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FLMX MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2014 • PAGE 9/10/14 8:32 PM7
FLMX MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2014 • PAGE 11
One such event began 33 years ago when Dave Coombs sr and Paul Schlegel approached the Lynn family about the possibility of holding a dirtbike race on their beloved ranch. Ever since that critical decision over three decades ago, for one week each year, the ranch is taken over by motocross racers, families, and fans. The only thing that matters for one week is amateur motocross. Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Motocross championship is the most prestigious amateur race in the world. This year over 22,000 Racers from around the world attempted to qualify, while only 1400 were able to make the cut. Nearly every rider who has made it as a pro has tread the dirt at the ranch. If you want to be a motocross racer this is where you prove it.
Earl May celebrates the Masters 50 Plus championship.
Evan Ferry rips up the track in the 65 7-9 Limited.
Cole Williams had a strong showing taking 15th overall in the Mini Sr. 2 (12-14) class and taking the Bell Holeshot Award in one of his motos.
Throughout the years Florida has been well represented and enjoyed much success at the ranch. With the signature heat and sandy rutted track conditions Floridians usually excel here and in this regard 2014 was no different. Among the many fast Floridians who qualified 5 were able to capture championships for a total of 6 titles out of the 33 available. From the 50s to the plus 50 they were in contention for nearly every title. In the C classes it was Loretta Lynn rookie Justin Boyd who looked like anything but as he put on strong consistent rides en route to the 450 C championship and 2nd in 250 C. Justin never finished outside of the top 5 in his six motos and took 4 motos wins going undefeated on his championship run, an impressive debut by any standards. Kyle Cheesman also competed in the 250 C class. Unfortunately for Cheesman he wasn’t able to get the starts he needed to run up front but moved forward though the pack every moto. In the final moto Kyle came from 16th to 11th for his best moto finish. With 33 classes competing over the course of the week a wide variety of ages are always represented. The youngest class featured at Loretta Lynn’s is the 50cc 4-6 year olds, the oldest is the 50 plus. Among these most seasoned of racers was Earl May. May already held a Loretta title in the 40 plus class coming into the week and saw fit to add another to the mantel this year as he took home top honors in the Masters 50 plus. Of course Mr. May did it in style dominating the first two motos before cruising home to a second in the final moto for the championship. If a 60 plus class is ever added I wouldn’t be surprised to see Earl May out there dominating. With such a smooth effortless riding style it looks as if he could continue racking them up for years to come. Along with May; Florida 50 plus Masters Sam Allen, Harvey Sorenson, and Robert Nagy also deserve congratulations for braving the Tennessee heat and brutal track conditions for 5th (Allen), 12th (Sorenson), and 27th (Nagy) overall scores. It would seem that this year not winning but dominating your class was the trend for Florida champions. Defending Girls 12-16 champ Hannah Hodges, like Earl May, earned her second Loretta Lynn’s Championship in the Girls 12-16 division. In the first moto Hannah led every lap and amassed a 1 minute lead! She would continue to dominate all week by leading every single lap and taking all three moto wins. Hannah also competed in the full size Women’s 14 plus class on her supermini and took 4th overall via 3,4,6 moto scores. Next year it is likely that we will finally see Hannah on a big bike where she’ll be an immediate favorite to take the Women’s championship. She’ll then of course have to contend with Kylie Fasnacht who took 6th overall this year and will be back with vengeance. Another fast Florida girl, Lexi Kimes, finished 27th out of the 42 woman gate. Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Adam Cianciarulo showed up to sign autographs and watch some racing mid way through the week. This year in Monster Energy Supercross Adam won 3 times in his rookie season. Funny to think it was just two years ago that Adam was competing for his final time as an amateur at the ranch in the supermini divisions. This just goes to show how remarkably fast the supermini riders are here. They’re nearly pro level riders on smaller machines! Also the supermini class is often where up and coming racers of different ages who have been winning their age divisions will meet for the first time. For these reasons the supermini class is always one of the most exciting and entertaining all week and once again these guys did not disappoint! Lining up From Florida for the first moto of Supermini 1 were Jordan Bailey, Enzo Lopes, Chris Fortier, Chase Fasnacht, and Colton Eigenmann. This would turn out to be arguably the best moto of the entire week. The moto would start out with Tanner Stack
One of the smallest riders at the ranch , Tyler Cole from Auburndale.
