--press release--

Corvallis, MT – June 9, 2005 – Swanson Yamaha Racing, Thor and Yamaha USA are proud to announce the return of two time arenacross champion Josh Demuth to the CMRC Canadian Motocross Championships series, beginning with Round 3 in Calgary, AB. After spending the first two rounds finalizing the physical therapy and rehabilitation of his wrists injuries, which many experts were calling a career-ending injury, Demuth is ready to return to action.
 
“It was a difficult decision to have Josh sit out the first two rounds, but we wanted to make sure that when he returns he is able to return at 100%. It is remarkable the amount of hard work and training that Josh has put in these past months to return to the quality of riding style that allowed him to win two national championships in the U.S. AMA Arenacross Series,” said Curtis Swanson, General Manager for Swanson Yamaha. “We are very proud of Josh and are confident that he will return to the CMRC Series with all the style and skills necessary to be competitive with the top riders.”

CEO of Thor Bob Maynard said there is no doubt that missing the first two rounds of the series will put a lot of pressure on Demuth to perform extremely well in the remaining rounds, but everybody at Swanson Yamaha, Thor and Parts Canada is confident that he is up to the task.

“I am very excited to be in this position to return to the sport after many said that I may have suffered a career-ending injury. I am so appreciative of the confidence that Thor, Parts Canada, Yamaha USA, and Swanson Yamaha have shown in me and I am confident I will be able to perform to the standards that are expected of me,” said Demuth. “I have been training extremely hard, both in physical fitness training as well as riding, and I am ready to return at 100%.”

Furthermore, Swanson Racing, Thor and Parts Canada would like to congratulate Chad Johnson and Nate Tierney for their performance in the first round of the CMRC Series. After qualifying third on Saturday in their respective qualifiers, and then having strong showings in their first motos on Sunday, both riders suffered mechanical problems in the second motos, which set them back. However, they both showed that they were able to run in the top of the pack and Chad, who was able to pull a significant holeshot in Moto 2 of the MX2, before having mechanical problems, was able to run in the top three for most of the first moto. He was doing the same in the second, before having bike problems.

“We have worked hard this week to correct the problems that caused the errors this past week in the mud, and are confident that we won’t be facing these types of issues as the series moves forward,” said Swanson. “I am confident that both Chad and Josh will make tremendously strong showings in the MX2 class and Nate Tierney will continue to make strong showings in MX1.

Swanson Yamaha, which began the 2005 season by securing the Shogun Yamaha Factory semi, is committed to making a strong showing in the CMCR Nationals this summer as well as next year’s AMA Arenacross Series and East Coast Supercross Series.

“We are committed to doing whatever it takes to put our riders in a position where they have every opportunity to be successful and win!” said Swanson

Along with Yamaha Motor Corp., Swanson Yamaha would like to thank THOR, Parts Canada, Dunlop, Alpinestars, Scott Goggles, OGIO, Pro Circuit, Universal, Yamalube Oils, Korupt, GYT-R and IKON Design.