Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126481
Ie • ~ t o 00 0') ...... W.. Coo"y, shown in practice at Suzuka on the Yoshimura Suzuki, was cowinner of the July 27 Suzuka Eight Hour endurance race. Photo by Hiroshi Hayano, Gary Wells issues $20,000 wheelie challenge "I. Gary Wells. the Motorcyclist Extraordinaire. do herein issue the following: "I challenge anyone. anywhere in the world to a head·to-head wheelie competition. Anyone wishing to accept my challenge must agree to using the same equipment. The choice of equipment is yours. but if specially modified for balance. etc.• you must make the same available to me. Do you understand Doug Domokos 7 I suggest using stock motorcycles so the public cen view through ability not an equipment assisted stunt. "My promoter Tom Baker and L T.B. Productions International will pledge $10,000.00. Said contender must pledge like sum 1$10.000.001. Winner will take all. "Specific format and judging of competition will be mutually agreed upon. (2(" Alj1..td?s: 2 Wi! Hartog ISuzl won the July 27 SOOcc World Championship Road Race round in Finland. but America's Kenny Roberts moved closer to his third World Championship by placing second. Roberts ' closest contender. Suzuki's Randy Mamola. placed fourth behind Franco Uncini and now trails Roberts by 16 points. 67·51. with two rounds to go . Uncini lies third in the po int 4 THOMAS E. BAKER GARY WEllS American Wes Cooley and New Zea lander Graeme Crosby (Suz) teamed up to win the Suzuka (japan) 8 Hour Endurance Race by 40 seconds over American Eddie Lawson and Australian Gregg Hansford (Kaw). Lost time in the Cooley/Crosby pits was negated by a crash involving Law son . Cooley, teamed with Mike Baldwin, won the event in 1978. Problems beset the other Americans entered with Ron Pierce susta ining rib and back injuries in a practice crash while Gina Bovaird crashed and aggravated injuries to her left hand sustained in the Daytona 200 . Freddie Spencer. teamed with Virginio Ferrari (Hon) after Pierce's crash, was out with ign ition problems early in the running while the David Aldana/David Emde team (Kaw) had a crank break while running in the top live. Rich Schlachter and co-winner of last year's race Mike Cole were eliminated when Cole crashed and Lawson went down also. Ameri can Marty Lunde, now living in Britain, and English buddy Mike Trimby (Kaw) saw th eir chances of a top 10 placing end with a broken crank. Cycle Wo rld's John Ulrich , teamed with a Japan ese rider after Bovaird's injury, went to ihe sidelines when his teammate crashed . W standings with 41. In 250cc action, West German Anton Mang IKawl clinched the World Championship by finishing second to Kork Ballington IKawl. Ballington also placed fifth in the 500cc race. Intermittent rain squalls left Mother Nature the big winner and some 15,000 fans losers at the July 27 Winston Pro Series DuQuoin Mile. The event has been rescheduled for August 10. Steady rain Saturday night left the track soggy. A decision by AMA officials and the promoter to let the track surface dry before working on it appeared to have been the right way to go and by 5 p.m. the track was ready to be checked out by the riders. However. minutes later a short squall put everything back to square one. Two more showers while the track was being worked on left no alternative, but to cancel the event. Jay Springsteen'. return to Winston Pro Series racing has been curtailed . Springsteen. following his doctor's orders, will not raca again for at least 30 days according to Harley-Davld.on's Dick O'Brien. " Jay has been grounded." said O'Brlen. " A I· though he was alright at Ascot. Jay began to feel the effects of the heat afterwards and eventually got sick. He went to see his doctor Monday and on his recommendetion will not race again until. at best. the Indy Miles (Augu.t 23-241. He'lI undergo three weeks of intensive testing because there are apparently more complicetions than just the diabetes. The doctor is aggressively attacking this thing . . and the be.t way to find out how Jay'• •ystem would react wa. to go racing. I don't expect anything substantial