Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

during Daytona Cycle Week. Land acquisition problems which forced cancelation of this year's Alligator Enduro have been resolved. Entry forms will be available at a later date. For info, contact len Puckett at 904/761-5522. Team Husqvarna's Terry Cunnlngham wrapped up his fourth National Enduro Championship title with a win at the Bear, Delaware, National Enduro on Sunday, October 26. Riding a 430 Automatic, Cunningham beat teammate Randy Hawkins by four points, 38 to 42, in the 126-mile event that was run in the rain. Dave Bertram, also riding a Husky Automatic, finished third overall. Another Husky-mounted rider, Jeff Russell, claimed fourth overall. SoCal M.C. will offer a "Dinosaur division" at the club's 42nd Annual Turkey Chase Hare and Hound, scheduled for November 9 in Fremont, California. Competition will be held in the special class to honor long-time club member and movie actor Keenan Wynn, who died in mid-October. The Dinosaur division will include classes for all 1970 and earlier two- and fourstroke motorcycles; entry fee is $5. For more info, call SoCal M.C. at 818/362-8607. HIRED: Bill·Berroth, as marketing director of Acerbis Plastica USA; Berroth was formerly with Husqvarna. Earl Roloff (Kaw) won the October 26 Formula USA road race at Willow Springs International Raceway and with the win clinched the Formula USA championship. Roloff was involved in a race-long dice with Jim Vreeke, but. Vreeke crashed in turn five arid suffered a broken elbow. Doug Toland (Suz) finished second with Chris Steward (Suz) finishing third. NAMED: John Ulrich, 32, editor and publisher of American Roadracing, the WERA newspaper; Ulrich was formerly editor of Cycle News. The Daytona Dirt Riders M.C. has been issued AMA sanctions for the March 5 Alligator Enduro and March 6 Florida Sportsmen's HareScrambles which will take place Houston's Humble Kawasaki will hold an open house on Friday, November 7, from 7 to 10 p.m. Attendees can sign-up for the following day's Team Green Ticket to Ride program which will take placeat Rio Bravo. A Team Green representative will also be on hand to accept applications for Team Green rides. It was announced at last week's FIM Congress in Sicily that clutch starts will be used in Grand Prix road races, beginning next year. It was also announced that a World Championship Superbike Road Race Series will take place in 1988. CORRECTION: Somehow we turned the American Road Racing Association (ARRA) into the International • Road Racing Association in our report on the ARRA's October 5 meet at southern California's Willow Springs International Raceway. Sorry, ARRA. OPENED: A Sacramento office, by the California Off-Road Vehicle Association; located at 1601 Tenth St. near the capitol; a toll-free telephone number (800/237-5436), is also being provided for public and member inquiry purposes. HosPITal STOP: WERA road racer John White suffered a compound fracture of his left leg in a street riding accident on October 19. Surgery was performed at a hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cards and letters should be sent to 3311 Malibu Dr., Raleigh, NC 27607. A $200 reverse contingency will be awarded by the California OffRoad Vehicle Association to the rider / driver who comes up with the best hard luck story for losing the SCORE Baja 1000 which takes place the second weekend in Novemberin Baja, Mexico. The $200 contingency is open to any registered rider / driver in any class who is a member of CORVA. Hard luck stories will be judged by "a panel of experts" headed by Judy Smith. All entries must be received by November 14 to qualify; selfaddressed postcards will be in- BABY GSXR: Now you can get around the paddock area in style with the Suzuki GSXR50. Based on its big brothers, the GSXR750 and 1100, the GSXR50 features a 49cc single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled, SOHC motor with a four-speed transmission. Other features include a front disc brake, single-shock rear suspension, and a claimed weight of 132 pounds. cluded in all rider kits distributed by SCORE. For more info, contact CORVA at 800/237-5436. Rumors from Europe have Freddie Spencer attacking the Grands Prix with a Honda team sponsored by Coca-Cola. Spencer's current sponsor Rothmans is rumored to be unhappy with Spencer for not fulfilling his publlc appearance commitments, but the three-time World Champion is contracted with Honda through the 1987 season and a new sponsor seems to be in the works. Three-time World Champion Kenny Roberts hilS started construction on his 5000 square-foot log ranch house in Hickman, California. Roberts, who has just returned from Japan and Malaysia with his lucky Strike riders Randy Mamola and Mike Baldwin, is also busy finalizing plans for next year's attack on the World Championship. "We're working on getting a big hospitality bus for next year," Roberts said. "They (lucky Strike) were pumped, so we're looking to increase things over the next