Yamaha Junior Racing Unleashed In 2011

Izac Maule will be joined by his brother Oscar in the SA YJR

Yamaha Motor Australia is proud to announce the upgrading and revamping of their successful Yamaha Junior Development Teams for the 2011 season.

Formerly known as Yamaha Junior Development Team, Yamaha's junior motocross support will be called, Yamaha Junior Racing (YJR) for 2011 and beyond, maintaining the best management, team infrastructure and advice Yamaha can provide for their future motocross stars.

Across five states, Yamaha will again support and develop future motorcycle racing talent with their Yamaha Junior Racing Program in 2011. It is still the largest network of support in junior racing and unmatched by other manufacturers.

Since its nationwide inception in 2006, Yamaha has unearthed some of Australia's fastest rising stars of motocross and the trend is set to continue in 2011 with a revamped effort from Yamaha Motor Australia and each their state branches.

"Junior development is a very important part of any sport," comments Yamaha's Ray Howard. "They are the future life line and at Yamaha we take a very pro active role in developing young riders and placing them in the best surroundings possible for their racing future."

"Each state has its own team and team manager and therefore a more hands on approach are given to the riders and their families. Our state managers are ex-professional riders and experienced coaches that are dedicated to the success of the riders and teams," Howard finishes.

The 2011 lineup is as follows.

Yamaha Junior Racing; Western Australia
Team Manager: Peter Strickland
Riders: Matt Fabry YZ 85cc / Shelley Connor YZ 125/ Kyle Webster YZ250F/ Jayden Rykers YZ250F

Yamaha Junior Racing; South Australia
Team Manager: Shane Metcalfe
Riders: Oscar MauleYZ85 SW / Izak Maule YZ125 / Damon Hill YZ250F- YZ125

Yamaha Junior Racing; Victoria
Team Manager: Ross Beaton
Riders: Matt Hopkins- Talty YZ85-YZ125 /Joel Milesevic YZ 125 /Billy Jackson YZ250F

Yamaha Junior Racing; New South Wales
Team Manager: Shane Booth
Riders: Jordan Bissaker YZ 144-YZ250F /Mackenzie Tricker YZ 250F /Brendon Walther YZ 85

Yamaha Junior Racing; Queensland
Team Manager: Scott Bishop
Riders: Joel Dinsdale YZ250F - YZ125 / Wilson Todd YZ85 -YZ125.

All teams will compete in a range of local and state based events before converging on Murray Bridge in South Australia for the 2011 Australian Junior Motocross Championships later in the year.

Yamaha Racing Confident Ahead Of Dunedin Super X

Jay Marmont

Yamaha Racing head to round five of the Monster Energy Super X championship in Dunedin, New Zealand, full of confidence after a morale boosting performance last weekend in Auckland.

Across all three of Yamaha's factory supported teams' the vibe was high as each rider turned in season best results and now they look to Dunedin to carry the momentum forward.

CDR ROCKSTAR YAMAHA
After a string of top five results, CDR spearhead Jay Marmont broke through for his first podium of the season. The three time motocross champ finished the night at Auckland in second place and moved into second overall in the championship standings with three rounds remaining.

Marmont expects the Auckland round to be the turning point in his championship, especially after winning the final moto of the night in North Harbour Stadium. Jay is looking for a big finish in the championship with only Sydney and Brisbane to follow the Dunedin event.

"I feel I have been building for a while and a few more pieces came together at Auckland. I was able to get good starts and combine that with decent track speed and that gave me my best finish so far. If I can continue to improve again this week as I have done over the previous rounds then I should be right in contention," Marmont explains.

Joining Marmont will again be Jeff Alessi from the USA. Alessi was in sensational form throughout the practice and qualifying sessions in Auckland only to face bad luck in the main events. Alessi showed he has the speed and skill to match anyone in the Pro Open class and with a little bit of luck can challenge for a podium spot.

SERCO YAMAHA
The one man band of Ford Dale was in great shape at the Auckland round being the fastest qualifier in the Pro Lites class and finishing 5-1 in the first two main events of the Triple Challenge. Only a flat tyre caused by a screw on the track derailed Dale's hopes of a podium but that has only fired the Sunshine Coast based rider up and he has his sights set on a podium finish.

"I felt great last week but just couldn't get it done in the final race due to the flat tyre. It is rare to get a flat in Super X, but that's the way it goes so this weekend I'm out to finish the job properly and get my Serco Yamaha on the box."

GYTR ROCKSTAR YAMAHA
Luke Styke road the rollercoaster of emotion all the way to a third place in the Pro Lites at the Auckland round. With the injury to his team mate Harley Quinlan fresh in his mind, Styke pulled down his best result of the year and dedicated to Quinlan.

The result was just the confidence booster Styke needed and this weekend is out to prove the Auckland result was no fluke.

"I have had a pretty good week this week with my training. I was able to get in a couple of rides, hit the gym and the pool and I feel fresh and ready to go. I can't wait to get racing again," Styke offers enthusiastically.

Round Five of the Super X Championship hits Carisbrook Stadium in Dunedin with racing getting under way at 6.30pm, local time.

For more information on Super X, www.superx.com.au

Series Standings- After Round Four
Pro Opens
1st Josh Hansen -225
2nd Jay Marmont - 193
3rd Jake Moss - 152
4th Tye Simmonds - 149
5th Daniel Reardon - 138
6th Todd Waters - 128
7th Daniel McCoy - 127
8th Justin Brayton - 121
9th Lewis Woods - 107
10th Mike Alessi - 107

Pro Lites
1st PJ Larsen - 210
2nd Matt Moss - 201
3rd Ryan Marmont - 176
4th Cody Mackie - 136
5th Lawson Bopping - 130
6th Steven Clarke - 111
7th Josh Cachia - 110
8th Ford Dale - 105
9th Luke Styke - 103
10th Robbie Marshall - 102

Kevin Curtain joins Yamaha Racing Team

One of Australia's most successful and talented riders has joined Yamaha Racing Team for the 2010 season.

Kevin Curtain from Rathmines, NSW resumes his long and illustrious career with Yamaha having enjoyed great success with the brand both at home and abroad.

Curtain, who finished runner up in the 2005 and 2006 World Supersport Championship on a YZF-R6 is delighted to be reacquainted with Yamaha in Australia: "I'm stoked to be back on the same awesome team and I know the bikes will perform great. Plus I'm back in Formula Xtreme where I had some top results before I headed over to Europe. So everything is new but really familiar at the same time. I can't wait to get on the bikes and start racing," says the 42-year-old.

Yamaha Motorsports manager Ray Howard is pleased to welcome Curtain on board the new team: "Kevin has more experience than the rest of the paddock put together and he is lightning fast motorcycle racer who is equally at home on big bore 1000cc bikes as he is on the smaller 600s. He can also develop a bike like few others out there. In fact, during the time he spent with Yamaha in World Supersports competition he helped develop the R6 into the race track dominator it is today," he explains.

"We anticipate that Kevin will be a great asset to the Yamaha Racing Team and his vast experience can only help our younger riders Pat Medcalf and Rick Olson," continues Howard.

Curtain replaces the departing Bryan Staring who opted to compete in the ASBK series in a different class. Curtain will ride a YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 in the Superstock FX1000 and FX600 classes as well as showcasing the YZF-R6 Supersports bike at the Yamaha round of the World SBK Championship at Phillip Island.