To streamline our communications and provide you with a concise one-stop page for some other relevant world level Yamaha Racing classes, all information and updates for Dakar, FIM Superstock 1000 CUP,  European Superstock 600, FIM World Endurance, Women's Road Racing, FIM Women’s World Championship and FIM World Enduro can now be found in this section. 

FIM World Endurance Championship
The FIM World Endurance Championship is the world’s toughest road racing endurance trial. Each race demands teams of three riders on one bike to ride for up 24hrs through all weather conditions, day and night in the quest for victory. The five race 2010 calendar includes classics such as the 24 Hours Du Mans, 8 Hours of Suzuka and the legendary 24hrs Bol dÓr. Yamaha is a key contender in the championship with the YZF-R1, represented by three main teams and having taken both the team and manufacturer title in 2009 with the Yamaha Austria Racing Team, and the team title in 2004 with the Yamaha France GMT94 Ipone Team.

FIM Enduro World Championship
Now rebranded the ‘Enduro World Championship’ (thus becoming EWC compared to WEC of recent years) this spectacular and demanding discipline celebrates 30 years of existence in 2010. Using adapted motocross machines (usually heavier with different engine characteristics, suspension setting and the use of a headlight) the competition is the home of the potent Yamaha WR450F and 250F motorcycles. Spread over 16 days of action at 8 rounds the EWC is split into four categories, E1 (up to 250cc four-stroke), E2 (up to 450cc four-stroke), E3 (up to 650cc four-stroke) and Junior class (with an age limit of 23), thus crowning four different champions at the end of the season. Each Grand Prix can involve up to 200km of riding across technical terrain (rocky, hilly, sandy, rivers) with a motocross style circuit test and an Extreme test also involved.

Yamaha won four titles in the old format of each category broken in to specific technical boundaries (250cc four-stroke, 3 with Stephane Peterhansel and Peter Bergvall and 1 in 250cc two-stroke with Peterhansel). Since the rule change in 2004 Yamaha have claimed two championships; 1 in 2004 E1 again with Peterhansel and then the 2008 crown in E2 with Johnny Aubert.

In the current championship Yamaha are represented by Catalan team Yamaha O Pons with Spanish brothers Cristobal Guerrero (26 years old, riding E2) and Victor Guerrero (21 years old, riding Junior) on the WR450F and 250F respectively.

Dakar
The continent may have changed but the toughest and most famous rally in the world is still unmatched for difficulty and prestige. Touching almost 10,000km over 15 days and involving an entry list of hundred of brave souls on motorcycles, quad, cars and trucks, the Dakar rally is a mass operation and one of the most organised and biggest global race events, now stretching its 33rd edition in 2011.

Dakar is a war of attrition and the supreme test of will in modern day motorsports. Retirements are frequent and normally less than 50% of the entries actually complete the distance that involves Special stages mixed with long hikes across a plethora of terrain and conditions.

Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel is the most successful competitor of all-time, winning on eight occasions: six on a Yamaha motorcycle and twice in a Mitsubishi car. Yamaha has a strong reputation in the motorcycle class, winning the first rally in 1979 with Cyril Neveu and his iconic XT500. Since then the manufacturer has aced the overall title a further eight times, as well as numerous wins in the 450cc and 250cc classes.

In 2010 the rules of the motorcycle category were changed to limit the bikes to 450cc capacity (larger machines were give air filter restrictions) and the competition will be 450cc only in 2011. David Fretigne and Helder Rodrigues are among the regular stars and stage victors for Yamaha. Yamaha have also achieved success in the Quad category with triumphs in the last two years and since the event switched to South America with Josef Machacek and Marcos Patronelli the last two winners respectively.

FIM Superstock 1000 CUP
The FIM Superstock 1000 Cup is a supporting class to the World Superbike Championship. Unlike the World Superbike where various modifications can be made, in Superstock the one litre bikes must remain completely stock, with few aftermarket racing parts fitted to the machines. Yamaha contests the class with the YZF-R1 and won the championship rider’s title in 2004 with Lorenzo Alfonsi, and the rider and manufacturer title in 2005 with Didier Van Keymeulen. A second manufacturer title was won in 2007.

European Superstock 600 Championship
As with the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, the European Superstock 600 Championship is a support class for the World superbike Championship. The same rules apply, so competitors must run stock standard 600cc motorcycles, however there are also further restrictions on age. The class is only open to riders between the ages of 15-20 years, providing a breeding ground for young talent on the world racing stage. Yamaha dominates this class with the YZF-R6, winning the championship in 2008 with Loris Baz.


FIM Women’s World Championship
The FIM Women’s World Champion enters its third edition in 2010 but actually began life in 2006 as a World Cup with just two rounds. Now the series boasts seven events that run concurrently with the MX1/MX2-GP categories. The bikes used by the ladies are MX2 spec (125cc two-strokes and 250cc four-strokes) and the two motos are slightly shorter, running at 20 minutes and 2 laps compared to the 35+2 sprints of the men. The entry list has become bigger and more varied over the years with a truly international presence. The class is developing more depth and many of the top participants are associated with permanent race teams.

Yamaha were able to lead the first incarnation of the series after its world championship upgrade status in 2008 through the efforts of World Cup winner Katherine Prumm who sadly due to injury was not able to complete the season. In the final race of the 2009 campaign Italian teenager Chiara Fontanesi scored her first podium result in the sand of Lierop with a YZ125. The sixteen year old opened the 2010 term with another trophy with second place at her home event in Mantova on a YZ250F.

What is Quadcross?
Quadcross is a fairly new discipline to reflect the advancing technology and performance of ATVs. The sport, currently at European level and entitled Quadcross Goldspeed European Championship, takes its foundation from motocross; in other words closed-circuit racing across a variety of terrain involving natural and man-made obstacles.

The quads are modified to save weight and be able to negotiate some of the jumps that are smaller than motocross leaps but still permit the four-wheelers to get some impressive air-time. The series involves three 25 minute plus two lap motos at seven rounds and visits Holland, UK, Italy, Poland, France, Latvia and Germany.

Yamaha are one of the protagonists of the series thanks to their YZ450F powered Raptor machines. Frenchmen Romain Couprie and Matthieu Ternynck currently have a grip on the series at the halfway point, having won five motos between them and holding 1st and 2nd in the standings.