Yamaha Motor University celebrates technician champions
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, and Yamaha Motor University (YMU) have recognized the winners of the United States Technician Grand Prix (USTGP) and SkillsUSA championships held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
By sponsoring the SkillsUSA national championship event and hosting the U.S. Tech Grand Prix alongside it, Yamaha and YMU are developing the next generation of powersports technicians and providing students with the opportunity to work directly alongside top-performing Yamaha dealership professionals.
“The motorsports industry is powered by passionate and skilled enthusiasts. Supporting and developing the next generation of technicians is critical to Yamaha’s mission to deliver the very best service for our customers, and events like SkillsUSA® allow us to empower this next generation.”
John Grubb, YMU training manager
2024 SkillsUSA Champions
Yamaha sponsored the Motorcycle Service Technology contest inside SkillsUSA for the third consecutive year. With labs covering a range of real-world service tasks and customer service needs, contestants had to rotate through eight timed and proctored stations on their way to the top of the podium. Yamaha and YMU recognize the following students:
• High School Gold: Brayden Arnold – Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, Schnecksville, PA
• High School Silver: Ayden Stratz – Uintah Basin Technical College, Vernal, UT
• High School Bronze: Cosmo McIntosh – Ulster BOCES, Port Ewen, NY
• College Gold: Peter Paul – Southeast Community College-Milford, Milford, NE
• College Silver: Gavin Stanislaw – North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton, ND
• College Bronze: Dan Townsend – Alexandria Technical & Community College, Alexandria, MN
2024 United States Technician Grand Prix Champions
The Yamaha USTGP is a challenging, ‘hands-on’ technical skills competition where Yamaha dealership technicians must accurately diagnose vehicle problems and handle customer service issues. Contestants work through each lab under close supervision, preparing the winner to compete at the international championship round at Yamaha’s headquarters in Iwata, Japan. This year, Brian Ladner of Macomb Powersports earned the right to represent the United States at the world level in 2025. Yamaha and YMU recognizes Mr. Ladner, and all the skilled finalists:
• Gold: Brian Ladner – Macomb Powersports, Chesterfield MI
• Silver: Colin McCreary – Miller’s Motorsports, Beavers Falls PA
• Bronze: Chris Callaghan – Pasadena Yamaha, Pasadena CA
Finalists:
• Aaron Lawson – MOMS Foxboro, Foxborugh MA
• Caden Watson – Rexburg Motorsports, Rexburg ID
• Aaron Schultz – Fuel Powersports, Westbend WI About SkillsUSA®
Representing nearly 400,000 career and technical education students and teachers, SkillsUSA chapters thrive in middle schools, high schools, and college/postsecondary institutions nationwide. Their mission is accomplished through the SkillsUSA Framework of Personal Skills, Workplace Skills and Technical Skills Grounded in Academics, which is integrated into classroom curriculum.
