The World Technician Grand Prix is like the Olympic Games for wrench spinners. Elite technicians who manage to get through the qualifying rounds in their home country then compete against each other in the World Technician Grand Prix. 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 championships held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
“The motorsports industry is powered by passionate and skilled enthusiasts,” said John Grubb, YMU Training Manager. “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.”
By sponsoring the SkillsUSA national championship event — and hosting the U.S. Tech Grand Prix alongside it — Yamaha and YMU prove their commitment to developing the next generation of powersports technicians, as well as providing students the opportunity to work directly alongside top-performing Yamaha dealership professionals.
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 held 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 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
2024 SkillsUSA Champions
For the third consecutive year, Yamaha sponsored the Motorcycle Service Technology contest inside SkillsUSA competition. 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 is proud to 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
About SkillsUSA
Providing a vital solution to the ongoing skills gap, where more highly skilled jobs are available than skilled professionals ready to fill them, SkillsUSA has served more than 14.6 million diverse, difference-making members since 1965. 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. Click here for more details:
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. Click here for more:
https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/motorsports/pages/yamaha-motor-university-technical-certifications
