MARIETTA, Ga., March 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, is thrilled to announce significant expansions to its bLU cRU program for the 2024 Side-by-Side (SxS) and ATV racing seasons. With total bonuses reaching nearly $150,000, Yamaha is reinforcing its commitment to supporting racers in select series and classes, offering bonuses of up to $15,000 for eligible participants competing with a 2022 or newer Wolverine RMAX 1000, YXZ1000R, YXZ1000R SS (Sport Shift), or YFZ450R.

Donnie Luce, Yamaha's off-road racing coordinator, expresses, “We are incredibly excited to bolster our support for the 2024 ATV and SxS racing season. Our expanded bLU cRU program underscores Yamaha's unwavering commitment to the racing community, offering substantial benefits and bonuses to our dedicated racers. With a lineup of top-tier athletes and a passion for performance, we're eager to see the Yamaha bLU cRU continue dominating podiums across the country.”

Expanding Support in SxS Racing

Leading Yamaha's efforts in the SxS racing arena are the distinguished father-son duo Owen and Rodney Van Eperen of Powersports 1, along with Jeb Bootle of Bootle Motorsports. These seasoned racers will represent Yamaha with their YXZ1000R vehicles in both the Championship Off-Road Tour and MidAmerica Outdoors short-course racing series.

In the Championship Off-Road Tour, Yamaha is significantly increasing its support, offering $15,000 bLU cRU bonuses to the overall Pro Stock and Pro Turbo SxS champions, as well as $10,000 total to the top five in Pro-Am UTV and $7,500 to the top five MORR UTV Sportsman overall finishers. Similarly, in the MidAmerica Outdoors series, Yamaha is offering a combined $7,500 in bLU cRU bonuses to the top three overall Yamahas in the Pro Turbo and Pro N/A classes.

Enhanced Support in ATV Racing

With the YFZ450R reigning supreme as the vehicle of choice for ATV racing champions for over 20 years, Yamaha is celebrating by increasing payouts and prize opportunities for eligible participants in select ATV classes in the American Motorcycle Association’s (AMA) ATV Motocross (ATV MX) and Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series, as well as introducing support for the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) ATV classes.

Notable champions Joel Hetrick of Phoenix Racing and Chad Wienen of Wienen Motorsports will represent Yamaha in ATV MX’s AMA Pro class, vying for the 2024 title and $15,000 bLU cRU bonus on their Yamaha YFZ450Rs. Yamaha is also introducing top five bonuses for the overall Pro Am and WMX finishers, along with various bonuses for other ATV MX class champions.

Similarly, in the GNCC XC1 Pro ATV series, Brycen Neal of Phoenix Racing and Walker Fowler will compete for the XC1 Pro ATV title and $15,000 bLU cRU racing bonus on Yamaha YFZ450Rs. Yamaha will offer additional bonuses for top overall finishers in various classes.

New for 2024, Yamaha added bLU cRU support to the WORCS ATV classes. A championship bonus of $5,000 will be awarded to the overall champion of the Pro ATV class, alongside series-wide bonuses for the top three YFZ finishers in the Pro-Am ATV and Women Pro ATV classes. As an exciting addition, Yamaha will be presenting a brand-new YFZ450R at the WORCS' year-end banquet to a qualified bLU cRU ATV racer in the series.

Joining the bLU cRU

Racers will need to sign up for bLU cRU, even if they did so in the past, ensuring they stay up-to-date with the latest perks and offerings. Whether you're a racer or an enthusiast, joining the bLU cRU is more rewarding than ever. Signing up is simple, and benefits begin immediately upon approval, including a free swag bag of exclusive Yamaha items. As a member, you'll be eligible for championship bonuses and exclusive access to special events, promotions, training opportunities, and more. To become an official member of the Yamaha bLU cRU and view full details, visit YamahabLUcRU.com.

Every Yamaha SxS and full-size ATV is proudly Assembled in the USA at Yamaha’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Newnan, Georgia, for worldwide distribution. For further information on the bLU cRU program, visit YamahabLUcRU.com. REALize Your Adventure and learn more about Yamaha’s 2024 Proven Off-Road line-up at YamahaOutdoors.com, or by visiting your local Yamaha dealer. Connect with Yamaha on social media via @YamahaOutdoors, tune in to the Yamaha Outdoors podcast on listening apps, or search the following hashtags on all platforms: #Yamaha #YamahaRacing #REALizeYourPodium #REALizeYourAdventure #ProvenOffRoad #bLUcRU #RMAX1000 #YXZ1000R #YFZ450R #AssembledInUSA

About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company's ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.

YMUS has a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana).

YFZ450R is recommended for use only by experienced operators 16 years and older.
SxS Vehicles are recommended for use only by licensed drivers 16 years and older
YXZ1000R and YXZ1000R SS are recommended for experienced operators only.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Scott Newby – Senior Communications Specialist
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA
770-420-6078
Scott_Newby@Yamaha-Motor.com

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