from Jay's doctor for at Ieut two weeks. By then he .hould hopefully have something concrete to report." Team Yamaha enduro and ISDT rider Rick Munyon ended his bachelor days by tying the knot with Christie Smith on July 19 in Capistrano Beach, California . Munyon claimed the 250cc title in the AMA National Champion. ship Rel iability Trials Series. Hank Scott. the only rider to get a lap on the DuQuoIn mile before rain washed out the July 27 Winston Pro Series event. felt the track would have been a record breaker. "It was fast and sticky," said Scott who _ checking out.the surface for the AMA. I can't believe how f..t it was and I only got one lap on it." "I haven't had a vacation during the summer in years and 1 took advantage of it," said Corky Keener while relaxing in the pits at DuQuoin. Keener was referring to the five weeks since the Charity Newsies Winston Pro Series event June 22. "I didn't go to the Ascot TT so 1 had live weeks to do nothing and that's exactly what I did nothing," Had the DuQuoin National gone off, Scott Pearson would have been aboard Jay Springsteen's bikes. Hartey-Davidson's DIck O'BrIen had noted earlier in the year that if Springsteen was unable to race they would be helping other riders on the miles. The blk.. were offered initially to Steve Morehead who declined the ride and then to Garth Brow who also declined and then called beck - too late - to say yes. Apparently Jay Springsteen was much sicker than anyone thought after the July 19 Ascot TT National. "J ay lost 15 pounds between Saturday night after the event and when he saw his doctor Monday," said his mother. "He feels fine now. They are doing tests and will be for the next few weeks." About a thousand entries are expected for the Aug. 1·3 Grand National Final of the AME/Honda American Minicycle Championship Series at lake Whitney Park in Texas. The highlight of the competition will be a special CR8D Challenge. pitting top minicycle pilots from across the country in a race on stock Honda minis. In addition, nearly half of. the Series awards and prizes will be on the line. Vera's Leathers didn't bum upl Itwas a close call, though. as a big fire next door on June 15 nearly cleaned them out. But all their equipment and materials were saved and now Vera is taking orders and fitting appointments in two temporary locations. Call Bonnie at 714/685·5575 in Riverside or Diane at 215/555-8219 in Glendora for more info. and watch for a grand opening soon. American Suzuki win be giving away three blk.. at the Labor Mini Grand PrIx ·portion of the American Off-Road FestIval at Indian Dune. August 30-31. In addition to the blk.. (a 100cc, a 80cc and a 80cc mlnlcyclel, Ieathera and other prizes win be awarded. If you were spectating at last week's AMA/Winston Pro Series TT at Ascot. and you thought something traditional was missing. something was. Starter "Bouncing Bob" Malley wasn't bouncing. AMA Commissioner of Professional Racing Mike DiPrete sent Malley a letter asking him to refrain from the cartwheels, etc. , that he usually performs during the coune of a J;3ce. At the riders' meeting Malley asked the riders for suppon via letters to DiPrete. "It's no fun if I'm not Bouncing Bob," he said. o.v 811 Olaen 120 poIntsl, Dave Perry (17), Tom Makowski (161, CraIg Robertson (141 and Mlk. Crider (141 comprise the top fly. after four rounds of the SaddlebaclclLa Hebra Yamaha Amateur Point S.r.... 1981 rid.. with Team La Hebra Yamaha . . the toP prizes of the 12-race aerlea being conducted at Saddleback Park. The Motorcycle Industry Council is claiming victory in convincing the Bureau of Lang Management to ammend its ORV regulations by easing licensing and supervision requirements for ORV operators . .The original regulations would have required users to possess a driver's license or learner's permit. or to be under the direct supervision of someone 18 or older. In the revised version, ORVen need have a license only wher e it's mandatory under state or federal law. Dale Boller. who headed up the editorial side of Motorcyclist mag· azine for three years. is no longer there. " I was asked (Friday, July