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Yamaha announced Friday that its FX Nytro will continue snocross racing in the upcoming season, with an independent team. This will be Yamaha's fourth full season in snocross after rejoining the circuit for the 2006-'07 season.

Wade West, Yamaha's snowmobile marketing manager, said Yamaha had been approached by several race teams after last season about running the 4-stroke powered Nytro, which has shown a good hole-shot ability.

"After the late-season successes our racers posted this Spring, a number of interested parties have contacted us with the intent to put together a fully privateer race program," West said. Details are expected later this summer.

For the past three seasons Yamaha has run a factory race team, the first year with former snocross champion Robbie Malinoski as its primary rider. The following year Steve Taylor was aboard the Nytro and last season both Taylor and Iain Hayden ran for Yamaha. No word yet on who will be aboard the Nytro, or how many Nytros may be entered in the ISOC AmSoil National Championship Snocross series.

Malinoski scored a victory for Yamaha in its first season, but there have been no other wins since that first year. Yamaha made more finals this past season however. At the end of the season Yamaha's race team manager and longtime Yamaha engineer, Greg Marier, announced his retirement.

"Racing is an important part of Yamaha's culture and an important part of the snowmobile culture," West said, adding that it is committed to working with a competitive independent team and giving Yamaha fans a reason to cheer on Team Blue at snocross races this season.