Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

and disloca ted shoulder, will be spectat in g. Wise , who wi ll on ly ride the "IT, will again be powered by a CR480R two- stroke engine, but this year he 'll h ave a new frame with a shorter wh eelbase, a lower center of gravity and as much weight saving material used as is possible. Wise 's bike weighed 198 poun ds last year. He suffered a severly sprained ankle a few weeks back, but says that shouldn't hinder his performance at H ousto n . Poo vey and Fay will use 1982XR500 four-stroke engi nes Ior the T'T. Their short track machi nery will be 1983 CR250 R based . Yamaha will supply bikes for Ken ny Ro berts an d new team member Eddie Lawson. Robert s was p leased with Yamaha 's decision to co ntest both , Houston Na tionals a nd h e h as been competing in loca l MX ra ces a nd jogging dow n th e st reets near his California h ome to ge t in shape. Lawson made last year's short track Na tiona l and fin ish ed eigh th . The Yamahas will be u p da ted versions 'o f th e "IT500 and watercooled YZ 250cc p owered machinery th a t j im my Filice and Mike Kidd rode in the 1981 Ro bert s/ La ww ill Raci ng effort and by Fi lice in last year's Ya maha supported progr am run by Bud Aks land. Ro n Wood, of Ron Wood Raci n g, the U.S . distributor of the Ro ta x/ Can-Am 500cc fo u r-stro ke engine, will be tuning up a special o ne for Scott Pear so n. The engines, wi th a special performance kit from Wood, performed well last season with Alex jorgensen taking the Ascot"IT National with a bike powered by one. Ap proxima tely 20 riders, including Eklund, jorgensen, Gary Scott, Steve Morehead and Brad Hurst (who will set aside hi s Triumph for Houston ), ar e using th e unit. It is unlikel y that the Mai co 490based "IT bike which Rod Spen cer ro de to fifth in last yea r's "IT will be seen in th e Astrodome. It was up for sale a t th e end o f last season. Alex j or gen sen lead s th e privateer efforts for th e sh ort track . j org)' will be a boa rd a Can -Am which h e pl aced fo u rt h at H ou ston a nd won th e Santa Fe Sh ort Track Nati onal last sea so n . Can -Am has a new wat ercool ed ver sio n o f th ei r ro ta ry val ve 250cc two-stro ke. Bu bba Sho bert will be hoping Kawasa ki power is th e a ns wer as will Ste ve Moreh ead . T h is vear' s Kaw ask i 250cc MXer is wa terc~oled. Another pr iva teer to wat ch will be G arth Brow wh o will be ri d ing a very stro ng wat er coo le d Yam ah a put tog ethe r by Ed Sa lley. Brow to pped a heat race in la st yea r's p ro gr am. but got h it with m ech ani cal problem s very ea rly in th e Nati onal and co u ld on ly man age a ninth pl ace fin ish. Steve Eklund, a lway s a threat wh en hi s ent h us iasm is high, will al so be Yamaha mounted . The short track program gets underwa y on Saturday night, February 5, at 8 p.rn. But yo u' ll want to get there earlier for the opening ceremonies that get underway at 7:30. Sunday's "IT program wi ll start at 2:30 p .m ., with opening ceremonies beginning a half hour earlier. Practi ce on Saturday gets underway at noon with tim e trials scheduled to begin at 1:30. Sunday's practi ce sessions start at IO a.m. wit h tim e tr ials at 11:30. If you must pick a win ner for either event, then go wi th o ur sentimental favorite. O u r advice is to si t back and enjoy th e raci n g. Imagine a line-up of Graham, Spri ngsteen , Robert s, Coss, Eklund, Pearson, jorgensen, Wise , Fay, Ted Boody, Parker, Lawson, G ary Scott and more. It could happen: A National field like that in the short track wouldn't be h alf bad • , 6 l h ll r. Enj o y, , , . I s ri , , , I I ' . • SERIES SUPER NEXT STOP: SEATTLE February 11,13 1/23 /83 Sand h ill Ranch CMC GOLDEN STATE SERIES ROUND III RON LECHIEN Yamaha on DUNLOP 125cc Pro Congratulations on topping the BEST. We know you ' ll be a threat when the AMA Nationels begin. Yamaha made a great choice for a 126cc ri d er . Thank you for choosing DUNLOP. More Pro Class Riders choose Dunlop than any other tire brand. ~ .D UNLOP . . 11 . tl C, J r ... ... !'f ,J " ,. . Tf1e Logical r'Choice. /J " I ' r l .,t \! f •• s r r I I ~~ 17 ..

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