Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ces for each broadcast of a n estimated 473,000 households. Broa dcast of a J u ne 8 race from Louisville Down s attracted 355,000 households and a .6 rating. The shows ai r o n ESPN at 9:30 p. m. Paci ficl l 2.30 a.m. Eastern time on Thursda y evening/Frida y morning. A 50-minut e highlight show featuring ac tio n from the 16-race Camel Pro Series will co ncl ude the 10-race Camel Pro Seri es package on ESPN. That show was added to the schedule followin g th e ca ncela tio n of th e Syra cuse Mil e. T he high light show is schedul ed to a i r o n O ctober 31 / November I. . Honda's uncovers 1992 CR250 A Ca lifornia Trail Rides promises " spectacular scene ry and great dual spo rt riding" for H i Sierra 250 Dual Sport A dventure participants. The d ual -sport rid e will tak e place over th e August 17-18 weekend, beginning o n Saturday a t the Inyo County Fairgro u nds in Bishop, Ca lifornia, covering- 125 miles 10 P ine Cliff Campgrou nd at June Lake where ca m p ing is a vail abl e (mo tels ar e al so avai lable nearby), and returning 125 miles o n Sunday back to Bisho p . For more informa tio n, call 714/846-1241. On June 20, N e v ada became the 40th stat e to leg isla te a rid e r e d u cat io n pro gram wh en Gov. Bo b Mi ll er sign ed AB490 i nto la w. The bi ll beca m e effec ti ve J ul y I , a nd t h e program is scheduled to be in effect by J anuar y I. The bill, introduced by Assemb lym an Doug Bache o f Las Vegas, adds a n additional sum to th e annual motorcycle registration fee. The monies wi ll go towa rd esta blishin g a nd maintaining a self-funded program of rider ed uca tion based on nationally-recognized standards, a s well as funding motorist-awareness efforts. As o f June 25, over 100 co m pa n ies, including Cycle News, hav e signed up for booth space at the inaugu ral Action Motorsports Trade Sh ow which will take p lace in Lo uisv ille , Ken tucky, October 6-8. "We're righton sched ule with ou r booth sales programs," show producer J im Lewis said. " At the ra te we're going now, I expect we will exceed o ur origi na l proj ections for both ex hi bi tors and boo th space for the show," The dea ler o n ly trade show will take place at the Commonwealth Convention Center in Louisville. Companies who som ehow mi ssed the flood of sh ow -ori ented material mailed out by Lewis Communications, ca n book booth space or receive more information on th e show by ca lling 714/680-4486. This yea r's exh ib itio n race at th e Au gust 25 U.S. 500cc MX GP a t Gl en Helen OHV Park in San Bernardino , Cal ifornia , will be the White Bros , Four-Stroke World Ch a ll e n g e . The invi ta tio na l race will o ffer a $3000 purse. For more in forma tio n. call 7 I 4/ 554-9442. t the June 26-30 Mammoth Mountain MX in northern Ca liforn ia , Steve Lamson , winner of th e 250cc Expert class , co mpeted a boa rd a pre-production 1992 H onda CR250. Th e bike featured an ent irel y new cylinder t ha t in cor porates a new- st yl e power valve, a new · front brake caliper, redesigned front and rear brake d iscs, a nd a triple-taper fork . The plastic was all new as well , featuring a whi te tank and flourescent ora nge fenders that were spra y-painted red in an a tte m p t to d isguise th e bike. " T he entire thing is bett er th an m y race bik e," said Lamson aft er scoring a convincing win in the final. " The motor is especially strong, and the bik e handles rea lly good," Lamson , a member of the Pea k/ P ro Circuit Ho nda team, nor ma lly co m petes on modified CRI25 and CR250 machinery. The Am eri can Historic Racing MOlOrcycle Asso ci ati on (AH R MA) a n d promot er Bob Bagwell are joining forces 10 o ffer a two-event National Championship Vintage Dirt Track Series for pre-1976 flat track ma chines. The AMA-sanctioned half mil e races will tak e place September 29 at Riverside Downs in He nderson, Kentucky (along with a Pro- Am race , swa p meet a nd o ther activities) and October 20 at Devil 's Bowl Speedway, which is located just east of Dallas, T exas. Three classes will be run 500cc OHV/ O H C and 750cc sidevalve, 75Oc ciOpen, and Handshift, Brak es will be optional in all classes . Though tire c ho ice will be at th e .r ider ' s discr eti on, wide rims will not be perm itted. To be eli gible, riders must be a t least 30 years old a nd have rea ch ed Jun ior class professional sta tus or have eq u iva len t experience. For more in forma tion , call Bagwell a t 502/444-7593 or 2 14/ 216-5520 o r AH RMA at 715/ 842-9699. There will be no cha nge in th e forma t of World Championship MX Ser. ie s r acin g in 1992, as far-reaching proposa ls by th e CMS , th e FIM's mot ocross co mmissio n , received a sla p in th e face wh en the FIM board o f dir ectors recently m et in Switzerland. The CMS proposal to ope n next yea