Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Cycle News 1990 08 29

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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GIN THE WIND By Papa Weaiey ~ ~ 0') C'-f Dan Ingram (Hon) was the winner in round six of the AMA National Championship 600cc Dirt Track Series held August 18 on the half mile at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg, New York. Rodney 'Farris (Hon) finished second and Mike Hale (W-R) was third. Ingram trails defending champ Chris Carr in the point standings, 72-56, with two rounds remaining. Jason Fletcher (W-R) topped Brian Tillson (W-R) and Greg Sims (H-D) in the Junior final. American road racer Richard Arnaiz (Hon) won round seven of the European Formula One Championship at Misano, Italy, August 19. The win gives the Californian a seven-point lead in the title chase, with one round of the series remaining at Donington Park, England, in late September. Amaiz needs to finish fourth or better , at Donington Park to sew up the title. With most of the F-I Championship' rounds broadcast live on European television, Richard Arnaiz has become somewhat of a hero in Italy, . home of the Bologna-based Team Rumi RCM. Upon entering an Italian restaurant recently, Arnaiz received a standing ovation from the patrons and then spent the next two hours signing autographs. Amaiz was accompanied by his friend and former Team Motor Sport teammate Phil Kress, who went unrecognized. Nearly 3000 people were on hand for the grand opening of theMotorcycle Heritage Museum on Thursday, August 16, in Westerville, Ohio. The opening ceremonies featured comedian Jay Leno and Bob Forbes, son of the late Malcolm Forbes . Leno paid his own expenses to be on hand for the opening of the 7000-square·foot facility which occupies a portion of the AMA headquarters building and he concluded his brief speech with word that he was donating $5000 to the museum. If your travels won't take you near Westerville in the near future, souvenir programs of the inaugural exhibits, which include exhibits entitled Women in Motorcycling and Decades of Development, may be obtained by writing to Ken Reid, AMHF, P.O. Box 6114, Westerville, OH 43081-6114. The cost is $4 plus $1.50 shipping and handling. A new contingency program for selected Camel Pro Series events has been established by Polar Molecular Corporation under their EIf/DurAlt Performance Products banner. Awards of $300, $200 and $100 will be paid to the top finishers using Elf Racing Gasoline and carrying Elf /DurAll Performance Products decals at the August 25 Indy Mile, th e September 9 Syracuse Mile and the October 6 Sacramento Mile. Camel Pro Series competitor Tim Mertens will be honored at the 2nd Annual Benefit Steak Dinner which will take place at Rus s Davis' clubhouse in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Tickets are $25 each or $40 for a couple. For more information, call Russ or Sue Davis at 216/543 -1457. The half-mile oval at the Western Kentucky State Fairgrounds in Hopkinsville will be ' the site of the first AMA National Championship Vintage Half Mile on Sunday , September 30. Neil Keen, winner of the 1961 Ascot Half Mile round of the Grand National Championship Series, will compete in the event, which runs in conjunction with an AMA Pro-Am program. If you're interested in cornpeting in the vintage event on a pre1976 flat track bike, write: Russ Whittinghill, 2327 Brighton Drive , Louisville, KY 40205. John Ulrich resigned as editor of American Roadracing on Monday, August 13, to begin full-time management of Team Suzuki Endurance, or so says a press release ' from Vance & Hines Publishing. But according to a press release issued on Thursday, August 16 by Ulrich himself: "I did · not 'resign' at all; I was blown out, pure and simple." Says Ulrich: "I refused to believe I was on the losing side of a classic advertising versus editorial battle being fought in the offices of ' my own paper. Now I believe." Ulrich plans to continue his career as a motorcycle journalist and says he is exploring several options. American Roadracing will name a new editor in a few weeks, according to its release. According to yet another related-'press release dated August 20, WERA president Evelyne Pritz announced that WERA and Ulrich have: "agreed to establish anew, independent high performance motorcycle newspaper." The release goes on to 'sa y that more details will be announced soon. Team Kawasaki MXers Jeff Ward, Johnny O'Mara, Jeff Matiasevich . and Jeff Emig will sign autographs on Kawasak i Night at the Orange County Fairgrounds Speedway in Costa Mesa, California, August 24. Kawasaki will also sponsor a prize giveaway during halftime. Join Papa in heading out to West Valley Suzuki/Kawasaki in Canoga Park, California, on Saturday, August ·A ·Age~s out the vote M he 'AMA is once again encouraging riders to vote in upcoming elections with its latest "Rider Vote" campaign. In the past, the AMA's biennial campaign has used print advertising displaying the Rider Vote logo to remind riders of the importance of voting. This year the AMA has added the Rider Vote campaign button which is designed to be worn to the polls and display the "I'm a Motorcyclist Registered to Vote" message. The buttons not only remind candidates that motorcyclists vote, but encourage other riders to ' become registered as well. I ~ru II e.c. 80 < 61 14. w. st......IlI• . 01" 0 013011.111'. Robert Rasor, AMA vice president of government _._ ._.. " .". ,..,, ", .,.