Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

. Series. plus "selected" 750cc events for Yamaha. Asked if Roberts would ride the Houston indoor dirt track events, Clark replied. "I doubt it," aeylng that Pace Management wean't going to pay the start money Roberts requested. KR was testing tires at Riverside Raceway es Cycle News .went to press. Ray Nelson, singer of motorcycle songs, will be having a pany for the ind ustry people involved in the Jan. 20-22 trade show at the Anaheim Convention Center. .The pany will be at the Q.uality Inn, California Room. 616 Convention Way , and things get underway at 9:50 p.m. on Saturday night. Nelson and his band will entertain, and there will be a cash bar. Cover charge is $:'1 per person, $5 a couple. Joan- Claybrook's at it. again. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration leader, in a Jan. 12 Long Beach Independent. Press Tele- . gram newspaper report, launched a new attack on states (and their motorcyclist population) where helmet laws have been repealed. Citing statistics from four states (Colorado, Kansas , South Dakota and Oklahoma) where helmet laws have been repealed and head injury rates have increased, Ms. Claybrook also stated that the Depart. ment of Transportation' is urging the re -enactment of helmet laws in the 26 states that have repealed them. They are considering the reinstatement of federal rules that require states to adopt helmet laws or lose up to 10% of federal highway money. In reference to the Los Angeles area findings that more than half the motorcycle accidents were caused by other drivers who failed to see the motorcyclist 'oMs. Claybrook said , "Maybe we should start a campaign to do away with the black leather jackets and get them all to wear something yellow... • A few statistics Ms. Claybrook failed to Include In her case are that the following states which kept their helmet laws suffered Increases In motorcycle fatalities. Ohio and New York, with Increases of 63 and 56 respectively. accounted for 16% of the total 1977 national Increeae. according to the Oct. 1978 luue of State Le""" , . . . magazine. In 1977. Georgia. Manachuaetts, New Jeraey and West Virginia averaged a 63% Increase In cycle fatalities over their 76 figures. And Wyoming recorded a 202% (rlght ... 202%) Increaael In the Jan. '79 issue of Moneysworth, a repon on a study by the Michigan Highway Safety Research Institute indicated that of the 94 automobile traffic deaths included in the study , more than half were due to head injuriesl The report did not recommend requiring helmets for automobile occupants. "particularly in the wake of the legal arguments which have resulted from mandatory motorcycle helmet laws." 2 NHTSA Administrator Joan Claybrook. according to the Jan. 12 V.".y N.ws newpaper In the San Fernando Valley area. hes aeld she will send copies of the most recent helmet·use/motorcycllst fatality studies to all governors. state insurance commissioners and insurance companies "which may want to raise their rates in view of risks." Perhe our congressmen can help "St. Joan of 'Claybrook" to an early martyrdom, It's certainly worth a letter. S.C.O .R .E's first major off-road race , the Feb . 9-11 Parker 400, has received 509 entries made up , of course, of both motorcycles and four-wheelers. The sixth annual running of Parker will consist of two counter-clockwise loops of about 100 miles each in Arizona, followed by 0I1e loop of about the same distance in California . More info is available at S.C .O.R.E. International, 51552 Via Colinas , Suite lOS, Westlake Village , CA 91561. 215 /999 ·2250. Jim Pomeroy has signed with Bultlic:o to contest the 250cc World Chempionship MX Series and the Trans-AMA MX Saries according to Bultaco Intarnational president John Gi'aca. Pomeroy's European tab will be picked up by Bultaco· Spain; expenaes for the TransAMA will go to Bultaco Internationalln Virginia Beach, VA. Should be an even greater year for U.S . MXers on the GP circuits. Kawasaki's "Bad Brad" Lackey will be defending his 12 plate (won on Honda) in the 500cc class. Husqvama-mounted Chuck Sun joins Lackey on the big bike circuit. Bultaco's GP·winning Jim Pomeroy . LOP-sponsored Marty Moates on his Yamaha and Jim Turner on the Moto·X Fox Honda will do business in the 250cc international events. Updates continue on the '79 Winston Pro slata include an APril 14 Sacramento Mile. a date change of the Ascot TT to July 21, a confirmation of the May 26 Laurel, MD Half Mile and a cancellation of the July 22 San Jose Half Mlle. And that's final. For now. at least. Pierre Karsmakers, recently back from Europe, called to announce his plans for 1979. He'll work mainly in the Yamaha R&D program, testing 1980 morocrossers as they evolve from prototype to pre· production to production form . Pierre will also race an assortment of local, Florida Winter· AMA, National and International races - he 's currently negotiating with the promoter of the Belgian Easter Trophy races . In order to "go fast like Heikki Mikkola ," Pierre has grown a beard. "He signed Friday," aeld Yamahe's Kenny Clark when asked about Yamaha's other Kenny. King Kenny Roberts will ride the 500cc World -Roed Rllelllg Chemplonship Bruce Ogilvie. mounted on a Dale's Modem Cycle Yamaha VZ400. won the Jan. 14 Sled Riders AMA 0·37 hare and hound, Ogilvie was followed by 250cc . riders Brian Wright (Yam) and Max Eddy (Hus). The race was marred by the death of LaVern Darland. 