Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

now take place on May 5. For more information, call 4 15/462-6824. Motocrosser T o ny H aynes remains hospitalized at T amp a General Hosp ital in serious but stable condition with a fractured neck he suffered while practicing in Florida on February 28. Cards and letters can be sent to Haynes at Tampa General Hospital, P.O. Box 1289, T ampa, FL 33601, or care of Ron Tichenor's Cycle Springs Yamaha, 37182 U.S. 19, Palm Harbor, FL 34684. Get out your 1991 WERA rulebook and make the following changes: the Honda Hawk 650 T w in will be allowed to compete in the D Production and Superbike classes. The WERA says that at first it was not eligible because it is water-cooled, but based on its pe:rformance, they have deemed it eligible. It is also allowed, as listed in the rulebook, to compete in the Formula II class. In addition, the Yamaha TZ350G and earlier similar model machines will be allowed, on a provisional basis, to compete in the Formula II class.. Since motocrosser Rick Johns o n has retired, Bob Hannah's all-time AMA National Championship MXlSupercross win record of 64 appears safe for the time being. Johnson was just two wins shy of tying the record. Jeff Ward is the next ' closest with 50 victories. Jeff Stanton currently has 24 wins, Jean-Miche l B a yle 13 and Damon B r a d s haw 12. Scott Summers named AMA ·A ateu m rSnortsman of the Year S cott Summers (right), the 1990 AMA Hare Scrambles and Grand National Cross Country Champion, was named by the AMA as the 1990 Amateur Sportsman of the Year. Summers, 23, of Petersburg, Kentucky, was officially presented the award by the AMA's Roger Ansel at the opening round of the National Championship Hare Scrambles Series in Rockne, Texas, February 24. ' It was on July I at th e Sun Valley GP, the seventh round 01 the AMA National Championship Hare Scrambles Series, that Summers undoubtedly proved that he is a true sportsman in every sense of the word. Amidst a heated battle for the series title, Summers carne across a downed rider who was badly injured. That rider happened to be the defending champion, Scott Plessinger, who had hit a rock at speed and crashed into a barbed wire fence and suffered multiple injuries, including broken bones and a separated shoulder. Summers immediately stopped and carne to Plessinger's aid, and even tually rode the injured racer on the back of his bike to where he could be transferred to an ambulance. Satisfied that the situation was under control and out of his hands, Summers re-entered the race and finished a remarkable third overall. "I must hav e given up about 100 positions, but it was obvious what was more important," said Summers following the race. The Midwest Racing Association (MRA) has won a legal battle with the community surrounding Irish Hills Moto P ark in Clinton, Michigan, and after being closed for three years the facility will r e o pen with an MX on May 25-26. For more information, call the MRA at 313/289-2100. Motocrosser B ob Hannah will be flying to Japan on March 22 to test the 1993 Suzuki motocrossers. Hannah will remain in Japan until April 10. Cycle News cont ribu tor Alan Ca thcart , crashed his $40,000 Ducatipowered Bimota Tesi during qualifying, grinding a hole in one of the left It's officialLlohnson retires u lt i-time Supercross and National Champion Rick Johnson announced at the March 9 Daytona Supercross that he has officially retired from motorcycle racing. The announcement came after a recentseries of signs that his wrist injury is getting worse. "As everyone knows, the injuries I received in 1989 and 1990 (to my right wrist) have been ttoubling me ever since," said Johnson . " I' ve always felt, in my racing, that I needed to move on or get stagnant. I've talked to several different doctors, but they've all given me the same opinion. The bones in my wrist are fusing together arid there's nothing that can be done. It's not my style to run around in 10th place, so I've decided .to step down and retire from racing supercross (and motocross), and move on to, hopefully, bigger and better things." Johnson announced that he has plans to race cars. The day after last year 's U.S. 500cc MX Grand Prix in San Bernardino, California, Johnson went offroad testing with Toyota and his lap times were reportedly comparable to offroad legend Ivan Stewart's. J o hnson also just completed working