~ . relations, says riders should seek out candidates who hold favorable views on motorcycling and reward those candidates with a vote in the primary and general elections on November 6. To receive a button, send $2.00 to AMA "Button Up," Government Relations Department, P.O. Box 6114, Westerville, OH 43081-6114. T .,.. • • ~ A," e'lu n M OIOtCyc l,,1 .....oc t. lIon 2 25, where Playboy Playmate Teri Weigel will be autographing copies of the new 1991 Mikuni Fast Dates Calendar from I to 3 p .m. The calendar, which features some very fast ladies, er . .. make that very fast superbikes and some very attractive ladies , will be available at the dealer for $11.95 and with each calendar you'll receive a free 18 x 24-inch Miss Mikuni poster. It all happens at 7045 Canoga Avenue in Canoga Park. The first 10 teams that enter the 200 Kilometer Premio de la Amistad endurance road race in Satillo, Mexico, September 1-2, will have their hotel rooms paid for by the promoter. Call MaJCO Sifuentes at 528/416-3431 to confirm entries. At presstime, the September 2 Hungarian Grand Prix IS still in doubt. Although the Hungaroring, in Budapest, earlier complied with FIM homologation conditions, it has since deteriorated, and a report from IRTA after Honda went testing there before the Dutch GP means that it could be cancelled. The problems included white lines too far from the edge of the track, curbs that are too high, and a slippery racing surface. The damage to the surface came during a truck race, held after the FIM's inspection. The heavy trucks apparently compressed ' the surface; in addition, the trucks' tires consist of some 80 percent synthetic material, making it harder to clean off than the more usual racing rubber. Changes to the Armco barriers had to wait until after the Hungarian car GP, held on August 12, but reports in Sweden say that the curbs have been removed, and that track personnel were awaiting a special machine from Germany to clean the track and remove the white lines. The final decision on whether the GP will take place or not may not happen until 10 days prior to the event. Rumor~ that Honda is considering signing Eddie Lawson again were knocked on the head by HRC official Kazuhiko Tsunoda. "After last year, he (Lawson) spoke badly of Honda in the press," he said. Apparently, more than enough ' to rule him out of a ride in 1991. Tsunoda also ruled out any thoughts of Kenny Roberts switching to Honda, as had also been rumored. "Kenny has a very strong Yamaha image,'.' he said. Bimota's V·twin 500cc GP bike, originally scheduled to debut in France and then Britain, is now expected to make its debut in Czechoslovakia on August 26. The bike will be ridden by Italian Vincenzio Scatola. But according to a press release from the Macau Government Tourist Office, the new Bimota has already made its debut. According to the release, the November 24-25 Macau GP is likely to include "Belgian Didier de Radigues on the new twincylinder Birnota, recently launched at the French Grand Prix at Le Mans." Ooops. Cagiva's withdrawal from GP road racing, scheduled to begin after the Swedish G P on August 12, has been delayed. Both Ron Haslam and Alex Barros will join Randy Mamola in the last two European rounds after all. Mamola did not know in Sweden, however, whether or not he would be going to Australia for the final round of the series. "T hey've said not, but I don 't want to discuss it with them over the telephone," Mamola said. "If I can talk to them face to face, maybe I'll be able to persuade them to let rn race there." German road racer Reinhold Roth critically injured in a collision in th Yugoslavian GP on June 17, is stil in a coma, but has been moved fro intensive care to a rehabilitation uni with doctors anticipating a possibl return to consciousness soon. It is no yet known what sort of recovery th veteran 250cc rider can be expected t make from his head and neck injuries although there is concern that he rna be at least partially paralyzed. Australian road racer Peter Goddar is looking to make it three straigh wins for the Australian Marlbor Yamaha Dealer Team in ·th e..Sugo Japan, round of the World Superbik Championship, to be held this year 0 August 26. In 1988, current Rothma Honda GP star Michael Doohan wo the second leg, while in '89 Michae Dowson, who returns this year on Kawasaki, also won the second leg "Our team has a great record in rthi particular series, so hopefully I ca keep it going on this trip to Japan: said Goddard, who has already bee on the rostrum at Sugo this season . the FIM TT Cup. However, God feels his chances are better for th Superbike round: "Those Formul One bikes are lighter and faster tha the superbike I was riding. But jthi time we are all on equal superbikes Given equal machinery I am confided of doing well if I get a good run an a slice of luck." . om American' road racer Richard Moor returned from Japan recently follow ing a season spent contesting th Japanese F-l Championship. "M team ran out of money," said th southern Californian, adding that h was unhappy with his team's conduc because they made changes to the bik without telling him. Moore willrid a Kawasaki ZX7 in the September 22 23 WERA 24-Hour at southern Cali fornia's Willow Springs Internation Raceway , and is currently seeking ride for the September 15-16 A CCS Supersport National there. '11 , Kenny Roberts, Jr. made his motor cycle road racing debut at Willo Springs on Saturday, August 18 Riding a stock Yamaha FZR400 pre pared by Jack Calof of Exotic Motor cycle Imports and accompanied b Chuck Aksland, "K.RJ.R." won th 400cc Novice race. Asked which h liked better, Willow Springs or th Lodi Cycle Bowl, the 17-year-ol Roberts said, "That's tough to say. like road racing better, but Lodi i really fun." While the race wa Roberts' first on a full-size motorcycle he's a Yamaha YSR50 racing vetera and he also tested a Yamaha TZ25 at Laguna Seca earlier this year. American Road Ra~ing Associiitio (ARRA) number one plate-holde Nick Ienatsch experimented wi nitrous-oxide injection on his Stev Bigansky-tuned Del Amo Yamah TZ250 in an August 18 practice sessio at Willow Springs. However Ienatsch's efforts were not as successfu as those of Team Marlboro Rober Yamaha's Rich Oliver and Robbi Petersen, who have been using nitrou on their TZs to help cope with th unlimited displacement machines 0 their competition in the WERA F· US Series; Ienatsch's bike holed a pisto after just two practice sessions, and h opted to race without the setup. Chu - Aksland, son of Roberts tuner Bu Aksland, spoke with Ienatsch about hi team 's use of nitrous, saying that th

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