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Team Blue focuses its 4-stroke cross-country and hillclimb efforts for the 2012-13 season. Here’s a look:
Cross-Country Yamaha’s Cross-Country team had an extremely successful season last year and is looking to build on that with direction from Brian Strawsell, Yamaha’s racing technical coordinator.
The roster includes:
Pros: Ross Erdman (narrowly missed the Pro Open title last year, finishing 2nd by a handful of points); Nathan Titus (back to defend his Pro titles); Re Wadena (new to Yamaha. He raced a Ski-Doo in Pro previously), Erik Frigon (first year pro. Won Semi-Pro title in the East last year).
Semi Pros: Ben Lindbom (Semi-Pro rookie of year will be defending his Semi-Pro titles), Jacob Muller (new to Yamaha. He raced a Polaris in snocross last year and he finished fourth in his first cross-country race in a ‘tryout” for Yamaha last year, then second in his next race).
NOTE: Erdman and Lindbom also will race the SOO 500 for Yamaha.
HillClimb
After more than a decade of not competing in HillClimb, Yamaha fielded a team last year and was the first factory team to compete with all 4-stroke sleds.
“Our goal last year was just to make the main and we did that the first weekend out. We also set out to be the first OEM to put a 4-stroke sled over the top of Jackson Hole, but which Kody Malmborg Jr. did in his first year racing snowmobiles and at his first World Championship HillClimb,” said Eric Josephsen, Yamaha’s race director.
Yamaha ended the year with both pros making it into the finals in all of the respective classes. Cable Willford also posted a podium finish, becoming the 1st 4-stroke sled to podium in a RMSHA Pro HillClimb.
This season Yamaha hires some “big guns” in the Pro HillClimb world, brothers Shad and Ty Free. Both were Arctic Cat’ racers for some time and are multi-time winners, class champions, and Jackson Hole World Champions. Shad also is a past “King of Kings” at Jackson.
In addition, the team adds Taylor Dyess, a former ISOC snocross racer. Last year was his first full season of RMSHA competition where he finished 4th in Semi-Pro Stock, 2nd in Semi-Pro improved, and 2nd in Semi-Pro Mod.
Yamaha also has hired Troy (TJ)Johnson, owner of LCC, to help with development. Troy’s strengths are chassis and turbo setup knowledge.
Yamaha’s hillclimb roster includes:
Pros: Kody Malmborg Jr. (returns from last year); Cable Willford (back for year two); Shad Free (new); and Ty Free (new).
Semi-Pro: Kolton Malmborg (returns from last year’s team), Taylor Dyess (new).