FLMX MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2014 • PAGE 17
FLMX: HALL OF FAME
- sand - and our boys knew how to ride in it. One in particular, Monte McCoy, built a name for himself. He was always up front with the other Florida riders and he was always striving to win. He couldn’t help himself, he just had to win, it was in his blood! Dropping back to his days of mini riding in the early 1970s, Monte took a Honda SL70 and headed out West to the World Mini Gran Prix. He waxed the competition according to his friends Buzzy Germony and David Brunelle. The names of the riders he competed with and humiliated were the who’s who of factory motocross racers just a few short years later. He then found himself with little competition in Florida in the mini classes and showed up at a race with his little SL70 and tried to enter the 125cc class. He was laughed at. Then someone made the mistake of saying out loud, “Man, we don’t want that mini on the track in the way!” Monte McCoy didn’t like to back down to a challenge and even as a boy was more fit than most the men on the track. He went and hid in the first turn. When they went by, he got on the gas, passed every rider on the track and was in the lead within about a half a lap. He was blacked flagged when he came around and he just kept it pinned, getting black flagged lap after lap, but easily winning the 125cc class on his Honda 70. That never-say-die attitude carried over to his teenage years and is what caused the infamous Bob “Hurricane” Hannah to hate Monte (at least in a competitive way.) He used to shoot Monte the (ahem) middle finger to try and psyche him out, and Monte after a while started doing things to psyche Hannah out, which was no easy task. You see, Hannah came to Florida to win the Winter Series in 1976 for factory Yamaha, and it started in the first turn when some unknown guy who Bob ironically dubbed, “That Surfer Dude!” dove under Hannah in the first turn, pulled the holeshot and pulled away. Hannah won the battle but week in and week out during the Winter Series, perhaps the greatest rider this sport has ever known,
knew he had to battle with “That Surfer Dude!” aka Monte McCoy. Ironically that wouldn’t be the only time Monte gave The Hurricane fits. He also got under him a year or so later in 1977 in the first turn at the Anaheim Supercross. A photo was snapped as it was happening, and this time Bob Hannah was much more gracious, signing it for Monte and telling him how well he was riding. Could it be at this moment that Monte McCoy started truly breaking down the walls that separated East/ West in this motocross world? Perhaps, but let’s back up just a year to 1976 when Monte showed up at the Daytona Supercross in fantastic shape. He, his friends Buzzy, David and Steve Martin had been training like animals. Long before the likes of Johnny O’Mara and his intense training regimens. Long before Mark “The Bomber” Barnett made it cool to ride through several tanks of gas, rip off his jersey and, while still in motocross boots, go pound laps around the tracks jogging. Monte and his boys were showing up at the local junior high, doing calisthenics, stretching, running and getting in phenomenal shape. Monte, a dirty blonde with six pack abs. Not only was he a threat on the track, but he was a threat to the ladies, and they loved him according to not only all of his friends, but one of his greatest sponsors Marie de la Torre (more on that in a moment). So in 1976 when Monte showed up at the Daytona Supercross, he was ready to go. It was his first true AMA professional race in the elite ranks. He’d raced pro in Florida, but never a national or supercross race. His bike of choice was a Suzuki RM370 because back in those days the truly elite only rode the Open class. Monte almost blew a mental gasket and was so upset when he arrived at Daytona. The factories were making the push toward the 250cc class. He still had factory riders in the Open class, but not all of them, and he wanted to test himself against all the best! But this bike, it had been worked on by his friend David Brunelle who had been taught by Steve Martin Sr. He used every trick Mr. Martin taught him and he himself studied the factory
