Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

; "I'll be using PJl Produeu worldwide," said Kenny Roberts about the promi· nent PJl sticker on his helmet. "They, along with Goodyear and Champion, are my only total sPOnSOrs. In addition, PJl will be used by Roberts/Lawwill Racing." How much did it cost to sign the three time 500cc World Champion? Roberts would only smile. I: ~ E I"""'l Wtnaton Pro Series competitor Billy Labrie was sletad to ride the 200. 00 0') I"""'l but withdrew his entry. Labrie w .. Involved in a prectk:e lICCident when someone working on the bike he w.. Mtpposed to ride forgot to , tighten the valve stem and the r. suiting preuure at high speed literally Mtcked the llir out. labrie d. cided tempting fete once wes enough. If 1 can run 2:06 laps in the 200," said Honda's Freddie Spencer, "I can win the race. Spencer's times were in tha.t vicinity before he blew an engine while , leading the 200. It must be written somewhere that "He who ' - the Iergest I'8ClI transporter rules the pItlI:' The trans· porter that hauls Freddie Spencer's Hond8 equipment around - and that of teemmete Mike Spencer as well - is one step shy of a tractor tnIiIer. The Va.himure end Kaweseki I'8ClI trucks, ~ed In the seme . . . of the pItlI were dwarfed by comparison. 'Those interested in the future of Red Rock Canyon, mark Mar. 17 on your calendars. At 7:50 that evening, there will be a public meeting in the banquet room of White's Cafe, 16048 Sierra Highway, Mojave, CA, to review and evaluate the preliminary general plan of Red Rock Canyon State Park. Planners from the Depan· ment of Parks and Recreation will review the results of a Dec. 9 meeting and invite questions, discussion and funber suggestions for park develop· ment. If you can't'make the meeting, or you need more information, writel call George Racklemann, Red Rock Canyon General Plan, P.O. Box l!!l90, Sacramento, CA 95811, 916/522·6160. Last Issue we told you that "Hans Stelnl" would ettempt a world record motorcycle leep off the side of a DeAnze Cycle Park hili. Since then _'va received some updates: the jump has been postponed to March 16 at 12 noon. the correct spalllng of Hans' last name is Stelnlechner. and ticket price for the jump is .7. Stelnlechner will donate from every ticket to aid victims of lest yeer's San Bernerdlnoflrea. .2 Brenda Price, Chairman of the Board of Triumph Motorcycles America, Inc., has announced the appointment of Wayne L. Moulton as President of Triumph's U.S. sales organization. Formerly Executive Vice President, Moulton has' been in charge of the California·based Triumph motorcycle distributorship since Aug. I, 1980. Merk Bleckwell hu announced his resignetlon es Teem Suzukl's MX Teem Manager. He's leevlng U.S. Suzuki under friendly terms for another position at the end of March. No official word yet on Mark's future employment. Rumors have him asaumlng a marketing position with another motorcycle firm. Suzuki announced that Larry Griffis aesumed the MX Teem Manager job on Mar. 2. Griffis. 43. W8S formerly pert of Vamaha's management st8ff. ~ 00 I"""'l ..r:: U I-< ~ - ~ Teem Vamaha riders tested this new progreulve linkage for their monoshockers the week before Daytona. but only Brae G~ chou to debut the new monkey-motIon suspellslon cIevIce In the AMA Supen:ross Saries event. No trick name has been assigned the linkage yet. but rest aesured the marketing boys are working on It. "We just call It 'the linkage·... said Mike Bell. The annual California Off·Road Vehicle Association convention will be held Mar. 15·15 at the Ranch House Inn in Valencia. CA. The convention, hosted by the American Buggy Asso· ciation, will hear among other things, remarks from the guest speaker, State Controller Ken Cory. For more info, dial the CORVA Hotline at 714/685· 0286. New Mexico riders ought to be aware that the Bureau of Land Management Is studying the Arroyo del Tajo Pictograph Site. eest of Socorro. for designation as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Such a designation would limit ORV use to existing roads and trails. For more info. contact the BLM office. 198 Neal Ave.. Socorro. NM 87801. 