Liam Draper Signs Two-Year Extension with AmPro Yamaha Racing
With the 2024 Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Racing Series now fully into its off-season, we expect team updates and rider announcements coming over the next couple of months until the usual February championship start. Today, Yamaha announced 2023 XC2 (250cc) Champion Liam Draper has signed a two-year extension to remain with AmPro Yamaha Racing. Draper took the XC2 GNCC title in his first year with the team in 2023 but suffered a knee injury during his title defense this season. The New Zealand native returned for the final four rounds of the 13-round series on a YZ450FX in the top XC1 Class and ripped off four straight overall podiums to finish the season, setting up a strong start to his 450cc career.
| Position | Race | Class | Date | Bike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | GNCC Ironman | Overall | October 27, 2024 | Yamaha |
| 3 | GNCC The John Penton | Overall | September 28, 2024 | Yamaha |
| 2 | GNCC The Mountaineer | Overall | September 14, 2024 | Yamaha |
| 3 | GNCC Buckwheat 100 | Overall | August 31, 2024 | Yamaha |
| 2 | GNCC Powerline Park | XC2 Pro | May 11, 2024 | Yamaha |
| 3 | GNCC Hoosier | XC2 Pro | April 27, 2024 | Yamaha |
| 3 | GNCC The Old Gray | XC2 Pro | April 13, 2024 | Yamaha |
| 3 | GNCC The General | XC2 Pro | March 8, 2024 | Yamaha |
| 2 | GNCC Big Buck | XC2 Pro | February 17, 2024 | Yamaha |
The following press release is from Yamaha:
Draper Re-Signs with AmPro Yamaha Racing
2023 GNCC XC2 and National Enduro Pro 2 Champion Liam Draper returns with AmPro Yamaha Racing in 2025 to make his full-time premier class debut in GNCC
MARIETTA, Ga. – AmPro Yamaha Racing is happy to announce a two-year contract extension with Liam Draper. With a pair of national off-road titles aboard the YZ250FX, the New Zealand rider looks to continue his successful tenure with the team in 2025 as he makes a full-time premier class title run aboard the YZ450FX in the Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) XC1 Championship and U.S. Sprint Enduro Series Pro 1 Championship.
Entering his third season with AmPro Yamaha Racing, Draper looks to add more titles and victories to his resume. 2023 marked a stellar debut with the team, which saw him earn three wins and nine podiums in the GNCC XC2 class and five wins and seven podiums in the National Enduro Series Pro 2 class en route to both championships. Although his XC2 title defense this season was marked with adversity and saw him sidelined with an injury, Draper came back swinging. As racing resumed at the Buckwheat 100 GNCC, he enjoyed a successful transition to XC1 and made an impressive run of four consecutive overall podiums aboard the YZ450FX. Draper also showed strength in the U.S. Sprint Enduro Series with a runner-up finish in the Pro 1 Championship.
Donnie Luce – Amateur MX/ ATV / Off-Road Coordinator for YMUS
“Since joining the AmPro Yamaha Team, Liam’s progression and race results have continued to make an upward trend. We look forward to seeing this continue during his first full season in XC1 on the YZ450FX, especially after he wrapped up his 2024 season with four consecutive overall podiums in GNCC. We look forward to another great season with him and the team representing the bLU cRU.”
Randy Hawkins - AmPro Yamaha Racing Team Owner
“Liam’s a very serious guy and wants to win, but he has also been enjoyable to work with and gives 100%. From his two titles aboard our 250 in 2023 to this year with our 450, whatever we ask of him he works to achieve and has delivered. We’re looking forward to having him continue with our program for the next two years and to give him the tools at AmPro Yamaha to keep building on that success in 2025.”
Liam Draper - AmPro Yamaha Racing
“I’m super excited to renew my deal with AmPro Yamaha Racing and looking forward to the future with this team that gave me my first championship here. I’m also excited to be moving up to the 450 full-time. After my success last year on the 250, my first four XC1 races have gone well. I haven’t been off the podium, so I’m looking to keep that going and happy to continue the relationship with the team in 2025 and beyond.”
