Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Reports from northern California say that former Grand National Champion Steve Eklund is in what may be the best physical and mental shape of his career. Eklund .recently won an endurance scram- • bles event in the 500cc Expert class in San Jose, California; while' warming up for the Daytona Dirt Track Series that begins in March. A report in last week's issue that Harley-Davidson Motor Company is opposed to a pro'posed mandatory helmet law in the stare of CaWornia is misleading, according to Harley's Buzz Buzzelli. "While Harley-Davidson has never supported any helmet legislation, and Harley-Davidson doesn't support the (California) bill, that doesn't mean we oppose the bill," Buzzelli said. "There's definitely a big difference between not S1Jpporting it and opposing it." The American Motorcyclist Association has announced the creation of the AMA Brighter Image Awards, a program aimed at congratulating and encouraging the activities of individuals and companies that emphasize the positive aspects of motorcycling, including enjoyment, healthy recreation, and family involvement. In announcing the program AMA President Ed Youngblood said, "We-see a very positive trend within the motorcycle'industry and press to emphasize the upbeat, sociable aspects of motorcycling~ We view this as a very positive direction that will be beneficial in many ways, both to the 'industry and its customers, and we want to play a role in encouraging this trend." The AMA will name the first three recipients of its Brighter Image Awards at an industry reception in Cincinnati on February 20. AMA officials have revealed that both individuals and an organization will be named, and that the first awards will be connected with involvementIn the Smithsonian Institution motorcycle exhibit that will be viewed by more than five m'iIIion visitors during the coming year.. Husqvarna's Dan Smith won the opening round of the 1987 AMA National Hare and Hound Championship Series, held February 8 near Fremont Valley, California. Hondamounted Dan Ashcraft claimed second overall at the Four Aces M.e. event, the 36th Annual Moose Run, while Dale Knapp, riding a Husky, took' third overall, first 250, The 125cc Expert class was won by Yamahamounted Eric Hallgat!'t. According to Yamaha's Kenny CI,.rk, 10 race-ready 1987 Fl,750Rs were expected to reach Yamaha's Cypress, California, headquarters on Tuesday, February 10. Nine of the FZs will g,o to privateers and dealers with the other one going to Jimmy Filice. Clark squelched rumors of a Mi~e Baldwin FZ750R link for Daytona. "He's not. on the list," Clark said. 2 The Mike Kidd-promoted TT inside San Francisco, California's Cow Palace on February 6 saw Sal floffman (H-D) taking the 15-lap Expert class in front of an estimated 3000 spectators. Tony Alzes (Rtx) won the Junior class while Darrell Davis (Rtx) topped the Pro-Am final. marked by February 20. The events are pre-entry only. Entry forms can be obtained from the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association, Route 2, P.O. Box 214, Marengo, OH 43334, 419/ 253-4442. AHRMA executive director Gary Winn says he'll federal Express entry forms to anyone who is interested. The AHRMA will host a banquet at the Holiday Inn Surfside in Daytona Beach on March 4 at 7 p.m. While the banquet is being held as a "social occasion for Daytona's vintage racers, their families and crews," non-, racing AHRMA membtrs are also invited. Three-time Daytona 200 winner Dkk Klamfoth will be on hand for autographs and bench racing. Topping off the evening's activities will be the presentation of the 1986 AHRMAIVintage Mounts Sportsman Award, a revolving trophy presented to the historic racer who has displayed sportsmanship and leadership in the historic motorcycle movement. There's no charge for admission to the banquet anddinner will be available. Reservations are suggested; contact AHRMA, Rt. 2, Box 214, Marengo, OH 43334. Harley-Davidson Motor Company has signed Califprnia dirt tracker Chris earr to a full factory contract, and reportedly is on the verge of renewing factory contracts with Scott Parker and Jay Springstean. Carr, who finished fourth in the Camel Pro Series point standings last year, has been signed to con, testthe 1987 AMA Grand National Dirt Track Series and will join Parker and Springsteen in a bid to win the number one plate for H~rley Davidson; the championship title has been held by Honda since 1984. Former National Champion Mert La_ill will stay on as Carr's mechanic. In addition to his dirt trilCk duties, Chris Carr will spend a lot of time on the tarmac during the 1987 road racing season'. Carr is set to race a Ron Wood Rotax .50Occ single-cylinder road racer in the Castrol250cc Grand Prix events starting with Daytona's round on March 7. Wood's road racer is nearing completion and will see action for the first time in Daytona. "I've bad to stop working on it (the road racer) to fulfill my commitments on the dirt track projects f6r my customers," Wood said, Cart may also see action later in the year in AMA Pro Twins competition as a teammate of Gene Church. The northern Californian is currently rehabilitating from a hand injury suffered in a scrambles event. ''I'm lettil}g it heal and will only do some short tracks and the road race at Daytona," Carr said. "The hand is doing fine and