Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

sponsored by the AMA District 37, CORVA and two four-wheel OHV clubs. To obtain more information andlor volunteer, call D-37's Bill Howell at 714/944-3279 or CORVA's Raymond Davis a t 714/546-6091. Road racer Randy Ren frow will undergo major reconstructive surgery at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, on April 18. Ren frow suffered extens ive damage to his right hand during a preseason testing accident at Willow Springs Intern atio nal Raceway in southern California. Dynojet Research will provide free dyno time on their chassis dynamometer to racers co mpeting at the U.S. round of World Championship Superbike Road , Race Series in Brainerd, Min nesota, J une 7-9. Dynoj et also has graphs availab le free of charge for those racers who took advantage of free dyno time at Dayto na. Contact Dynojet at 200 Arden , Belgrade, MT 59714, 4061 388-4993. ' Though official records aren't kept on such things, many at the Japanese road race GP be lieved that the three wet practice sessions, o ne untimed and two timed, caused a record number of crashes. The breakdown for spills was 43 in the 125cc class. , 17 in the 250cc class, and 16 500cc cra shes. No table among the crashers were World Champion Wayne Ra i n ey, Wayne Gardner (twice), Sito Pons, and Doug Chandler, who was taken out by Japanese 500cc Champion Kenichior Iwahashi. P.F' Chili crashed three times on the same d;ry and He lmut Bradl twice in the same session. Bradl, who is contracted to Dunlop, was trying a Bridgestone rain tir e when he crashed after going th ree seconds a lap quicker on the Japanese rubber. ' lt now appears Australian road racer Ke v in Mage e wi ll get another chance to ride the Lucky Strike Suzuki. According to a Lu cky Str ike press release, Magee, who rode a 1990 RG v500 at the Japanese GP, will be aboard on e of teammate Didier de Radigues' '91s for the Apri l 7 Austra lian GP. Wittiest observation award at the Japanese GP went to Cycle News correspondent Michael Scott who noted that, in a press release, the first words " Lu ckless" Loris Reggiani said to the media about the '91 season were " I crashed because ... " Japanese GP WInner Kevin Schwantz was asked how he felt about the new FIM rule which allows riders to throw out their worst two fini shes, a rul ing many believed would benefit him the most: " I think, more than anything, the ch a m p io ns h ip should count every round. It might have helped me the past few seaso ns, but I wouldn't have won th e championship the last two years, " he said. " It would be nic e to get 13 wins under my belt and not hav e to ride the last two." Modified nenalties for Snringsteen I n a hearing at the AMA headquarters in Westerville, Ohio, on March 28, an appeal board voted to restrict a ' suspe nsio n levied against three-time Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen to road racing. . Springsteen, 33, from Lapeer, Michigan, ran afoul of AMA rules when the Suzuki he competed on in the March 10 Daytona 200 was found to have an over-sized engine. The bike belonged to Del Amo Suzuki of Del Amo, California. AMA's initial ruling in the case imposed a 90-day suspension from all forms of AMA racing in addition to disqualification from the event and a $500 fine . After hearing testimony fro m AMA officials and Springsteen, appeal board members Jim Mitrowitz and Jack Skutnik of New Yor k and Carl Reynolds of Virginia lengthened the period of suspension to prohibit Springsteen from participation in any further AMA roa d racing events in 1991, and placed him on probation for the balance of the season in other forms of competition incl uding dirt track. The fine and disqualification which w~re imposed by Daytona 200 referee Jerry McHale were not contested and those penalties stood. The appeal board cited mi tigating factors and Springsteen's unblemished 17year record in AMA pro racing in reac hing its decision. Following is the sta tement, in part, issued by the appeal board members: "The appeal board feels that the use of an over-sized engine in AMA racing is a fundamental and major rules infraction that cannot be condoned. "Nevertheless , we feel that various mitigating factors , and Jay Springsteen's unblemished record as a 17-year AMA professional rider, have to be taken into consideration. Among those factors are th at the violation ocCurred in a road racing event rather than in dirt track, which is the primary focus of Springsteen's career; and the fact that all evidence available to us suggests he was misled by his sponsoring crew when, in response to an AMA inquiry, he questioned the lega lity of his machine." The appeal board upheld the 90-day suspension levied on New Zealander Chris Haldane by the AMA after it was discovered he used an over -sized Suzuk i engine