Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

GIN THE WIND Kirk of Two Brothers Racing - the team that won." Graham also spent some time aboard a Harley-Davidson 883 in the Harley-Davidson Twin Sports race, testing the waters for the upcoming AMA 883 Grand National Series. Along with four other riders, Graham was involved in a first-lap crash in the rain, and opted not to restart. "I can't believe how hard I hit the wall," said Graham. "I went to the doctors to get my tailbone checked out and they told me it was cracked. It hurts a bit, but it won't slow me down at" Daytona - it hasn't affected my training at all." e Papa was impressed with the pre-entry lists for the March 5 AMA 600cc National Championship and March 6 Grand National Championship Series openers in Daytona Beach, Florida's Municipal Stadium. Compared to those of recent years, the 129-rider 600cc National and 106-rider Grand National rider pre-entry fields are quite impressive. Papa suspects that it is the demise of the Junior class that has caused the Expert class to swell. Also impressive is the pre-entry list for the opening round of the inaugural AMA Continental Tire 883 National Championship Series, held in conjunction with the 600cc National. That pre-entry list boasts 46 riders, including such notables as Jay Springsteen, Ricky Graham, Steve Morehead, Mike Hale, Rusty Rogers 2 and George Roeder 11 Heading the list is #IZ, defending Harley-Davidson Twinsports National Champion Scott zampach. Fans planning to spectate at the March 7 AMA Harley-Davidson Twinsports National Championship Series race at Daytona International Speedway have an extra treat in store. Scheduled to compete in the race are United Kingdom's top five Harley-Davidson pilots, who dub themselves the "883 Squadron." The British team includes National Champion Francis Williamson, Ian Cobby, Chris Dabbs, Graham Smith and Robin Kendall. The five Brits will be easily identifiable by their fuel tanks, which are painted with a Union Jack flag design. The AMA has revised both the 1993 National Championship Hare &: Hound and Hare Scrambles Series schedules. In the hare and hound series, two more events have been added - September 12 at Wendover, Nevada, and October 24 at Lucerne Valley, California. In the hare scrambles series, the November 7 round at Flat River, Missouri, has been moved up two weeks to October 24, while the originally scheduled October 24 Scottsdale, Arizona, round has be moved back -to November 7 at Wickenburg, Arizona. As this issue went to press on Monday, February 22, the AMA was awaiting lab reports to decide the fate of Camel CommoI)wealth Honda's Mike Smith, Tom Kipp and Randy Renfrow, as well as Yoshimura Suzuki's Britt Turkington. Smith, Renfrow and..:rurkington were disqualified from the 600cc Supersport final at Phoenix International Raceway on February 15, with Smith and teammate Tom Kipp being disqualified from the Superbike race held later in the day - all disqualifications were based on their not passing an AMA post-race check of fueL "Due to the complexity of today's designer fuels, we do an automatic lab analysis," AMA Director of Competition Roy Janson explained. "You're not going to be disqualified just on results of the field test itself. The detailed analysis is due sometime today and it will tell us if there were some performance enhancing substances used in the fuel. If the lab says everything is okay, then the riders will likely be reinstated. Although there is the possibility of punitive action for failing the field test. We explain the cost of testing. They can payor continue to go through the appeal process." Turkington, Renfrow and Smith finished second, third and fourth in the AMA/CCS 600cc Supersport race and when a problem was diagnosed in Renfrow and Smitjl's Honda CBR600s, Smith and his superbike teammate Kipp, who finished seventh and eighth in the superbike race, were forced to bring their Honda RC30s in for testing. Why wasn't the bike of Turkington's Yoshimura Suzuki teammate, Thomas Stevens, who finished sixth in the superbike final, also brought in for a fuel check? "The Yoshimura bike had already been loaded up," Janson said. "We'd lost its chain of custody. Once the bike is in the truck, it's inappropriate to do any testing." According to the AMA rule book, using illegal fuel can result in a 3O-day suspension as well as a fine. All the riders in question have appealed, and Janson said that getting an appeal board in place before Camel Motorcycle Week at Daytona (March 4-7) is unlikely. Understandably so, the teams involved have also asked that the appeal process take place after Daytona - riders who race while under appeal still get both points and purse money no matter the outcome of the appeal. The 3O-day suspension would kick in the day of losing the appeal, and the third round of the series at Laguna Seca is a full42 days after the Daytona 200. According to Camel Commonwealth Honda team owner Martin Adams, their problem with the fuel was a direct result of a mix-up at the Elf factory in Europe. "We ordered 300 gallons of fuel from Elf; the same fuel we used all of last year," Adams said. "It had passed the test a number of times in the past, so we ordered it and took it at face value. Apparently, they sent us the wrong fuel Honda has got their best guns w.orking on it and Elf is also contacting the AMA. We're not talking about a little fuel company here, but anyone can make mistakes. T accept that it's our mistake (for not testing the fuel themselves), but there comes a time that you accept things as face value." "At the appeal board all these things work in their favor," Janson explained on the issue of Commonwealth's dilemma. "But if it's found to be illegal, circumstances become rather academic." Yoshimura Suzuki, on the other hand, claim