Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Hawkins (Hus) rounded out the top five . Californian Sam Ermolenko finished third in the World Cham pio nship Speedway Final in Amsterdam, Holland, on September 5-6. World Champion H ans Nielsen of Den mark won the World Final fo r the second consecutive year with 198485 Wor ld Champion Erik G u ndersen, also of Denmark , finishi ng second. Ermolenko was tied with Gundersen for first place after the first round of the two-day meeting 'o n Saturday, bu t finished the second round on Sunday tied for second with Gundersen. G undersen too k sole position of secon d by beati ng Ermolenko in a runoff. Californian John Cook, the only other American in the World Final, fin ished eighth. The American Motorcyclist Association's professional racing program is being expanded through a realignment of its marketing and public relations department. The realignment is scheduled on or about November 1 and sees AMA Marketing and Public Relations Manager Pat Murphy relocating to the Los Angeles, California, area. Murphy will continue to manage marketing activities for the AMA's pro racing program. working on a contract basis. He w ill also retain some public relations responsibilities, particularly in the western states. Meanwhile. the AMA is accepting applications for the newly-created position of public relations manager. The person filling this position will work out of the AMA's headquarters in Westerville, Ohio, and along with Murphy will report to Bill Amick. AMA vice president of professional competition. "We're pleased to be able to implement this program," said Amick. "With Pat Murphy on the West Coast, he will be close to many of our existing and potential sponsors. And we will be able to better serve the media and AMA race fans by separating marketing and public relations responsibilities and devoting more t ime to each." Amick said the public relations opening would be filled by an indiv idual w ith a background in journalism and public relations. Resumes are being accepted at P.O. Box 6114, Westerville, OH 43081-6114. If your radio picks up Motorcycle World with Larry Huffman, tune in Sunday, September 13, for a live report from New York's Unadilla Valley Sports Center that will provide you with the results of the Motocross des Nations. Check out Motorcycle World's ad on page 25 for a list of the stations that carry the show. 2 Jeff Fredette (Kaw) dropped 43 points and captured the overall victory at the AMA National Championship Enduro in Win terset, I o w a. September 6 . Second place with a 45 point score 'w as series points leader Kevin Hines (KTM ). Third went to Jeff Russell (Hu s). Defending National Champion Terry Cun ningham (Cag) return ed to action following a leg injury and took fourth overall. first 125cc. Randy (Hon) took first 125cc at seventh overall. Vance & Hines Motorcycle Centers Racing (Suz) won the WERA/EBC Brakes 24-Hour West endurance road race at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamo nd, California, on September 5-6. The team of Dennis Smith. Peter Carroll, Mitch Boehm, Nick Ienatsch, Steve Cardillo, R ichard Moore and David Zirkle set a new national record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race with 2150 miles. Hyper-Cycle Racing's (Suz) Carry Andrew, Jeff Herzog, James Domay and Scott Russell finished second despite losing an hour while changing a blown engine. Genesis Racing (Yam) finished third. WERA point leaders The Human Race Team did n't compete at Willow. Bader Manneh (Kaw), Willie Surratt (Suz) and Willy Simons (Hon) were the 125, 250 and 500cc Pro winners at the opening round of the Dodge Truck/CMC Trans-Cal MX Series at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California. More than 740 riders attended the event with the last three motos of the day being cancelled because of darkness. Stu Peters, president of CMC, said the three classes affected (500cc . Beginner, jr., and Intermediates) will have a 50% less entry fee at the next Trans-Cal round at Sandhill Ranch In Brentwood, California, September 13. Peters also said they will run these classes first in the schedule and that there will be two tracks used throughout the day. The Team Suzuki entry of Wes Cooley, Thomas Stevens, Russ Paulk and Jeff James suffered mechanical problems during the 24-Hour West at Willow Springs. but not before Cooley showed the form that took him to two AMA Superbike National Championsh ips . Cooley was reportedly turning times in the 1:3 1 -range during his night-riding stints. Team Suzuki lies second in the points chase behind The Human Race Team. 790-785 . Pro-Am rider Gary Wielt. 