54. who apparently suffered a heart attack while reclng. Skip Aksland and Men Lawwill will be team ing up for the '79 Winston Pro Series. Skip will ride Men's Harleys, which proved to be among the fastest bikes around on the mile tracks. in all half miles and most TTs. The stable will be rounded out by a Yamaha for the Houston and Santa Fe TTs, a Yamaha short tracker and a Yamaha for the road races. PJI Lubricants is the sponsor. With Lawwill doing the tuning, Aksland is very definitely a threat for the Number One plate. "He's well on his way but he has a long way to go." is the word we get on Pat Hennen's recovery from his Isle of Man TT crash in June, which kept him unconscious for two months. Pat is walking on his own now, where before he needed some form of assistance. He undergoes therapy daily at a Sa~ Mateo hospital, but a speech therapy program was dropped because Pat no longer needed it, He's also working out at home nightly. California Racing Club's Feb . 4 Candy Ass Enduro, which features club teams battling head to head for a huge trophy, already has 15 teams entered. If your team isn't one of them, contact CRC at 714 /689·6114 . Papa watched an episode of ABC's 1JIe Hardy Boy. the other night because the program listing mentioned the magic word motocross. Well. sure ·nuff. the two Hardy brothers were out there protecting a pretty girl MXer from hoods. The action footage. however. figures to heve been shot in 1972. It was interesting watching Frank Hardy's bike. an RM250 Suzuki In the pits. become a square-barrel Malco out on the track. Can Honda win the Feb, 2-3 Yamaha Gold Cup Motorcycle Races at the Houston Astrodome? Papa thinks there's a pretty good chance of it. Riding XR5OO-powered TT bikes in the Friday night program will be Rick Hocking. Garth Brow. Mickey Fay and Dave Aldana. John Hateley, also wearing a brand new aet of Honda leathers. will contest Saturday's 250cc short track race. Papa's Honda spokesperson emphasized that Houston will be the flrm's "big push" for the 79 _ o n although the riders - not full Team Honda members - will keap the loaned motors throughout the year. Readers who attend the Jan. 26:28 S.C.O .R .E . Off-Road Pickup, 4WD, Van and Buggy Equipment Show to check out the goodies on display for their four-wheelers might want to stop by the Cycle News booth and say hi to the staffers on duty , The show, brainchild of Alex Xydias and Mickey .Thompson, will occupy the entire 100,000 square-foot North Hall in the Anaheim Convention Center. Hours are 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m . on Jan. 26, noon to 10:00 p.m . on the 27th and 11:00 a.rn. to 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 28. Adults get in for $5, kids under 16 for $1.50 and kids under six for free . Nava. the Italian manufacturer of Granturlsmo hand grips. has established four U.S. distributors for their new helmet line. Integrel Nava 2. Your daaler can order the Nava polycarbonate helmets tested in reclng by Steve Baker, Takazumi Katayama. Giacomo Agostini. Steve Parrish and Virginia Ferrari - through Fox Distributing, Full Houae, ASI or Brian Distributing. Junior and Intermediate MXers can join in American Motocross Enterprises' "Pro for a da y" event Jan. 28 at Indian Dunes and pick up pan of a $2,000 purse . No Pros are allowed , and the race will not jeopardize your AME non- Pro standing; it's - a onetime deal. First place money in each of eight classes - 100, 125, 250 and 500cc in each a bility classification - is $80. Contingency donors include JT Racing, Gold Belt, SunLine, Bel-Ray Oil, Graham 's Sheet Metal , CH Performance Products, ' Mikuni and Electro Helmets. The Ughtweights M,C. and AMA 0-37 will host the two-dav National Amateur Short Track and TT Championships at J.C. Agajanlen's Ascot Park, Mark Aug. 25-26 on your calendar for the event. The British newspaper Motor Cycle Weekly reports that Suzuki is likely to make the Superbike war a little warmer with a 1200cc version of their GS850 shaft drive. Dregstrip times from motojournal1m testing the Kawasekl KZ1300 say that Cyete's Cook Neilson turned an 11.9-second quarter mile at 114 mph, An un-named Motorcyclist tester did 11.81 at 116 mph. and Jeff Karr of Cycle G.... did 11.79 at 116 mph. After a year of holding his breath, Mike Kidd has finally signed a sponsorship deal with the U.S. Army . Ted Worrell, runner-up to Dick Burleson .in the '78 AMA National Reg PrIdmore, current AMA SuperEnduro Series, will add a couple of, strokes to his '79 game plan, He'll ride bike Chemplon. will be riding a an XR500 Honda as pan of that firm 's Kawaaekl Superblke exclusively enduro team. Worrell will be joined by this year. His only ride other than Rick Munyon on an XR250 . Jay Tullis the Kaw will be aboard his sidecar will compete for Team Honda on a rig in a few selected events. 185cc machine in Western Region PrIdmore also plans to race at Isle events . Don Sanford, who was with of Man and a few events In Honda-last year- -will· Pilie·.f8P·Maieo: •.. . ···AUatnWIa, , ' . ...., .' •.•.•. ' ...:,. ,

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