Cypress, CA (12/21/2011)
- Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., has confirmed its
2012 ATV race team with top-level Yamaha supported
racers scheduled to compete in the country's best
motocross and cross country series. Yamaha is
also expanding its national trackside assistance
program with support at all AMA ATV MX National
Championship series events.
"No one can match Yamaha's support of
the sport combining a top racing
program, event and track-side support programs
and the most comprehensive
line of sport ATVs," said Steve Nessl,
Yamaha's ATV/SxS group marketing
manager. "This is an exciting time for
Yamaha racing as we look forward to
the 2012 season with a stellar team and the
most high-performance and
consistent race quad in the YFZ450R."
Yamaha's Grand National Cross Country (GNCC)
team will again be led by ATV
racing legend Bill Ballance as team owner and
manager of Ballance Racing.
Taylor Kiser, who took third overall in the
2011 XC-1 Pro class, is back on
blue again for 2012 and looking to build momentum.
Walker Fowler, the 2011
AMA ATV Racer of the Year and XC-2 Pro Am champ,
will move up to join Kiser
in the XC-1 Pro class for 2012.
Eight-time Women's champ Traci Cecco, who recaptured
the #1 plate in 2011,
will also return to GNCC competition and continue
her run as the most
successful women in all of ATV racing while
battling for a record ninth
overall championship.
Returning to the Yamaha QuadX Series is five-time
and reigning Pro champion
Dustin Nelson. Nelson had a perfect season in
2011 winning every stop in
the Western motocross series. He will also compete
in the World Off-Road
Championship Series (WORCS) again, hoping to
build on his fourth place
overall finish from 2011.
In the AMA ATV Motocross series, Thomas Brown
is returning to Yamaha after finishing fourth
in 2011. For 2012, Brown will be joined in the
AMA ATV series by Chad Wienen and his Wienen
Motorsports YFZ450R.
"Yamaha focused its efforts in the off-season
to further strengthen our
team and trackside support programs," said
Donnie Luce, Yamaha ATV/Off-Road racing coordinator.
"2011 was a great year of ATV championships
and record seasons, and we expect 2012 is going
to be another exciting season for
Yamaha's ATV racing programs."
Yamaha is expanding its ATV trackside support
program working with Layne
Barnes and Pro Motorsports (http://www.promotorsportsiowa.com/)
from Mt.
Pleasant, Iowa, to now include all AMA ATV national
events. Barnes is a
longtime ATV enthusiast, and he and his staff
will offer support for Yamaha
riders by stocking replacement parts and providing
technical assistance on
race days.
Yamaha will also continue to support the QuadX
Series with help from Roy
Bloodworth and his Big Kid Racing team (http://www.bigkidracing.com/)
who
will continue providing parts, service, technical
assistance and race
information to competitors throughout the season.
"Yamaha embraces the excitement and family
atmosphere of ATV racing," Luce
said. "The sport is in the company's heritage
and fuels our passion for
the races and racers. On the track and on the
trails, we expect big things
from team blue next year and look forward to
Yamaha riders competing for
championships in the many series we support."
About Yamaha Motor
Corp., U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (YMUS), is
a leader in the motorsports market. The company’s
ever-expanding product offerings includes ATVs
and Side-by-Side vehicle, 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 dealers
in the United States.
Headquartered in Cypress,
Calif., since its incorporation in 1976, Yamaha
also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia,
as well as factory operations in Tennessee and
Georgia. For more information on Yamaha, visit
www.yamaha-motor.com.