r's 500cc class to 250cc ma chines wa s th rown ou t, a nd the FIM hi erarchy in struct ed th e CMS to rethink it s scheme to do away with th e 500cc class, reduce th e 125cc class to junior sta tus , a nd run th e GPs on a su pe rcross-type format which it had proposed to do ' in 1993. Discussions o n th e format of World Championship MX events after 1993 must now take place at th e FIM 's a u tu m n co ngress meeting in New Zeal and. It is beli eved th at a format favored by FIM Presid ent Jos Vaessen wo uld br ing together both 125 a nd 500cc classes , in separa te races , a t th e same GP event. California OHV fund injeoRardy again he Californ ia Legislature, which has set its sights o n reducing th e state's proj ected $14.3 billion budget deficit, ha s chosen Ca lifornia's o ff-h igh way veh icle (O H V) fund as on e of its tar gets. Lawmakers have included a plan in th e sta te's new budget proposal th at would rob the OHV fund of over $8 million. The budget proposal, which is lik ely to be sent to G overnor Pete Wi lson Ior final approval this month, would transfer th e mo ney int o th e sta te's gen era l fund . The move wou ld also scrap p lans for the esta blish me nt o f a new riding area at Otay Mesa in San Diego County a nd delay a number of other OHV projects. T he O HV fund is maintained through registration fees and fuel tax es paid by motorized recreation enthusiasts, a nd by la w it must be used to fund projects specifically related to o ff-road recreation. But according to American Motorcycli st Associati on (AMA) Leg islat ive Affairs Specialist Eric Lundquist, so me legisla tors continue to view it as an easy solu tio n 10 th e sta te's co m p lex budget problems. " Eno ug h is eno ugh," said Lundquist. " T he proposed transfer comes o n top of th e more th an 24 mill ion that state lawmakers have taken from off-highwa y rid ers o ver th e years. This is just a nothe r a ttem pt to force o ff-h igh way rid ers into co n tri bu ting more tow ard th e redu cti on of the deficit than o the r Californians." Off-highwa y rid ers ar e urged to join in th e effort to save th e OHV fund by voi cing th eir o p inio ns in a lett er 10 The Ho norable Pet e Wil son, Office of th e Governor. tat e Capitol. Sacramento, Californ ia 95814, o r by call ing 916/4452864. . T Tobacco giant Philip Morris is o nce aga in putting M ichele R i n a l d i , manager of the Ch esterfield Suzuki team ca m pa igning .the World Champi onship 250cc MX Seri es, under p ressure to swi tch from Suzuki to Yamaha machinery next year. The Italian team ch ief still hopes to stay with Suzuki, for whom he won th e 125cc World Championship in 1984, but Yamaha officia ls a re more co nfident than ever before th at the y wi ll aquire the services o f 250cc World Champion Alessandro Puzar in 1992, cou rtesy of th e tob acco sponsor. Philip Morris has a close relationship with Yamaha in road racing with the Marlboro Rob erts team a nd with th e Chesterfi eld-backed Paris-Dak ar Rall y .team. Philip Morris exec u tives have been aski ng wh y th is link is not carried o ver to motocross as well. Pu zar's co ntra ct with Rinaldi a nd Ch esterfield runs through 1992. T he other team rider co uld be 125cc World Ch ampion Donny Schmit. A Motocros s Chall enge eve nt, fea turing motocross, su pe rcross, beach racing, enduro, speedway, Superbiker , trial s and sprint events ha s been given th e go -ahead by th e FIM . The co mpe tition will be o pe n to two-man national teams and will be run on the Tuesday and Thursda y foll owing th e September 15 Motocross des Nations in Valkenswaard, H oll and. T h e venues for most of the activity will be th e Dutch Nations tra ck a nd Eric G eboers ' Olmen track, j ust o ver th e border in Belgium. Competitors will be required to use o ne bik e for all events, a nd it will a n event " ma de for TV" as no spectators wi ll be allowed. The general public will be abl e to see th e actio n o n TV. - - - - - - Continued on page -I r--------------------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM Name _ Address ,-- o Pl ea se bill m e _ City Sta te Order Date o T h is is a ren ewal Zip o Bill 3 pa ym ents o f $ 11.67 o En closed is m y check or m oney order _ C ha rge m y 0 Visa 0 Master card . Signa tu re _ L --,- MC / Visa Ii P lease start my subscription to Cycle News: o Every week for o ne year (50 issu es) fo r $35 .00 (can be billed 3 month ly pavrneru s) o Every wee k for tw o yea rs (100 issues ) for $65 .00 o Six months second class (25 issues) for $18 .00 O ne year (SO issues ). 2nd class Ca nada or M t'll i l 'O and all other foreig n cou n tries S75.00 (U.S. Iunds ]. ai rma r ·1 •'. C I3'-\ an d a rrma il rat" a vana bl(' upon req ues t, trM "ISO _ -,- _ Ex p iratio n Date Send . 10: Cycle News, Inc., P.O. 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