Press Release –

University of Florida Chapter and Two Purdue Students Receive Inaugural Yamaha Awards

Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., has named the recipients of its inaugural Yamaha-ACT Scholarship Program. The University of Florida Chapter of the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) will receive the chapter award, and Whitney Siegfried and Katherine Kuykendall, both ACT members from Purdue University, earned the individual scholarships. As recipients of the individual scholarships, both Siegfried and Kuykendall will also have the opportunity to serve as interns for Yamaha during the 2009 Ag Media Summit.

Yamaha’s new scholarship program was launched this year to provide financial assistance to members of the ACT, a national college student association with 354 registered members located on 17 college and university campuses across the country. ACT’s mission of fostering professional development is at the core of the new Yamaha-ACT Scholarship Program.

As part of the application process, students were asked to incorporate important ATV and Side-by-Side (SxS) safety messages into practical communications pieces such as a feature story, brochure or press release. This part of the application was meant to show an example of the students’ quality of work, and also to seed safety messages that they can carry throughout their careers as professional communicators.

“Yamaha congratulates each of the recipients of our 2009 Yamaha-ACT Scholarship program, and we are proud to assist them in their pursuit of a career in agricultural communications,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s ATV and SxS group marketing manager. “We hope that our application process allowed these ACT students to learn new lessons about safe, responsible off-road vehicle use. This is valuable information they can use throughout the professional and personal lives.”

“ACT is about providing students with practical opportunities to grow as future professional communicators, and Yamaha’s scholarship program fits right in with that purpose. To win, the students have to apply their communications skills—writing, design, and public relations. This year’s winners really showed some skill and talent, ” said Jeff Miller, professor of agricultural communications at the University of Arkansas and national adviser of ACT.

The Yamaha-ACT Scholarship Program is broken out into two individual student scholarships and one chapter scholarship. All three scholarships are aimed at helping students attend the annual Agricultural Media Summit (AMS). As the largest gathering of crop and livestock media professionals in the country hosted by the Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA) and the Livestock Publications Council (LPC), the AMS is the ACT’s primary career development networking opportunity for these students each year.

Applicants were judged based on merit, need and quality of submission materials by a review committee consisting of Yamaha employees; ACT faculty adviser and Associate Professor for Agricultural Communications at the University of Arkansas, Dr. Jefferson D. Miller; AAEA President Elect and Director of Communications at Iowa Soybean Association, Karen Simon; and Livestock Publications Council President and Senior Director at The American Quarter Horse Journal, Jim Bret Campbell.

Press Release –

Yoshimura equipped rider Harold Goodman has begun his 2009 bid for the Extreme Dirt Track ATVA Nationals Championship title.

By sweeping up the first round of the six round series at the Ozark Mountain Raceway in Ava, Missouri, Goodman has a good start to shoot for a Triple Crown – 2007, 2008 and 2009 Championships.

The Romulus, Michigan native took the holeshot and held onto the lead throughout the race.

Although challenged from behind, Goodman never let up until he crossed the finish.

“It’s great to get this win,” Goodman said. “I feel confident that this is going to be another great series. We’ve got a full schedule this year with Baja, AMA MX Pro and this. We’ve finally got my bike going really great and I’m ready to go out and win some races.”

Goodman also secured the win in the Pro Lites class as well. Next up in the Extreme Dirt Track Series is June 20th at the Tri City Speedway in Franklin, PA.

Press Release –

Volunteers Clean OHV Trails and Plant 1,200 Trees in San Bernardino National Forest

Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., employees volunteered for two important projects last month to support the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California and its off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails.

Over two days, approximately 100 volunteers including Yamaha employees and family members, planted 1,200 trees and cleaned up miles of ATV and Side-by-Side (SxS) OHV trails.

First, on Saturday, April 25, a group of Yamaha employees along with staff from the non-profit, volunteer-based San Bernardino National Forest Association (SBNFA) scouted and worked on miles of trails that Yamaha has sponsored and adopted as part of the company’s OHV Access Initiative.

