Yamaha Extreme Terrain Challenge Returns to Loretta Lynn Ranch

Second Annual XT-R Challenge Showcases Yamaha’s Proven Off-Road Prowess

Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, brought out the red carpet, along with major mud and off-road obstacles, for Grizzly, Wolverine, and YXZ owners earlier this month during the second annual Yamaha Extreme Terrain Challenge (XT-R Challenge) at the iconic Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

The three-day event was filled with Yamaha owners, enthusiasts, family, and friends, featuring a festive atmosphere complete with live entertainment, camping, Yamaha giveaways and demos, instructional classes, and extreme fun.

Based on the success of the inaugural XT-R Challenge in 2018, Yamaha upped the ante in 2019 with new obstacles and nearly double the off-road course length at just under 22 miles. In addition to piloting through the undulating woods and mountainous terrain, this year’s XT-R Challenge’s obstacles included:

“The Wash Out”:
- A very tight, narrow, and winding Side-by-Side (SxS) trail in a gully, requiring ultimate skill, capability, and finesse to navigate.
“The YamaHollar”:
- A section comprised of traversing a lengthy pile of boulders, several logs, stacked and staggered culverts, bulldozer tires, and mud.
“The Wolverine Ravine”:
- Featured climbing a rock face followed by numerous log crossings in a semi-circle shape, then balancing over parallel logs before descending a rocky log pile and heading back into the woods.
“The WARN Winch” obstacle:
- With the aid of WARN Industries professionals, this obstacle required the use of a winch due to the steep grade, powdery-soft dirt, and very large off-camber log crossings.
“Winch Way”:
- Over 100 yards of soupy, sloppy, sticky, and deep mud.

Yamaha’s XT-R Challenge – now an annual celebration of fun, family, and superior off-road capability – put YXZ1000R and Wolverine SxS drivers and their co-pilots up against the demanding natural and manmade obstacles while spectators cheered them on. A first this year, Yamaha Grizzly owners got in the mix, kicking off Saturday’s festivities through the rugged and diverse trails in the Tennessee hill country. This year also included tutorials by WARN Industries, the stock winch on the all-new XT-R Edition Yamahas, with a “Winching 101” class and Bama Grill Master Tim Van Doren on outdoor adventure cooking with Camp Chef, along with a display by the tire manufacturer GBC Motorsports, also equipped on select 2020 XT-R models.

“This event is truly extreme – from the off-road course to the Yamaha customers who show up to challenge themselves and prove their Yamaha ATV and Side-by-Sides are the most off-road capable machines in their respective classes,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s motorsports group marketing manager. “Considering the terrain and motorsports history, Loretta Lynn’s Ranch is the perfect spot for the XT-R Challenge with some amazing natural off-roading elements complimenting the crew’s creativity to make the course and obstacles a blast to ride, and we’re seeing folks coming in from throughout the U.S. to enjoy it all.”

Yamaha is already planning the next Extreme Terrain Challenge, and dates will be announced in early 2020.Every Yamaha SxS and full-size ATV is proudly Assembled in the USA at Yamaha’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Newnan, Georgia, for worldwide distribution.

To view Yamaha’s Proven Off-Road lineup and learn more, visit YamahaOutdoors.com. Connect with Yamaha on your favorite social channels at Facebook.com/YamahaOutdoors, Instagram.com/YamahaOutdoors, and Twitter.com/YamahaOutdoors. Additionally, find Yamaha Outdoors on YouTube, or search the following hashtags on all platforms: #XTRChallenge #Yamaha #ProvenOffRoad #REALizeYourAdventure #AssembledInUSA #Yamaha10YearBelt