Graves/Yamaha Announces 2006 Supermoto Team
CYPRESS, CA (December 16, 2005) - - Yamaha Motor Company, USA
is proud to announce the 2006 Graves/Yamaha Factory Supermoto
team. Returning racers Doug Henry and Mark Burkhart will be
joined by Brandon Currie, the newest racer to the growing Graves/Yamaha
Supermoto effort.
Perhaps the most famous face on the Supermoto circuit, Doug Henry has
his sights on capturing yet another AMA championship. Henry, a former
Yamaha motocross champion, had a season of highs and lows in
2005. After winning X-Games gold in Los Angeles, Doug carried
momentum back to the AMA Supermoto series where he had a commanding
lead in the championship point’s race. A practice crash injury
derailed Henry’s championship hopes in 2005 but, true to form, Doug is
back with a vengeance and plans to stay in front of his competition,
mainly teammate Mark Burkhart.
Mark Burkhart will make the move to the premier Supermoto class on the
all-new 5-speed Yamaha YZ450F. Burkhart, who clinched the AMA
Lites Championship at the penultimate round, moved to the Supermoto
class for the last race of the year in Reno, Nevada and absolutely
dominated the field. Burnishing his resume with a Lites
Championship and 1-1 finishes in his only Supermoto race of the season,
Burkhart was quickly promoted to the Supermoto team for 2006.
With the addition of Burkhart to the Supermoto class, the Graves/Yamaha
team wanted to expand its efforts and find a racer to fill its
championship pedigree in the Supermoto Lites class on the YZ250F.
Brandon Currie, 2nd place overall in the 2005 AMA Supermoto Lites
series, will be rewarded for his efforts with full-factory
support. Currie has a new team, a new aluminum-framed YZ250F, and
the best wrenches in the business behind him as he battles for his
first AMA championship.
“In our first year, we won the Lites championship, finished 1st and 2nd
at X-Games, and led a majority of the Supermoto series until Henry’s
unfortunate crash,” explains Chuck Graves of Graves Motorsports.
“With Henry and Burkhart testing, practicing, and pushing each other
and the speed Currie has shown in his first few rides, we feel Yamaha
should again be out in front of both packs next year.”
