 |
Taylor
Kiser with his Yamaha YFZ450 ATV on
the podium
|
Cypress, CA (3/2/2009)
- Yamaha began the 2009 GNCC ATV season in winning
form as Taylor Kiser took his YFZ450 to his first
victory in the premier XC1 Pro class in Lake Wales,
Fla. on Sunday, Mar. 1. What's more, blue-and-white
machines grabbed eight other class wins over the
weekend, establishing Yamaha as the brand to beat
as the highly competitive off-road ATV series
gets started. Particularly exciting this weekend
was the Women's class, where Jennifer Albright
and Traci Cecco finished 2-3 as Yamaha captured
five of the top six positions.
Kiser put in a near-perfect ride in the six-lap,
two-hour XC1 Pro afternoon event around a rough
and dry Florida course. The Yamaha-supported
racer ran strongly in third for the first half
of the event, then accelerated into second on
the fourth lap, and finally passed for the lead
on lap five before pulling out more than a full
minute advantage at the finish. Meanwhile fellow
Yamaha riders Donnie Ockerman (last year's XC2
Pro Am champion) and Brandon Ballance followed
in fifth and sixth, respectively. "This
is like a dream to win it in front of all of
these people," Kiser said afterwards. "I
just played it smart and it paid off."
In the fiercely contested morning Women's class,
aboard her YFZ450R, multi-time defending champ
Cecco fought hard for her third-place finish
after starting deep in the pack and then working
her way forward through the sand. With Albright
just ahead and Kristen Atwell, Kim Muzzarelli
and Jesi Stracham closing up the ranks behind
on their own YFZs, Cecco was in good company
and there was much to cheer about for Yamaha
throughout the women's six-lap contest.
