Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126919
Marlboro Yamaha's Eddie Lawson won his fifth 600cc World Championship Road Racing Grand Prix of 1986 in the eighth round of the series, at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France on July 20. Lawson beat Team Lucky Strike Roberts' Randy Mamola by 12.36 seconds with Christian Sarron edging Mike Baldwin by 0.36 seconds for third piece. Rothmans Honda's Wayne Gardner rounded out the top five. With three rounds ramaining, Lawson leads the championship with 99 points to Mamola's 86. Gardner is third with 78 while Baldwin holds down fourth with 60 points. Venezuelan Carlos Lavado (Yam) won the 250cc race at Paul Ricard on July 20 when he edgedSlfo Pons (Hon) by J.8!l seconds, Doplinique Sarron (Hon) was lhiFd. Lavado leads the championship witll87 points to Pons' 74. Luca Cadalora took over the points lead in the 125cc championship with his win over Fausto Gresini; Cadalora leads Gresini in the titJe chase, 76-74. Geoff Ballard rode his Can-Am to win the July 20 Devil's Ridge National Hare Scrembles in Sanford, North Carolina; Mark Hyde was second on a Husqvarna with Fritz Kadlec third on a Husqvarna. Ron Naylor finished fourth on a new Can-Am. Kawasaki brought the new high performance ZX750-FI to a top-secret photo shoot at Laguna Seca Raceway on Monday, July 14, the day afterthe Nissan 200 Camel Pro Series road race; it was bad day to pick, since the California Superbike School had already arranged to hold a session at the track, and all efforts at secrecy collapsed when a group of students strolled over from listening to instructor Keith Code and instead checked outthe new bike. For details, see page 20. The August 2 WERA road race scheduled for Watkins Glen, New York, will be restricted to participants only with spectators not allowed. The event, previously promoted as being open to spectators, had its status changed by track managemant due to liability insurance concerns. Reliable sources indicate that Cliff Carr, Mark Brelsford and Dick Mann are seeking backing to launch a new national magazine dedicated to classic and vintage motorcycles. We'll report details as available. Lou Seals and his MotoWorid crew were at Laguna Seca Raceway over the July 12-13 weekend videotaping the Nissan 200 and other road races for a special which will air.on ESPN on August 17. Seals Communications also videotaped the July 20 Unadilla 260cc Motocross Grand Prix, for September airing. Check local TV listings for time and channel. 4 Ed Woo, not Doug Brauneck, crashed on the warm-up lap for the Nissan 200 at Laguna Seca Raceway July 13, contrary to what the official Laguna Prior to the 250cc GP at Unadilla, New York, 1988 260cc Motocross World Champion Jacky Vimond visited Ascot Park's speedway track in southern California. He's shown sitting at left with Innovation Sports' Mike Castillo, Miles Foster and bike owner Shawn McConnell. Above right, Vimond takes a spin during practice night. Seca press notes said and contrary to what we reported last week. Bruce Chubbuck, Manager of the Harley-Davidson West Coast Fleet Center in San Dimas, California, was clipped by a street racer at the apex of a blind comer while breaking-in a 1987 magazine test bike on a mountain road in southern California recently. Chubbuck, who sustained foot injuries when the other rider's alternator sheared the left footpeg and shift lever assembly off his Harley, rode the bike to a nearby Harley dealer and checked himself into a hospital. He's expected to recover fully after surgery to the foot. The young rider of the other machine may face charges brought by the California Highway Patrol. Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S. has posted $117,600 in YZ bucks (redeemable at Yamaha dealers) for Amateur classes and $24,150 in cash for Pro classes as contingency for Yamaha pilots in the seven-event 1986 CMC Trans-Cal Motocross Series, which starts September 6-7 in Adelanto, California and ends October 26 in Huron, California. Texas Hyperformance's Doug Polen and Kerker's Jim Vreeke were double winners in AFM road racing action at Willow Springs Raceway on July 20. Polen topped 750cc and Open Production, rounds Qf the Suzuki GSXR Cup Series, while Vreeke won the Formula USA and Kerker Superbike events. Ben Williams topped the Honda VF500F Interceptor race, with Polen second. Canadian businessmen Raymond David and Jean Verdon have negotiated purchase of Shannonville Motorsp0rl Park near Belleville, Ontario, Canada, and will take over Racing Associates Canada Events (RACE), a race organizing and sanctioning body, as part ofthe deal. The purchase will not be complete until the end of 1986, but expansion of the facility is slated to begin in August of this year; scheduled improvements include doubling the track length from 1.8 to 3.6 miles and widening and repaving of the present course. David and Verdon, who also own MotopJan, a Canadian motorcycle insurance company, say the improved facility will be fully operational for the 1987 season. Harley-Davidson's York, Pennsylvania factory recently produced the 10,OOOth 883cc Evolution The American Stock Exchange celebreted the listing of Harley-Davidson, Inc. by bringing a Harley-Davidson onto the trading floor. Here, HarleyDavidson Chairman Vaughn L. Beals sits on the bike as Amex Chairman Arthur Levitt Jr. looks on. ' Sportster, which sells for what the company considers a landmark low price 01$3996. "The 1988 883 represents everything Harley Davidson is trying to accomplish," said Harley-Davidson Vice President and General Manager Jim Lucas. "Our primary goals are improved quality and reduced cost. " HarleyDavidson embarked on a major Sportster price reduction program two years ago, asking for employee suggestions on lowering cost and improving quality. The company reports that the program resulted in the 83996 price and also reduced warranty costs. . The AMA Professional Road Race Advisory Commillee will meet August 5 at AMA headquarters in Westerville, Ohio. Issues to be tackled by the commiuee will include the passingunder-yellow-flag rule, a possi ble 600cc Superbike class. use of titanium connecting rods and valves in Superbike engines, limiting Superbikes to readily available carburetors, and the future of the Formula One class. In other AMA road racing news, the organization will require. starting irr 1987, that riders have 150 advancement points from a recognized road racing organization before they can obtain an AMA Formula Two license and !loo advancement points before they can obtain au AMA Superbik~ liceme.- •• The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has a national toll-free number for rider education information, 800/447-4700; callers cen obtain information on motorcycle rider courses for beginning and experienced motorcyclists. Hugh Yamamoto, General Manager of the Production and Quality Coordination Division of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. in Iwata, Japan, recently presented a technical paper at the Motorcycle Engine Technology panel discussion during the Federation Internationale des Societes des lngenieurs des Technics de Automobile (FISITA) Congress held in Yugoslavia. Yamamoto's paper dealt with Yamaha's experiments with four. five, six and seven-valve cylinders and with high-performance cylinder head. intake system and valve actuation systems. Yamamoto spent several years as head of the engineering department at Yamaha Motor Co.• U.S. in Cypress, California before returning to Japan. Ron Wood has asked the AMA to restrict the inteke port area of twin-cylinder dirt track machines to make 800cc single-cylinder machines competitive in half mile and mile avants. Wood's proposal asks that the size of the intake restrictors "be determined by several unbiased firms on a scientific bas-