Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

6YPffPff WfffLfY ~ 00 ........ Team Honda's Rick Johnson tort; knee ligaments while riding at >- Kenny Roberts' ranch in northern ..... California on january I. According ro to Johnson, the injury occurred ;::j while he was riding a Honda XRloo. t:: "I hit some grass and slid," said ro Johnson, "When I went to catch ~ myself I put my leg down, with the handlebars on top of my knee, and • the leg hooked and the knee had nowhere to go except to the side. " The injury forced Johnson to miss a scheduled appearance at the January 7 Scottsdale Supercross in Scottsdale, Arizona, but the defending Supercross champ expects to be ready for the opening round of the Camel Supercross Series at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, Ca lifornia, J an uary 28. Reigning 125cc World Champion Jean-Michele Bayle (Han) of France was the 250cc Pro class winner at the Scottsdale Supercross. Jeff Stanton (Han) finished second and George Holland (Han) was third. In the 125cc Pro class Donny Schmit (Han) took tl)e win over Bryan Pryor (Kaw) and Brent Wineland (Han). Dan Smith (KTM) was the overa ll winner at the 6th Annual Gold Strike World Championship Hare & Hound in Jean, Nevada, January 7. The opening round of the Best in the Deser t Series saw Smith, in his first-ever race on a KTM ' - a' 500 DXC, finish approximately five seconds ahead of runner-up Paul Krause (Kaw). Ro undin g out the top five were Cliff Thomas (Yam), Chuck Miller (Hon) and Dale Knapp (Hus), who was first in the 250cc class . Bryan Folks (Cag) topped the 125cc class. Mike laRocco (Yam) had a perfect day at the second round of the Florida Winter AMA MX Series. winning both motos in the 125cc Pro class and both motos in the 250cc Pro class at Hyman Myers Speedway Park in Tallahassee. January 8 : John Kitsch (Suz) finished second and Jay Mann (Kaw) third in the 125cc Pro class. wh ile Bob Hannah (Suz) was second and Keith Bowen (Suz) third in the 250cc Pro class. Jeff Frisz (Kawl won both motos in the 500cc Pro class. topping runnerup Fred Andrews (Hon) and third place finisher JoJo Keller (Hon). Jay Mann (Kaw) won both the 125cc A and 250cc A classes. and Earl May (Hon) topped the 500cc A division. 2 Former National MX Cham pion Mar k Barn ett, who after a several year absence returned to racing at the January I Florida Winter AMA MX Series round in Gainesville, was a no-show at the January 8 ro und. Barnett suffered broken ribs in a -practice cra sh on J anuary 4 at his far m in Alaba ma. Dave Brossea u , the Team T uf Suzuki rider's mechanic, said, "T he doctor says Mar k wi ll be sidel ined for six weeks. but we all know he's a fast healer." As Cycle News went to press. four-time Camel Pro Series Champion Bubba Shobert was meeting with American Honda . regarding his 1989 G P racing plans. Honda's Gary Mathers said on January 6 that Shobert's team sponsor would be revealed by the end of this week (January 13). The sponsor's identity was origina lly scheduled to be re leased by January 1 . _According to Bill Boyce of the AMA's professiona l racing division, National Championship road racing will hold its present course in 1989. Superbike will remain the premier class, with 250cc Grand Prix, Pro Twins Grand Prix and Pro Twins Modified Production acting as support classes. AMAlCCS 600cc and 750cc Supers port and endurance races wi ll continue to be held in conjunction with AMA Nationals, and it is also likely that AHRMA Historic races will be held on Saturday afternoons (they are currently undergoing negotiations). Although Camel will no longer be the major sponsor of National Championship road racing , R.J . Reynolds will support selected rounds in 1989. including the annual March Daytona races (to be known as Camel Speedweek). As far as the other Nationals, it's up to the individual promoters to solicit Camel' for sponsorship, according to Boyce. AMA/CCS Supersport road racing wi ll likely see a "spec tire" rule in 1989, with all competitors required to use the same brand and type of tires. According to Boyce, proposals were 'sen t out to all the major tire manufacturers in October of. 1987, a nd a decision will be reached in the next few weeks. The specified tire will most likely be made by either Yokohama or Metzeler, as these two companies were reportedly the only ones interested (most other manufacturers were op pposed to the concept). Boyce hinted that although there would be no changes in Pro Twins Modified Production class rules .for 1989. the year 1990 will likely see the rules brought more in line with those of the Supersport classes. "Essentially. it w ill be a Twins Supersport class," said Boyce . "Right now, guys are spending $10,000 to race ·f o r peanuts; it was supposed to be a fun class." Asked if there would be a 400cc Supersport class at '89 National road races , Bo yce said, "No. The U.S. wants bigger and better; we don't have the masses on 400cc machines like they do in J ap an." APPOINTED: Art Sarda, to the position of dirt track manager in the AMA's professional racing divis ion; Sarda fills the vacancy created with the recent resignation of J .B . Norris who held