Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ IN THE WIND ~ O n ly five rid ers finish ed the openi ng ro u nd of th e AMA Na tio na l Cha mpi o nship End u ro Series in New Waverly, Texas, February 25, which was run in ex tre mely wet a nd muddy conditio ns. 1987 Endu ro Cham pio n Kevin Hines (KT M) was th e overa ll winner o ver All en Gravitt (KT M) and Dav e Bertram (S u z). Def endin g Na tio nal Enduro Champion Randy H a wkins (Suz) fini sh ed fou rt h, while four-tim e cha m pion Terry Cunn in gham (Kaw) fin ished fifth. By P'p> Ww" Three-time World Champion Kenny Roberts will return to Da yt ona International Speedway to assis t hi s AMA 250cc Grand P rix Series team. Roberts, wh o last ap peared a t Dayt ona wh en he won th e 200 in 1984, vowed after that victory in '84 th athe'd never return to Dayt ona. " I'm co m ing. Big deal , huh? " Roberts said on Monday, February 26. " Basica lly, I won 't ge t to see m y n ew guy s run excep t for ' Da ytona. I'll go and see if I can help them because I know I'm usu all y too busy a t Laguna to work with th e 250cc guys." When quest ioned abo u t h is previous sta teme n ts ab out no t retu rn ing to Da ytona, Rob erts sai d: " It's different now . The 250 race is early o n Sunday, so I can get an ear ly flight out o f th ere before th e Su pe rbike race." H ead ed by G rand National Champion Scott Parker, 64 rid ers ha ve preentered th e Sa turday ni ght, March 10, Daytona Sh ort Track" th e open ing round of the 1990 Camel Pro Series, a t Municipal Stadium . Former Camel Pro Series cha m ps Ri cky Graham , Steve Eklund and Jay Springsteen ar e on th e list. Defending 600 National Dirt T rac k Seri es cha mp Chris Carr head s th e list o f 105 pre-entered riders for th e Daytona 600 National Short Track th at runs Frida y n ight, March 9. H e'll face th e likes of H arley-Davidson tea m mate Parker , last year's Daytona Camel Pro and 600 National Short Track winner Steve Aseltine, G raham, Eklu nd and Springsteen. No manufacturer has been ab le to w in two D a y t o n a 2 0 0 road races in a ro w since Kin g Kenny Rob erts co m p leted a 13-year win strea k for Yamaha in 1984,. Yamaha's streak began in 1972 w hen Don Em de won a boa rd a Yama ha 350, and was continued by J arno Sarrine n, G iacomo Agos ti ni, G en e Romero , J ohnn y Ceco tto, Steve Baker, R ob erts , Da le Sing leton', G rae me Crosby, Singleton again, a nd back-to-hack wins by Robert s. Freddie Spencer brok e th e strea k by win n ing o n a H onda in 1985, Eddie La wso n p u t Yam aha back o ut front in 1986, H onda-moun ted Wa yne Rain ey scored in 1987, Kevin Sch wanu gave Su zuki its firs t Daytona 200 wi n in 1988, and J ohn Ashmead rode a H on da to victory last year. Roger Reiman (1961, '64, " '65 ) and Kenny Rob erts (1978, '83, '84) are the o n l y three -ti me D a y ton a 2 0 0 winners since th e race moved to the Speedway from th e beach co urse ' in 1961. Cal Ra yborn , Dick Mann an d Dale Singl eton are two-time w i n ners a t th e " Wo r ld's Mo st Famous Speedway." D uke P e nne ll , wh o for many years was th e starter a t Daytona and o the r National Championship ra ces, is in mourning following th e death o f his wife, Bee Gee, o n February 6. But he says, "I'Il be.at Daytona." A 1969 BSA 441 Victor is th e door pr ize th at will be gi ven aw ay Friday night, Mar ch 9, a t th e Day ton a Vinta ge B ike Meet at th e Daytona Beach Armory. The Ma rch 7-10 m eet 's high light is the 3 r d Annual D a y to n a Antique & Cla s s ic Auction th at takes place at 6 p.rn., Saturda y, March 10. One ticket for th e doo r prize will be given for each da y attendees enter the Arm ory (fo u r cha nces i f yo u purch ase a fou r-d a y pass). You must be present at th e drawing to win the door prize. On Wednesday, Thursday and Frida y nights, Dave Desp ain will intervi ew " racing he roes o f yesteryear" a t the Armory. Speaking o f vintage bikes, Mot orsport a nd Classic Bike magazine have agreed to be