Yamaha recognizes Classic Team

From Yamaha Racing

Yamaha Motor Europe NV has officially announced its support for the Yamaha Classic Racing Team, founded and managed by former Yamaha GP mechanic Ferry Brouwer. In addition to a financial element, the support will include technical as well as promotional aspects.

The Yamaha Classic Racing Team (YCRT) is aimed at conserving Yamaha's history from its early golden years of road racing. This period started in the 1960s and continued into the '70s.

"Nineteen-seventy-three was the last time I worked with Yamaha as mechanic for Jarno Saarinen on the official factory team," Brouwer said. "Exactly 35 years later I am so happy to be officially associated with Yamaha again. But not just me; through YCRT guys like Rod Gould, Chas Mortimer, Michelle Duff are also back with Yamaha. The official support from Yamaha is recognition of what we do, but above all recognition from Yamaha to and for Yamaha's own history."

Brouwer, now 59 years old, has been into racing since he was six years old after being introduced to it by his father. He's been a big fan of Yamaha road racing two strokes ever since, and worked as a Yamaha factory mechanic from 1968 to 1973 for riders such as Saarinen, Phil Read, Mortimer and Tepi Lansivuori. In 1982, Netherlands-based Dutchman Brouwer founded Arai Helmet Europe BV.

His passion for classic racers never died however and he remained active in that field, working on an impressive collection of classic Yamaha racers and founding a dedicated team to race his machines. In 1998 Ferry was the driving force behind the "Assen Centennial TT," bringing together many famous former GP stars to ride their restored racers.

Recently he retired from Arai and now focuses all his time on the Yamaha Classic Racing Team (YCRT). He owns an impressive list of 14 classic Yamaha racers, all in superb condition, and has plenty of plans to extend this line up. The absolute stars of the team are the breathtakingly beautiful 125 (RA31A) and 250cc (RD05A) works four-cylinder machines which, in the hands of Read gave Yamaha a double World Championship in 1968.

Among the regular riders such as Dieter Braun, Svend Andersson, and former Yamaha factory riders Duff, Gould and Mortimer, guest appearances will take place at events with star riders like Giacomo Agostini, Steve Baker, Christian Sarron and Luca Cadalora.

Yamaha Motor Europe's Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp stated, "The relation between Yamaha, the Yamaha Classic Racing Team and Ferry Brouwer has been close for many years and continues to grow in strength. The step to make it official is a logical one. The passion for the Yamaha brand, the technology of the bikes and its racing history is something we all share To be able to see these iconic, historical machines still racing at these events remains a very special and unique opportunity."