VOLUME ISSUE MARCH , P93
The YZ450FX is a
lot of motorcycle for
tight woods racing,
but when things
open up, go ahead,
grab a handful and
hold on. The FX
moves!
WELCOME
TO THE
REAL
WORLD:
RACING THE
2024 YAMAHA
YZ450FX
I
t wasn't a coincidence that
Yamaha invited us to ride the
new YZ450FX in South Carolina
just a few days before the Big
Buck GNCC. I will never turn down
the opportunity to race a GNCC. I
stumbled upon the chance during
my first year as a moto journalist
in 2005, and I've been hooked
ever since. I've lined up for the
flag wave 10 times, at least. And
I'm coming back again every time
I have the chance.
GNCC racing isn't easy. It's ag-
gressive, tiring, and intimidating,
with its dead-engine start and
hundreds of racers on the course
simultaneously. But the atmo-
sphere is like a big, warm, off-
road industry hug—plus, you can
pretty much find a beer anywhere
you look. After my morning race,
I can watch the pros do it. And
they have pit stops! Also, there
are food vendors with hibachi
burritos and funnel cake.
I've raced two GNCCs on
Yamahas before. Both were in
Florida, once on a YZ250 and
once on a WR450F, and both
were great rides. This time on
the YZ450FX was even better.
I still struggled with the same
old things, like being massively
unprepared physically and not
knowing what class to enter, but
that didn't stop me from laugh-
ing for a long two-hour morning
race in the 45+ A class. I botched
the start with a quick ignition
and immediate flameout about
10 feet down the course. Then,
I regrouped and figured I'd pick
some guys off in the trees for the
first lap, but that didn't happen. I
literally went backward the entire
day, finishing 17th out of 24 in my
class. It seems strange that I tre-
mendously enjoyed a race where
I was getting passed all day,
but I'd go do it again right now.
Because I did pass some people
and felt the burn and beatdown
of a motorcycle race. That's
worth it. I even had a late-race
battle with fellow moto journalist
CN's Jesse Ziegler grabs a
handful on the new YZ450FX
during the Big Buck GNCC in
South Carolina.
PHOTO: JAMES
LISSIMORE / LISSIMORE PHOTO
