Millville, NJ – The Yamaha Champions Riding School proudly announces continued support of racer Anthony Mazziotto III in 2018.
In 2017 YCRS and its sponsors teamed with our prized pupil Anthony “Mazz” Mazziotto to get this young phenom on the MotoAmerica grid. And it paid off: Despite very limited bike mods, Mazz grabbed five podiums and two wins in his 600 Superstock debut season. Thanks to the support of Yamaha, Markbilt Racebikes, Cambr Digital Banking Platform, Yamaha Generators, YamaLube, N2 Track Days, SBS Brake Pads, MotionPro Tools, Yamaha Genuine Parts, Woodcraft Technologies, Scott Powersports, and Dunlop Tires, the inaugural season for YCRS as a title sponsor for a team was a success. The only riders to beat Anthony in 2017 were veterans of the 600 class with high-budget bikes and teams. To say we were proud, and that Mazz is gifted, are both understatements.
For 2018, the challenge is higher. With no more SuperStock class for up-and-coming racers to get their feet wet in a less-expensive class, the team will need to compete in SuperSport. SuperSport is where the big boys play so the challenge is high…but Markbilt is already hard at work building a competitive bike. Without budget for fancy electronics or winter testing the team will be climbing uphill, but the rewards are worth the challenge: Anthony has the potential to be one of the top racers in America.
“It’s going to be interesting,” said Anthony III. “We’re going in with a basically stock school bike and competing against the big boys so our chances are slim. Also, it’s my senior year in high school so I couldn’t afford days away from school to test over the winter. On the other hand, we’re going to approach the season differently by having fun and learning as much as we can. Often, when there is no pressure or crazy expectations, I relax and ride better so I plan on fighting for that podium every weekend with a smile on my face. Keith (Culver) always jokes that a smile is worth a second.”
Keith Culver, coach and team manager: “We think a podium this year would be the equivalent of a win last year because the competition in this class is amazing and the fight for the podium will be one for the record books. We see something in Anthony which is why we’ve been pushing so hard to find support for the program.”
Coach Chris Peris adds, “Mazz is the full package: talent, speed, drive, passion, and even his marketability. We’ll give this a go for another season and see where it takes us. Last year we surprised a lot of people so let’s keep it rolling.”
YCRS has instituted a weekend sponsor program that was originally for Yamaha dealers and is now open to all. Each weekend sponsor gets a VIP Yamaha Champions Sportbike Demo with their local track day, a Yamaha Champions Riding School two-day ChampSchool, and a 10×10 space with the team inside the paddock to setup and promote themselves. Starting with Freedom Powersports in Atlanta, dealers have stepped up to support the team in Virginia, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, and Laguna Seca. The team will open up this program to non-Yamaha dealers and still seeks support for the Sonoma, Road America, Barber, and Utah rounds. Interested parties can contact Keith Culver at 732-267-3699 or [email protected] for details.
YCRS chief instructor Nick Ienatsch closes with, “The YCRS team and our sponsors have a passion for this sport. Riders like Anthony work hard on their craft and we can provide valuable support…and we all remember how much help a little support can be. Go Mazz!”