Yamaha and Blackfoot Racing Announce Two Year Partnership
01/03/07
Yamaha Motor Canada and Blackfoot Racing are pleased to announce they have entered into a two-year agreement. The partnership will see Blackfoot as Yamaha's official factory racing team in the Canadian Motocross Championships.
John Bayliss, product manager of motorcycles and racing at Yamaha commented, "We're thrilled to have the premier motocross team in Canada representing Yamaha. The level of professionalism that Blackfoot brings to the track is what sets this team apart from the rest and we're excited to be racing with them in 2007."
The team will consist of five-time Canadian champion Jean-Sebastien Roy, two-time national champion Blair Morgan, and talented Colton Facciotti riding the YZ450f in the MX1 class. The MX2 class will see West region champion Jimmy Nelson defend his title, while Nick Evennou will look to put the YZ250f on top in the east.
Jason Mitchell, team owner for Blackfoot, is equally excited to get the season started, "When the 2006 season ended with the results we had, the thought that this could be our last season racing in Canada was very disheartening. Blackfoot was excited when conversations started with Yamaha. It did not take long to see that Yamaha had the same passion and enthusiasm for racing as the Blackfoot team. We knew it was going to be a perfect match."
The change from one manufacturer to another doesn't bother Mitchell, "Like the adage says, sometimes change is good and we agree with that 100%. We're excited to be paired with a premier manufacturer like Yamaha who is committed to supporting the sport of motocross. Over the years Blackfoot has assembled the best team of riders and support staff. We now have the opportunity to transfer this knowledge and experience directly to Yamaha. We would like to thank them for this opportunity and are looking forward to bringing Yamaha a number of championships over the next few years."
Dean Thompson, Blackfoot racing team manager, commented on some of the additions to the team. "Adding Colton Facciotti this year is something the team is excited about. Having a young, naturally talented Canadian rider such as Colton pitted under the same tent as our seasoned champions, such as JSR and Blair Morgan, will give Colton the tools he has longed for over the years. When you combine that with a team like Blackfoot, look for Colton to be a regular on the podium this summer."
With Jimmy Nelson returning for another tour of duty, Blackfoot is looking to pick up where they left off last season. According to Thompson, "welcoming back MX2 West Champion Jimmy Nelson is a real pleasure. This young man is a perfect fit on the team as he is not afraid of hard work and it showed on the track last season."
"This deal could not have come together like this without the additional support of all our long time sponsors including Fox Canada, Michelin and Renthal to name a few."
