Yamaha press release:

Yamaha Racing prepared to defend Australian Motocross Crown

Yamaha Racing will launch their assault on back-to-back series crowns this weekend when the gates drop on the 2009 MX Nationals at Albury-Wodonga’s Diamond Park Motorcycle Raceway.

In 2009, Yamaha’s Factory outfits will be out to replicate the success achieved last year when Jay Marmont claimed the manufacturer’s first Australian Motocross Championship Pro Open title in four years.

Marmont will be out to defend his title on the YZ450F and he is again joined at CDR Rockstar Yamaha by Cheyne Boyd. In the Pro Lites class, Serco Yamaha will field a refreshed and new squad featuring Mitch Hoad and Kirk Gibbs .

Yamaha will also be well represented in the Under 19’s class, with the GYTR Development Team consisting of three talented riders – Ross Beaton, Harley Quinlan and Luke Styke.

Diamond Park Raceway hosts the first round of the series and will see a change to the traditional race formats with competitors in the Pro Open and Pro Lites Championships to contest three 20 minute motos.

Yamaha Racing Pro Open

After dominating the Pro Open category in 2008 and claiming six of the nine rounds of the series between them, Jay Marmont and Cheyne Boyd will return to the CDR Rockstar Yamaha camp again this year.

CDR Rockstar Yamaha has embarked on an intensive pre-season training and testing program and this, teamed with the continuity contained within the rider line-up sees both Marmont and Boyd as favourites in this year’s championship chase.

Marmont, who became a father for the first time just weeks ago, said he is looking forward to this weekend and taking to the starting gate with the coveted number one plate.

“My main goal is to go out there and try to win as many races as I can” Marmont said.

“It will be a matter of trying to be consistent and hopefully this will mean that Yamaha will take another Championship victory.

“It’s always harder to defend a Championship, however we have been testing in the last few weeks and the bike is going well so we are going into the year in a really strong position,” Marmont continued.

Boyd is also entering the season with renewed vigour with the Victorian at full fitness and ready replicate the form displayed at the final round of the series in which he dominated by winning both 30 minute motos.

Marmont and Boyd will take to the starting line for the first of the three motos for the round at 10.45am on Sunday April 5, 2009.

Yamaha Racing Pro Lites

Serco Yamaha welcomes an all new rider lineup with Mitch Hoad and Kirk Gibbs spearheading the team’s 2009 campaign. Up and coming rider Matt Ryan will also receive support throughout the year from the Brisbane-based team.

After competing in the Pro Open category last year, Hoad is looking forward to returning to the Pro Lites competition with Serco Yamaha.

“It feels good to be with the team,” Hoad said, “I’ve been up in Queensland testing and we did a bit of a warm up race and ironed out a few bugs so overall everything is going really well.”

“I would have liked another season on a 450cc bike [in Pro Open] but the Pro Lites is heaps of fun and I can’t wait to get back out there again.”

After being plagued by injury last year, Gibbs is back to full fitness and looking forward to his first full season with a factory supported team after recording his first round victory at the Raymond Terrace (NSW) round of the series in 2008.

A standout of the Under 19’s class last season, Ryan completes the team lineup and cements them as the one to beat in 2009.

The first of the three Pro Lites motos will take place at 10.20am.

Yamaha Racing Under 19’s

Yamaha Racing will continue their commitment to developing up and coming motocross talent with full factory support for three riders in the Under 19’s Championship who will race under the GYTR Development Team banner.

After finishing second in the 2008 Under 19’s Championship, Ross Beaton is looking forward to going one better this year.

“I’m hoping for a win this year and nothing less,” Beaton said, “I’ve worked hard in the off season for it and I just can’t wait to start racing again,” said Beaton.

“I’ve been training harder than ever before and been doing a lot of cycling, swimming, running to make sure I stayed active.  Overall I feel good.”

The lineup also includes young guns Harley Quinlan and Luke Styke, two riders with an impressive background in junior competition that are sure to be challenging for moto wins from the outset.