Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

u.s. Trophee, MXdes Nations effort cancelled o 00 WESTERVILLE, OH, AUG. 27 0') ..... The AMA has announced that plans for participation by a U.S. team in the Trophee des Nations in France on September 7 aqp the Motocross des Nations in EDgIand on September 14 have been caDC:Cled. The team was to consist of tM National 250cc Champion (Kent HowIrnon), the 500cc poinu leader (Chuck Sun), the top American in EariJpe (Brad Lackey), and an alternate based on the highest percentage of top finishes in National competition (Mike Bell). Mcording to Mike Di Prete, Commissioner of Professional MOforcyde Racing at the AMA, the chain of evenu that led to the cancelation started when the AMA as1ted Kawasaki's Brad Lackey, top American in Europe. to participate. •"Lackey was asked to go, but he told me Kawasaki wouldn't support him so he couldn't go." said DiPrete. Warren Reid and Goat Breker, two other Kawasaki supported riders. were then approached, but Kawasaki decided not to back them, either. "Brad is sponsored through Japan, not here (United States), so 1 wouldn't really know about it. 1 feel that Brad didn't really want to go," said Kawasaki Racing Manager Gary Mathers. "I feel if the riders are supposed to represent the AMA in America, they (the AMA) should round up the sponsors as well as pay the transportation cosu. It's a whole lot of money for a factory to send somebody over there, and it's almost for nothing. It doesn't really sell any bikes." Honda rider Steve Wise was then contacted as an alternate, and Honda agreed to send both Sun and Wise. At iliat point Yamaha called the AMA and said they wouldn't be able to send Mike Bell. "Ken Clark, Race Team Manager for Yamaha, said Bell couldn't attend due to other obligations. "Our dealer shOw, the one major dealer event we have in the country per year, is the same weekend (September 7-9 in Las Vegas). Mike Bell is the SUpeiCIOSS Champion. He is also to be called upon to introduce a new model at the show. 1 tried to resolve the problem. but 1 had to call the AMA and say there was no way I could excuse Mike Bel1 from the dealer show. " The AMA then asked Yamaha about substituting LOP's Marty MOates. Clark thought that was an exeellent idea, since Moates has riding experience in Europe. Moates was then added to the roster. He was to be sponsored by both Yamaha and LOP. "Then Suzuki's Kent Howerton called and said- if Bell and Lackey weren't going we wouldn't have a strong enough team and he decided not to go," DiPrete continued. "At th~ point we asked Suzuki to support Dinny LaPone, which they considered, but then they decided since the top guys had dropped out they didn't want to suppon it any more and dropped out." "I'm really sad about the whole thing," said Suzuki Race Team Manager and manager for the canceled team Mark Blackwell. "Kent was really pumped. He felt that with BeU and Sun we had a chance of winning it. But in the end we were Honda stole the limelight at England's Earls Court Motorcycle Show with the launching of their CB1100R, a fourcylinder, four stroke cafe racer thet puts out a c1eimed 115 hp with a top speed of over 140 mph. Rtted with a cafe fairing. the red, white and blue bike tips the scales at 512 pounds and features linked air suspension front and rear, twin-tandem cylinder disc brakes front and rear, and electric starter. Four carbs and 16 valves, controlled by double overhead camshafts, complete the main specs of the 1.0&2cc (70 x 69mm bore and stroke) five-speed bike which offers no room for a passenger in its cafe styling. Honda plans to offer only 100 of the CB1100R models in England this year and the price will exeed $7,000. doing-it Just to dO-it. We won't be able to prove to the world we're the greatest. "The format in the future will have to be stronger-owe may have to force a rider to go once he has committed himself. The FIM may become angry since this is the second year we didn't go, and our USGP sanctions may be in danger. Maybe if the riders would agree, part of the team's expenses could be financed with the AMA's point fund money. " Honda then called the AMA after deciding that if Suzuki, and Kawasaki weren't sending their riden to Europe, the chances for winning wouldn't be good and they would withdraw their riders, Sun and Wise. • We couldn't believe our eyes when we received a recent press release from Assemblyman Bob Hayes' office. According to the release, our favorite Assemblyman not only became one of the very few freshmen legislators to receive a Committee Chairmanship, but the new committee assignment is right up his alley. On August 26, the Assembly established a brand new subcommittee on Public Lands, with Hayes as the Chairman. One of the first items of business for the new committee according to Hayes. will be to hold hearings on the BLM's desert planning process. As.soon as we receive a schedule on the time and place of the meetings we will announce them here. In the final days of this year's legis. lative session, the legislature passed two anti-wilderness resolutions. One resolution by Phil Wyman, whose district includes most of the California Desert seeks to postpone the BLM's Desert Planning Process, while the other by Chappie criticizes the passage of the House of Representatives of H. B. 7702 which would establish another two million acres of federal wilderness in California. Chappie's resolution requests the Senate to hold public hearings in California before further pursuing this devastatiflg legislation. Your letter to Senators Alan Cranston and S.l. Hayakawa suggesting the same course of a.ction would be helpful. As we march quickly into the election season, an update on the political situation seems to be in order. 'We checked with CORPAC to see how the elections look for off-road riders and learned a lot. Right now CORPAC is receiving answers to a questionnaire which was mailed to all candidates for state office. These questionnaires will be reviewed by a sdection committee. and in the case of incumbenu. voting records will be examined. Within about two weeks, an endorsement list of candidates will be made available to the off-road press, clubs, CORPAC donors and as many others as possible. In the case of candidates who receive major endorsemenu, either brtause they are particularly strong candidates, or they are running against particularly bad candidates, CORPAC will try to encourage local clubs and individuals to assist in these campaigns. Any money which has been raised by CORPAC will also be used to make di rect donations to these campaigns. Hopefully we will be the ingredient which will push several favorable candidates over the top. If off roaders can repeat the victory we won in Hayes' election in 1978. we will have an easier time in the legislature, and with the agencies as well. . Bob Hayes also reminded us that many motorcycle clubs are under the false impression that if they donate to political campaigns that they will lose their non-profit' corporation status. This is not so. clubs can make donations from their treasury without jeopardizing their status. The test is whether an organization spends an excessive amount of their time in political activities. An occasional donation to CORPAC or directly to a candidate's campaign is OK. Hayes explained that he expects to pu.t out a letter to each club asking from such a donation. He figures that if each club would donate a sum of $100 or more, motorcyclists could be the key ingredient in at least a dozen elections statewide. The concept sounds good, let's see if the clubs are up to it. Some have already responded. How about the rest of the dubs out there? Why not bring this up at your next meeting? There is still a little time to make a major impact on the next election. Can your group afford $IOO? $500? Can you afford not to? Donations should be mailed to CORPAC, P.O. Box 7332, Sacramento, CA 95826. Clubs should also drop a note and tell CORPAC how many of their members might be willing to spend some time on a Saturday or Sunday helping on a local campaign. CORPAC wants to put motorcyclists directly into some targeted districu on the first weekend of October and November. Tell tbem where yOUT club members live and which weekend you can help oul. Those persons who are concerned about the BLM desert plan should know that the final version is now at the printers. A preview will be given at a joint AMA/CORVA meeting Saturday. September 27; 1980 at the VFW Hall. 1664 South Huntington Dr., Duarte, CA. The meeting starts at 10· a.m. Call an AMA or CORVA rep for more details. • C. N. Deepthroat 3

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