Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127556
eIN THE WIND e B Jeff Emig (Yam) won the 3rd Annual GFI $10,000 250cc SX Invitational, held at Perris Raceway in Perris, California, January 2. Damon Bradshaw (Yam) finished second, and Larry Ward (Suz) rounded out the top three. Erik Kehoe (Hon) was the winner of the 125cc race, ahead of Robbie Reynard (Kaw) and Damon Huffman (Suz). Craig Decker (Kaw) topped the 250cc Pro class at round one of the GFI Winter Series South held at Perris Raceway in Perris, California, January 3. Erik Kehoe (Hon) was second, and Mike Chamberlain (Kaw) finished third. Chamberlain returned to win the 125cc Pro class, ahead of Kehoe and Decker. Damien Plotts (S~) was the winner in the 125cc Pro class at round one of the 23rd Annual Florida Winter AMA MX Series at Gatorback Cycle Park in Gainesville, Florida, January 3. Mike Brown (Hon) finished second and Kurt McMillen (Kaw) was third. Brian Swink (Suz) was the winner in the 250cc Pro class, topping Brian McElroy (Yam) and Timmy Ferry (Yam). Rick Ryan (Yam) swept the 125, 250 and 500cc Pro classes at round two of the GFI Winter Series North at Prairie City OHV Park in Sacramento, California, January 3. Tallon Vohland (Suz) and Jeff Pestana (Hon) rounded out the top three in the 125cc Pro class, while Rodney Smith (Suz) and Scott Myers (Kaw) followed Ryan home in the 250cc Pro class. Ryan piloted a Honda to the 500cc Pro class win ahead of Tyler Hummel (Hon). Bob Moore (Suz)' topped both the 125 and 250cc Pro classes at the opening round of the CMC Golden State Series in Adelanto, California, January 2 and 3. Cory Keeney (Kaw) finished second in the 250cc class, with Lance Smail (Hon) notching third. In the 125cc division, Mike Healey (Suz) and Smail rounded ou t the top three. Healey won the 500cc Pro class on a Kawasaki, while Smail and Rudi Van Leewe.n (Hon) placed second and third, respectively. Dennis Hawthorne (Kaw) was the big winner at the first and second rounds of the AMA National Arenacross Series in Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, January 2-3. Hawthorne won Saturday's 125cc Pro main and swept both the 125 and 250cc Pro mains on Sunday. Jimmy Gaddis (Kaw) and Cliff Palmer (KTM) finished second and third, respectively in the 12Scc class on Saturday, and Gaddis went on to win Saturday's 250cc main, besting Butch Smith (Yam) and Palmer. Chasing Hawthorne across the finish line on Sunday were Palmer and Grayson Goodman (Hon) in the 125cc race, and Smith and Gaddis in the 250cc event. Recently-elected California Senator Dianne Feinstein has issued a letter seeking cosponsors for a fourth version of the California Desert Protection Act. To quote Feinstein, (the bill) "is nearly identical to the California Desert Protection Act sponsored by Senator (Alan) Cranston and 27 others last year...The bill designates nearly 4 million acres of wilderness managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It adds 1.3 million acres of national park quality land to Death Valley National Monument and redesignates the area as a national park, adds 234,000 acres to Joshua Tree National Monument and redesignates the area a national park, and establishes a 1.5 million acre Mojave National Park ... Enactment of the California Desert Protection Act is very important to me." Feinstein plans to introduce the bill on January 21. Readers who' are opposed to the bill are urged to make their views known by calling Feinstein's office at 202/224-3841. Date changes for both the Atlanta Supercross round of the Camel Supercross Series and the Gatorback National MX, the opening round of the AMA National Championship r25/250cc MX Series at Gainesville, Florida, have been announced. The Atlanta Supercross, which was sched.uled to run on Saturday night, February 27, will now take place on Saturday night, February 20, with the Atlanta Amateur Supercross taking place the following day, February 21. The Gatorback National MX in Gainesville will get the green flag on Sunday, February 28, with a National Amateur Supercross running on Friday, February 26, and a National Amateur MX taking place on Saturday, February 27. Finally, the Tampa Amateur Supercross that was scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 14, has been moved to the previous day - Saturday, February 13. A riders' meeting will be held at 6:30 a.m. with practice scheduled to start at 6:45 a.m. There will be no post-entry for this Clay-ton Foundation renders aid to two riders T 2 he Clayton Foundation, a non-profit charity that assists injured motorcycle racers, has provided financial aid to two riders who were injured during the 1992 racing season. Professional dirt track racer Davey Durelle of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was the first rider chosen by the Clayton Foundation board of directors to receive funds. Durelle suffered a broken pelvis and other injuries at last October's Pomona Half Mile, the concluding round of the '92 AMA Grand National Championship Series. The board also named Stephan Applebaum of Glen Head, New York, as a recipient of funds. Applebaum suffered a broken arm in an AHRMA road race at Steamboat Springs, Colorado, last September. Applebaum, who is an automobile mechanic, has been unable to work since the accident. The Clayton Foundation was founded in 1991 by the late Chuck Clayton and his wife Sharon. Helping out injured motorcycle racers financially is the main mission of the Clayton Foundation. When an injured racer's insurance runs out, and the benefits and raffle money that his friends and club contribute are gone, that is where the Clayton Foundation