trophy sJ>onsors for th e Monday, March 5, A H RMA Vintage Day road races a t Dayt ona. According to AHRMA Executi ve D irect or Matt Ben son , 340 riders have p re-entered th e vin tage road races. On Monday, February 19, a moment of heroism claime d th e life o f Vidar Anderson, 58, on Co nv ict La ke in Gp·road racers demand Durse increase cco rd ing to FIM rid er rep resenta tive Sito Pons, G P road racers are se t to tak e a stance if RClPA (Racing Organ izers a nd Promoters Associatio n) and th e FIM do not in crease purse mon ey beginning with th e seasonope ni ng Grand Prix in Japan o n Mar ch 25. T hat sta nce co uld be in th e form o f a winner's podi u m boycott. " If . th ey d on ' t in cr ea se th e p r ize mon ey, for sure we'll have a big fight," Pons, .t he 19~8-1 989 250cc Sito Pons (right) with FIM's Josef Zegwaard. World Champion , said on Febru ary 21." We ca n mak e it very ,d ifficult for the organ izers. Not go ing to th e podium is one idea, bu t th ere are many ot her ideas." The riders are asking fo r a 25%inc rease in purse money, a nd ROPA has cou nt ered wi th an offer of 20%. ·" We are negotiating no w," Pons said. " In the end, I'm su re we will have a good com promise. We've a lready go ne down 50% from o u r origina l req ues t. Every yea r th ere are more people com ing to th e Grands Pri x. We ma ke the sho w, bu t we never get a n in crease. It 's been fo ur or five years since we have (had) a n in crease." . Accordin g to Pons, th e FIM increase d th e purse by 7% for 1990. "But this is not an inc rease," he sa id. "T his is only for th e raised sta ndard of living and for th e devalua tion of th e Swiss franc. There is no in crease." In 1989, a 500cc G P win ner ea rned $10,700; a 25% in crease wou ld bring that a mo u nt to $13,375. Pon s will meet wit h ROPA again o n March 3-5. A 4 Cigarett~ manuf~cturersunder fire for ~Donsonng1DortIng--=--.:ev--=--en--,-=-ts _ ecretary o f H" ealth and Human Services Louis W. Su lli van ca lled for tob acco firm s to end the ir sponso rsh ip of sports events. At a pr ess conference in Washingt on, D.C ., on Friday, February 23, Su ll ivan said, " When th e tob acco industry sponsors a n event in o rder to push th eir deadly product , th ey are trading on, th e health , th e presti ge and th e image o f the a th lete to bar ter a I5roduct th at will kill th e user. " H e referred to th e funds u sed in sponsoring events as " b loo d mon ey." Sullivan's co m me nts came a t a press co nference held by opponents o f th e ' spo nsorsh ip by a ciga re tte manufactu rer of a golf tournament that was being held in Wa shington. . Sull iva n does not have th e authority to force tobacco firms to change th eir ma rketin g practices, but cons idering hi s ro le as the go vern me nt's leading health o fficia l, hi s co mme nts will cer tai nly in crease publ ic debat e over th e issue. A so urce a t th e He alth a nd Human Services told the Los Angeles Times, "The White H ouse was notified Sullivan was doing thi s - going after ciga rettes a nd as far as I kn ow , they didn't say a ny thi ng ab out it. So he's doing it." Mo torsports derive grea t benefit from tob acco sponsors hip , exam p les being th e Ca mel Pro a nd Camel Su pe rcro ss Seri es in motorcycle ra cing and Winston Cup spo nsorship in stock car raci ng. Walker Merryman, vice president of th e T obacco Institute, th e industry lobbyin g gro u p, co u ntered Sullivan 's sta temen t that sp orts events influenced young people to begin smo king. " If he were right, I think you 'd see millions of people sudde n ly mesm erized by ads and promotien with no op tio n but to flee to the nearest vending ma chine." In a n in terview th at appeared in this pub lication 's j anuaryL? issue , th reetim e World Champion Kenny Roberts, who has reaped th e bene fit, o f ciga rette sponsorsh ip for years 'o n th e Grand Prix circui t, said, "We're not saying, 'Start smoking.' If you smo ke, try o ur br and, that's all