Yamaha To Host A Full Slate Of Activities During Laguna Seca MotoGP Weekend July 19-21

If you’re going to be at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 19-21, be sure to stop by the Yamaha Marketplace, located between turns 5 and 6, as this will be the eighth consecutive year Yamaha and the raceway have worked together to bring race fans entertainment throughout the weekend. Here’s a breakdown of the weekend’s events.

The Yamaha Marketplace will be open on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20 from 8 AM to 6 PM, and on Sunday, July 21 from 8 AM to 5 PM. Making their first public appearances will be the all-new 2014 Yamaha FZ-09 three-cylinder sport bike and 2014 Yamaha YZ250F motocross bike. And, this year, for the first time at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, you’ll be able to demo a 2014 Star Bolt or selected 2013 Star motorcycle. Demos will take place at the Yamaha Marketplace on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20 from 10 AM to 3 PM; or Sunday, July 21 from 9 AM to 12 PM. You’ll need a valid motorcycle license (permits are not allowed), a DOT-approved helmet, long pants, enclosed shoes, a shirt, and eye protection to take your ride.

If you’re bringing a little one with you, be sure to check out  Yamaha’s Learn-To-Ride program, which gives children under the age of 12 the opportunity to try out a TT-R50 and TT-R110 in a controlled environment, complete with instruction and supervision by American Supercamp’s Danny Walker and his expert team. Riders of all abilities are welcome. The TT-R Demos will take place Friday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm in the Yamaha Marketplace. Full safety gear is provided, and all riders will receive a complimentary digital photo of their experience.

Conducting special seminars throughout the weekend will be Yamaha Champions Riding School instructors Nick Ienatsch and Ken Hill. Their presentation, titled “Champion’s Habits,” can help every level of rider to improve their skills both on the track and the street. Mr. Daytona himself, Scott Russell, might make a surprise appearance to share some of his enormous wealth of knowledge with everyone in attendance (check the schedules posted in the Yamaha Marketplace for seminar times).

On Saturday night from 6 to 7 PM, Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, along with Monster Energy Yamaha Tech 3 MotoGP riders Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith, to the stage for a question-and-answer session hosted by MotoGP commentators Nick Harris and Gavin Emmett. Fans are encouraged to join in the fun with questions of their own.

On Sunday from 12:35 to 12:50 PM, XDL Street Freestyle Champion Bill Dixon will take his Yamaha YZF-R6 stuntbike out on the famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca course for a high-energy demo full of stoppies, burnouts, and backwards wheelies. Bill will also be conducting demos throughout the weekend in the lakebed area and hosting seminars explaining what it takes to become an XDL Street Freestyle Champion (check the schedules posted in the Yamaha Marketplace for seminar times).

On Sunday, from 1 to 1:45 PM say hello to three-time defending AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Champion Josh Hayes, his Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha SuperBike teammate and 2012 SuperBike Rookie of the Year Josh Herrin, and 2013 Daytona 200 winner Cameron Beaubier and his teammate Garrett Gerloff of the Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Daytona SportBike team as they greet fans and sign autographs. Also on hand to sign autographs and meet fans will be Foremost Insurance/Pegram Racing Yamaha R1 SuperBike rider Larry Pegram, Meen Motorsports Yamaha R6 Daytona SportBike rider Jake Lewis and R6 SuperSport rider Wyatt Farris, along with RoadRace Factory Yamaha R6 DSB riders Jake Gagne and J.D. Beach and R6 SuperSport rider Tomas Puerta.

Other attractions include the Star Bike Night truck complete with interactive activities; the Yamaha Jumbotron that will be showing live, on-track racing action all weekend long; a live DJ; free concerts presented by GE Capital; and free espressos. In addition, free Yamaha commemorative visors will be given away at selected times each day (check the schedules posted in the Yamaha Marketplace for giveaway times).

To purchase a Yamaha MotoGP VIP package for the entire Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix weekend, which includes a Friday/Saturday/Sunday general admission ticket, a 3-day paddock pass, a Saturday and Sunday turn 4 grandstand seat, a Yamaha-only motorcycle parking pass, an on-track Friday fan lap, lunch at a special VIP hospitality area located in the AMA paddock, a VIP tour of the racing transporters, a photo session with the team bikes, a Yamaha commemorative visor, and a Yamaha commemorative lanyard, please visit this Ticketmaster link.

By Troy Siahaan