Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (YMC) announces its team program for competing in the 2007-2008 WPSA Power Sports Snowmobile Tour and the 2008 MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship series.
Yamaha will be competing in the Pro Open Class and the Semi-Pro Open Class of the WPSA Power Sports Snowmobile Tour. In Japan, Yamaha will be looking to win its third consecutive championship in the pinnacle Super Class of the MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship series. The race machines that both of these teams will use will be based on the Yamaha "FX Nytro."
The year 2007 marks the 40th year since Yamaha began building snowmobile as the only domestic maker of complete-built-up snowmobiles in 1968. During this time, Yamaha has done much to promote the sport of snowmobiling in Japan, and race activities are one of these areas of effort. In recent years, we have seen the 2005 establishment of the "Club YAMAHA RACING" organization with the support of our user association "Club YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE." The aim of the program is to participate in the Super Class of the MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship series using Yamaha痴 4-stroke machines and to serve as a proving ground for young riders who want to become top-class competitors. It was also been involved in various customer service activities aimed at promoting the growth of the industry and the cultivation of snowmobile fans.
In 2006, this Club YAMAHA RACING program was joined by a new program that established the elite "Yamaha Racing Team" with the aims of winning the championship in the pinnacle class of snowmobile racing in Japan while also developing technologies to improve machine performance. Yuji Nakazawa, racer of this team, brought the first championship title to Yamaha ever for a 4-stroke snowmobile.
In 2007, Yamaha continued to participate in the MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship with two teams. In that series, the Yamaha Racing Team痴 Nobuaki Eikura won the title and was followed by four other Yamaha riders in the top ten, taking 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 10th places in the season ranking.
This year also saw Yamaha return to the WPSA competition for the first time since 2002. The Yamaha team competed in the Pro Open Class with a 4-stroke machine. Working in close tie-up with the technical development efforts going on in Japan, the Yamaha team became the first ever to win a WPSA race with a 4-stroke machine, in round three of the series.
Through these efforts, Yamaha痴 challenge to compete in world-class snowmobile races with 4-stroke machines has made steady progress.
For the 2008 season, the "Yamaha MQ Racing Team" will be competing in the Pro Open Class of the WPSA series while the "Yamaha Factory Snocross Team" managed by Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. will compete in the Pro Open Class and the Semi-Pro Open Class. In the MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship the Yamaha Racing Team and the Club YAMAHA RACING will be competing in the Super Class.
These teams in Japan and North America will be cooperating even more closely this season to try to win the championship titles, while also working on 4-stroke machine development and promoting the sport of snowmobiling, all with the aim of bringing Kando* to winter sports fans everywhere.
*Kando is a Japanese word for the simultaneous feeling of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that people experience when they encounter something of exceptional value.
Teams & Riders
| 2007-2008 WPSA Power Sports Snowmobile Tour |
|
 |
|
Category |
Rider |
Team |
Base
Machine |
WPSA |
Pro
Open Class |
Yuji Nakazawa |
Yamaha MQ Racing Team |
FX
Nytro |
Steve Taylor |
Yamaha Factory
Snocross Team |
Semi Pro
Open Class |
Cory Davis |
| 2008 MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship series |
|
|
|
Category |
Rider |
Team |
Base
Machine |
All-Japan
Championships |
Super
Class |
Nobuaki Eikura |
Yamaha Racing Team |
FX
Nytro |
Shinji Tozawa |
Kiyotaka Kawagoe |
Club YAMAHA Blue MAX |
Daishi Takamura |
Club YAMAHA Fuji Auto RC |
Masafumi Terasaki |
Club Yamaha Team target |
Race Schedule
2007-2008 WPSA Power Sports Snowmobile Tour |
Round 1 |
Nov. 23-25 |
Minnesota / Duluth National |
Round 2, 3 |
Jan. 12-13 |
Minnesota / Canterbury Snocross |
Round 4, 5 |
Jan. 19-20 |
Montana / West Yellowstone National |
Special round |
Jan. 24-27 |
Colorado / Winter X-Games |
Round 6 |
Feb. 9-10 |
New York / Eastern National |
Round 7 |
Feb. 16-17 |
Quebec, Canada / Grand Prix de Valcourt |
Round 8 |
Feb. 23-24 |
Ontario, Canada / Sarnia World Championship |
Round 9 |
Mar. 8-9 |
Minnesota / Brainerd National |
Round 10 |
Mar. 14-16 |
Wisconsin / Grand Finale |
* The opening round is in 2007 and the second round is in 2008.
