YAMAHA SIGNS JOSH HILL

Cypress, CA (August 7, 2006) – – Yamaha is proud to announce the signing of Josh Hill to the Factory Motocross Team. With a number of amateur championships, Yamaha?s top prospect will leap from the amateur ranks to a factory racer the next time his YZ250F hits the track. Yamaha has watched his speed, maturity, and racing knowledge grow and are confident they have another future champion in Josh, especially after this past weekends performance at the Loretta Lynn?s Amateur Championships.

Josh had little time to reflect on his most recent championships, the 125 A and 125 A Pro-Sport classes and winning the AMA Horizon Award (awarded to the best graduating amateur racer), when Team Yamaha approached Josh with the opportunity to race this weekend at the Millville National. “I am looking forward to my first professional race; my goal is simply to gain experience. I?ll need to adjust to the higher level of talent and be able to ride that speed for twice as long as any moto I?ve ever raced,” explains Josh Hill. “I?m fortunate my amateur career ended on such a positive note but I won?t celebrate. Yamaha is allowing me to ride the Nationals and I want to take advantage of that opportunity.”

“We are looking forward to having a 250F racer in the factory semi”, explains Yamaha Team Manager Jim Perry. “Yamaha won several “Lites” titles with Kevin Windham and John Dowd, and hope Josh will bring many more. He is a great, hard working kid with a bright future and we look forward to seeing his YZ250F on many podiums.”

Look for Josh Hill?s #375 Yamaha YZ250F at the Millville National and the following rounds of the 2006 Motocross Lites series and the 2007 Supercross Lites and Motocross Lites series.