5051836- 0412. Management planning has begun in the BLM's Gamet Resource Area, located along the west slope of the Rocky Mountains in Montana. The familiar choice of No Action, Protec· tion, Balanced. and Use alternatives are to be presented for public review, Contact Jack A, McIntosh, Butte District Director, BLM, P.O. Box 5588, Butte, MT 59702, 406/725~ 6561, ext, 2416. There was an error in last week's issue regarding the top four places in the Supercross Series point standings following the Atlante round. Prior to Daytona. the top four were: Mark Barnett 11011. Darrell Shultz 194 - not 84 .. we prlntedl. Kent Howerton 1911 and Mike Bell 1881. National Hot Rod Association President W-ally Parks announced that NHRA Eastern Region Director Darwin Doll will now be working full time as the Executive Director for the NHRA's motorcycle drag racing division, the National Motorcycle Racin~ Association. Previously, Doll had divided his time between the two jobs. attend Daytona. Tripes was involved in a road bike crash on February 20, He hit some oil on the road and slid into a telephone pole. totaling his Honda 750 F and doing some damage to his body. "I wrapped my body around the bike and rolled with it," said Tripes. "I hit the pole broadside at about 50 and ended up laying in the dirt in pain. All I could do was see headlights. The second car that came by stopped. I punctured my kidney and had a bit of internal bleeding. I got out of the hospital Sunday night (February 22) and have to lie on my back for two weeks. I don't understand it. I should have really been hurt." Mter healing Tripes will go to Europe to race in the 500cc World Championship MX rounds. Advance sale tickets for the fourth running of the Sacramento Mile on Saturday. Apr. 11. et the cal-Expo Fairgrounds are now on sale at the Howe Ave. Box Office. 925 Howe Ave.. Sacramento. CA 96826. phone 916/921-1121, or contact any TIcketron outlet in California. Reserved grandstand seats for the only night mile In the West are .15. box seets ...e $U.50. and Turf Club seating. with food and beverage service available. are $26. or Jim Pomeroy, the first American MX rider to win a GP, was spotted at the Bell Helmets Radio show. ''I'll be run· ning some events in the Northwest and probably the 500cc Nationals if I can clear up entry problems with the AMA." Imagine, a GP competitor in Europe for six seasons and he can't even get an entry to an AMA National because they say he, "isn't a graded rider." There _s a second Suzuki RG&OO In the Daytona 200. It wu ridden by Dutchman Jack Middleburg. Ha finished 12th. reports that Scott Autrey. the Vankee veteran of British Laague racing. has signed with the Poole Pirates. Also reported w.. that Denny Pyeatt has inked a contract with the Reeding team, while Brad Oxley did likewise with the Wimbleton teem. Ron Pierce, injured in the Suzulta 8Hour endurance race in Japan late last season, was in Daytona to spectate and talk to Honda about his chances on reo gaining a ride. "I flew my private plane here from California, " said Pierce, "and it was more exciting than riding the 200. It took a week to get here because everywhere we seemed to fly we hit bad weather, I'm still reo cuperating from the Suzuka injuries and need more time on the track to really see how I feel. I'm not ready to hang up my leathers just yet. " Marty Tripes didn't make the Atlanta Supercross round, nor will he Ken Van der Ven IKTM) w .. the overeD winner In the 600cc Interne- Englend's ""edwII, •.s tional motocross in St. Anthonis. Hollend posting a 1-2 mota score. Sigman MalcCHnounted Frans went 4-8 to put himself aheed of a tie for third between Suzuki's Jeen Jacques Bruno 18-31 and Vamaha's Neel Hudson 12-91. The tie wu ,. solved In Bruno's fevor by time. Former World Champions Greham Noyce IHonl and Hakan C8r1qvist !Yaml both crashed out of the first mota, but Noyce came beck to score a fourth in the second round. KTM's Gerard Rand also crashed In the first mota. but came back to win the second. Brad Lackey did not ride the event. Thanks to Bill Buchka for the informetion. At San Anthonis, Hakan Carlsqvist de· buted the Yamaha 500cc class water· cooled works bike. It was, not a panicularly auspicious debut, as Carl· qvist crashed in the first moto and DNF the second. World &OOcc Motocross Champion Andre Malherbe will be out of action for 3-4 weeks. following discovery lest week of a broken bone In his hand. It was the ssme bone that Malherbe broke in the '79 Unadille Trans-USA round. Assembly Bill 474, the legislation that would drain the California Green Stickie fund in the name of "repair," will have its first hearing Mar. 18 be· fore the Assembly's Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. The members of the committee are Nonn Waters. Dave Kelley, Dick Floyd, Roben Campbell, Jim Cramer, Richard Katz, Rich Leh· man, Don Rogers and Larry Stirling. You can write to them at the State Capitol; zip code there is 95814. Bob Balentlna, now riding 8 Honda CR460R for Al Baker. took the overall win at the Invaders 0.37 hare 'n' hound. It wes the first overall win by a Honda in the desert. according to Baker. since J.N. Roberts did It beck in 1986 on 8 Hond8 306 Scrambler. Word reached us that Yamaha's off· road teamster Larry Roeseler is engaged to Kevi McKay. The wedding is scheduled for some time in Septem· ber, Tom Beesley. former editor of PoptII., Cydla, who took off for Tahiti to edit a local newspapar. has arisen once again In Grand Saline. TX according to industry gossip. • 3

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