The YZ450F and YFZ450R ruled the racetrack over the Aug. 18-19 weekend with two wins and a podium finish in three of the biggest events in America. Leading the charge was AmPro Yamaha’s Paul Whibley, who scored his eighth OMA Nationals win of the year and clinched the 2012 championship in Dayton, Iowa. In addition, the Yamaha team of Walker Fowler, Johnny Gallagher and Gabe Phillips won the 5th Annual Heartland Challenge ATV endurance race in Carlisle, Iowa, while Joe Gibbs Racing’s Davi Millsaps grabbed his second moto podium of the 2012 AMA Motocross season at the Unadilla Valley Sports Center in New Berlin, NY. Then in Europe, American Bike-It Monster Energy Yamaha YZ250F rider Zach Osborne flew to third overall with 3-4 moto finishes at the Great Britain MXGP.
Whibley’s prestigious OMA Nationals title is an incredible fifth consecutive one for the rapid New Zealander, and this weekend’s race win was also his 17th consecutive victory going all the way back to early last season. However it was definitely a hard-fought contest as Whibley battled with rival Russell Bobbitt in tight and dusty conditions before ultimately prevailing to take the win and championship. “Every racer strives for excellence but there is no question that Paul and his AmPro-prepared YZ450F have truly obtained it,” said Yamaha ATV racing coordinator Donnie Luce afterwards. “They truly have racked up an amazing list of event wins and championships in the OMA series.”
With a commanding lead of more than six minutes over other teams, Fowler, Gallagher and Phillips gave Yamaha its fifth overall win in the grueling 10-hour Heartland Challenge ATV off-road race. Under warm, humid weather conditions, the teammates set their sights on riding fast, smooth and mistake-free, three necessary ingredients for success in an endurance race. And that’s exactly what they delivered, clicking off lap after long lap in the 18-minute range and ultimately covering an amazing 35 laps in all – over three exhausting hours of racing per rider. “The YFZ450R has proven itself yet again to be the vehicle of choice for endurance racing,” Luce added. “Thanks to today’s premier off-road riders Fowler, Gallagher and Phillips – along with their pit crew Broc Booth and Danny Fowler – for all their efforts!”
At the AMA Motocross national in New York, Millsaps followed up his first-moto podium finish with a fifth in the second moto, giving the popular JGR rider fourth place overall – his second-best finish of the season to date. The first of two motos saw an exciting four different leaders – and several falls – until the final
order was overall winner Ryan Dungey, Broc Tickle and then Yamaha’s Millsaps. In moto two, Millsaps started out strongly in second before dropping to fifth on the second of 16 laps, battled between fourth and fifth for most of the race, and then finally brought his YZ450F home in fifth. Star Valli Racing’s Nico Izzi likewise had a strong day, putting his own YZ450F into the top eight in both Unadilla motos to finish sixth overall for the day. Great job all!
Source: Yamaha Newsletter
Posted in: Racing