Suzuki motocross bikes and tried to emulate them in any way he could, turning the forks into air forks, switching the swing arm for a better one. And after practice Monte came in and said, “Don’t touch a thing!” First moto, Monte struggled just a little but still finished in an amazing third place (in those days, they ran 3 moto races!) And then in the second and third motos as it got really, really rough, Monte’s conditioning and skills started to shine - he went 1-1 in the last two motos to easily win the Daytona Supercross! Not only were closed doors and walls shattering, but it’s probably a good thing many of the other elite factory stars were in another class or they might have been beaten by this virtual unknown! But Monte ever so humbly later exclaimed, “I hate that ****! I’m just like everybody else, I’m nobody special!” at which his friend replied, “Yeah, you keep believing that, you ARE somebody special, and you deserve that moment, man. You just let all the people from Florida that are still cheering for you have their moment. You were the first from Florida to ever win the Daytona Supercross!” Monte smiled and said, “Okay. Okay. Let’s change the subject” as he waved to the crowd. So who was Monte McCoy? Was he just the guy that won the prestigious 1976 Daytona Supercross? Was he just some guy that the great Bob Hannah thought was such a great rival that he gave a nickname? Yes, that was him, but he was a whole lot more than that. He was also the guy that just like Gary Bailey helped to break down the walls - Gary, between Europe and America and Monte helped to break down the walls between the East coast and West coast. No further proof of this is needed than the day Monte won the Daytona Supercross, he went to shake Californian Marty Moates’ hand. Note: again Marty would a few short years later be the first American to win the 500cc US GP beating all the Euro riders. So these two young men were helping to redefine the sport of motocross. But that day, Monte McCoy met Marty Moates’ sponsor from California, a lovely lady named Marie de la Torre who owned Mid-Valley Cycles in Van Nuys, California. While speaking with her, he asked if he made it out to California, if she would sponsor him? She replied, “I told him he would have to talk to my husband (Andy de la Torre) but I thought it was worth a try.” Marie later said, “He was one of our best racers. We put him on a KTM and he won a lot of races all over California. He was very well liked by everyone including all the girls.” So here is Monte McCoy just doing what he loves with that charismatic smile, winning ways and great attitude. He made friends all over California. The walls had indeed been broken down by a humble guy from Florida. As great a racer as Monte was, even coming back more than 20 years after he retired and winning that elusive Florida Winter Series title he had never won, that is still not what defines him. It was who he was that made Monte McCoy so great. Such a likable, and decent guy that Mr. Steve Martin said, “One thing I always respected in Monte was he never lied or cheated at anything, like his dad, he also was a good man.” So this “great guy” just because of his
personality was able to break down all the barriers between East and West. He was able to make California his home-away-from-home just as Marie de la Torre said, “He loved California, and California loved him!” Monte McCoy was defined by his love for life. You often hear the term “Live, Laugh, Love” and everything I have learned about Monte McCoy states that is exactly how he lived his life.
was he never lied or cheated at anything, like his dad, he also was a good man. Before I get to carried away, the one thing I remember of Monte is I was always getting mad at him for fooling around, so I would get upset at him, and call him MeeCoy .
The epitaph to Monte’s wonderful life is that just a few short months after finally winning that elusive Florida Winter Series title and returning to the Daytona Supercross where he’d finally gotten his accolades and praise over the loudspeaker, he passed from this world on November 12, 2011 exactly as he’d always dreamed: he was out riding with his friends and as his heart stopped beating and he fell. There is a certain poetic justice for the fact that Monte McCoy’s throttle was pegged wide open! Just like he’d lived his life.
After years went by, and I had moved to Va, he called and while talking he asked me to call him MeeCoy. Damn I never realized he like me calling him that! Later, my son’s wife told me that Monte and her had a long talk about me calling him MeeCoy, and he liked it! So he would purposely try to piss me off just so I would call him that, go figure!
