Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

I Here's the first look at the new Suzuki 750 V-4 shown to the Canadian markat. Dubbed the Madura, the monoshock, shaft-drive "custom"bike was unveiled at the February 23-26 Salon de Expo in Montrea" Photos by Marc Lachapelle. Finding room to pass lapped riders was a major problem according to top Daytona riders. Here Kenny Roberts and Freddie come up hard on one. Honda's Bob "Hurrricane" Hannah took a nasty spill while leading the final in the March II Daytona Superero s. Hannah did go to the hospital, but he only had to have some stitches put in to close a gash in his right arm. The Gainesville National winner was back in the Daytona pits an hour later, in fairly good spirits, we're told. The Spondon-fnImect Rowe-powered Formula Two bike ridden to fourth in the Daytona International Lightweight 100 by Deve Aldana was a special breed. The tandem twin engine was an experimental one from the Austrian firm, and it sported a power-valve-type arrangement on the disc-velve induction. An engineer from Rowe was in attendance to help out. The bike itseH was buih and developed by Phil Schilling and Mark Homchick of Cycle Magazine, and was to have been ridden at Daytona by Danny Coe, but Coe found himself another job shortly· before Cycle Week. Schilling was very impressed with Aldana's performance, saying, "David did a fantastic job, especially when you consider thet he had never even sat on a 260 until lest Monday. And 260. are so hard to ride. Once you lose momentum, you cen never make it up." Yamaha's Eddie Lawson qualified for the front row of the Daytona 200, but there was a bit of luck involved. After warming up a bit during his 20-minute qualifying session, Law· son cut one lap in the two-minute, three-second range. Then he was back to just circulating around the track. "Eddie was able to do one hOI lap," 4 ~ YaqlilbiJ.~s:it\g:rcatIL~a~-:.: Kenny Clark, "and then one of the cylinders ate a spark plug. He came in and we realized we didn't have time to change engines, so we just told him to go out there and make sure he got his five laps in. Basically the same thing happed to our Tadahiko Taira. However in his case, he was doing about a 2:06 pace when the plug was spit into the engine as he crossed the start/finish line. He coasted all the way around to where the timers were after the first corner and sti II turned in a 2: II." Ted Boody claimed victory in the main event of the final Daytona Dirt Track Series short track event at Memorial Stadium, and so claimed the series title. Four riders came into the final raca with a chance at winning the title, and two of the contenders, Randy Go.. and Terry Poovey, finished 2-3. The other rider, Tim Mertens, failed to make it in to the main. Final points totals were Boody (71), Go.. (64) and Poovey and Mertens (63). We'll have complate coverage of the Daytona short track action in next week's issue. he still hopes to get out of the hospital in time to make those events, which begin over the March 17-18 weekend. The elder Miller also mentioned that Rick was wearing one of the hard plastic MX chest proteaors, and it was dented in the crash, possibly saving Rick from any more serious injury. Far-flung futura: The FIM's provisional 1986 calendar ia out, and for American motocrou fans, it lists the datas for the Carlsbad 600cc MXGP (June 30) and the Unadilla 260cc MXGP (July 14). America has been granted a World Trials round on June 2, and the World Team Cup SPlldwayChemplonship will run at Veterans Stadium In'Long Beach on August 12. The ISDE site will be Spain, the date will be September 30 through October 6. and former 125/5OOa: National MX Champ Marty Smith will compete in an April 28 Supercross event at Sydney's Liverpool Raceway. Ovemightcamping will be allowed at the Hangtown National Motoeroa, to be held April 7 -8 at Prairie City OHV Park. This is the first time that cemplng has been allowed at Hangtown since the event was moved to its prasent Sacramento, Califomia, site. One hundred sites ara avellable for .10 a night on a first-corne, first-aerved besis for "'-contained motorhomes and travel trailers only. No vens, stations wagons ortenta Will be allowed. For more Information, call 916/368-2081. Rick Miller, one of the American stars in British League speedway racing, hit the fence during the Spring Classic event at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach this past Saturday night. Miller got up and rode the next event, scoring a win. However, after the race Miller felt ill, and later discovered blood in his urine. At Rancho Enci· The Coors Spring Classic for long nos Hospital, Miller was discovered track speedway was held Saturday to have a bruised kidney. He was night, March 10, in Long Beach hospitalized for further observation, Former World MorocrossChamp Brad Veterans Memorial Stadium. Dennis and as a result, he missed the scheLackey will be Down Under-bound SigaJos stole the show by winning duled night to England for the seain ~pril; Accqr:.d,ing .t9.i\1l a{lide jD. _ . W!hJJW.ns~and~ ~poinu ill ':: ~n openers. !!i~~~~1}~9t.':l~{,Jo!.a.~,~.~••~~~~.~,P.q.~~,'.~.:.:' . ~~~ait$;'Bb~SchWiUi.J· _

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