Cooper Webb and Chad Reed have signed contracts with Yamaha Factory Racing for the 2017 supercross and motocross series.
Webb will make his debut to the 450 class with Yamaha Factory Racing in the 2017 supercross season that will carry on into the motocross season, while Reed has resigned a supercross-only contract.
This news comes while Webb, a two-time 250SX West Region Champion, is currently leading the 250MX class in overall points in the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.
For more information about the 2017 contract deals, read the complete industry press release below.
Webb will make his debut to the 450 class with Yamaha Factory Racing in the 2017 supercross season that will carry on into the motocross season, while Reed has resigned a supercross-only contract.
This news comes while Webb, a two-time 250SX West Region Champion, is currently leading the 250MX class in overall points in the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.
For more information about the 2017 contract deals, read the complete industry press release below.
Hurricane Mills, Tenn. (August 4, 2016) - Yamaha Motor
Corporation, U.S.A., today introduced its 2017 Factory
Supercross/Motocross team, featuring riders Chad Reed and new teammate
Cooper Webb. Both riders were introduced, in person, during the Yamaha
bLU cRU Family Dinner at Loretta Lynn's Ranch, which is where the AMA
Amateur National Motocross Championship is being held.
'Last year, we re-introduced our Yamaha Factory Racing Supercross
team, with Chad Reed as our rider, and he did an excellent job for us,
both on the track and with the fans,' said Keith McCarty, Motorsports
Racing Division Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. 'He helped
re-energize our Factory program, and it was great see how much all the
fans enjoyed seeing him race once again for Yamaha. We're thrilled to
have Chad back with us again for the 2017 season, and we're also pleased
to announce the addition of Cooper Webb as Chad's teammate on our
Factory Racing team.
'Cooper had a tremendous Supercross season, in which he won his
second consecutive 250SX West Championship,' McCarty said. 'Also, he is
currently sitting atop the points standings in the AMA 250cc Motocross
Championship with a 51-point lead. He is a fierce competitor who is
brimming with talent and determination, and we're excited to have him
join our Factory Racing team with Chad as his teammate.
'We're also happy to be able to make this announcement--and have
both Chad and Cooper there in-person--during our Yamaha bLU cRU Family
Dinner at Loretta Lynn's Ranch. Our Yamaha bLU cRU Amateur Racing
program is a great launching pad for future professional Supercross and
Motocross stars. In fact, both Chad and Cooper got their first starts in
racing aboard Yamaha PW50s.'
Cooper, especially, is proof-positive that riding Yamahas as an
amateur is a great way to step up to the pro level. As a Yamaha bLU cRU
Amateur racer, he won two AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships, 9
Winter-Olympics Amateur Championships, a Monster Energy Cup Amateur
Championship, and a whole host of other amateur racing titles, which led
to him turning professional and continuing his success aboard Yamahas.
When asked about racing Yamahas as an amateur and the opportunities
that it gave him to step up to the pro ranks, Cooper said, 'The bLU cRU
is the perfect amateur program, especially for the way my career
developed. When I first started racing on a Yamaha PW50, I wasn't sure
what my career path was going to be. But, as I continued to grow and
develop as an amateur, I raced Yamahas, which enabled me to transition
from the bLU cRU Amateur Program to the Yamalube/Star Racing/Yamaha team
where I won my first professional Championship. Then, being selected
for the Motocross of Nations, and signing this 450 deal with the Yamaha
Factory team. It's been an awesome journey so far. To all the bLU cRU
riders, I just want to add that I did it, and you can, too. The bLU cRU
is the perfect pathway to the pros!'
'I'm really excited to be joining the Yamaha Factory Racing team,'
Webb continued. 'It's a dream come true for me, especially to be able to
stay with the brand where I started my professional career. Also, it's
going to be great to team up with Chad. I met him a long time ago, and
growing up, he was always my favorite rider. So, to be teammates with a
legend is awesome. It's going to help me tremendously to learn from him,
and I can't think of a better teammate to have as I move up to 450s
full-time.'
Chad is looking forward to the 2017 Supercross season, and he welcomes Cooper as his teammate on the Yamaha Factory Racing team.
'I'm excited to get back to work with the Yamaha guys,' Reed said.
'2016 was a great learning and rebuilding phase for me and for Yamaha
going racing as a factory team again. We learned the bike and found our
strengths and weaknesses. It's a huge positive that we are able to use
this time wisely to prepare for 2017, and the team and I are motivated
to continue building. I think Cooper brings a new level of energy to the
team. Youth has that natural way of upping the enthusiasm! I like that
energy, and I'm looking forward to having him as my teammate.'
Both riders will compete aboard Yamaha YZ450F machines. Two-time
Supercross Champion Chad Reed will contest the 2017 AMA 450SX Supercross
Championship, while two-time 250SX West Champion and current 250MX
Motocross Championship points leader Cooper Webb will compete in both
the 2017 AMA 450SX Supercross Championship and the 2017 AMA 450MX
Motocross Championship.
For more Yamaha racing news, results, photos, and videos, visit www.YamahaMotorsports.com/Racing.
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