few years," Mamola and Baldwin finished third and fourth in lucky Strike's first year on the GPcircuit. Australia's top motocrosser Jeff Leisk has signed to race factory Yamahas in the U.S. for 1987. Leisk, who campaigned the National and supercross circuits in 1986 with Honda support, will ride in a three-man team along with Broc Glover and Keith Bowen. Charlie Morris Jr. (Hus) won the 4th Annual Championship Hare and Hound in Johnson Valley, California, on October 26. Morris beat Dan Smith (Hus) and Kenny Parry (Yam) to the finish line, but was actually beaten by Cliff Thomas; Thomas, however, was disqualified for riding through the pits. AMA/Camel Pro Series Formula One road race champ Randy Renfrow will ride his Honda RS500 for the final time in' the Macau GP on November 22. With the AMA dropping Formula One from its road race schedule in 1987, Renfrow will switch to either Superbike or Formula Two. ''I'm real sorry to see them (his F-I equipment) go," Renfrow said. "I have them sold and they were real easy to sell in Europe. I had enough offers that I could choose the buyer and the time of delivery. They will take delivery in Macau, so I'll becoming home with just tools and tires." Australia's Superbike and Production road race ace Kevin Magee will ride a factory Marlboro Yamaha V-four in the upcoming Australian Swann Series. Marlboro Yamaha crew chief Kel Carruthers will be taking one of the bikes used in the 1986 Grands Prix to Australia for use in the three-race series that begins at Surfer's Paradise on November 23. Former Grand National Champion Dick Mann will build the track for the Over The Hill Gang's 2nd Annual Veteran's Day MX National which takes place on November 9 at Brentwood, California's Sandhill Ranch. 2 Reports from Europe indicate that Belgian road racer Didier DeRadigues has been testing the Cagiva '500cc V-four GP machine and may switch to the Italian team for the 1987 World Championship Series; DeRadigues finished seventh in the championship this year riding a three-cylinder Honda. Scotland's Niall MacKenzie, who impressed many with his late season GP rides aboard a Suzuki, has also tested Cagivas during the offseason, but looks set to ride factory Hondas in 1987. Reportedly, MacKenzie has lapped under the times previously set by both Freddie Spencer and Wayne Gardner during tests on the Honda at Suzuka in Japan. Texan road racer Kevin Schwantz may see action on Suzuki's new Vfour 500cc G.P machine in the upcoming Australian Swann Series. At presstime Schwantz was still awaiting a phone calI from Suzuki.• AMA studying power limits for dirt track machines The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has announced the commission of engineering studies to examine the performance of a variety of single-cylinder and twin-cylinder engines currently in use in the AMA's Expert and Junior dirt track programs. Pending the results of these studies, air intake restrictions are contemplated for all twin-cylinder machines effective with the 1987 season. Bill Amick, AMA vice-presidem of professional competition, said, "Although prize money in our dirt track pro~ram has steadily risen over the years, costs have accelerated at a g-reater pace. We have examined many possible avenues to address spiraling costs and have chosen our present course as being the most feasible. Our aifT)s are to enhance the reliability of racing machines and thereby lower maintenance costs, and to produce more competitive racing for our fans." In the Junior division, AMA says it will maintain emphasis on parity between singles and twins. In the Expert division,. which is highlighted by the AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series events, the stated goal is parity and improved reliability among the 750cc twins which are the mainstay of the class. "There's no point in speculating on the size of the (carburetor) restrictors at this time," said Amick. "The figures will be announced upon completion of the engineering studies." Several manufacturers and private teams will be invited to participate in the tests. The AMA says they have retained "an engineering expert" to act as its official observer. While they will not disclose who the "engineering expert" is, what seems· to be public knowledge among the sport's insiders is that the testing will be conducted at Jerry Branch's facility in . southern California. "AMA dirt track racing is widely recogn-ized as one of the most competitive forms of motorsports in the world," said Amick. "But rapidly growing costs and recent trends toward even more expensive development threaten the continued participation of our privateer riders. We plan to react to these situations now, before they force private teams out." Tex Peel, who has fielded HarleyDavidson XR 750s for many riders over the years, was upset over the announcement. "The last thing we need is (carburetor) restrictors," said Peel. "That the Hondas, particularly (Continued to page 4)

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