I'm hoping to get the pins out in another week. I can run and all that stuff, but I can't lift weights. The doctor is real optimi~tic, so that makesme happy." Contrary to what we printed in Issue #4, the opening round of the National Championship Hare SCrambles Series was not canceled; it was rescheduled. The event will take place on Wednesday, March 4, 'at Brevard County Off-Road Park in Cocoa, Florida, rathe; than at Gainesville, Florida, on March 1. INJURED: Video cameraman Dub Walsh, at Plaster City, California, while filming off-road racer and riding instructor Scott Harden from a Cessna airplane; the plane stalled at low altitude and was totaled on impact; Walsh suffered two broken vertebrae and a shattered ankle; the pilot was thrown from the plane and was not injured; cards and letters can be sent to Walsh, c/o Up Front Communications, P.O. Box 482, Encinitas, CA 92024. Entries for the March 2 Daytona Cycle Week vintage road race and motocross program must be post- addition to Kal-Gard, PFR offers competitors Progressive Suspension products and Dunlop tires. BMW of North America will demonstrate its Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) at the Daytona (Florida) Motorcycle & ATV Expo on March 5-7. Professional riders will demonstrate the system by riding both ABS and non-ABS equipped motorcycles over a slippery surface while applying the brakes., Demonstrations will take place in front of the entrences to Daytona's Ocean Center every hour on the hour from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on March 5, and from noon to 6 p.m. on March 6 and 7. An ABS-equipped motorcycle will be available for motorcyclists to experience on the roiling test-stand at the BMW exhibit in the Expo. MOVED: The Steve Wise Motocross 'School from Dallas, Texas, 10 112 West Vine, McAllen, TX 89501, 512/ 687-8986. A group of Vet class motocrossers, headeet by Frank Thomason, will be holding a benefit race at southern California's Carlsbad Raceway on Sunday, February 15. All proceeds from this race will be placed in a trust fund in off-road rider Lori Moran's name. Lori, 13, suffered serious injuries, including the loss of her right leg below the knee when she was struck by a car while standing on a sidewalk waiting to cross a street. . Jackie Vimond, the 250cc MX World Champion, has been released from the conval,escent home in France where he has been recuperating from serious injuries sustained several months ago in a fall from a suspended motorcycle during an awards presentation in a Paris, France, nightclub. Vimond is hopeful he can get back in shape and return to racing this year, but will sit out the season if he feels he's not competitive. DESTROYED: Stan Tipton's Yamaha dealership in Fayetteville, North Carolina, b,y fire on February 4. Dick Klamfoth, a three-time winner of the Daytona 200 (1949-51-52), will ride the Norton International he rode to victory in the Daytona Amateur (now Junior) class race in 1948in the Pre-50's Vintage class race during Daytona Cycle Week's Monday, March 2, vintage road race meet. Klamfoth is being'sponsored by Vintage and classic motorcycles. Promoter Mickey Thompson is currently accepting motocross rider entries for the March 29 Off-Road Grand Prix in Indianapolis, Indiana's Hoosier Dome. All riders must be pre-entered for the 250cc class of racing wl1ich wfll pay a $2500 purse. For more info, contact MTEG at 818/359-5117. Kal-Gard Lubricants products will be available at selected races through Phil Flack Racing Seryices (PFR). PFR will have two supPort trucks on the road this year; the first will be manned by Flack and the second by Ronnie Bowen. PFR will be at all Camel Pro Series events east of the Mississippi as well as at selected AMA CCS and WERA road racing events. Also on PFR's schedule are selected AMA Tour-Rider events. In AFM, the California-based road race sanctioning organization, has made the wearing of back (spinal) protectors mandatory for the 1987 season. According to AI Salvo of Arcadia, Califomia's Cycle, Racer, Inc., distributors of Dainese back protectors, "We worked very hard over an eight-month period to make back pads mandatory equipment for the AFM. Without the hard work of Curtis Maddox and Harry Bresach ofthe AFM this mandate would never have been implemented. I want to make it perfectly clear that I didn't work for such a rule just to sell back protectors. Cycle Ra,cer will aid every AFM member by dcmating $10 on the sale of each back pad (on sales to club members only) to the AFM Benevolent Fund:' A study by the General Accounting. Office, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, recommends that the five-member Consumer Product Safety Commission be replaced with a single administrator. The study was released February I by Representative Henry A.Waxman, (D-CA), who requested the investigation. "The agency is top heavy. It's time to lighten the load," Waxman said. "Let's spend the money on scientists and engineers, not on political cron~es of the White House." Changing the CPSC's structure would require congressional action, which Waxman is expected to introduce. Waxman is a'member of the House Energy Commerce Committee, which has oversight over the CPSC, as well as the House Government Operations Committee, which last year voted to ban (ConJinued to page 12)

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