| |
| Yamaha's
Walker Fowler went undefeated in the GNCC
XC2 Pro-Am Class aboard his Yamaha YFZ450X
ATV |
Cypress, CA (11/7/2011) - Three
Wins for Yamaha at GNCC Doubleheader
Yamaha ATVs and motorcycles added three wins
and five podium finishes to the record books
in the season-ending GNCC doubleheader at Loretta
Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.
over the Nov. 4-6 weekend. AmPro Yamaha’s
Paul
Whibley and Jordan Ashburn each scored wins on
Friday in their respective XC1 Pro and XC2 Pro
Lites motorcycle classes, with Whibley on a YZ450F
and Ashburn on a YZ250F, then followed up on Sunday
with matching third-place podium finishes in the
second round of bike races. While on Saturday,
Ballance Racing’s Walker Fowler and his
YFZ450X made history by scoring a record 13 th
consecutive XC2 Pro Am win of the year –
an unprecedented perfect season in the class –
with Gabe Phillips following him to the flag on
another YFZ450X. Taylor Kiser added a close third-place
podium finish in XC1 Pro, while Yamaha-mounted
Kristen Atwell took second in the Women’s
race.
Although Fowler had already wrapped up the
2011 XC2 Pro Am title, the possibility of achieving
a perfect season added a ton of pressure heading
into the Saturday afternoon finale. But just
as he has all year long, the talented teen got
a clean start, powered his YFZ in front of the
XC2 field early in the five-lap race, and then
rode fast and smart to build up a sizable lead.
In fact, the gap expanded by an astonishing
one minute per lap until Fowler held an insurmountable
five-minute advantage. "It was kind of
a big pressure situation so I just tried to
keep it out of my mind," he admitted later.
"I just rode my own race and tried to stay
out of trouble." However the competition
was plenty hot behind Fowler, as YFZ-mounted
Phillips held off rival Eric Hoyland by a scant
1.1 sec. at the flag, marking the ninth 1-2
finish for the Yamaha pair this year.
With five podium finishes so far, Kiser was
eager to win the final XC1 Pro ATV race of the
year. And he very nearly did. Nine-time XC1
champion Bill Ballance grabbed the holeshot
to the delight of the crowd, but Kiser took
the lead on the first of five laps and opened
up an impressive 20-second advantage. However
rival Chris Bithell was on the move, taking
a narrow lead on lap two before Kiser swept
back to the front on laps three and four. Unfortunately
though, Kiser made contact with a tree during
the last lap, letting eventual winner Chris
Borich and Adam McGill slip past as Bithell
ultimately faded. Kiser recovered strongly though,
racing his YFZ back into contention before finishing
just 0.7 sec. behind McGill and a tantalizing
7.2 sec. from the win.
"The GNCC off-road series remains the
toughest in the US, and seeing our riders achieve
success here further proves how versatile and
competitive our YFZs and YZs are," said
Donnie Luce, Yamaha's ATV and off-road racing
coordinator. "Thanks to the efforts of
Bill Ballance and Randy Hawkins, we have assembled
an amazing group of riders that will continue
to create history for many years to come."
About Yamaha Motor
Corp., U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (YMUS), a
leader in the motorsports market, makes the
toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and
Side-by-Side vehicles. The company’s ever-expanding
product offerings also include 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.
