Yamaha's Chad Wienen
on Aug. 11, 2012, secured his first AMA Pro ATV championship aboard his YFZ450R
at the 2012 season finale in Hurricane Mills, TN. Thomas Brown,
who finished an impressive fifth overall for the season, helped Yamaha secure the
AMA Pro ATV Manufacturer's title.
Racing a Yamaha YFZ450R
for his Wienen Motorsports team this year, Wienen put together a smart pair of
3-4 moto finishes on Aug. 11 to claim the historic championship with a 31-point
advantage over his nearest rival. In all, Wienen took six wins and 10 straight
podiums in his first season racing for Yamaha.
"After my injury last season,
I was determined to make some major changes to my program and come back
stronger than ever," Wienen said. "With the support of Yamaha and the YFZ450R,
Wienen Motorsports had the complete package to take the 2012 championship. The
YFZ450R was bulletproof, and this was my first pro season with zero DNFs. We
never missed the podium, taking six wins, three second places and one third on
our way to the championship."
"Chad and his Ryan Cox-prepared
YFZ450R have added their names to the Yamaha history books by winning the most
prestigious championship in ATV MX racing," said Donnie Luce, Yamaha's ATV
racing coordinator. "This is a great championship for Chad, the
entire Wienen Motorsports team and Yamaha Racing."
Brown, a five-year Yamaha
rider, grabbed 5-3 moto results on the weekend to claim fifth in the 2012
overall season standings. Brown and Wienen have secured their place as a
threatening pair in AMA ATV racing through countless hours of team training and
winning performances on their YFZ450Rs.
"Yamaha congratulates Thomas
Brown on another great season," Luce said. "Brown has been a solid competitor
consistently riding his YFZ450R to podium finishes in 2012 and was a key reason
Yamaha captured the AMA ATV Manufacturer's title."
Yamaha Racing increased its
presence in the AMA series this season adding Wienen and ramping up its
trackside support for all ATV racers at each stop. Layne Barnes and Pro Motorsports from Mt. Pleasant, Iowa,
supported all AMA ATV national events on behalf of Yamaha, stocking replacement
parts and providing technical assistance to riders on race days.
