Cypress, CA (6/21/2011)
- Yamaha YFZ450Rs had a fantastic day at Speedworld
MX Park in Surprise, Ariz. as Dustin Nelson and
teammate Josh Row swept to a 1-2 overall finish
at the fourth round of the 2011 Yamaha QuadX series
on Saturday night, June 18. The great finishes
were special for both Nelson and Row. For Nelson,
already a four-time series champion, the 1-1 moto
finishes means he has now won all eight of the
Yamaha QuadX motos this season – a personal
record. And for young Row, who is riding under
the wing of Nelson this year, finishing second
overall behind his mentor represents a high point
in his racing career. As well, with series rival
Beau Baron scoring a DNF with engine problems,
Nelson moves further ahead in points as well.
Smoking hot temperatures and wind greeted the
racers at Speedworld on Saturday, and the brutal
conditions also played havoc with the track
surface. The fast circuit, peppered with many
jumps, was hard-packed dirt that developed a
blue groove during the day and became quite
dusty for riders caught in the pack. In the
first of the two 20-minutes plus two-lap motos,
held just before sunset, Nelson bagged the holeshot
and led wire-to-wire, staying out of the dust
and avoiding any visibility concerns –
especially since the setting sun and dusty goggles
were a big challenge for all but the leader.
The story was way different a couple of hours
later. After nightfall, temperatures dropped
to the mid-80s and track watering no longer
evaporated quickly. Instead, it turned the hard-pack
into a slippery, muddy mess. Getting a clean
start became just as important, for instead
of dust, riders now had to battle mud. Nelson
started second behind rival Davi Haagsma, and
went through two of his seven tear-offs in just
the first few laps. But when he reached for
the third, the whole stack came off in his hand.
Now down to just the primary goggle lens, he
had to formulate a plan to attack and pass Haagsma
– without losing what visibility remained.
So he hung back and developed a strategy to
attack from the outside under braking, cross
his rival’s line into a turn, and then
accelerate past. It worked, and Nelson took
the lead halfway through the moto.
Nelson gave much credit to his YFZ450R for
the wins. “On a slippery track it’s
important that you are not stuck with only one
line,” he explained. “One of our
biggest advantages on Saturday night was that
we could turn our bikes anywhere we wanted and
have good traction coming out of the corners.”
Finally, another racer enjoying success with
450cc Yamaha power over the weekend was Ryan
Hughes, who took the Pro Vet win at the annual
Mammoth Mountain Motocross high up in the Sierras
at Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Great job all
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.