* All rounds except 7 and 8 (Canada) are held in the U.S.A.
2008 MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship series |
Round 1 |
Jan. 26 - 27 |
Niigata, Yuzawa round / Yuzawa special course |
Round 2 |
Feb. 3 |
Nagano round / Snowmobile Land in Madarao |
Round 3 |
Feb. 10 |
Hokkaido, Wassamu round / Wassamu cuircuit |
Round 4 |
Feb. 17 |
Hokkaido, Shibetsu round / Shibetsu Kasen Bousai Station-yoko special course |
Round 5 |
Feb. 24 |
Aomori round / New Aomori Athletic Facility special course |
Round 6 |
Mar. 2 |
Hokkaido, Biei round / Biei-cho Gliding Field |
Profiles
| WPSA Power Sports Snowmobile Tour |
|
|
|
Yuji Nakazawa |
 |
Team: Yamaha MQ Racing Team (No. 36)
|
Class: Pro Open Class |
Born: Nagano Pref. |
Date of birth: Apr. 14, 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
Won "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 |
2007: 21st in WPSA Pro Open Class ranking |
Steve Taylor |
 |
Team: Yamaha Factory Snocross Team (No. 2) |
Class: Pro Open Class |
Born: British Columbia, Canada |
Date of birth: Apr. 25, 1982 |
Height / weight: 178cm / 68kg |
Race career |
2005: 8th in WPSA Pro Open Class ranking |
2006: 6th in WPSA Pro Open Class ranking |
Cory Davis |
 |
Team: Yamaha Factory Snocross Team (No. 160) |
Class: Semi Pro Open Class |
Born: Alaska, U.S.A. |
Date of birth: Jun. 4, 1988 |
Height / weight: 183cm / 77kg |
Race career |
2006: 9th in WPSA Semi Pro Open Class ranking |
2007: WPSA Semi Pro Open Class champion |
| MFJ All-Japan Snowmobile Championship series |
|
|
|
Nobuaki Eikura
|
 |
Team: Yamaha Racing Team (No. 1) |
Class: Super Class |
Born: Aomori Pref. |
Date of birth: Oct. 5, 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 |
2007: All-Japan Super Class champion |
Shinji Tozawa |
 |
Team: Yamaha Racing Team (No. 10) |
Class: Super Class |
Born: Hokkaido |
Date of birth: May 24, 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 |
2007: 10th in All-Japan Super Class ranking |
Kiyotaka Kawagoe |
 |
Team: Club YAMAHA Blue MAX (No. 2) |
Class: Super Class |
Born: Aomori Pref. |
Date of birth: Mar. 8, 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 |
2007: 2nd in All-Japan Super Class ranking |
Daishi Takamura |
 |
Team: Club YAMAHA Fuji Auto RC (No. 5) |
Class: Super Class |
Born: Aomori Pref. |
Date of birth: Jul. 20, 1985 |
Height / weight: 176cm / 58kg |
Race career in the All-Japan Championships |
2004: 3rd in All-Japan A Level S1 Class ranking |
2005: All-Japan A Level S1 Class champion |
2006: All-Japan A Level S1 Class champion |
2007: 5th in All-Japan Super Class ranking |
Masafumi Terasaki |
 |
Team: Club Yamaha Team target (No. 6) |
Class: Super Class |
Born: Hokkaido |
Date of birth: Aug. 25, 1981 |
Height / weight: 170cm / 55kg |
Race career in the All-Japan Championships |
2000: |
4th 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 |
2007: 6th in All-Japan Super Class ranking |
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