For the fourth consecutive year, Yamaha and SkillsUSA have partnered in developing the next generation of powersports technicians, as well as providing students the opportunity to work directly alongside top-performing Yamaha dealership professionals. Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA and Yamaha Motor University (YMU) are proud to recognize the winners of the United States Technician Grand Prix (USTGP) and SkillsUSA National Championships held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, from June 23-27, 2025.
“Yamaha strongly believes in training, and supporting SkillsUSA is one of the big ways we are able to show it,” said John Grubb, YMU Training Manager. “I am proud of the discussion we host between SkillsUSA contestants and U.S. Tech Grand Prix finalists from our Yamaha dealers. The up-and-coming techs truly appreciate being able to get honest answers about the industry from seasoned Yamaha professionals, and it’s been a big hit on both sides.”
The Yamaha USTGP challenges Yamaha dealership technicians to accurately diagnose vehicle problems and professionally resolve customer service issues. Contestants work through each lab under close supervision from Yamaha staff, and the winning technician qualifies for the international championship round held at Yamaha’s headquarters in Iwata, Japan. This year, Aaron Lawson of MOMS Foxboro earned the right to represent the United States at the world level. Lawson will join last year’s U.S. Technician Grand Prix winner, Brian Ladner, as they compete in Japan November18-21.
2025 Yamaha United States Technician Grand Prix (USTGP) Champions:
Gold: Aaron Lawson – MOMS Foxboro, Foxborough, Mass.
Silver: Aaron Schultz – Fondy Powersports, Fond du Lac, Wis.
Bronze: William Anderson – Orlando Yamaha Kawasaki, Orlando, Fla.
Finalists:
Jeffery Gibson – Northern Idaho Powersports, Sandpoint, Idaho
Jeff Policky – RideNow Powersports Tucson, Tucson, Ariz.
Marshall Lobo – Temecula Motorsports, Murrieta, Calif.
2025 SkillsUSA Motorcycle Service Technology Champions
Representing nearly 400,000 technical education students and teachers, SkillsUSA chapters thrive in middle schools, high schools and college/postsecondary institutions nationwide. Yamaha sponsored the Motorcycle Service Technology contest inside SkillsUSA. 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 path to earning top honors. Yamaha and YMU recognize the following students:
High School Gold: Mason McConnell – Excelsior Springs Area Career Center, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
High School Silver: Jeremy Lanza – Medina County Career Center, Medina, Ohio
High School Bronze: Sam H Rowe – Heritage Hills High School, Lincoln City, Ind.
College Gold: Ayden Stratz – Uintah Basin Technical College-Vernal, Vernal, Utah
College Silver: Jacob I Taylor – Alexandria Technical & Community College, Alexandria, Minn.
College Bronze: Peter Barrett – Tennessee College of Applied Tech-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tenn.
About Yamaha Motor University
Established in 2003 as the Motorsports training division for YMUS, Yamaha Motor University (YMU) provides Parts, Sales, and Technical Service training for Yamaha dealership personnel. Since its founding, YMU has trained and certified thousands of dealership staff with real-world training and education to ensure Yamaha customers receive industry-leading service and support.
