New Yamaha FX Series Platform Dominates Field as Yamaha Riders Squeeze Competition from Top 10 Positions
Yamaha WaveRunner racers Chris MacClugage and Troy Snyder teamed up to win the 2019 Mark Hahn 300, the longest PWC endurance race in the world aboard the newly redesigned FX WaveRunner platform.
The historic win could be the final chapter for one of the most storied events in the PWC industry, held for 15 years at Lake Havasu City, Arizona. According to the event promoter, a final decision to return to Lake Havasu for the 16th year has not yet been made.
MacClugage, Snyder, and their 2019 FX SVHO WaveRunner led a contingent of Yamaha racers that included a Who's Who of watercraft racing elite from Eric Francis, Dennis Mack, Eric Lagopoulos, Chris Saxon, and Sophie Francis - all IJSBA PWC racing champions in their own right.
“There’s been some speculation as to how competitive the new FX platform would be in an actual race setting,” said Yamaha’s Product Manager Scott Watkins. “With any new platform it takes time and development to get ready for a race like the Mark Hahn. Last year’s event was won by a Yamaha GP1800 which didn’t make the decision to easy for racers to switch to a new platform for 2019. Although I do remember back in August that Eric and Sophie Francis told me after riding the FX for the first time that ‘it will be like cheating next year’ and with 2 new FX’s on the podium in its first race it seems like the FX is off to a great start for 2019.”
"Thanks to the long-term sponsorship by Yamaha, Hot Products and the IJSBA, we've offered one of the unique races in the motorsports arena to the toughest PWC endurance riders in the world," said event founder Mark Follmer.
The Mark Hahn 300 is the longest personal watercraft race in the world, covering a total of 300 tough miles in 30 successive laps of a 10-mile course. The race features the only true Le Mans start currently in motorsports of any type.
Photo Credits RicPOW Photo