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Suzuki's Freddie Noren Takes Top Ten at Spring Creek National

Suzuki Racers Put in Strong Rides at Millville


BREA, CA, July 17, 2023 — Round seven of the 11-round 2023 AMA Pro Motocross series ripped through Millville, Minnesota. Steep hills, back-to-back sand-roller sections, and rutted turns delivered great racing as the series heads into its home stretch with four rounds remaining. 

Race Highlights:

  • Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance (AMA Pro Motocross)
    • 450 Class
      • Freddie Noren used two top-ten moto finishes to take home a top-ten overall result. 
      • Kyle Chisholm earned his season-best moto result and matched his season-best overall performance. 
  • Toyota of Redlands BarX Suzuki (AMA Pro Motocross)
    • 450 Class
      • Derek Drake was again inside the top ten in overall qualifying results in his rookie 450 season. 
    • 250 Class
      • Dilan Schwartz delivered an impressive charge after tangling in a first-turn crash in moto one. 
      • Chase Yentzer showed more progression and speed during his rookie season.
      • Robbie Wageman returned to racing the summer series gaining valuable experience. 

Freddie Noren (47) and his Suzuki RM-Z450 now sit tied in seventh position for the championship.

 

Twisted Tea Suzuki's Freddie Noren used the qualifying sessions to dial in his bike's settings and earn a good gate pick. He put on two strong charges and earned his fourth top-ten overall result of the 2023 motocross season. 

"In the first moto, I started poorly. I still need to figure out my starts; there's no sugarcoating it, my starts have been really bad," said Noren. "I put on a charge right off the bat and got up to about 14th in the first few laps. From there I stayed patient and consistent, then put the hammer down and collected a few more spots before the checkered. I passed another rider on the second-to-last lap; that put me tenth. In the second moto, same thing, just an awful start. Again I put on a charge right off the bat and quickly got up to about 11th. Eventually, I got up to ninth and caught the rider in eighth; but by that time I'd been eating so much roost and I had nothing left in the tank, so I finished ninth on the day. Overall, it was a pretty good weekend for me and the team." 


Kyle Chisholm (11) moved his Suzuki RM-Z450 up one position in the championship points.

Kyle Chisholm and his Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450 had two strong rides at the legendary track known for its sand whoops and extremely long Mt. Martin hill in the center of the track. 

"In the first moto I had a decent start," told Chisholm. "I was running around the top ten for most of the moto. I had some dirt in my goggles and pulled all of my tear-offs off at once, so that was a struggle. And I had a couple of bad laps and lost my rhythm, tightened up, and lost a few positions there toward the end. In the second moto, I made some passes and rode better throughout the moto. I ended up eleventh, and not too far from the top seventh and eighth place guys. So overall this weekend I was closer to the top ten, that's where I want to be. The team did a great job and I'm looking forward to Washougal." 


Dilan Schwartz (85) and his RM-Z250 tore through the pack in the first moto.

Toyota of Redlands BarX Suzuki's Dilan Schwartz's moto scores don’t show his valiant effort to score points after going down in the first turn of the first moto. His two-moto effort moved him up one position in the championship standings. 

"In the first moto I was caught up in the first turn crash," reported Schwartz. "I had to come from last place but was able to come back to 16th. In the second moto, I had a mid-pack start and made my way up to 13th. My riding was a lot better this weekend, I just need some better starts." 


Derek Drake (53) was the eighth-fastest rider in the final 450 A qualifying session.

Derek Drake showed blazing-fast speed, qualifying inside the top ten in overall qualifying positions aboard his Toyota of Redlands BarX Suzuki RM-Z450. 

"I had a good day going in the morning qualifying sessions," said Drake "In the first moto I was working my way up when I had a crash, but I got up and finished the moto. In the second moto, my rear wheel locked up; sand packed in the countershaft sprocket and caused me to stall the engine. After that I was dead last, then I had another setback about halfway through the moto. It was a tough day, but on to the next!"

 

Chase Yentzer (361) put in strong rides at his first Spring Creek National aboard his Suzuki RM-Z250.

Toyota of Redlands BarX Suzuki's Chase Yentzer's first visit to the challenging Minnesota track was a success. Yentzer rode well, gained experience, and recovered nicely after being taken out by another rider. 

"I woke up on Saturday morning feeling really confident and ready for the race," said Yentzer. "The track was fun, but it was hard for me to memorize it. In the first moto, I had a mid-pack start. I stayed very consistent the whole moto and ended up P-26. I ran the same lap times through the whole moto, which tells me I need to go a little faster at the beginning of the races. I had a 15th-place start in the second moto, but a few turns later, I got T-boned. It took me a while to get up and get going. I eventually caught up to 28th in that moto. All around it was a great weekend with the team!" 

 

Robbie Wageman (59) returned to the series and was quickly back up to race pace.

 

Robbie Wageman missed rounds two through six but came back with good intensity. 

"It was great to be back at the races! " said Wageman. "I had a great time just enjoying the process. The first moto was good, nothing like race pace! I had a decent start in the second moto and unfortunately had a bike issue on the third lap that put me out for the rest of the day. Can’t wait for the next round!" 

"Millville started pretty rough. We didn't post incredibly good times in the first timed qualifying session, but we rallied and came back in the second one and did much, much better," said Larry Brooks, Team Manager of the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance team. "In the motos, our starts could have been better, but the riders rode as hard as they could to the end; the day turned out pretty well. Overall results were a ninth for Freddie Noren and a 12th for Kyle Chisholm, and I'm pretty happy with that. The whole season's been going pretty well. We have Roczen race the series once in a while, and Freddie and Kyle have been carrying the flag for the team. So we're pretty stoked. Next weekend is another race, and we'll see how it will go."

"The Toyota of Redlands BarX Suzuki team had a full squad back in action this weekend at Millville," reported Buddy Antunez, Toyota of Redlands BarX Suzuki Team Manager. "Robbie Wageman hasn’t raced since the opener. In timed qualifying he was solid, it’s always hard for a rider coming back mid-season to be in race form like everybody else. Robbie did a good job. Millville was Derek Drake's first race back from an injury, and he showed good speed, qualifying ninth overall. In the first 250 moto, Dilan Schwartz was in a first-turn pile-up. Schwartz remounted and came from last to 16th; it was an inspiring ride. Chase and Robbie had a nice battle at the end of the first moto. The second 250 moto had all three of our Toyota of Redlands BarX Suzuki’s up inside the top 20. Chase unfortunately got taken out by another rider. Robbie also had some issues out of his control and couldn’t finish. Schwartz got into a good rhythm and ran down some guys right at the end of moto to finish 13th. There were two solid motos from Dilan. In the first 450 race, Derek didn’t get the start he wanted but moved up through the pack quickly, showing that speed from timed qualifying. About mid-moto, he had a crash. He was pretty far back, but he got up and did his best to finish the race out. In the second 450 moto, there was a little bit of a pile-up in the sand section. Derek tried to miss it but unfortunately lost a lot of ground. So he was coming from pretty far back and made it to 20th. He did what he could for how far back he was. Everyone’s looking forward to Washougal. This team is ready and has more to give!" 

The Suzuki teams now head to Washougal MX Park in Washougal Washington for round eight. After that, the season takes a two-weekend break before the final three rounds to wrap up the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross season. 

 
 
Photos by BrownDogWilson Photography