Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Highlights of the February 25 Atlanta Superbowl of Motocross South will be shown on cable television station WTBS on March 3 at 7':35 p.m. Eastern time. Check your local listing for time an.d channel. U.S. Racing's Terry Nichols. promotor of the March 11 Hungry Valley Grand Prix. points out that the 200cc Amateur/Expert class has one 50-minute race. not two as last week 'sad indicated. A Cycle News ad staffer mixed up the classes but the correct schedule appears in th,is week's Hungry Valley GPad. Kawasaki's Goat Breker suffered a cracked rib and a severely bruised kidney in the Atlanta Supercross. "It was a slow fall," said Breker the following day, "and I just landed on my side and jammed my elbow into mysalf." According to Breker, doctors wanted to operate that night to stop the bleeding, but Breker refused so that he could fly back to California where he could clinch a Golden State Series title - and did. On Sunday afternoon, Breker went to a hospital near his home and discovered that the injuries were not as bad as initially thought. "Goat's doing OK now and is not suffering much pain," said Kawasaki MX team manager Roy Turner on Monday afternoon, February 27. "His right kidney isn't working 100%, but Goat is doing OK in general. He'lI be ready for Gainesville next week. but he will still be quite sore." Road racer Randy Mamola, who earlier this year announced he'd sit out the '84 season, has picked up a Honda works NS500 for selected events. According to Mamola's manager, Jim Doyle, "Randy will ride the NS500 in the Trans-Atlantic Match Races in England and at Laguna Seca this summer. He'll receive support in the form of the bike, parts and a Honda technician to maintain the bike." Doyle said Mamola will not compete in the Daytona 200, but will be on hand as an "observer." "Sure. it's a great honor to be 500cc World Champion. but Daytona is the biggest road race in America and I want to put my name in the record books:' said Freddie Spencer about the March 11 Daytona 200. Hard luck has sidelined Spencer in his past three rides when he has been in or challenging for the lead. Spencer's luck in the Bell Superbike 100 has been spot.on. He came away with the victory in 1982 and backed it up last year. He comes into this year's race during Cycle Week as the odds-' on favorite. "I like to win every race I ride," said Spencer, "and winning the Superbike race at Daytona where the competition is tough is nice. However, it is Daytona 200 I really want to win." 2 The 19B4 Supercross season will conclude with the Miller High Life Masters Challenge, an event with a $50.000 payoff. The winner will get a $30.000 chunk of the total purse. Winners of each event in the Wrangler Supercross Series will qualify for the race. which will be held in conjunction with the final series event. Johnny O'Mara took home an additional $1000 from Miller by qualifying for the Masters Challenge via his win in the Atlanta Supercross. David Bailey, who recorded the fastest heat race time, qualified for the '85 Wrangler Dash and took home another $500. Ross Pederson received $1000 from diet Coke for successfully making the longest jump. Mark Barnett showed up at Atlanta without the beard he had at the season opener in Anaheim. Hewas also lacking 13 pounds, which he haS" lost since the start of the ieason, bringing his weight down to a trim 152 pounds. "I didn't feel I was going fast enough, and losing some weight seems to have made the difference:' Barnett said. Roger Reiman, theonly rider to have won the Daytona 200 three times (1961, '64 and '65), is an entrant in the Grand Prix class of Battle of the Twins race during Cycle Week. Reimann will ride a Harley-Davidson XR I000 prepared by Daytona's Robison Harley-Davidson. "I really feel I never retired," said Reiman. "I still do a lot of tire testing as well as a vintage race every now and then. I still like to go fast." Reimann was AMA Grand National Champion in 1964. Can't be Daytona for the Daytona 200? Over 125 AM-radio stations throughout the U.S. will be carrying live coverage of the race via the Motor Racing Network beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. March 11. . Dl:ltchman Kees van der Ven (KTM) was the overall winner for the thirdstraight year in the February 12 Le Touquet Enduro on the French sea resort's beaches, in front of an estimated 250,000 spectators. Second overall in the 12oo-rider field was Andre Malherbe (Hon) with Hakan Carlqvist (Yam) third. Husqvarna unveiled a new singleshock chassis developed in conjuntion with Ohlins at a February 12 enduro in Sweden, Sven-Erik Jonsson. the top rider in last year's ISDE. took a version fitted with Husky's new water-cooled 400cc engine to second overall. A fourstroke-powered version was also entered. Yamaha will test their Daytona 200 weapons at Daytona International Speedway on February 28-29, according to Yamaha's Ken Clark. Joining defending Daytona 200 champ Kenny Roberts and last year's runner-up Eddie Lawson on the Yamaha team' for Daytona is Japanese rider Tadahiko Taira. While Clark says the trio will be mounted on the OW60 square four, two-stroke