Wienen Wins First AMA Pro ATV Championship Aboard YFZ450R

Brown's Fifth Place Finish Helps Give Yamaha AMA Pro ATV Manufacturer's Title

January 2013 Racing

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. 

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