Yamaha Celebrates Outstanding 2023 Off-Road Racing Season with Multiple Championships
Thanks for the ears and listening to the podcast! We're excited for this one, for we're recognizing our race wins, championships, and philanthropic endeavors throughout the year, including our $4200 donation to breast cancer research at the Yamaha Racing Ironman GNCC.
Here's a snippet of the contents and appreciate your time!
Yamaha proudly marks the culmination of a remarkable 2023 off-road racing season, characterized by an outstanding collection of championship victories and significant philanthropic endeavors. With a string of notable championships, a generous donation for breast cancer research and care, and bike donations to schools through the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative program, Yamaha's successes this year reflects their dedication to making a positive impact at the local level.
In various national series, Yamaha bLU cRU racers dominated podiums, demonstrating the Proven Off-Road prowess of their vehicles. The YFZ450R riders excelled with multiple podium sweeps and titles, while the Side-by-Sides continued to shine, claiming victories for the YXZ1000R Sport Shift (SS) and Wolverine RMAX 1000.
The bLU cRU started the year strong after Kyle Anderson’s success at the grueling King of the Hammers (KOH), capturing the Pro Stock N/A UTV championship in his Weller Racing Yamaha Wolverine RMAX2 1000 Sport as the only UTV to complete two laps and finish in its class. Anderson's remarkable feat was celebrated with a $5,000 bLU cRU bonus for being the top-placing Yamaha SxS at KOH.
Mid America Outdoors completed its seven-round series October 20-22 in Jay, Oklahoma, with Owen VanEperen capturing the Pro Stock N/A championship in his Powersports 1 / Beyond Redline / Yamalube / Hoosier / Yamaha YXZ1000R SS. Owen’s father, Rodney VanEperen finished third on the podium in the Championship Off-Road Tour’s Pro Turbo class with his YXZ.
Seven rounds into the Great American Short Course Series, with two rounds remaining on November 4 and 5 at the SBC fairgrounds in Victorville, California, bLU cRU racer, Chad Williams, currently sits third overall in his YXZ1000R. Series bonuses include $5,000 for first, $1,500 for second, and $1,000 for third overall.
In the AMA ATV Motocross (ATV MX) series, Yamaha racers swept the podium in the AMA Pro division. Defending Champion, Joel Hetrick won his fourth-overall ATV MX Championship on his Phoenix Racing / DASA / CST / Moose YFZ450R, with seven first-place finishes to earn the $15,000 bLU cRU bonus. Fellow bLU cRU racers, Bryce Ford of Ford Brothers Racing / Baldwin, and eight-time champion, Chad Wienen of Wienen Motorsports / Molaska / Fly Racing / Maxxis / Yamaha, rounded out the podium in second and third, respectively. In October, Hetrick, Ford, and Wienen came together to represent Team USA on a YFZ450R in the Quadcross of Nations in Cingoli, Italy, finishing first and second in all three motos to earn the U.S. their fifth-straight championship on the world stage.
In the ATV MX Pro-Am class, YFZ-racer Mason Jackson captured the championship and $2,500 bLU cRU bonus. Additional Yamaha racers, Kevin Saar, Joseph Chambers, Blair Miller, and Jayden Londerville finished out the top five, earning the remaining bLU cRU Pro-Am bonuses.
Another Yamaha podium sweep took place at the Yamaha Racing Ironman finale of the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Defending XC1 Pro – ATV champ, Brycen Neal, who took his second-straight championship and $15,000 bLU cRU bonus on his Phoenix Racing / Moose YFZ450R earlier in the season, dominated the field to take the overall win, followed by Yamaha factory-supported racer, Walker Fowler, who made a comeback statement after missing most of the season due to injury. After being passed by Walker in the last few turns of the final round, Hunter Hart rounded out the podium in third on his YFZ450R, additionally finishing the series in second place, with a fellow bLU cRU racer, Cole Richardson, in third overall.