RIP Monte McCoy. Editors Note: Monte McCoy: gone but never, ever forgotten. He was one of the men that changed the face of racing in the United States. I honestly feel that the doors Monte opened allowed some of the greatest racers in the world to come forward. I don’t find it strange at all that riders like Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart call Florida home - but had that oppression and East/West rivalry still been there, they may have never gotten their shot (it was that bad!) they owe a small debt of gratitude to a man they may have never met. Kevin Folley - In my mind certainly one of the original FL bad asses! Keith Oehlrich - I was in the 125 expert class, and I use to watch the best riders I could to learn from, and Monte was one of them. They had a jump named after him in St. Pete for good reason (McCoy Mountain). In today’s racing it would almost be like a scrub but this was way back in 1978. When he did that jump, what he did with the bike looked like he was bending the frame. It was awesome! Ronnie Tichenor - I knew Monte he rode for my dad’s shop! John Collins - He could do that turn down whip better than anyone, way before the Bubba scrub. Especially on McCoy Mtn or the big jump at Chicken Farm! Steve Martin Sr - I feel like Monte was one of my children, every weekend he was at my house, my son Steve jr, and him were close friends right up to the end. Like all young men Monte went through all the temptations growing up. One thing I always respected in Monte
R.I.P. MeeCoy You were a one of a kind guy! Marie de la Torre / Mid-Valley Cycles California - I met Monte at Daytona where I had taken Marty Moates to an invitational. He came over to talk to Marty and we got to talking. He asked if he came to California could I sponsor him. He had just won the support class. I told him he would have to talk to my husband, but I thought it was worth a try. He came out with his father. He was one of our best racers! We put him on a KTM and he won a lot of races all over California. He was very well liked by everyone including all the girls. He was helpful and he took care of his own bike in our shop. He got along well with the mechanics and the rest of our racers. At the MidValley Reunion my husband gave him a book with all his wins and write-ups. I believe he had a daughter or sister? She must have the file. He loved California and California loved him as well as us. He stayed with my son in San Diego when we had our reunion (a few years ago) and was very happy to be home with us Mike Patrick aka Mikeee P - When I wrote this story I knew little of Monte. I had heard his name many-many times over the years (in the early 1980’s) from some
twins I raced with named Mike & Tony Chaput. They were always gushing about Monte McCoy and Kippy Pierce. Though I never got to meet him, here I am writing about him some 30 years later. As I wrote this story, and as I heard in the voices the love his friends had for him. I felt I really came to know the man. In the e-mails people shared with me and the pages, and pages of notes I took, I felt like we had become old friends. I hope no one will mind when I say that from all the things shared, once it was all deciphered, that I feel I can speak for Monte and say that Mr. Tichenor, Mr Steve Martin Sr and Mr Kip Pierce Sr - were all like fathers to him. And I feel if Monte were here today, he’d tell all three of them as well as Andy & Marie de la Torre that same thing, and thank them for their efforts in helping him to become the man he was. There was a special bond formed between Monte, David, Buzzy and Steve Martin. Something rare and wonderful in this crazy world today. Something inspirational!
