Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Kawasaki has reporteciy o~"~n KR750s and KR 250s to the team. . ~ Irv Kanemoto{Gary Nixon and Bosto.. Cycles{Kevin Cameron{Ron Pierce for 1976. D·37's scrambles season opened at Elsinore with 60 ride rs. There was some confusion as to people racing with both 1975 and 1976 nu mbe rs, and what with Perr is running the same day (Janua ry 41. it left the Jackrabbits MC wish in9 the t rack managers would get together on schedule dates. In line with an earlier resolution fro m the AMA Congress, the association has chosen the National Hemophilia Foundation for its support. Fund-raising and other charitable efforts by the more than 1000 AMA clubs will go toward finding a cure for the disease, which, by affecting the blood's clotting ability, turns its victims into "bleeders" who can lost dangerous amounts of blood from the smallest cuts. FIM has announced the initiation of AU and "B" Manufacturer's Licenses, at a eost of about $2000 and $400 respectively. FIM stipulates that: "It is compulsory that manufacturers be in possession of one of the two licenses if they want their make to be .. . in the results of the Manufacturer World Championship. Otherwise, the name of the make would appear neither in the drivers' dassification nor in the final results • • • " Say, didn't we just recendy rap Gulf Oil's knuckles for paying this kind of grease to get favorable treatment of its products overseas? If Talk ab out your dirty tricks - we hear th at the Sierra Oub is threatening to declare th e Lame Camel's desk a wilderness. _...,,; "~ .r; or .- , " ~ ~~ Jo .... . ~'-';, .;: ' Northwest MXer "Smiley" Rick Burgett is being approached to round out a major team's complement of riden. .. ' " . I New idea from 01' Blightly - a r oad -go in g versi on of No rton-Cosworth 's 750cc wate rcoolcd tw in with a single SU dashpot carb o Trouble is. there's only th ree o f 'em. Sigh. If one picture could explain why so many people came just to watch th e Trial de Espana ... Lane Leavitt under pressure. Results in Resul ts Section. Cyde News Alumnus J o hn Ulrich was the recipient of a W/ERA scholarship during their recent awards banquet (at which their $3000 1975 point fund was distributed, as weill . John's currendy a student at Cal State, working as a free-lance moto-journalist in his off hours. (What off hours?) Firewo rks at the Milan (Italy) Mot orcycle Show. Benelli an d Mot o Guzzi both displayed a 250cc four cylinder with disc wheels, two-in to-four carb uretion an d four-into-two ex haust. Benelli's version sported "monocoque" styling and really looks trick. The Guzzi just loo ks fat . , The latest rage in road racing cirdes is the Suzuki 500 square four. Hurley Wilvert has already bought one through European contacts. Steve Mclaughlin says "I really want one. It sounds like it would be nice to have : ' Suzuki is selling off the racers in Europe only as part of their move to get out of factory road racing. 2 Loo k for (o f all th ings) a 360 Penton to enter th e Houston Astro dome IT in the hands of Te xan Randy Carthell. Also invading the 750cc Astr o-turf will be a pair of 36 0 Bult aco Astros ent ered by Bultaco International for John Gen nai and Guy McOure. Dennis Briggs, who th rew a scare into the big stro ke rs by finishing fourt h last year on the 350 Kaw will be back with it, flanked by Pat McCaul and possibly Scott Brelsford on Kanemoto Kaws. This is your last chance before the hearing to tell members of the California House Education Committee that you favor AB 1809, ' Paul Carpenter's bill to authorize motorcyde safety education in California schools. If it passes Education favorably, Ways and Means will get it next, Following Suzuki and Kawasaki decisions to withdraw from direct factory participation in European road racing, Barry Ditchbum (Kawl , Mick Grant (Kawl, and Barry Sheene (Suzl have all been signed by the ' United Kingdom branches of their former employers. Escape Co untry will hold an unlimited Expert class (any size bike may en ter) series starting J anuary 18th. The win ner will receive a $1000 cash sponsorship from Electro Helmets. The runners-up will get custom hel mets plus 51 50 cash. In order t o stir up a little controversy, Papa's gonna pu t his (imaginary) money on the 125s. It 's official. Dr. Peter ' Fran k's Eastern Roadracing Association has expanded nationally. It 's now the W/ERA, with Phoenix pro mo to er Steve Reilly as western coordinator. By next week, we should have the expanded association's western schedule. First race of the season is January 18 at Fasttrack, Phoenix. Call Steve at (602) 985-6359 and he'Il tell you all about it. Giacomo Agostini, released by Yamaha, will race MVs u nde r his own p rivate "Te am Agostini" banner. Ago - ,says there's no money involved, just the "gift" o f bikes and a mechanic. He may still have a "private" Yamaha for the Formula 750 rounds. We haven't yet received the 1976 0-37 Calendar and already there are changes. The Dirt Diggers, afraid to spread themselves too th in, cancelled their 0-37 motocross scheduled for February 1. Butch Lee, of Dirt Bike Promotions, picked up that date at the District meeting. The Diggers said they might pick up a scrambles date late r on. Thanks and a big hug to Anne Mason o f Los Angeles for sendi ng a whole folder full of legislative reference material fo r fu tu re installm en ts of " Poli tical Hotline". Still more thanks (but no hug) to AMF {Harley- Davidson fo r being the first to send us a co py o f the Wage and Price Stability Council 's blast at EPA. It's good to see that even though they are not heavily committed to two strokes, H-D is staying on top of this emissions thing. Maybe they can see the handwriting on the wal l for all of us if the two-smokers are done in without a fight. J KTM and Yamaha of Goleta will combine to sponsor brothers Gordon and Tom Schmid on a 400 KTM for next year's cross-country biggies. Out of a December NATC meeting co mes the word o f a nine-even t U.S, Trials Champion ship series, with the riders' best five finishes earning points. This year the F1M point system (15-12- 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1) will be used. Also new for 197 6 is a man datory hel met requireme n r, Steve McLaugh lin has lost his ArmorAiI road race ride for 1976. Instead, Gene Romero, Dave Aldana and two other yet-unsigned riders will have ArmorAll support on AMA dirt tracks th is season. John ny Ceco ll o will return to Daytona as Number One rider in a three-hike Venezuelan team. Joining him un der Venemotos sponsorship are countrymen Rogelio Cardoza and Pedro Mezherane, I Complaining in the British papers that it takes too long to get things done, Sammy Miller has not yet renewed his Honda contract. He say s it isn't a formal break, and will ride a 300 in the coming year. Yrjo Vesterinen, wooed by Honda at one time, has re-signed with Bultac:o for the world trials season. What's this? Jim Oakes, presid en t o f Circle Industries, to import 50 Weslake four-valve speedway engines? Trials comes full cirde l Mick Andrews is reported to be developing a trials bike around the Yamaha TTSOO engine. Isn't th is where it all started? Ask Jeff Smith and Sammy Miller . Here we go again. Esca pe Country will ho st ' th e Electro Unlimited Serie s o f Motocross. It'll be an all size cc, same class series of four races . First race J an . 18, nex t one Jan. 25, and o n to Feb. 1 an d 8. There's a grand prize of $1000. Electro Helmets is sponsoring the series and if yo u want more info contact John Smith at 714{586-7964. , ~ I

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