MARIETTA, Ga., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, awarded more than $387,000 in grants through its Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) in the first quarter of 2025, supporting efforts to protect and improve off-highway vehicle (OHV) opportunities across the country, with a particular focus on large-scale projects in Oregon and Georgia.

“Yamaha continues to support a range of projects that address challenges to outdoor recreation, and we’re eager to partner with those who share our passion for building and protecting access to the spaces we all enjoy,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha Motorsports marketing director. “It’s gratifying to see these collaborative efforts evolve into large-scale projects that help make outdoor recreation accessible to everyone.”

This quarter’s Yamaha OAI grants supported 12 projects, including major investments in OHV riding areas and trail systems in Oregon:

• The Great Outdoors Fund (supported by Florence Motorsports) was awarded funding for Phase Two of an OHV educational signage project across the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, promoting messages of safety, stewardship, regulations, and recreation opportunities.
• The Rogue Valley SxS Club (supported by Waterworld Boat and Powersport) will use its grant to support trail clearing and maintenance on the 270-mile Prospect OHV trail system, with a focus on removing downed trees to keep riders on designated trails.
• OHV Construction and Conservation (supported by Power Motorsports) will develop a loop trail around the outer edge of the Tillamook State Forest OHV area. The “Tour of the Tillamook Powered by Yamaha” project encompasses 49 trails, comprising 17 double-track, 13 4×4, and 19 single-track routes, and includes trail development, restoration, maintenance, tree removal, and trail signage.
  

In Georgia, the Georgia Recreational Trail Riders Association (supported by Cycle Specialty) will use its grant to maintain more than six motorized trails and riding areas throughout the state. Work will include bridge repair, culvert installation, and signage.

Yamaha OAI grant funds also will protect California’s historic Perris Raceway (supported by Langston Motorsports) and continue supporting the All Kids Bike program, which teaches kindergarteners nationwide to ride bicycles as part of their physical education curriculum.

Additionally, Yamaha OAI provided grants to the following organizations in Q1 2025:

• Burbank Police Department
• Everything Outdoor Fest – D2 Powersports (Spartanburg, SC)
• Ft. Riley Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation – Brooks Yamaha Inc. (Manhattan, KS)
• Stewards of the Sierra National Forest Inc – Clawson Motorsports (Fresno, CA)
• Truckee Dirt Riders – Michael’s Reno Powersports (Reno, NV)
  

The Yamaha OAI continues to accept grant applications on a quarterly basis, providing timely resources to address urgent access issues and land rehabilitation efforts. While project types vary, Yamaha OAI prioritizes initiatives that promote safe and responsible OHV use, perform essential trail and land maintenance, and protect, restore, and expand sustainable access to public lands.

The application deadline for the second quarter of 2025 is June 30. Yamaha invites public land managers, riding clubs, and stewardship organizations to apply. Submission guidelines and applications are available at YamahaOAI.com.

Follow Yamaha Outdoors on social media @YamahaOutdoors and tag your adventures with #Yamaha, #YamahaOAI, #REALizeYourAdventure, #ProvenOffRoad, and #AssembledInUSA.

About the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative
Since 2008, the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative has led the powersports industry in supporting responsible access to our nation’s public lands for outdoor enthusiasts. With more than $6 million contributed to over 470 projects across the country, Yamaha has directly and indirectly supported thousands of miles of motorized recreation trails, maintained and rehabilitated riding and hunting areas, improved staging areas, supplied organizations with essential OHV safety education, built bridges over fish-bearing streams, helped children learn to ride bicycles, and partnered with local outdoor enthusiast communities across the country to improve access to public lands. Each quarter, Yamaha accepts applications from nonprofit or tax-exempt organizations including OHV riding and cycling clubs and associations, national, state and local public land-use agencies, outdoor enthusiast associations, and land conservation groups with an interest in protecting, improving, expanding, and/or maintaining access for safe, responsible, and sustainable public use.

For updated guidelines, the application form, and the latest Outdoor Access Initiative news, please visit YamahaOAI.com. If you have specific inquiries about the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, you can reach the dedicated hotline at 1-877-OHV-TRAIL (877-648-8724), email OHVAccess@Yamaha-Motor.com, or send correspondence to:

Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative
3065 Chastain Meadows Parkway, Bldg. 100
Marietta, GA 30066

About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.

YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing USA (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].

Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA (Yamaha Financial Services), an affiliate of YMUS, offers financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide. Yamaha Financial Services provides retail and commercial financing for the diverse line of Yamaha brand motor products based out of Cypress, CA and Marietta, GA.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Scott Newby
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA
770-420-6078
Scott_Newby@Yamaha-Motor.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative Awards More Than $387,000 in Q1

Yamaha OAI grant funds also will protect California’s historic Perris Raceway (supported by Langston Motorsports) and continue supporting the All Kids Bike program, which teaches kindergarteners nationwide to ride bicycles as part of their physical education curriculum.

Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative Awards More Than $387,000 in Q1

The Yamaha OAI continues to accept grant applications on a quarterly basis, providing timely resources to address urgent access issues and land rehabilitation efforts. While project types vary, Yamaha OAI prioritizes initiatives that promote safe and responsible OHV use, perform essential trail and land maintenance, and protect, restore, and expand sustainable access to public lands.