Dream Traxx Boss Jason Baker crafting a new track design for TampaMX.
Champions start young.
Cody Chisholm gets ready for Moto One.
Wes Kain interviews Ricky Renner after his TampaMX Top Gun win.
Team Hampshire celebrates a perfect week at Loretta’s. FLMX MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2014 • PAGE 25
RACE RESULTS
TAMPA MX TOP GUN CHALLENGE
ROUND 1 Top Gun Shootout 1) Ricky Renner 2) Kyle Chisholm 3) Cody Chisholm 4) Kody Kuykendall 5) Bodie Colangelo 6) Jack Sigismondi 7) Joey Farace 8) Duane Oakley 9) DJ Macfarlane 10) Zack Freeberg 11) AJ Meadows JR Mini (9-13) 1) Devon Stodart 2) Cole Bradford 3) Brandon Galluzzo 4) Rowdy Houston 5) Dustin Sacter 6) Blair Howard 7) Fisher Houston Open C 1) Trey Lanier 2) Jacob Patton 3) Frankie Milazzo 4) Tobias Purifoy 250 C 1) Kyle Cheesman 2) Drew Swenson 3) Ty Casey 4) Dillon Kratzer 5) Trey Lanier 6) Vance Hall 7) Frankie Milazzo 8) Damion Horton 9) Jacob Patton 250 B 1) Kevin Steele 2) Bryce Mauldin Open Beginner 1) Nicholas Fasanelli Vintage Pre 1975 1) Jeff Michaels 2) Van Aderhold Vintage Evo 75-84 1) Bill Petitt 2) Kai Strauch 50 Open 1) Jordan Renfro 2) Lane Doyle 3) Tyler Cole 4) Emile Lacher 5) Nathan Jeffery 6) Austin Whitaker 7) Justin Fernandez
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Plus 45 1) Joe Kenney 2) Jeff Infante POINTS
250 Beginner 1) Gabby Stead 85cc 12-13 1) Seth Brown 2) Jarrett Drewes 3) Dillon Gaswint 85cc 7-11 1) Cole Bradford 2) Rowdy Houston 3) Logan Doyle 4) Chase Patton 5) Tyler Obrien 6) Dustin Sacter 7) Sebastian Hayes 85cc Beginner 1) Harry Edwards 2) Fisher Houston 3) Jessica Jeffery 4) Blair Howard 5) Phillip Lavqulien 6) Michael Jones 65 9-11 1) Aspen Boothby 2) Chase Patton 3) Blair Howard 65 5-8 Beginner 1) Nathan Jeffery 2) Luis Jones 65 9-11 Beginner 1) Magnus Bingham 2) Joey Infante 65 Open 1) Aspen Boothby 2) Chase Patton 3) Jordan Renfro PW 4-6 Stk 1) Emile Lacher 2) Austin Whitaker 3) Kaegan Mosien PW 4-6 Stk Beginner 1) Leeland Pfiffer 2) Travis Becker 3) Hunter Grooms 65 5-8 1) Jordan Renfro 2) Lane Doyle 3) Grant Ferrari 65 9-11 1) Aspen Boothby 2) Chase Patton 50 4-6 1) Tyler Cole 2) Emile Lacher
3) Austin Whitaker 3) Justin Fernandez 4) Kevin Luck 5) Leeland Pfiffer 50 7-8 1) Jordan Renfro 2) Lane Doyle 3) Nathan Jeffrey 50 7-8 Beginner 1) Wyatt Andrade 4 Stroke Open 1) Kody Kuykendall 2) Kevin Steele 3) Bryce Mauldin 4) Drew Swenson 5) Mike Goncalves 6) DJ Macfarlane 7) Tobias Purifoy Women 1) Gabby Stead 2) Christel Allen Supermini 1) Devon Stodart 2) Seth Brown 3) Miriam Johnson 4) Erik Gray
Top Gun Shootout 1) Ricky Renner 25 2) Kyle Chisholm 22 3) Cody Chisholm 20 4) Kody Kuykendall 18 5) Bodie Colangelo 16 6) Jack Sigismondi 15 7) Joey Farace 14 8) Duane Oakley 13 9) DJ Macfarlane 5 10) Zack Freeberg 5 11) AJ Meadows 5 JR Mini (9-13) 1) Devon Stodart 25 2) Cole Bradford 22 3) Brandon Galluzzo 20 4) Rowdy Houston 18 5) Dustin Sacter 16 6) Blair Howard 15 7) Fisher Houston 14 Open C 1) Trey Lanier 25 2) Jacob Patton 22 3) Frankie Milazzo 20 4) Tobias Purifoy 18
Plus 35 C/Beg 1) Chris Bunnell 2) Dario Savage 3) David Galluzzo
250 C 1) Kyle Cheesman 25 2) Drew Swenson 22 3) Ty Casey 20 4) Dillon Kratzer 18 5) Trey Lanier 16 6) Vance Hall 15 7) Frankie Milazzo 14 8) Damion Horton 13 9) Jacob Patton 12
Vet A/B 1) Mike Goncalves 2) Sal Ginabreda
250 B 1) Kevin Steele 25 2) Bryce Mauldin 22
