Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

zeler tires were available at Daytona in limited quantities and were used by six of the top 10 finishers in the March 6 debut race of the new "lightweight superbike" series. Bridgeatone is voluntarily recalling their Spitfire Touring redial tires due to "wandering at high speed." Details in next week's eye/eNews. Northern California's Scott Gray (Suz) dominated the first round of the WSMA Formula USA series at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, California, on April 5. Gray beat defending champion Earl Roloff (Kaw) and James Bomay (Suz). When a trimmer Scott Gray was . asked if he had been losing weight. the road racer held up his left hand without the newlymissing top of his ring finger and said, "Veah, the hard way:' Gray lost the top section of his finger in his Daytona 200 crash. Davey Strijbos (Cag) won the first round of the 125cc World Championship Motocross Series in Valkenswaard, Holland, on April 5. John van den Berk (Yam) and Pedro Targster (Hon) finished second and third, respectively. Defending World Champion David Thorpe (Hon) won both motos to capture the opening round of the 600cc World Championship Motocro.. Series in Vunquera, Spain, on April 6. Thorpe topped Haken Carlqvist (Kaw) and K. Lunqviat. Team Hyper Cycle's Carry Andrew and Jeff Herzog (Suz) won the second round of the WERAIEBC Brakes National Endurance Championship at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, California, on April 4. Hyper Cycle beat Team Hoe (Suz) and Team Silver Streak (Suz) in the six-hour event. An ironrnan award goes to Solmex Racing USA's Scott Ru...lI. After finishing fourth in the WERA SixHour Endurance Race at Willow Springs on Saturday, April 4, Ru...11 flew to Florida where he won the 760cc Stock Production cia.. at Morosso Motorsports Park in West Palm Beach on April 6. It was Ru...II's first time at both Willow Springs and Morouo. H you're headed to Gardena, California, for the Staurday, April II, Ascot Half Mile, don't forget the AMA Grand National Championship Series event will start at noon to allow the main event to be telecast on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Viewers in the East will see the main event live at 5:40 p.m. (EDT) and it will be shown on a delayed basis at 5:40 p.m. (PDT) in the West. That'll give those who witness ~e event ~t Ascot Park the opporturnty to see It on TV a few hours later. AMA National DirtTraek Manager J.B. Norris reminded Junior riden at the April 4 Sacramento Mile that they must be pre-entered to ride a National event. The AMA will not accept race-day registration from Juniors. 2 Meue1er motorcycle tire agent Bob Gregg tells us the new Meueler MEl Comp K slick tires for the Honda 600 Hurricane and other bikes eligible for the new Super Sport 600 Road Race Series will be in stock in the very near future. The new Met- Team Harley Davidson's Chris Carr, who hails from Manteca, a nonhern California community near Sacramento, Dung his Shoo helmet into the "home-town" crowd following his victory at the April 4 Sacramento Mile. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time, but I had to wait for a real Rood win," Carr said. It looks as if Carr's sponsor Shoei will have to ante up a new helmet for the young din tracker. IHinois Housa BIn 2, which was propoaed by Representative John Cullerton (O-Chicago) and would require all riders and pa...ngers of motorcycl.. and mopeds to wear helmets, peaaad committee on March 19 and will go ~ a Houaa vote in the near future. The April II La Carrera road race that will take competitors from Ensenada to San Felipe in Baja, Mexico, has drawn nearly 100 preentries, according to event coorganizer Cliff Carr. Heading the list of entrants are former Grand National Champions Gary Nixon and Mark Brelsford and they will be joined by David Aldana, who won four Nationals in the '70s, Metzeler export manager Hans-Heinz Dilthey, Cycle News president Chuck Clayton, vintage road racing ace Dave ROi' and Fred Eiker who won the t La Carrera race in the fall of ' 6. In addition, femme competitors Suzie Mann, Fran Crane and Jeannie Rasey are pre-entered, along with fou.r father and ~n.tea~s. Tech inspecllon and regtstrallon will take place at the Bahia Hotel in Ensenada on Friday, April 10. Post-entries will be accepted. Three-time Grand National Champion Jay Spring.n::-n will celebrate his 30th . dey on April 16. Formula One champ Randy Renfrow pessad that milestone lest year and win be celebrating his 31 st birthday on April 9. Dan Chivington, the sixth ranked Camel Pro Seri.. road racer, will be a year shy of his 30th birthday when he celebrates his birthday on April 18. South African expatriate Kork Ballington, who won the Daytona Caatrol260 GP race lest month. is past the point of being lum~ in with the "around 30 crowd ' and we'll remind him he'll be 36 on Apn1 10. At the other end of the age ruler is Chris Carr, the fourth ranked Camel Pro dirt track racer, who'll be within one year of being able to legally sip champagne in the winner's circle when he turns 20 on May 6. Team Obsolete's Rob Iannucci suffered a dislocated shoulder and a fractured shoulder blade in a street bike accident in Brooklyn, New York, on Thurdsay, April 2. "It was one of those slow get-offs," said Iannucci. "I was rounding a comer near my shop when I hit a spot of sand while braking." Iannucci scrapped plans to go to Baja, Mexico, to watch Team Obsolete's Dave Roper compete in the April 11 La Carrera road race. "It wouldn't be any fun what with me having my arm in a sling," said Iannucci. RESIGNED: Carol Hall, from the AMA effectiw May 1 to pursue other intarests; Hall has served in the a..ociation's