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Team Makita spends a day at the Suzuki Test Track.
To get to the top in Supercross it takes commitment, resources, experience and a whole lot of talent. Team Makita Suzuki Racing has all this and then some. We were granted a behind the scenes pass to check out one of the strongest motocross teams ever.
 We hung out with Broc Hepler's (who was out with a shoulder injury) mechanic, Lee McCollum, who showed us around and taught us a little motocross 101. We learned that each rider has their own personal mechanic and there's a single-minded focus to get the most usable power out of their bikes to achieve the holy grail of racing: FASTER LAP TIMES.
This involves tons of track time, feedback from the riders, time on the dyno and then redoing it like you're stuck in the Supercross version of Groundhog Day. This goes on pretty much until the start of the season at the Supercross event in Anaheim.
 We arrive at the track to find the whole crew of Ricky Carmichael, Davy Millsapps, Sebastian Tortelli and Travis Pastrana going off. RC is riding hard and fast, after only three weeks on his new bike, running simulated 20 lap motos. During a brief break in the action he seems focused. When asked how everything is going, he says "we'll be ready" and then adds confidently, "I don't suit up for second".
 It's an impressive scene with over 20 world championships combined gathered together to fine tune Team Makita Suzuki Racing bikes. We get a quick briefing: "Don't get run over" and are allowed right out on the track, camera in tote. Each rider has his own preferences and the mechanic works very closely with their rider to determine the low-end, mid-range and high-end power. They're constantly using their Makita Impact Drivers to de-assemble and reassemble the bikes to get them dialed in. Lee says the Impact Driver is the most important tool in racing as it allows you to change just about anything in the 30 minute span between motos. More than once it's saved his ass as well as valuable points towards the overall season ending championship.
 RC's back out on the track after a short rest and some engine modifications. He runs a few laps and pulls over to talk to "the Man", Roger Decoster. He shouts, "Too much torque at the top end, it doesn't sling shot me over the whoops. We need to get it like the race bike, maybe go back to the other pipe." And then he adds excitedly, "We're real, real close". A few days later he confirms this by winning the holeshot at the US Open of Supercross in Las Vegas.
The ways things are looking for Team Makita Suzuki Racing I'd say it's a safe bet we'll be seeing them on the podium soon and often.
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