Pridmore Signs with Yoshimura
Sakakura Promoted
Mladin Tests Supersport bike

Jason Pridmore confirmed in an Email to amasuperbike.com that he has indeed signed with Yoshimura Suzuki for 1999. Pridmore will ride both Superbike and 600 Supersport for the factory Suzuki team.

Don Sakakura, crewchief and team manager for Yoshimura for years (he started working for Pops and Fujio Yoshimura in 1980) has been promoted to Vice President of Yoshimura R&D. This moves Yosh mainstay Siehro Wantanabe "Nabe" to the financial controller position. Sakakura is one of the good guys in Superbike racing, a very honest and forthright man. I'm sure Yosh will become even stronger with Sakakura near the helm. (Of the top of my head, these are the riders that Sakakura has worked with at Yoshimura:

• Wes Cooley,
• Fred Merkel (the first time),
• Miguel DuHamel,
• Fred Merkel (the second time),
• Kevin Schwantz,
• Don Jacks,
• Tommy Lynch,
• Scott Russell,
• Jamie James,
• Dave Sadowski,
• Graeme Crosby,
• Mike Baldwin,
• Tom Kipp,
• Tom Stevens,
• Britt Turkington,
• Doug Polen, Dave Aldana and many others).

Yoshimura Suzuki will run a four-rider GSX-R750 team next year, with the riders being Mat Mladin, Steve Crevier, the aforementioned Pridmore and a mystery man who they have not yet signed. My sources tell me that it is 90% certain that the TLR program is being extinguished and that Yosh will run two transporters next year, full of GSX-R600s and 750s.

The Yosh mystery-man may very well be Steve Rapp, who may wrap up the 750 Supersport title at Vegas this weekend for Suzuki; but several other well-established riders are trying to get the position as well.

My sources say that Mat Mladin tested a GSX-R600 Supersport bike at the recent Vegas test session. This hints that Mladin may join the Supersport ranks in 1999. The Australian motocross and dirt track rider, Mladin, could be an unreal force in 600 Supersport racing as he can slide his Yosh Superbike like few others. On a 600, Mladin could be a terror. --Dean Adams