JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Joey Savatgy believes the increased seat time in race conditions will be most valuable his 2019 Monster Energy S-X Open International FIM Oceania Supercross Championship campaign, the newly-signed rider still in the early stages of his transition to the RM-Z450.

The premier class contender only put pen to paper on his deal with JGR ahead of practice at last week’s Paris Supercross, which saw him record two podium results on his way to seventh overall in his first public appearance on the Suzuki.

“As far as suspension, I definitely need to do more testing – we’re on a bit of time crunch as far as preparation leading into this,” Savatgy explained the at Auckland’s pre-event press conference. “If we were going to into January right now, would I be pretty pumped? Not really.

“I think there’s still room for improvement. But again, that’s why we’re here to try and learn, and put ourselves in a race situation to see ‘hey, the bike works really here, and not well here,’ so how can we fix it?”

“I’ve always wanted to do these [events], I just haven’t been in a position to do them in the past. I really wanted to do them last year, I think it would’ve been helpful to get some seat time, but it just wasn’t an option. JGR Suzuki were cool with doing both of these races, so that’s where it came from.”

Savatgy joins fellow AMA Supercross regulars Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing), Chad Reed (Penrite Racing Mountain Motorsports Honda), and Justin Brayton (Penrite Honda Racing) for tomorrow night’s Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland.