World Superbike rider Marco Melandri takes the field in MX event

New Yamaha World Superbike Team rider Marco Melandri showed his prowess on a motocross track last weekend as he took a YZ450F, supplied by the factory Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team, to second and first positions in two cold and muddy races for charity at the Faenza circuit.

The 28 year old finished as the overall winner and was competing against other road racers and other Italian celebrities at the event created to raise funds and awareness for the Wings for Life foundation, assisting their research into cures for spinal cord injury and paralysis.

The hills of the Faenza – a track that closed the 2008 FIM Motocross World Championship and at which Yamaha Monster Energy motocross Team celebrated capturing the MX1-GP title with David Philippaerts – saw Melandri gun his YZ450F past the likes of Andrea Dovizioso and Supermoto racer Cristian Ravaglia. It was the first outing for Melandri in blue colours after his test on the YZF-R1 at Valencia last week and was a throwback to the days when the Italian took to the local motocross circuit at Donington Park with Carlos Checa on YZ450Fs in 2003; the year that he made his MotoGP debut with the legendary M1.

“I feel very happy about everything! It was a great charity race, the motocross guys were pushing really hard so it felt good to win,” said Melandri, who is a big fan of the sport, is friends with world champion Antonio Cairoli and is a frequent visitor to MX-GPs. “It was good fun and a big satisfaction; it was my first ride on the 2011 Yamaha YZ450F, it is a great bike and it’s my first victory for Yamaha!” he added with a smile.