yamaha snocross team fills pro semipro slots

WPSA professional snocrosser Steve Taylor and semi-pro Cory Davis will saddle up aboard the new FX Nytro-based Yamaha race sled for this upcoming season. Taylor, a Prince George, B.C., native, will be filling some big shoes, taking over the leading role after Boss Racing's Robbie Malinoski moved to Ski-Doo. We're told Malinoski simply couldn't come to a compromise agreement this summer with Yamaha and subsequently moved to the Canadian team.

Fortunately for Yamaha, Taylor already has plenty of time on the Nytro as he was part of the testing and development team last year with Malinoski. "I have about a million laps on the sled already this spring," Taylor said. "The low-end torque from the 4-stroke engine is amazing. It's awesome in the technical rhythm sections."

Race director Greg Marier touts Taylor as being a "smooth, finesse rider" and is optimistic about Taylor's skills and abilities. Yamaha's Snowmobile Marketing Manager, Rob Powers, echoed Marier's comments, saying, "It doesn't even look like Taylor is working hard when he is flying through extremely technical parts of the track."

Yamaha's new semi-pro rider, Corey Davis, wants a national championship notch on his belt for a second year this year too, and he will have plenty of racers chasing him for the Open Championship again. The 18-year-old out of Alaska has plenty of racing determination, but both Davis and Taylor must also have a willingness to help Yamaha out with the R&D programs that also will go into future development for the Nytro and Yamaha's fledgling racing efforts.