membership . sarvicea and development department for mIIny years. The AMA has announced the list of road racers who will represent the U.S. in this year's 17th Annual TransAtlantic challenge. Heading the list is Kevin Schwantz who was the highest scoring rider in last year's contest and will serve as the team captain for the American contingent this time out. The annual road race meet pits a team of American and Canadian road racers against a squad of riders from Great Britain and other United Kingdome nations. The "British" lead the series 11-5 and are seeking a third consecutive win over the Easter weekend. Schwantz will be joined by Grand National Chatnpion Bubba Shobert, Daytona 200 winner Wayne Rainey, John Ashmead, Doug Polen, Ottis Lance, Dan Chivington, Gary Goodfellow and Rueben McMurter. Jim Filice and Michel Mercier have been designated as alternates. Racing begins on Friday, Apri.1 17, at Brands Hatch with three legs of the nine-race series. The following Sunday and Monday, April 19-20 will see three races each at Donington Park. Each race will be approximately 20 miles in length. conventional Honda RS750 dirt tracker, Chandler came prepared with a water-cooled Honda NS756, a former factory machine owned by Spencer Racing Team Manager Jerry Griffith. The NS756 model number is not included in a new AMA restrictor rule which requires intake manifold restrictor plates on all RS750s and XR750 HarleyDavidsons. Seeking an advantage over the restricted machines, Chandler rode the NS756 in practice, but opted to qualify on the RS750 he rode to second lD the National at Sacramento last September because he felt more comfortable on it. Team Huaquverna's Dan Smith won the Score Mojave 260, held April 4 near Lucerne Valley, CaRfomia. Smith soloed the 180-mlle long event after his partner, Garth Sweetland, broke his left leg in practice the dey before the event. Sweetland reportedly ran through a bush and hit a rock. Team Honda's Dan Ashcraft and Randy Morales finished second, and Randy Norman, an AMA/Diatrict 38 rider from San Diego, CaItornia, soloed to third aboard a Honda XR600. The 260cc cIeaa was won by the Honda·mounted team of Joey Lane and Mark Vanacourt. Frank Chase and Kanji Gauthier took the 126cc win aboard a KawaaaIci. Carda and letters mIIy be Ant to Sweetland c/o St. Mary's Hospital, 18300 Highway 18, Apple Valley, Cali· fomia,92307. David Bailey, the' 600ce MX National Champion, remains hos· pitalized and peralyzed from the waist down. The good news is he expect to be ral.asad tiom the ho8pital on AprIl 17. "I'll go to my condo in Simi Valley (near Loa Angeles)," said Bailey, who will continue rehabilitation once rel••sad from the hospital. Bailey, who Aid he's been spending the majority of his waking hours sitting up and exercising, added, "I'll have to wear my beck brace for three more months. I hope to be back at my home (Axton, Virginia) by the end of May:' Cards and letters can be sant to Bailey, c/o Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, 761 S. Baacomb Ave., San Joaa. CA 96128. Marlboro Yamllha's Eddie Lawaon realized his teammate Rob MeEInea may have had a problem following a practice aeuion ereah for the Japanese Grand PrIx on March 29, when MeElnea uked Lawson what rac:eback they were riding on. The burly Enpliahmlln suffered a alight concuulOll in the crash, but still made the start for the Grend Prix; McEln.., like Lawson, had tire problems and retired early from the race. The fifth round of the '87 AMA National Championship Hare Be Hound Series which was originally scheduled to be held in Utah will now take place in Red Mountain, California, on May 10. The Lost Angels M.e. will be hosting the event. For more infonnation, call 818/998-2480 during the day. Officials of the host city to the of the World ChampIOnship Road Race Series in Suzuka City, Japan, placed a limit to the amount of ~ple .that could attend the race facilites daily. The amount was reportedly set at 120,000 people; the event boasted a sell-out for all three days of practice in addition to race day. In addition to the nine Camel Pro events on the 1987 AMA Grand National Championship dirt track schedule, defending National Champion Bubba Shobert plans to compete at"ected non-Camel races. Shobert will ride at the April 11 Ascot Ha" Mile in southern California, the Springfield Mile in Illinois on May 24, and the September 20 San Joaa Mile in northern California. Shobert probably will not raca other non-Camel Pro dirt track nationals, becausa, "1 don't want to get too many things going at onca, especially since road racing is new to me." Shobert also rides for Team Honda at all AMA/Camel Pro Roed Race Nationals. Freddie Spencer Racing's Doug Chandler showed up at the April 4 Sacramento Mile WIth a secret weapon of sorts. In addition to his Little known fact: When Daytona 200 winner Wayne Rainey was married on March 28 his best man was none other than teammate and friend, current AMA/Grand National Champion Bubba Shoben. o~n~ round Classic Motorbooks, the automobile/motorcycle book"lers, recently relNsad a list of their top 20 selling books for the last quarter. The top salling motorcycle book, in 12th place, is Motacou,. 1986-87. LOST: Two golden retriever dogs at the April 5 Great Mojave 25~ d~ race in Lucerne Valley, Callfornta. Anyone with infonnation regarding the dogs is asked to contact Dan Bradle at 818/287-6791 after 2 p.m. (PDT). A reward is being offered for the return of the dogs. The SCORE Off-Road Equipment Show was recently purchased by HBJ Expoaltiona II Conferences. the New York-baed publishing firm which produces the HBJ/ Dealernews Motorcycle/A TV (Continued to page /8)

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