The 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship season saw the inaugural year of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship entertain racing fans all over the world with its sensational elbow-rubbing action. Back for its second year in 2018, the class designed to be stepping stone into the WorldSBK Championship gives the some of the best young riders around a chance to show the world their talents and manufacturers to showcase their lightweight, low-capacity ‘A2 class’ production sport bikes.

Creating a benchmark for National Championships to implement and progress to, the entry class' aim is to provide an affordable and easily accessible series for young competitors, with a minimum age of entry set at 15, allowing teams and manufacturers to nurture new talent and build rider potential on a global scale while making plans to feed the higher categories in the coming future.

Yamaha aims to take this philosophy further, by creating the ‘R3 bLU cRU Challenge’ inside the WorldSSP300 Championship. In 2018, six selected competitive YZF-R3 riders benefited from an Official Yamaha bLU cRU support package - dedicated to supporting young riders in the international racing environment - in the form of Racing Kit parts, a Race Service support at the track, full paddock clothing kit, alongside media and off-track guidance, and Masterclass attendance.

The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Challenge maintains its own standings throughout the nine-round season as the Yamaha riders battle for internal honours. The winner of the challenge is guaranteed an official Yamaha supported ride in a higher class for the following season, highlighted by the inaugural 2017 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU winner Alfonso Coppola moving up to WorldSSP in 2018 with the GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Jnr Team.

A typical race weekend consists of two, shortened, free practice and two Superpole sessions ahead of its Sunday afternoon race.