25, of Mt. Vernon. Illinois, was fatally inj u red during the Springfield Regional Championship Short Track. held September 5 at Springfield Speedway. Wielt suffered severe head and neck injuries when he crashed early during the ma in event and was struck by another rider as he attempted to make his way off the race track. Funeral services were scheduled for September 9 in Mt. Vernon Memorial Gardens. The Expert main event at the Springfield race was won by Chris Carr. Scott Gray (Suz) won the Willow Springs Motorcycle Association (WSMA) Formula USA Series race on September 6 at Willow· Springs after beating defending champion Earl Roloff (Yam); James Domay (Suz) finished third. Team Lucky Strike Roberts' Randy Mamola and M ike Baldwin were scheduled to test their Yamaha YZR500s at the Jarama circuit in Spain this week in order to prepare for the September 13 Portuguese Grand Prix. Baldwin is trying to return to GP racing after suffering injuries at the West German Grand P ~ix on May 17. With his three Grand Prix wins thus far in 1987, Ca lifornian Ra n d y Mamola has surpassed P hil Read for ninth on the all-time 500cc GP win list, Mamola, who has now won 13 G Ps, follows Giacomo Agostini (68), Mike Hailwood (37), Geoff Duke, Kenny Rober ts, J ohn Surtees (all with 22), Freddie Spencer (20), Barry Sheene (19) and Eddie Lawson (17). Wayne Gardner who leads the 500cc World Chamrionship this year has won a total 0 nine 500cc GPs in his career. The AMA Dirt Track Advisory Board recently recommended that intake restrictors be removed from all twovalve engines in AMA National dirt track competition, while all fourvalve engines be limited to the use of 36mm carburetors. The measure, if approved by the AMA, would mean no air/fuel intake restrictions for Harley-Davidson's XR750, which has a two-valve powerplant, while the four-valve Honda RS750 would be limited to 36mm carbs. "I have real reservations about the recommendation, but we're going to take a loo k at it," said Bill Amick, AMA vice president of professional competition. If approved, the new rule will go into effect in 1988. Bernie Schreiber (Fan) swept the final two rounds of the AMAINATC National Champ ionship Observed Trials Series in Port Huron, Michigan, and Thiel man, Minnesota, September 6-7. Fin ish ing second and third at both events were R ya n Young (Bet) and John Anderson (Hon). A 600cc National Championship Dirt Track Series is in the works for 1988. according to Bill Amick of the AMA. Working from a recommendation made earlier this year by Rider Representative Ronn ie Jones, the AMA has drafted preliminary plans to combine a 600cc National Series with the existing Grand National Championship Dirt Track Series . Wh ile .officials are "still working on the details," Amick did say that t he new, small -bore series would feature Junior and Expert ri ders on single-cylinder motorcycles, and that 600cc National events mayor may not coincide w ith events on the 1988 Grand National schedule, where riders will continue to race on 750cc twins. The plan is contingent on acceptance by promoters. " W e' ll have to see if it's a package they'll want to buy," Am ick said. If approved, the format change would be for National races only. Programs at Regional Champion ship races would remain the same as in 1987. Dan Smith (Hus) captured the ove rall victory at the AMA National Championship Hare and Hound in Maybelle, Colorado. September 6. Second place went to Jim Thompson (Hon), wh ile t hird went to f irst 250cc John Bruckbauer (H u s). Jeff Miller What does dirt tracker Chris Carr do on the rare weekends that he isn't traveling around the country dirt . tracking? Carr had such a rare weekend on August 29-30, so what did he do? On Friday, August 28, Carr watched a dirt track in Lodi, California, and on August 30 he was What country has the greatest number of 500cc road race Grand Prix wins? Eng land, with 22 different ri ders scoring wins, leads the way with 135. Italy, with 13 riders. follows with 103 while the U.S., w ith five winning riders, holds down third with 75 wins. seen at the AMA/Camel Pro Series road race at Sears Point International Raceway in Sonoma, California. Carr is not only a racer, but he's also a fan. Harley-Davidson will host an open house at the company's engineeri n g test faci lity in Ta lladega, A labama, on September 19-20. The Harley facility is locat ed just outside of Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega. Tours will be conducted at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, and test rides on the new 1988 Harleys will be offered . For more.information, call 205/7611081. Pa ul A. La Bella has joined Cycle magazine in the new ly created position of marketing manager, according to J im Frahm, Cycle's publisher. LaBella will be responsible for presentations, sa les promotio ns, market analysis and new sales development programs. Three-time World Champion and two-time AMA Grand National Champion Kenny Roberts has signed with Shoei He lmets. Roberts. who .hasn't competed in over a year, said his contract with AGV had run out. According to Roberts, Shoei w ill market a Roberts Replica helmet in the very near future . AMA-Iegal Engine Research Co. (ERC) racing gas will be sold to competitors by O 'Brien Racing at upcoming AMA Grand National Championship events (San J ose, Ascot and Sacramento) in California. For more information, call 40817584905. The Brazilian round of the World Championship Road Race Series will be held in Go ian ia on Sept em ber 27. According to reader Trevor Heath, "Goiania is a city of 700.000-plus and it's 125 miles southwest of Brazilia, 570 miles north of San Paulo, and 840 miles northwest of Rio de Janeiro." The following weekend. the Argentinian GP will take place at Buenos Aires. While Team Nordica Roberts' John Kocinski won the AMA Castrol 250cc Grand Prix Championship Series, he "'

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