that their fuel passed the AMA test on Saturday, but not on Monday. "It passed the test on Saturday, but the same exact fuel did not pass on Monday," Yoshimura Suzuki's Carry Andrew said. "Maybe there was an atmospheric change. We use a specially blended F&L fuel. It's very close, but definitely legal. We've tested it numerous times. We went there (Phoenix) with legal fuel and it changed from Saturday to Monday." "They did test fine on Saturday," Janson said. "But th.ey were looking at fuel all weekend. That meter is very reliable. I can testify to that - and it was cleared and zeroed between every test." Gary Bailey notes on new SX track for 23rd Da tona Su ercross b Honda "Professor" Gary Bailey's creation for the 23rd running of the Daytona Supercross By Honda will throw a curve at recent competitors. Bailey, the track's creator, designer and builder since the inception of Supercross at Daytona in 1971, has redesigned the circuit. • "The changes to the circuit should make it better," said Bailey during a breather in the course layout preparations. "A lot of the obstacles have been changed and that should make the show better for the fans. It won't be any easier for the riders, though. "The course has been run in the same direction for the past five or six years. Now; we're running counter-clockwise. The start leads to a step-up jump and then to a triple right in front of the main grandstands and that ought to rev up the crowd. Rider strength and conditioning will again be the key to victory. We have a course that is nearly a mile in length with lots of whoops and a lot of sand. It starts out rough and gets rougher. The stadium events have jumps, jumps and more jumps. This is more of a rider's track." Team Honda's Jeff Stanton has won the Daytona Supercross for the past four years by outriding the competition. He's looking for five. "We'll get to see if Stanton can tum as well to the left as he can to the right," said Bailey in reference to the new course direction. If Stanton gets the holeshot, you can probably wave goodbye to him. However, if he gets stuck in the pack - as he has in past years and in the first few races this season - then we could see the race of a 1ifetime. . "Jeremy McGrath has been the sensation so far," continued Bailey. "He's a good rider and everyone expected him to win a race or two. Winning four in a row through the Tampa round is spectacular, but he's been getting the holeshot at every race and leaving Stanton, Damon Bradshaw and the rest to play catch-up. Daytona will be a test for McGrath. Well get to see if he's for real because this isn't a track where you can run away from the pack - unless you're Jeff Stanton." The Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association (WMRRA) will host a new rider clinic at Bremerton Motorsports in Bremerton, Washington, on Saturd<\y, March 13. For more information, call 206/972-4499. AMA District 37 will hold a benefit poker run on Saturday, February 27 in Lucerne, California, the day before Huntington Beach M.C:s Wild Hare Hare & Hound at the same location. Proceeds from the poker run will go to benefit the family of Michelle Hernandez, a 16-year-old girl who died from injuries sustained when she was struck by a motorcycle while spectating at the Prospectors MC Cal City GP last November. Entries are $10 each, and riders may enter as many times as they like. Winners will receive free entries to various District 37 races. For information, call714/944-3279. Starwest Supercross Park in Moreno Valley, California, will offer open riding practice on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.rn. and on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 714/855-2707. Despite an erroneous date being published elsewhere, the GNC International MX Final will take place at Lake Whitney Cycle Ranch in Texas on March 19-21. Seven years after his 1986 Daytona 200 win, four-time World Champion Eddie Lawson is hoping to win another as a replacement rider for injured Jamie James on the Vance & Hines Yamaha team. "It doesn't seem like seven years since I've raced Daytona," Lawson said. "It's more like yesterday to me. I'm looking forward to the Daytona 200. I've won it once; I'd like to win it again." Lawson has raced a Yamaha four-stroke twice in his career, winning at Daytona in 1986 and wmni.ng again at the Suzuka Eight-Hour in 1990. Lawson and Vance & Hines are also entered in the AMA/CCS endurance race scheduled for February 28 at Daytona International Speedway. "1 should get plenty of track time on the bike," Lawson said. "It shouldn't be any problem getting back into the swing of things on a fourstroke." A special ticket package for Camel Motorcycle Week at Daytona is available for $90. Called the Advance Paddock Tag, the ticket covers the road racing and supercross events at the speedway from Monday, March 1 through Sunday, March 7. The ticket must be purchased by Sunday, February 28 and is good for reserved seats in the Weatherly Grandstand for the supercross and for the option of infield plus paddock and/or Lockhart Grandstand seats for the Daytona 200 by Arai. Call the Speedway ticket office at 904/253-RACE. As a service to riders during Camel Motorcycle Week Safety-Kleen will make available five parts washers for use in the AMA garage area. The washers will be in garage 35A. Road racer Lee Shierts will ride a Kawasaki ZX-7R in the WERA Formula USA Series, according to a press release issued by Shierts, who finished fourth in the 1992 WERA F-USA Series aboard a 1340cc Suzuki GSXRlloo he built himself. Shierts will also compete in the Daytona 200 and the Laguna Seca round of the AMA Superbike National Championship Series.. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ COntinue on Page 21

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