comes into the picture. Naturally, the Foundation needs all the help it can get, because it will never be able to do enough. There is a tremendous need for this Foundation and those responsible for it hope that everyone will contribute to this charity, now and in the years to come. All contributions are tax deductible and all contributions go directly to injured riders - not to salaries, fees or overhead. When the FQundation was founded, Chuck and Sharon Clayton promised to match every dollar col1ected from the public with their own. "I will see to it that the promise is kept," Sharon Clayton said. Send donations and requests for further information to The Clayton Foundation, 2201 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, CA 90806. Yamaha unveils MX team truck Y amaha recently debuted the 18-wheel tractor-trailer that they will be using to transport the bikes and supplies of factory team riders Damon Bradshaw, Doug Dubach and Jeff Erliig to the 1993 Camel Supercross and National MX Series events. Transportation specialist Pat Muras has been hired to drive the semi, which will replace the three box vans that team mechanics drove last year. "(The truck-trailer) will allow our mechanics to concentrate solely on working with the team's motorcycles whil,e helping our riders concentrate on winning races," said team manager Keith McCarty. The purple, yellow and red 70-foot rig features a lounge complete with TV and VCR, stereo, a microwave oven, a shower and a computer. The rear portion of the trailer has enough room fof a full-sized van, plus the race bikes and two workbenches with drawers for tools and parts. Kawasaki was the first manufacturer to use a semi truck for their U.s.-based MX race team. Honda and Suzuki will continue to use box vans in 1993. e.vent. For pre-entry forms or' more information on any of the events mentioned, call World Sports at 813/8940439. regularly. I practiced on a supercross track with Emig last week, and I could stay reasonably close to him, so I guess I'm going pretty good." And speaking of supercross, our 1993 Supercross Souvenir Yearbook, the official event program of the Coors Light Challenge rounds of the Camel Supercross Series, will be available at all Camel Supercross events with the exception of the Daytona round and at dealers nationwide. It is also available by mail-order (see advertisement in this issue). In the credit where credit is due department, the outstanding cover photo of Camel Supercross Champion Jeff Stanton was taken by Kevin Wing. We failed to give him credit in the yearbook, and for that we apologize. American Bob Moore, who last year finished second in the World Championship 250cc MX Series aboard a Chesterfield-backed Yamaha, has taken over the spot vacated by fellow countryman Mike Healey on the Beiffe Suzuki squad .. After contesting the 125cc series for several years aboard a factory KTM, Moore made the switch to the Chesterfield team and 250cc bikes in '92. While his runner-up finish in the series was second only to American teammate and champion Donny Schmit, Chesterfield, an Italian cigarette manufacturer, decided to downgrade t a two-rider team for '93, and Italia rider Alessandro puzar got the nod for the remaining position. Moore has been competing aboard Suzuki RMs at local southern California races, and says that he is happy with his new bikes. Moore will again campaign the 250cc series . 1993. Three-time 500cc road race World Champion Wayne Rainey inked a twoyear contract with AGV Helmets on December 23. Rainey will wear the new AGV Quasar helmet that wiH be released to the public in March. Former World Championship 250cc MX Series contender Mike Healey has signed with TUF Racing to campaign the National Championship U5cc MX Series and selected Camel Supercross events aboard Suzukis. After finishing a close second aboard a factory KTM to fellow American Trampas Parker in the 1991 World Championship Series, Healey suffered a dismal year in 1992 as a member of the Bieffe Suzuki team and decided to return ho'me in '93. "I never felt comfortable on the works Suzukis, and they wouldn't let me race production bikes. The whole year was a nightmare." said Healey. "I was tired of Europe and anxious to return to the states. I'm pretty excited about the upcoming season." Healey competed in the last two 125cc Nationals of the '92 season and finished second overall at Steel City in Delmont, Pennsylvania, behind soon-to-be 125cc National Champion Jeff Emig. "I've been practicing and training really hard," said Healey. ''I'm not worried at all about the outdoor Nationals, but supercross makes me a bit nervous because it's been so long since I've raced in them Motocrosser Lance Smail, who finished seventh in the AMA National Championship 500cc MX Series and 10th in the 125cc Western Region Supercross Series last year, will be campaigning Hondas baclsed by The Brothers, Devol and Pro Circuit in '93. Smail, who hails from Kent Washington, has relocated to southern California. He'll be competing in 125cc Western Region Supercross events as wel1 as 250 . and 500cc Nationals. Smail's brother Derek will handle the tuning chores. "The Brothers have given me the best support deal ever," Smail said. "Besides the Hondas, I have received a 30-foot custom trailer with everything I'll need." Washington State's Shawn Waring will join Smail on the Bremerton, Washington-based The Brothers team. Motocrosser-turned-off-roader Ty Davis has signed a deal with Kawasaki Team Green to ride KX250s and 500s in selected rounds oi the National Enduro, National Reliability Enduro, National Hare and Hound, National Hare