- Racing - Road Racing
VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI RETURNS FOR 2024, EXPANDS TO TWINS CUP CLASS
Six-Rider Team Will Race Suzuki GSX-Rs and GSX-8Rs
Richie Escalante (54), Brandon Paasch (96),Tyler Scott (70),Teagg Hobbs (79)
Brea, CA (March 4, 2024) - Team Hammer, Inc. and Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (Suzuki) will continue their racing partnership in the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship for the next two seasons. The team will race as Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.
Long recognized for a winning tradition, both Suzuki and Team Hammer have a proud racing history. This season will be Team Hammer’s 44th straight in American motorcycle racing paddocks and promises to be one of the best yet.
In addition to the Supersport and Superbike classes racing Suzuki GSX-Rs, the team will also compete in the Twins Cup class in 2024 with the new Suzuki middleweight, parallel-twin-powered GSX-8R sportbike.
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2020 Supersport Champion Richie Escalante (54) aims for 2024 to be a breakthrough year in Superbike.
Two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch (96) looks to bring consistent results in his first full Superbike season.
Tyler Scott (70) looks to be in the mix for the 2024 Supersport championship aboard the Suzuki GSX-R750.
Teagg Hobbs (79) anticipates continued progression in his second Supersport season.
“We are confident in the team we have assembled for our 44th season,” said Team Hammer’s Chris Ulrich. “We’re back with Suzuki again and we have had a lot of success together over the years. We have some great sponsors, suppliers, and partners, plus some very talented riders. We are all excited for 2024,” said Ulrich.
“Now, for the first time since winning the championship in 2019 and 2020, we are returning to the Twins Cup class with the new Suzuki GSX-8R and, for us, developing a new motorcycle is exciting. For Supersport, we’re continuing our development of the Suzuki GSX-R750 next-generation program, and our ride-by-wire system will now also be used in the Dutch Supersport Championship and in Germany in addition to the Isle of Man and BSB. We’ve also made some good gains in Superbike with the Suzuki GSX-R1000R and are looking forward to having two healthy riders back and ready to go into the season with momentum,” added Ulrich.
Vision Wheel returns as the team’s title sponsor. A leading aftermarket custom wheel supplier for many vehicle types, Vision Wheel strives to reach present and future customers through racing.
“We’re glad to extend our partnership with Team Hammer,” said Vision Wheel CEO Roger Minor. “We’ve already had a lot of success together and Vision Wheel is looking forward to continuing that momentum in MotoAmerica competition. Race fans are our customers, and we feel it’s important for Vision Wheel to have a strong presence with a successful organization.”
Mission Foods, a Texas-based maker of Mexican food products, also returns with the team for 2024.
Long-time exhaust partner M4 Performance Exhaust will once again support and supply the team. “M4 Performance Exhaust looks forward to another year of racing with Team Hammer.” said Vice President Kyle Martin. “The MotoAmerica series looks to be as competitive as ever, which brings extra excitement. After 26 years of this commitment together, we absolutely know this team will be a force to be reckoned with in 2024.”
ECSTAR is the global brand of Suzuki Genuine Oils & Chemicals, and supplies high-quality ECSTAR lubricants to the team again in 2024.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will race in the 82nd Daytona 200 March 7-9, 2024, fielding Escalante, Paasch, Hobbs, and Scott on Supersport GSX-R750s, and Moor will make his team debut on a GSX-8R in Twins Cup at the storied speedway. Ohman will join the team starting with the second round of the series, at Road Atlanta April 19-21.
For Suzuki road racing news, results, and team updates, visit suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing. For more information and updates on Team Hammer, visit teamhammer.com.
Photos By Brian J. Nelson
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2024 season marks Team Hammer's 44th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Race bikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 133 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 361 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running "Methanol Monster" GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheels of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.