News today that the fallout from Yamaha’s recent financial woes has hit Canadian motor sport.
Yamaha Motor Canada Ltd. announced that it will not participate in the 2010 Parts Canada Superbike Series, meaning there will no longer be an official Yamaha race team or the traditional manufacturer support for the series.
“Today’s economic climate forces us all to make tough decisions.” commented Tim Kennedy, National Manager, Marketing. “Our participation in the series was one of them.”
Although there will be no involvement in 2010, Kennedy stated, “Racing is integral to the Yamaha brand, and we will re-visit this opportunity in the future.”
Last season Andre Laurin and his squad handled Yamaha’s Canadian road racing program with assistance from Evan Steele Performance and sponsorship from Toyota Canada. Lead rider Kevin Lacombe rode a YZF-R1 to sixth in Parts Canada Superbike points with podium finishes in four of the seven races and took third in the Yoshimura Pro Sport Bike standings.
The national superbike series continues with the support of Parts Canada, Pirelli Tires, BMW Motorrad Canada, Canadian Kawasaki Motors, Honda Canada and Suzuki Canada. The 2010 race schedule will be released shortly.