out a new contract with Honda. Because he will not be racing, his competition contract has been reworked int o one that will require him to do public relations work as well as testing on the 1992 CR motocross lineup . "We came up with a settlement that is good, " said Johnson. " I'm not getting paid my full contract price - that suits both of us." Although the new contract with Honda runs through the end of the year, Johnson says it allows him to compete in auto races, but not to work for another motorcycle manufacturer. "I don't know what will happen this year. I may race some Mickey Thompson (Off-Road Championship Gran Prix) events th is year. It is kind of tough because they (Toyota) just hired a new driver and it's midseason. "Eventually I would like to get into NASCAR racing. You get the bumping and grinding - it's just a bunch of good 01' boys who can driv e the wh eels off of cars ." M I front swing arms. Though the bike 'could have been fixed, Catchart was forced to scratch du e to a hairline crack in his right wrist that he suffered in the get-off. He 'd qualified eighth fastest for the Pro Twins GPI race. An estimated 500,000 people were on hand for th e 50th Cy cle Week festivities in Da ytona Beach , Florida. Next to spring break, which attracts college students from all over th e world, Cycle Week is the largest event to hit the city each year. There is a strong possibility that motocross er Guy Cooper wi ll attempt to qualify for the 1994 ISDE in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "I went to the Alliga tor Enduro this week with (Natio nal Enduro Champion) Randy Hawkins and had a good time," sa id Cooper. "I view myself more as a . motorcyclist than a motocrosser and would like to get more involved in other areas of the sport. " Cooper, the 1990 125cc MX National Champion, said he would like to cut back his motocross efforts next year by campaigning the 125cc National Championship MX Series and competing in just a select number of supercrosses. He said he would like. to compete in the Alligator Enduro, the Blackwater 100, and a few ISDE Qual ifiers next year. . providing he is able to work things out with Suzuki. Cooper's father, 74-year-old Charles Coo per, rode a lap around the Gatorback Cycle Park track in Gainesville, Florida, on a 1949 Indian Warrior during a practice session for National riders March 3 125/250cc Nat ional MX. The elder Cooper rode the Indian in the 1961 Jack Pine Enduro. If J e ff S tan ton needed an y extra incentive to win the Daytona Supercross, it was posted in side his box van. The morning of the race, Stanton's tuner Dan Belly hung a blow-up of a Damon Bradshaw quote regarding Stanton whi ch appeared in Dirt Rider magazine. When multi-time Supercross and National MX Champion Rick Johnson saw the quote he immediately underlined a portion that read , " He (Stan ton) doesn 't have any talent or finesse whatsoever ...he 's got to watch me do it, or a rider that's got talent." Later that day Stanton won his third consecutive Daytona Supercross, Bradshaw finished 12th. Stanton wouldn 't commen t on the quote, but Johnson said jokingly "It's true, " He then looked at Stanton and smiled. Our condolences go out to the Penton family. John Penton's brother B ill P e n ton , the winner of the first Jack Pine Enduro, su ffered a fata l heart attack on Friday morning, March 8. Ted Pento n, anoth er of J ohn 's broth ers, died in January. ~------------------------------------ - -- ---------- - - -~-------- ------ --~---- SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM Name --:-_ _ Address _ City State Order Date Zip _ Please start m y subscription to Cycle N ews: [J Every week for one year (50 issues) for $35.00 (can be billed 3 monthly payments) [J Every week for tw o years (100 iss ues) for $65.00 [J Six mon ths seco nd class (25 issues) for $18.00 I I I One year (50 i..ues), 2nd dass Canada or Mexico and all other foreign countries $75,00 (U .S. funds). FiJJt class and ainnaiJ rates available upon request, ,. This is a renewal Please bill me [J Bill 3 payments of $11.67 o Enclosed is my check or money order Charge my [J Visa 0 Mastercard :r. ~ [J [J _ ( Signature _ MC/Visa # _ Expiration Date Send to : Cycle News, Inc., P .O. Bo x 498, Long Beach , CA 90801 -0498 213/427-7433 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------. 3

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