Cypress, CA (3/14/2012) -
Nelson Wins Quad-X ATV Season Opener
Five-time Yamaha Quad-X champion Dustin Nelson
won two motos and scored one overall win in
the twin opening rounds of the 2012 series in
San Bernardino, Calif. on Saturday and Sunday,
March 10-11. Aboard his YFZ450R, Nelson put
in 2-1 motos for the overall win on Saturday,
then followed up with 3-1 motos to take second
overall on Sunday. And way across the country
in Florida, eight-time GNCC ATV champion Traci
Cecco finished third in the Women’s class
in the opening round of that series, likewise
on a YFZ450R. Yamaha-mounted Patrick McGuire
added a win in the XC2 Pro-Am class, while Walker
Fowler and Johnny Gallagher finished fourth
and fifth, respectively, in XC1 Pro.
Racers at the two-day Yamaha Quad-X event in
California enjoyed warm late-winter temperatures
in the 70s to 80s. Launching to top-five starts
in both motos on Saturday, Nelson had to work
hard to achieve his 2-1 finishes and overall
win against some stiff competition. Then on
Sunday, a crash on the final lap of moto
one dropped him back to third. But Nelson again
rallied in the final race to score his second
moto win of the weekend and give him second
overall for the day – and more importantly
the points lead as the 10-race series gets underway.
“I am really happy with how the YFZ450R
worked in the first round of the season,”
Nelson said. “It’s obviously the
best-handling bike out there, and that helped
me ride stronger in the second motos.”
The opening GNCC round in River Ranch, Fla.
is known for its sandy, rough terrain –
and plenty of trees and roots to dodge in the
grueling two-hour races. All eyes were on Ballance
Racing’s young Walker Fowler, who moved
to the premier XC1 Pro class after winning every
XC2 Pro Am race last year for the first time
in GNCC history. While he finished a solid fourth
in his XC1 Pro class debut, Yamaha ATVs still
won three classes including McGuire in XC2 Pro
Am, Jay Shadron in College B (16-21) and John
Glauda in Senior B (38+). Additional podium
finishers for Yamaha included Cecco in the popular
Women’s class, William Zaros in Junior
B (22+) and Grant Cook in Vet B (30+).
|
Yamaha
QuadX - Top 5 Pro ATV Points Results |
| Position |
Rider |
Points |
| 1 |
Dustin Nelson – Yamaha |
47 |
| 2 |
David Haagsma |
47 |
| 3 |
Beau Baron |
39 |
| 4 |
Josh Row – Yamaha |
35 |
| 5 |
Joe Byrd |
34 |
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.
