Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Hond.-mounted Bob Hann.h won both nights of .upercro.. r.cing in Bologn•• Italy on December 6-7. Rick Johnson (V.m) fini.hed behind H.nn.h on the first night .nd third on S.turd.y while Ron Lechien (Kaw) took the runner-up .pot on S.turd.y. Rick Johnson Racing, Scott Goggles and Innovation Sports have each contributed $1 000 to the Pro Rider Benefit Fund to benefit Danny Chandler, who remains paralyzed following his crash at the Paris Supercross on December 5. In a phone call from Paris, France, Chandler's manager, Mike Collins, said,"Danny is awake, alert and has a real positive attitude considering the circumstances. Erik Geboers is here with us and has been very active and a tremendous help." The Pro Rider Benefit Fund is currerltly raising funds for the cost of an air ambulance to transport Chandler back to the U.S.; if all goes smoothly he will be admitted to Santa Clara Valley Hospital. in Santa Clara. California. Contributions Gill bt.' seru to the Pro Rider Benefit Fund at 14024 Sylvan, Van Nuys, CA 91401. Kaw...ki Motor. Corp.. U.S.A. h.. re.ched .n .greement with Ced.r V.lley Community College in Lanc.ster. Tex••• to .h.re f.cilitie•• product••nd materi.l. for. regional technic.1 training center. The college will be used for both the training of Kawasaki mechanics .nd vocation.1 cla••room instruction. Kawasaki announces 1986 contingency program LONG BEACH. CA. DEC. 16 Kawa..ki Motors Corp.• U.S.A. will post more th.n $1.3 million in contingency .ward. for 1986••n increase of 28% over its 1986 progr.m. the comp.ny has .nnounced. The progr.m will cover K.w ki priv.teers competing in drag racing. ATV racing. motocro nd profe••ion.l .nd club-level road racing. Motocro.. will receive the most emph••i. for 1986 with more than '9~0.000 for the year. In .upercro... Kaw...ki will pay back to 20th place in the 250cc cia. . .nd b.ck to 10th in the 126cc Pro-Am cl.... In the 260/600Cc N.tion.l Outdoor motocro..... the company will pay back to 20th pl.ce .nd back to fifth in the 125cc cl.... Fir.t pl.ce.t. 260Cc Supercro.. round will p.y '6000...cond pl.ce will get .4000 .nd third will receive '3000. The 20th pl.ced rider will receive $200 for. total p.yout of '23.250 per event. In the outdoor 260/600Cc motocro..... first pl.ce will p.y .2600 .nd drop down to .30 for 20th. A win in .n AMA Superbike ro.d r.ce will e.rn the rider $5000. Second pl.ce will receive $2500 .nd • thir.d pl.ce fini.h i. worth .1000 for &tot.Iof $8600 per event. At the club level. AAMRR ro.d r.ces will get $600 per event with the winner receiving '150. ARRA winners will .1.0 get $160 for. total p.yout of $1200 per event. WERA winner••t the Gr.nd N.tion.1 Fin.l will receive .400 for. win for. tot.l p.yout of $9600. AFM winner. in both the northern C.liforni••nd .outhern C.liforni. ch.pters will win $160 per race for. tot.I p.yout of $20.250. A Pro win .t.n IDBA dr.g r.ce in Top Fuel will p.y .760 while.1I Sportsm.n cl..... will p.y $250 for e.ch winner. The NHRA will receive $2600 for. win in the Pro Stock cl••s .t e.ch of the five events. There will be .1 000 in contingencies for e.ch class .t the AMA/Dragbike drag ra~es for. tot.1 payout of $9000. Cagiva owner John Franco Castiglioni announced in Bologna, Italy that' former World Champion Marco Lucchi.nelli and former AMA Battle of TheTwinsChampion Jim Adamo will ride Cagivas in road races at Daytona ne~t March. The company will also fly in 125cc Motocross World Champion PekkaVehkonenand Davey Strijbos to compete in the Daytona Supercross. Bruce Cox. promoter of the .nnu.1 Trans-Atlantic M.tch Serie. of road races which pits American••g.inst Briti.h Commonwe.lth rider•• h.s .nnounced th.t the ..rie. will be run u.ing four-stroke. productionbased m.chine. in 1986. "We h.ve decided to go four-.troke this ye.r •• this best reflect. the current • itu.tion in America racing." Cox told the pre.. on December 16. "Unfortun.teIy. the two-strokes competing in United States Formula One racing.re outdated comp.red to what I. used by importer team••nd even priV8te riders in Europe. All the machine development .nd the emergence of n_ talent in America seem. to be centered.round Superbike racing. Th.t. plus • n_ worldwide interest in the cl•••• h•• influenced out deci.ion.·· "I hayen't signed my contract to ride for Kenny Roberts' (road race) GP team yet," said Mike Baldwin, "but there aren't any problems. I've .been busy and so has he. I'm going to talk with him about the program in the

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