Schoolboy 1) Kyle Cheesman 2) Tyler Lang 3) Ty Casey 4) Billy Klee 5) Austin Stuart
Open Beginner 1) Nicholas Fasanelli 5
2 Stroke 1) Tyler Lang
Vintage Evo 75-84 1) Bill Petitt 25 2) Kai Strauch 22
Quad Open C/Beg 1) Kaitlin Gibson
JR Girls 1) Mirian Johnson 2) Madison Gray 3) Jessica Jeffery Plus 25 1) Josh Hildebrand 2) Emil Nacnac
Vintage Pre 1975 1) Jeff Michaels 25 2) Van Aderhold 5
50 Open 1) Jordan Renfro 25 2) Lane Doyle 22 3) Tyler Cole 20 4) Emile Lacher 18 5) Nathan Jeffery 16 6) Austin Whitaker 15 7) Justin Fernandez 14
250 Beginner 1) Gabby Stead 25 85cc 12-13 1) Seth Brown 25 2) Jarrett Drewes 22 3) Dillon Gaswint 20
50 7-8 1) Jordan Renfro 25 2) Lane Doyle 22 3) Nathan Jeffrey 20 50 7-8 Beginner 1) Wyatt Andrade 25
85cc 7-11 1) Cole Bradford 25 2) Rowdy Houston 22 3) Logan Doyle 20 4) Chase Patton 18 5) Tyler Obrien 16 6) Dustin Sacter 15 7) Sebastian Hayes 5
4 Stroke Open 1) Kody Kuykendall 25 2) Kevin Steele 22 3) Bryce Mauldin 20 4) Drew Swenson 18 5) Mike Goncalves 16 6) DJ Macfarlane 5 7) Tobias Purifoy 5
85cc Beginner 1) Harry Edwards 25 2) Fisher Houston 22 3) Jessica Jeffery 20 4) Blair Howard 18 5) Phillip Lavqulien 16 6) Michael Jones 15
Women 1) Gabby Stead 25 2) Christel Allen 22
65 9-11 1) Aspen Boothby 25 2) Chase Patton 22 3) Blair Howard 20 65 5-8 Beginner 1) Nathan Jeffery 25 2) Luis Jones 22 65 9-11 Beginner 1) Magnus Bingham 25 2) Joey Infante 22 65 Open 1) Aspen Boothby 25 2) Chase Patton 22 3) Jordan Renfro 20 PW 4-6 Stk 1) Emile Lacher 25 2) Austin Whitaker 22 3) Kaegan Mosien 20 PW 4-6 Stk Beginner 1) Leeland Pfiffer 25 2) Travis Becker 22 3) Hunter Grooms 20 65 5-8 1) Jordan Renfro 25 2) Lane Doyle 22 3) Grant Ferrari 20 65 9-11 1) Aspen Boothby 25 2) Chase Patton 22
Supermini 1) Devon Stodart 25 2) Seth Brown 22 3) Miriam Johnson 20 4) Erik Gray 18 Quad Open C/Beg 1) Kaitlin Gibson 25 Plus 35 C/Beg 1) Chris Bunnell 25 2) Dario Savage 22 3) David Galluzzo 20 Vet A/B 1) Mike Goncalves 25 2) Sal Ginabreda 22 Schoolboy 1) Kyle Cheesman 25 2) Tyler Lang 22 3) Ty Casey 20 4) Billy Klee 18 5) Austin Stuart 5 2 Stroke 1) Tyler Lang 25 JR Girls 1) Mirian Johnson 25 2) Madison Gray 22 3) Jessica Jeffery 20 Plus 25 1) Josh Hildebrand 5 2) Emil Nacnac 5 Plus 45 1) Joe Kenney 25 2) Jeff Infante 22
50 4-6 1) Tyler Cole 25 2) Emile Lacher 22 3) Austin Whitaker 20 3) Justin Fernandez 18 4) Kevin Luck 16 5) Leeland Pfiffer 15
FLMX MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2014 • PAGE 27
CSC
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4001 John Young Parkway Orlando, FL 32804 407-299-9191
FLMX MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2014 • PAGE 31
YZ 450F ®
450 power with 250-style handling. • Revolutionary rearward-slanted engine design achieves unmatched mass centralization. • Four-titanium-valve cylinder head matched to fuel injection system provides superb power feeling across the rpm range. • Aluminum Bilateral Beam frame offers excellent rigidity balance which, in conjunction with class leading front and rear suspension, provides unmatched lightweight corning and handling • Accessory GYTR® Power Tuner lets you match engine performance characteristics to riding style and track conditions instantly.
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* Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves and boots. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. Yamaha and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. Professional riders depicted on closed course. ©2014 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.•YamahaMotorsports.com