graeber.
The six-round 2024 Twins Cup series runs middleweight, twin-cylinder motorcycles enabling young, up-and-coming racers from around the world to compete at the national level. Twins Cup along with the entire 2024 MotoAmerica Championship kicks off at Daytona International Speedway on March 7 through March 9, 2024.
