Jim Kedinger of Hazelhurst, Wis., provided an integral link between Yamaha Motor Corporation and the company’s racing success and greatly bolstered the brand’s rise to become the market share leader during the mid-1980s.

Kedinger assembled and led what would become Yamaha’s legendary “Super Team” consisting of Tim Bender, Steve Houle, Jim Wergin, Guy Useldinger, Bobby Donahue and others, who together were a dominant force in oval, ice lemans and snocross.

Kedinger managed Yamaha’s racing department during that time and forged and managed vital relationships between racers, aftermarket companies and the brand, as well as creating important contingency and promotional efforts for racing that helped grow the sport.

Kedinger’s tenure as racing manager at Yamaha is widely recognized as the brand’s most successful era of snowmobile competition.