Cypress, CA (6/8/2009) - Yamaha ATVs continued their winning ways in the eighth round of the 2009 Grand National Cross Country series in Millfield, Ohio on Saturday, June 6.

Defending class champion Traci Cecco took her third win of the season in the morning Women's race on her YFZ450R, while Brian Wolf claimed his fifth win of the year in the afternoon XC2 Pro Am race on his YFZ450. In the premier XC1 Pro class, Taylor Kiser just missed the overall win by less than three seconds, with perennial favorite Bill Balance finishing fifth on his own YFZ450R. Blue-and-white ATVs picked up 10 more victories in different classes over the weekend as well, bringing Yamaha's win tally to an even dozen.

Cecco led all five laps of the morning Women's race, opening up a bigger lead with every completed lap. On lap one she enjoyed an eight-second advantage over Yamaha-mounted Kristen Atwell before stretching the gap to 48 seconds over rival Angel Atwell on lap two. By lap three Traci was nearly three minutes ahead of Kristen Atwell again, a lead she stretched to nearly four minutes by lap four. When Kristen faltered on the last lap, Traci stretched out a nearly 5 ½ minute lead over runner-up Lexi Coulter by the flag. Fellow Yamaha rider Jennifer Albright followed up in third to give Yamaha a 1-3 command of the Women's division. Cecco's win jumps her into the points lead over Angel Atwell, who did not finish.

When the XC1 Pro and XC2 Pro Am riders lined up for their afternoon combined race, they faced four laps of an even longer and more demanding off-road course. Starting up front in the XC1 Pro class, Taylor Kiser grabbed the holeshot and stayed within the lead pack for the entire race to attain his strong second-place finish. Following in the XC2 Pro Am wave, Wolf likewise took command early, battling for the lead over the first half of the event before breaking away from the pack to win by more than two minutes over Yamaha-mounted Kevin Yoho, making it 1-2 for Yamaha in their division. With five wins this season - more than any other XC2 Pro Am competitor - Wolf now enjoys an eight-point championship lead over Joshua Kirkland.

2009 GNCC XC1 Pro Points 6/6/09
1 Chris Borich 192
2 Taylor Kiser - Yamaha 169
3 Adam McGill 158
4 Bryan Cook 132
5 Bill Ballance - Yamaha 129

2009 GNCC Women Points 6/6/09
1 Traci Cecco - Yamaha 147
2 Angel Atwell 144
3 Jennifer Albright - Yamaha 132
4 Kristen Atwell - Yamaha 130
5 Lexi Coulter 117

2009 GNCC XC2 Pro Am Points 6/6/09
1 Brian Wolf - Yamaha 216
2 Joshua Kirkland 208
3 Eric Hoyland 133
4 Parker Jones 109
5 Rob Hertz 108

About Yamaha:
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), a leader in the motorsports market, makes the toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings also include motorcycles, outboard motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats, outdoor power equipment, race kart engines, accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of more than 4,000 dealers in the United States.

Headquartered in Cypress, Calif., since its incorporation in 1977, YMUS also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia, as well as factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. For more information on Yamaha, visit yamaha-motor.com.

www.yamaha-motor.com

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