I kn ow that we're sa yin g. I'v e seen ciga reue advert isi ng for years; I don 't smoke." S Mammoth, California. Anderson died while trying to save the lives of three ch ildren from a nearby boy 's camp, as well as three other would-be rescuers, who also drowned at the icy semifrozen la ke. According to Jim O 'Nea l of O 'Neal USA , Anderson had been a member of the Old Timers' Club for ab ou t 20 yea rs. He recen tly became a ca p tai n o f the Long Va ll ey Fire Department in Sunnyslope. " H e will be mi ssed by our industry as his genero us nature a nd friendly dispostion were always welcome at motorcycle even ts and rid es:' said ' O'Neal. Anderson is su rvived by his wife, R u th , and two daughters. Aspi ring road racers in th e northeast' section of the co u n try ca n look forw ard to a full sla te of M ik e Baldwin Pro School sessions' at Bridgehampton Ra cewa y on Long Island, New York. The fir st Ba ldwin-conducted road ra ce school tak es pl ace on May 9-10 and will be followed by schools o n May 28-29, June 20-2 1, July 11-12, August 29-30, Sep tember 12-13 a nd October 34. S t ree t & ,Com p etitio n Cycle, th e excl us ive di stributor for T raksport p roducts, will have product and offer ' techn ical ad vice to co m pet ito rs a t Daytona. T hey' ll be loca ted in ga rage #58 at th e Speedwa y, Mar ch I-II. The firm is no w bein g ' run b y Mil es Fred er ick , wh o recentl y purch ased Mari on Da vi es' i nteres t in th e co mpany. B e a Arthu r, sta r o f TV's Golden Gi rls, appeared o n T he Tonigh t Show with John ny Ca rso n whi le J ay Len o was th e host one night last week. " Road raci ng is exc iti ng: ' Arthur told Len o. Arthur sai d she had been to th e Laguna Seca GP a nd was a Randy Ma m ol a fan . All r ig h t, Maude; er .. . Bea l Randy Warren's Naples, Florida-b ased travel agency, Tra velStar, will be offering a wa y to beat th e traffi c jams at the Apr i l 8 L aguna Seca GP . Tra veiSta r will be o ffering h e li copt er service between Monterey and the track on race day. According to Warren, passengers will be dropped off about 100 yards from the start-finish line. Return service will com m ence after the racing is over. The round-trip co st is $52 per person and can be booked in advance. Call 800/54 1-1223. The sou the rn California speedw a y season gets underwa y on March 3 with the running of the first round o f th e Spring Classic' Series at Long Beach Veterans Stadium. Subsequent rounds will take place a t San Bernardino's Inland Motor Speedway on March 4, a t Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on March 9, and at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Bar-. ba ra on Mar ch 17.. Multi-time National Champion road racer M ike Baldwin has signed with Bimota a nd will contest the World Su perb ike Ser ies. Baldwin sa ys he hopes to be able to purchase a Yamaha FZR750RR OWOI in time to co m pe te in th e Daytona 200. Not one to stay idl e, Baldwin is among th e pre-entered rid ers wh o 'll co mpete in th e March 34 I.C.E. -prom ot ed World Cup Ice Speed way Ch amp ionship Final at Connecti cut 's New H aven Memorial Coliseum. . Cal ifornia Assembly Bill 2560, tha t would mak e lan e sp litti ng illega l, has been sch eduled for a March 5 hearing before th e Assembly T ransportatio n ' Co m m ittee. Ca lifornia mot orcycl ists should im medi a tely write letters of oppo siti on to th e bill that was introdu ced by G wen Moore (D-Los Angeles) a nd m ail th em to: Assem bly T ransportati on Committee, State Ca p ito l, Sac ra mento, CA 95814. Road race r D ale Q uarte rle y was pr esented with th e John Betten court Memoria l Sportsman o f the Yea r Award at th e co mbined LRRSIGP PRO a wa rds ba nq ue t, held J anua ry 20 in Meriden , Connecti cut. Pro Ital ia Mot ors has an nou nced that th ey'll back roa d racer And y Leis n e r o n a n Aprilia in th e AMA 250cc G ra nd Prix Series. Last year, Leisn er rode a

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