From a press release issued by Don Sakakura of Yoshimura Racing:

For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

This Years Daytona 200 was a mixture of highs and lows for the Yoshimura Suzuki Team.

Mat Mladin rode a masterful race to take his third win at this classic event. Mat managed the race to perfection, going fast when he needed to, and conserving when it was prudent.

Yoshimura Suzuki rider Aaron Yates was running a strong second place when late in the race; he came upon a slower rider. Regardless of how one views who was at fault in the ensuing collision, what happened afterwards was clearly unacceptable.

At Yoshimura we have a 50-year history of racing. We race hard, but at the end of the day, we always believe in watching out for each other and keeping racing in perspective. As a result of this philosophy, we cannot, and do not condone Aaron Yates actions in any way, shape, or form.

Discussions and meetings will occur in the very near future at American Suzuki, Yoshimura, and the AMA, to determine the full extent of what actions will be appropriate in this case. Needless to say, we at Yoshimura are very disappointed in Mr. Yates behavior.

Don Sakakura
Vice President,
Yoshimura Racing, LLC