bikes like Roberts and Lawson rode last year and which are said to displace 680cc, Roberts claims they'll have "all new bikes." Roberts, who will race only selected events in 1984, added, "They'll handle a lot better than last year's." When asked if he could lower his lap record, Roberts said,' "No ,problem. The bike's capable of it, so the only q uest;on is whether or not I'm tOO old to do it!" Team Honda and MX trainer "'eft Spencer haVe parted company. "It was a friendly split." Spencer said. "They had to trim their racing budget down and my department was the first to go," What's next for Spencer? Stay tuned. With temperatures plunging into the 30s at the Atlanta Superbowl of Molocross South on February 25, staying warm was a major concern. Bob Hannah found a way to keep warm in addition to several layers of clothing - a portable heater at his feet while relaxing in the pit area. Ron Lechien will be competing in the 250cc class in outdoor National MX events in '84. "It wasn't my choice." Lechien said. "H I had a choic;e I would definitely ride the 125s. but that was the way the deal went when I made the move from Yamaha to Honda. I'm starting to get used to the Honda machinery. and should be ready for this week's Gainesville (Florida) National." Atlanta Supercross winner Johnny O'Mara takes his training very seriously. It's not unusual for him to log over 60 miles per week in his running efforts. "I have been doing weight training also," O'Mara said. "My weight is up seven pounds over last year, and that's nearly all muscle. It helps me to handle the 250 in Supercross events much belter. That's one reason I've done so well this season." Last week we reminded California riders about the March 22 Cal.ifornia Air Resources Board meeting in Los Angeles to consider emissions limits for motorcycles. As we·ve-reported. C.A.R.B. is considering a 1.0 gram-per-kilometer emissions limit that would certainly force many motorcycles to come equipped with catalytic converters. raising the price of catalyst-equipped models an average of $261 and some individual models by $780. This is in spite of the fact that motorcycle emissions have already been lowered by over 90%. Latters with your opinion may be sent to Gordon Duffy, Chairman. California Air Resources Board. P.O. Box 2815, Sacramento. CA 95812. Linda Rhodes, a UCLA film/teievision major doing a video feature on women racing motorcycles for her college Masters' thesis, will be filming the women's class of a March 18 motocross at Sunrise Valley Cycle Park in Adelanto, California. This won't be something coming across the family TV set in the next couple of weeks, but Rhodes indicated that she hopes to get the completed project on screen, possibly' via cable. If there are any questions, she can be reached at 8181705-6326. Speedway racar Buddy "Bud Man" Robinson and Talli Sheldon tied the knot in northern California on February 26. Following a brief honeymoon. the pair will journey to southern California, where Robinson will be competing in the Coors Speedway Spring Classic. Honda rider Marty Smith, former 125 and 500cc National MX Champ, won the February 26 D-38 King of the Desert race near Plaster City, California. The 1983 titlisl in that event, Husqvarna's Dan Ashcraft, finished second. Pete Hames. the 1984 dirt track sensation we interviewed last week. called in to say. "When we did the interview I forgot to mention four of my sponsors. Would you please include SlaW Shocks. Performance Machine. Coro-"a ' Raceway and Nippondenso Spark' Plugs on the list?" Sure. HosPITal STOP: Women's National Motocr.oss Champion Kimi Douglass underwent extensive knee surgery on February 21, and she is expected to be in a full leg cast for 12 weeks. Cards and letters can be sent to Kimi at 376 North Via Remo, Anaheim, CA 92806. The Senate Rules Committee has announced the re-appointment of Michael Bishop to the California Off- Highway Motor Vehicle Commission. Bishop. who heads the Pismo Dunes ATV Patrol, had previously held a one-year term on the Commission and had served as its vice chairman. Two other Commission positions remain open as a result of initial one-year te~s. and will be filled by Governor George Deukmejian and Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. The next meeting of the Commission is on Saturday. March 24. at the San Bernardino Hilton. in the Fontana Room. 285 E. Hospitality Lane. San Bernardino. The May 5 Kansas City round of the InSpon/Wrangler Supercross Series schedule has been dropped. In making the announcement, InSport director Gene Trobaugh said thilt there were a variety of reasons for the cancellation, but admitted that manufacturers' pressure for a shorter season was one.of the factors. HosPITal STOP: Flat trackers Jim Rosa and Rob Ely remain hospitalized. following crashes in a flat track event at Corona Raceway. 80th have broken femurs. and other injuries. Rosa is currently in room 18, while Ely is on the fourth floor. in the neurosurgery ward. Cards and letters to both riders may be sent to them at Riverside Community General. 9851 Magnolia. Riverside. CA 92603. (Continued to page 26)

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