in a qualifying heat for the Daytona 200. The suspension was adjusted to begin March 28 and continue through June 25. Haldane, 21, raced primarily in his native New Zealand before contracting to contest AMA/CCS events in 1991 for Dutchman Racing of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Haldane was released by the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union to th e AMA for licensing purposes, and racing at Daytona was his first venture in AMA competition. Both Springsteen and Haldane used I I27cc Suzuki engines at Daytona despite engine size restrictions of 750cc for the Superbike class . . Former National Enduro Champion Kevin Hines will most likely sit out the next two rounds of the AMA National Championship Enduro Series due to a hip injury that he suffered at the March 17 Louisiana National. " I fell down in Louisiana but I thought I just bruised the hip or something," said the factory Suzuki rider. "But it kept on bothering me so I saw a doctor and he took x-rays, which showed a crack on the back of my pelvis; apparently the femur got pushed back rea l hard and cracked it. The doctor told me there isn't much I can do but keep my weight off of it. I'm hopeful I'll just m iss two rounds of the series, maybe only one." Kelly Andris, the sixth-place finisher in the 250cc class at the Marc h 24 1251 250cc National MX in Sacramento, Ca lifo rnia, was a post entry at the event and therefore didn 't have his sponsors listed. Andris ca lled to make sure we knew that he's backed by FMF Racing, Smith, Arai, Team Haastyle, Rock Oil and Jorgy's Suzuki of Stockton, California. Fans of the Triumph marque are celebrating. Under totally new ownership in a totally new manufacturing facility, the .Iirst made-in-England Triumphs in over a decade went on sale in Germany last week in the form of 100 " Firs t Edition" 1180cc, fourcylinder Trophy 1200s. served o n the commission sin ce 1985. John Motely was elected vice chair. PROMOTED: Scott McLemore and John Gillham, to the positions of associate producers of the Seals Communica tions Corporation-produced ESPN TV show, MotoWorld, and John Bonner, to the position of marketing assistant for Seals Communications and Mo toWorld. McLemore and Gillham assume the duties ' of former producer Denis Torres, who resig ned a week earlier. FORMED: Power-Mist of Ohio and Pow er-M ist West, distributors of Power-Mist racing fue ls and lubricants. Power-Mist of Ohio. loca ted in Belp re, Ohio, will service the Midwest, and can be reached by calling 614/423-8 741. Power-Mist West, located in Medford, Oregon, will service the West Coast; and can be reached at 8001648-3469. HIRED: Robert Galloway, to assist wi th production and administration for Seals Communication. Galloway is a 1990 graduate of the University of Georgia. FORMED: Rotary Performance Innovations, L td., of Clovis , New ' Mexico, also known as Team Roper, by Roger Pattison. He can be reached by calling 505/985-2374. ELECTED: Beuy Morris, as chair of the California Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Commission. Morris has RELEASED: Willie Amaradio, from his position as press reiations director for Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. First indication of Amaradio's departure from Yamaha came in an April I letter from Ron Crawford, division manager marketing, in which he said that " d ue to a reorganization here at Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., all press relations responsibilities will now be handled by the individual product managers." Later in the letter, Crawford said, ." 1 would like to take a moment to thank Willie Amaradio for his commitment to this function in the pa st and I personally wish him well." A call to Arnaradio's office at Yamaha brought a "he's not in today" which after questioning was changed to " he's been laid off." Motorcyclel Scooter Product Manager John Ga le was out of his office for the day, and we were unable to contact Amaradio." -------------~-----------------------------------------------------------, I SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM : Name _ Address _ City Order Date State Zip _ Please start m y subscrip ti on to Cycle News: o Every week for one year (50 issues) for $35.00 (can be billed 3 monthly payments) o Every week for two years (100 issues) for $65.00 o Six months second class (25 issues) for $18.00 One year (50 issues ). 2nd cla ss Canada o r Mexico and all other foreign co un tr ies S75.00 (U.S. fund s). First class and airmail rates available upon request. _ f o This is a renewal ' o Please bill me o Bill 3 payments of $11.67 o Enclosed is my check or money order Charge m y 0 Visa 0 Mastercard lItIIZ Signature _ MC/Visa # _ Expiration Date Send to : Cycle News, Inc., P .O. 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