Teammates May and Yates Ready For "Hometown Race" At Road Atlanta

BRASELTON, Georgia (April 3, 2009) - When the AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited division visits Road Atlanta for doubleheader races at the Suzuki Superbike Showdown, two riders sure to attract a lot of attention will be Jordan Suzuki teammates Aaron Yates and Geoff May.

Yates and May are two of the top riders in Superbike competition and they both happen to ride for the team owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan, which automatically brings the spotlight. In addition, both riders also make their homes in Georgia, making the Suzuki Superbike Showdown their "hometown race."

May, who rides the No. 54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R 1000, will actually have the rare opportunity to sleep in his own bed on a race weekend, as he hails from Gainesville, just a stone's throw from Road Atlanta. In addition to racing at home in front of his family and friends, the 28-year-old racer also returns as a previous winner of AMA Pro competition at Road Atlanta, having won the Superstock race as part of last year's festivities.

"Road Atlanta is a very special place to me, for many reasons," May said. "I grew up watching my dad race sports cars out at Road Atlanta, in fact my parents told me that the first time I was there, I was two weeks old.  I have had a lot of firsts out there. I saw my first motorcycle race, turned my first laps on a bike, and even won my first national title at Road Atlanta. I have many friends and family that come out to support me for this event, so it would mean the world to me if I could get my first AMA Superbike win at Road Atlanta on my National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R 1000."

Yates, on the other hand, has a little bit longer commute to Road Atlanta, as his home is approximately two hours away in Milledgeville. However, the 35-year-old rider of the No. 23 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R 1000 has certainly made himself at home in Braselton, taking Superbike victories at Road Atlanta in 2005 and 2003. The two-time Superstock champion and two-time AMA Pro SuperSport champion will be looking to add yet another Road Atlanta trophy to his case next weekend.

"I'm ready," said Yates. "While the results last weekend (at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.) weren't what we were looking for, I'm very happy with the way the bike is working and we were fast all weekend at Fontana. It's good to be home racing here at Road Atlanta and it's always nice to have some friends and family out there cheering me on. I know we have a good package with my Jordan Suzuki GSX-R 1000 and I'm planning on putting it on the box this weekend."

May, Yates and the rest of their AMA American Superbike cohorts will take to the track at Road Atlanta for practice and qualifying on Friday, April 3, followed by a pair of 20-lap races over the weekend. Saturday's Superbike race is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. ET, with Superbikes also closing out the weekend excitement on Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

In addition to the exciting on track action, fans can enjoy stunt show performances by AM Freestyle, a wheelie simulator machine, large vendor area, parade laps, a fan party Friday night at nearby Cycle Nation, and much more.

For information on all ticket packages and pricing, go to www.roadatlanta.com or call 1.800.849.7223.