Millsaps Makes the Switch—Team Yamaha for 2018
A summer-long rumor is now official: Davi Millsaps will be Cooper Webb's new teammate on Yamaha's factory supercross and motocross team for 2018, replacing Chad Reed. He will make his debut at the Monster Energy Cup next weekend in Las Vegas.
Millsaps spent the last two seasons with the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS team and showed his usual speed and potential, just missing a few podium finishes, but winning heat races and finishing a solid fifth in the final 2017 standings. He also won the Canadian National Motocross Championship for KTM in 2016. He has been beset by injuries, too, though, as a big crash in Daytona ended his 2016 indoor campaign early, and multiple wrist and thumb injuries kept him out of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross this year. Injuries have hampered Millsaps for years, but he's always a threat when he puts the pieces together.
In today's Yamaha press release, Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Division Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., said, “We’re excited to welcome Davi to our Yamaha Factory Team. He’s had a great career so far, and he’s been a terrific ambassador for our sport. Davi has been testing his 2018 YZ450F, and he is looking forward to competing aboard the brand-new bike at the upcoming Monster Energy Cup.”
The 2014 Monster Energy Cup winner, Davi was also the Monster Energy 450SX Championship runner-up in 2012 and 2013, and he has notched five career 450SX wins, and 35 450SX podiums. He was also 2006 250SX East Champion and 2016 Canadian National Motocross Champion. The Orlando, Florida, native currently resides in Lake Havasu, Arizona, with his wife Brittney and their two children.
“First of all, I’m super-excited to be racing for the Yamaha Factory team,” Davi said. “And, to be making my Yamaha debut aboard the 2018 YZ450F is going to be awesome. I’ve been doing a lot of testing on the new bike, and it's coming along great. I couldn't be happier. I’m training hard for the Monster Energy Cup, and I’ll definitely be ready on October 14th. And, how cool is it that I’ll be running my signature #18 on the ’18 Yamaha in 2018? Can’t wait!”
Millsaps has raced Yamahas before, during the 2011 and 2012 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing.