the _position for two years; Barda, a former racer who held an AMA National number for 10 years and < a former race team manager, w ill be responsible for the development and management of all AMA professional dirt track series, fiaison with teams and sponsors, coordination with AMA Amateur and Pro-Am dirt track development, and support of sen ior staff in drafting a long-range plan to improve dirt track racing . Former Nation al Champion rno tocrosser Tony DiStefano, wh o su ffered paralyzing inj uries lat e las t Camel and Coors representatives. Supercross promoters, AMA president Ed Youngblood and Supercross Champion Rick Johnson were on hand at the press conference held to announce the $125,000 point fund . Camel announces $1.25,000 point fund for '89 Supercross Series ANAHEIM, CA, JAN. 5 R.]. Reynolds Tobacco USA, makers of Camel cigarettes, ' announced that it will sponsor the 1989 AMA Supercross Series with a $125,000 point fund in a press conference at Anaheim Stadium , site of the first round of the Camel Supercross Series event January 28. Attendees at the conference incl uded AMA P r esi den t Ed Youngb lood, Ca me l Supercross Team Manager Dan Henl ey, Assistant Team Manager of Camel Motorsports Bob Janelle, Publ ic Relatio ns Director of Camel Motorsports Bob Moore, Team Rep resentative for Camel Motorsports Larry H aney, and Tom Karr, Field Marketing Director for Ado lph Coors Brewing Company. Also present were SRO/ Pace Pro mo tio n s Presiden t C.E . Altman, Bill West of SuperSports Promotions, Mickey Thompso n Entertainment Group (MTEG) President Bill Marcel , 1988 Supercross Champion R ick J oh nson , and representatives from the J a panese motor. cycle manufacturers and MX teams. The 1989 Supercross Champio n wi ll receive $50,000 from the Ca mel point fu nd. The runner-up in the series wi ll receive $25,000, the third year, returned to his Hazelton, Pennsylvania, home in time to celebrate Christmas with hi s family. George Denke, manager of Tony D's Motocross School, said, "Tony breezed through his therapy. Tony is still a champion and his attitude is excellent. He says that since mo tocross is h is li fe, it will be 'business as usual' wi th the school programs. Suzuki and h is other sponsors are righ t beh ind him." Brian Carroll has been appointed to the posi tion of main instructor for the DiS tefano schools and Dawson .Ransome wi ll assist wi th the teaching chores. Multi- ti me National Cha mpion Bob Hannah served as an instructor at the J anuary 9 T ony D School in Tallahassee, Florida, and the January 12 school at Dade City, Florida. The Laguna Seca round of the AMA National Championship Road Race Series (currently scheduled for either July 9 or September 10) may be canceled if the operators of the Monterey, California, circuit are able to secure the 1989 United States Grand Prix for F-1 cars. The U.S. GP, p lace finisher $ 17,000, with the remainder paid out through 10th place in the final point standings. An additional $25, 000 will be awarded by Camel to the top 125cc class riders who will race for the money in a special race, the Camel Shoot-Out, at the final event of the series in Los Angeles, Ca lifornia, June 10. Exact details of the ShootOut are yet to be determined. "We're looking forward to a longterm relationship," said H enley. R.j. Reyn olds has been involved wi th the AMA Grand National Championship Series since 1974, having awarded approximately $3 million of point fund mo ney in that period. Coors will con tinue its support of the Supercross Series in '89 by being the event sponsor at 12ofthe 13event sites, supporting the events while promoting Coors Extra Gold beer. It was also announced that the series promoters ha ve worked toge ther to secure a television package for all 1989 supercross events. Seals Communications Corporation, producers of Mo toWorld which is telecast on T he Nash vill e Network (TN N), has been selected to produce a 13-week television series on the AMA/Camel Supercross Series to be aired on ESPN. MotoWorld's Larry Maiers will host the series, which is scheduled to begi n airing in April of th is year and will continue to feature race action from each Camel Supercross Series event for 13 consecutive weeks. • which most recently was run on the streets of Detroit, Michigan, has been dropped, and a number of facilites are currently negotiating to host the event. The AMA is cu rre n tly negotiating to hol d one, or possibly two Supersport support race(s) at the June I I Bra inerd, Minnesota, round of the World Championship Superbi ke Series. T he AMA has also spoken to the promoters of the April 16 United Sta tes Grand Pri x at Laguna Seca, but they have committed to hosting 500cc and 250cc solo classes, p lus sidecars. Belgian Stephane Mertens, who finished fourth in the inaugural World Championship Superbike Road Race Series last year as a member of the Bimota team, has switched to a .factory-"assisted Ho nda .RC30 for the '89 series. Mertens won a series round in Portugal and New Zealand in 1988. CORRECTION: In our 1989 Buyer 's Guide, which appeared in the Jan. (Con tin ued to p age 4)

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