According to a report in Cycle News (and more than one private email we have received in the last couple of days), Yamaha has found a rider for Jimmy Button’s factory YZ426 to campaign the AMA 250 Outdoor National series beginning this May. His name is Jeff Emig.
Did you think Yamaha would sit back and let Honda steal all the thunder with its new four-stroke motocrosser? Now that Yamaha knows Button (who is nevertheless progressing well in his rehabilitation efforts) won’t be back this year, it needs a talented pro to ride Button’s bike. Emig might be an odd choice, given his recent injuries (two broken wrists) and lack of experience on a four-stroke, but, if you think about it, Yamaha may not have had any other talented pros to choose from.
Emig is a former 250 Outdoor National champion and 250 Supercross champion, and, when healthy and motivated, gets around an outdoor motocross track as quickly as anyone. If these reports are true, Emig’s comeback on the big Yamaha thumper will make the AMA Outdoor Nationals just that much more interesting.
