Detail

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (YMC) announces its team program for competing in the 2006-2007 WPSA Power Sports Snowmobile Tour and the 2007 MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship series.
The WPSA Power Sports Snowmobile Tour held in North America is the world's premier snocross competition and Yamaha will be competing in its Pro Open Class with the Yamaha "RSNytro" mounting a new 4-stroke engine.
As with last season, Yamaha will compete to win the title in Japan's pinnacle "Super Class" of the 2007 series

Snowmobile racing is a type of winter motor sports that is very popular especially in North America and other markets. Yamaha is the only domestic maker of complete-built-up snowmobiles and an active participant in the All-Japan championship series with the aim of promoting the development of snowmobile racing in Japan. What's more, with the support of our user association "Club YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE," a new program was begun in 2005 that entered Yamaha 4-stroke machines in the "Super Class" which until then had been strictly the domain of 2-stroke machines.

"Club YAMAHA RACING" works aggressively with the primary aims of (1) taking on the challenge of developing and proving the potential of 4-stroke machines, (2) becoming a team that is a platform for riders seeking to reach the top level in the sport, and at the same time to work at the race venues to (3) conduct service programs aimed at increasing the number of race fans.

To achieve these concepts and aims during the 2006 season, a new "Yamaha Racing Team" was established with the aims of (4) becoming a team that can reach the pinnacle of snowmobile racing in Japan with 4-stroke machines. From this team, Yuji Nakazawa and Shinji Tozawa competed on the "RSVector SP." Nakazawa succeeded in winning seven of the ten heats in the five rounds of the season and finished 2nd in another to win the championship with overwhelming dominance. This was the first championship title ever for a 4-stroke machine. In the 2007 season, Yamaha will once again compete in this series with the above-mentioned aims while working for the development and spread of snowmobile sports.

In the 2007 season, Yamaha will also take on the challenge of racing in North America, the world's largest snowmobile market. In a partnership with BOSS RACING based in Winnipeg, Canada, the new "YAMAHA BOSS SNOCROSS RACING TEAM" has been formed to compete in the world's premier snowmobile race competition, the WPSA Power Sports Snowmobile Tour. This will be Yamaha's first paticipation in this Tour in five years, since the 2002 season. The new team's riders will be last season's WPSA Pro Open Class and Pro Stock Class double champion, Robbie Malinoski and last season's MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship series Super Class champion, Yuji Nakazawa. In addition to contributing to technological development that can eventually be fed back to Yamaha's production models, this new challenge will be seeking to win the top crown in international snowmobile racing with a 4-stroke machine and creating new Kando in the process.

Overseas Racing

Domestic Racing

[Profiles]

[YAMAHA BOSS SNOCROSS RACING TEAM] WPSA Power Sports Snowmobile Tour, Pro Open Class

Robbie Malinoski
	Race #: 4
	Born: Saskatchewan, Canada
	Age: 25 (born in 1981)
	Height / weight: 175cm / 86kg
	Race career
	2004:  USA WPSA World Snocross Semi-pro Open Class Champion
	2005: USA WPSA World Snocross most wins
	2006:  USA WPSA World Snocross Pro Open Class Champion Pro Stock Class Champion

Yuji Nakazawa
	Race #: 36
	Born: Nagano Pref.
	Age: 26 (born in 1980)
	Height / weight: 163cm / 63kg
	Race career
	2000: All-Japan Super Class champion
	2001:  4th in USA WINTER X-GAME USA WSA World Snocross 12th in Pro Open Class ranking *Named "International Rider of the Year
	2002:  USA WSA World Snocross 16th in Pro Open Class ranking 2nd in Indoor Super Snocross
	2003:  USA WSA World Snocross 12th in Pro Stock Class ranking 14th in Pro Open Class ranking
	2004: All-Japan Super Class champion
	2005: All-Japan Super Class champion
	2006: All-Japan Super Class champion

[Yamaha Racing Team] MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship series, Super Class

Shinji Tozawa
	Race #: 5
	Born: Hokkaido
	Age: 31 (born in 1974)
	Height / weight: 183cm / 70kg
	Race career in the All-Japan Championships
	1995: All-Japan A Level S1 Class champion
	1996: All-Japan A Level S2 Class champion
	1997: All-Japan A Level S2 Class champion
	1998: All-Japan A Level S1 Class champion
	1999: 3rd in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2000: 3rd in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2001: All-Japan Super Class champion
	2002: All-Japan Super Class champion
	2003: 2nd in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2004: 3rd in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2005: 11th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2006: 5th in All-Japan Super Class ranking

[Club YAMAHA RACING] MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship series, Super Class

Masafumi Terasaki Club Yamaha Team target
	Race #: 4
	Born: Hokkaido
	Age: 25 (born in 1981)
	Height / weight: 170cm / 55kg
	Race career in the All-Japan Championships
	2000:  5th in All-Japan A Level S1 Class ranking All-Japan A Level S3 Class champion
	2001:  14th in All-Japan A Level S1 Class ranking 5th in All-Japan A Level S3 Class ranking
	2002:  5th in All-Japan A Level S1 Class ranking All-Japan A Level S3 Class champion
	2003: 4th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2004: 6th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2005: 8th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2006: 4th in All-Japan Super Class ranking

Nobuaki Eikura Club YAMAHA RT Winning Run
	Race #: 6
	Born: Aomori Pref.
	Age: 28 (born in 1978)
	Height / weight: 174cm / 65kg
	Race career in the All-Japan Championships
	2001: All-Japan B Level S1 Class champion
	2002:  6th in All-Japan A Level S1 Class ranking 10th in All-Japan A Level S3 Class ranking
	2003:  2nd in All-Japan A Level S1 Class ranking 5th in All-Japan A Level S3 Class ranking
	2004: 12th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2005: 12th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2006: 6th in All-Japan Super Class ranking

Kiyotaka Kawagoe Club YAMAHA Blue MAX
	Race #: 7
	Born: Aomori Pref.
	Age: 27(born in 1979)
	Height / weight: 173cm / 65kg
	Race career in the All-Japan Championships
	1997: 15th All-Japan A Level S1 Class ranking
	1998: 16th All-Japan A Level S1 Class ranking
	1999: All-Japan A Level S1 Class champion
	2000: 4th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2001: 2nd in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2002: 5th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2003: 3th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2004: 4th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2005: 5th in All-Japan Super Class ranking
	2006: 7th in All-Japan Super Class ranking