Over years, Yamaha and the SBNFA have formed a strong partnership focused around the SBNFA’s own OHV program.

The San Bernardino National Forest is within driving distance to more than 20 million people in Southern California, contains the highest concentration of threatened and endangered species in the continental United States, and it is the most visited national forest in the country.

The SBNFA manages a number of educational, recreation and conservation programs complimenting the mission of their U.S. Forest Service partners, including its OHV program which is a model for national forests across the country.

“It is critically important that we support organizations like the SBNFA and their efforts to promote safe, responsible riding and open, sustainable OHV trails,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s ATV/SxS marketing manager who participated in both events by cleaning up trails and planting trees. “We hope that Yamaha’s hand-on participation will inspire other OHV enthusiasts to get involved and support their own local riding areas and national forests.”

The SBNFA’s OHV patrol program has more than 300 volunteers who give more than 27,000 hours each year to help patrol the trails, educate riders, protect the public lands and help OHV enthusiasts recreate safely. It is a nationally known program for both its organization and success in managing a vast network of multi-use trails.

“The SBNFA sincerely appreciates the example Yamaha sets with their commitment to stewardship and public service,” said Ben vonDielingen, SBNFA OHV Program Manager, who helped lead both volunteer efforts. “Yamaha’s pro-active approach to helping maintain public lands and encourage responsible OHV use is of great help to the SBNFA. They help to show that stewardship is something that everyone needs to practice.”

Another important program supported by the SBNFA this spring was Forest Aid, a volunteer effort to replant and restore fire damaged areas of the National Forest. On Sunday, April 26, close to 100 Yamaha staff and family volunteers planted 1,200 trees in support of this program. Yamaha became involved through its ongoing relationship with the SBNFA, and Yamaha employees embraced the effort planting the most trees of any group on a single day.

“The San Bernardino National Forest is essentially in our corporate headquarters’ back yard, so it is important for employees to get involved when it comes to taking care of the riding trails and supporting other various programs,” said Mike Martinez, Yamaha’s General Manager of ATV/SxS operations who also participated in both events and serves on the SBNFA board of directors. “Through the SBNFA’s leadership, other national forests can learn how to maintain a sustainable and prosperous OHV program in coordination with many other recreational and environmental activities.”

Press Release – (edited)

Rockstar Makita Suzuki, M4 Suzuki & FMF Makita Suzuki Dominate Road Racing, Supercross, Motocross, GNCC & ATV

American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) congratulates the Suzuki motorcycle and ATV race teams for racking up a championship, numerous victories and podium finishes in their most recent events.

To date, a Suzuki motorcycle or ATV leads the overall championship points standings in six different classes in U.S. Road Racing, Supercross, Motocross and the GNCC.

In the GNCC Championship for both motorcycles and ATVs, Suzuki’s RM-Z450 and the QuadRacer R450 lead the way.

Joshua Strang, Charles Mullins and their FMF Makita Suzuki RM-Z450s are in first and second place respectively in the former, while Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Chris Borich and his powerful QuadRacer R450 lead the latter.

After seven GNCC rounds, the trio boasts a total of nine combined GNCC motorcycle and ATV wins.

Finally, in the AMA ATV Motocross Championship, the smooth-running QuadRacer R450 is second overall in the points chase, thanks to Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Dustin Wimmer’s return from injury.

Wimmer and his Suzuki captured enough points with three early-season wins to hold onto second place overall in spite of missing out on a round. Additionally, teammate Doug Gust and his QuadRacer R450 recently picked up their first podium of the 2009 season.

Suzuki’s race team action continues this weekend as the Rockstar Makita Suzuki Motocross squad races at the Hangtown National in Sacramento, California, on May 30.

Following that, the Suzuki road race teams head to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the weekend of June 5 – 7.

That same weekend, the Can-Am GNCC moves to Millfield, Ohio, while the AMA ATV MX Series heads to New Berlin, New York, the weekend of June 13 14.