Mexico City is a big opportunity for several drivers hunting their first win of the 2025 season. There’s home hero Daniel Suarez, Supercars ace Shane van Gisbergen, and road course specialist A.J. Allmendinger who can all realistically win on Sunday.

Only three drivers taking part in this weekend’s Cup race raced at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez when the Xfinity Series visited there between 2005 and 2008 (Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin), but Allmendinger has still raced here before in his Champ Car days. He finished third in the 2004 Mexico City race before placing second in 2005.

“It’s kind of crazy to me that it’s been 20 years,” said Allmendinger in an interview with Motorsport.com’s Luis Ramírez. “I mean, I guess I’m fortunate enough that 20 years later, I get to come back and still be doing this. I’m super pumped by it. I will always remember the atmosphere back in the Champ Car races. So I can’t imagine what it’s gonna be like to have a Cup race there. The crowd and the pre-race — everything that goes with it. I always love that race track. It’s such a beautiful race track, and obviously a little bit different layout from the last time I (was) there, but it’s gonna be a lot of fun and there’s been a lot of build-up for it. So if you can make the weather nice when we get there, that’d be fantastic. But other than that, I can’t wait to get there.”

Fighting for points versus going for the win

Race winner A.J. Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

As it stands, Allmendinger is just 18 points out of the playoffs, but a win would guarantee him a spot in the ten-race championship fight. And with four road courses this summer, beginning with Mexico City he will have plenty of opportunities. 

However, he doesn’t see himself in a must-win situation just yet due to his points position, saying: “As of right now, it’s not just based on having a win, I don’t think. Now you know, you never know who wins. You know, like SVG  (Van Gisbergen, who is 33rd in points) comes and wins this race and that knocks a spot out — things like that. But the way I look at it, in the moment we talk right now — no, points are still an option to make the playoffs. It’s nice to be able to talk about that we’re on the kind of the cut line of it. Of course, we look at the road courses, we know that these are good opportunities for us to go and win the races.”

However, it’s no guarantee either. The rest of the field is catching up to these road racing specialists and Allmendinger admitted that it is “super challenging” to win.

Can Kaulig win an oval race in 2025?

AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Jeffrey Vest / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

But Allmendinger’s opportunity to visit Victory Lane may not be limited to road courses, despite all three of his Cup wins coming at such tracks. Just last month, he pulled off an impressive fourth place in the Coca-Cola 600 and is a proven winner on ovals in the Xfinity Series. 

“Ah, man, we’re trying, but you know, at Kaulig, we’re still a young Cup team,” said Allmendinger about winning at an oval this year. “I do feel like l’ve been fortunate over these last seven years on the Xfinity side of it, (showing) that I can drive on ovals. I mean, heck, we’ve won on every type of oval. We’ve won on a short track, mile-and-a-half, two-mile racetrack, superspeedway. So I feel like l’ve shown that (in) oval racing, I can be there and I can do it, but it’s tough, and we’re growing as an organization. So weekends like the Coke 600 — it shows when we execute, we can run up front with the best of them. So maybe this year is (it) but we’re just going to keep pushing and trying to maximize every weekend.”

Allmendinger is quietly one of the most versatile drivers in NASCAR, considering his success in not just stock cars, but also open-wheel and sports car racing. He has been in and out of the Cup Series several times since 2007 and now approaches 500 career starts. 

Still here, still competitive 

AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

As the 43-year-old reflected on his career, he said the early years in NASCAR “was almost trying to learn how to walk again. And I kind of got shoved right into it with Red Bull. I would never change it, but I didn’t have any experience in stock car racing. And they went right to Cup. We probably were trying to do it in, I wouldn’t say the most competitive era, but it definitely had the most cars right there. My first two years, we had 50 to 56 cars trying to qualify for the race every week. So that was difficult. We went to it when there were two cars — the COT car was coming in the sport (and) the old car was still there. So I think for several years, I felt like I was just always a rookie, like even three or four years into it, I felt like I was still just learning how to drive the cars.

“And there was a part of me … whether it was practice, testing, qualifying, laps during the race, it was to a point where I was like, God, I just gotta prove that I still belong here, that I do belong here. And to be quite honest with you, there’s probably still a part of that mentality in me where I’m always just trying to prove it to myself. Heck, my guys are always like, ‘well, you got nothing to prove anymore. You just keep doing what you’re doing.’ I’m like, no, no, no, I gotta prove it to myself every weekend that I belong here. So it was tough. But if you’d have told me back in 2007, 2008 — oh, hey, by the way, in 2025 you’re still going to be in the Cup series, and you’re still going to be doing this and still be competitive, I’d have told you you’re crazy, because I felt like there was no way I was going to be in the sport that long. So I feel very fortunate.”

In 2025, nine different drivers have won their way into the playoffs, leaving seven more spots with 11 races left in the regular season. Kaulig Racing has never actually made the Cup playoffs before, and Allmendinger hasn’t been a part of it since 2014. And in case you were wondering how he made the playoffs that year, it was via a road course win. 

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