Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

eIN THE WIND ~ ~ 0\ 0\ ~ ... L!) >- l-l ctl ;:l l:::: ctl ~ At the December 4-5 Gene va Supercross, former 125cc National MX Champ ion Ron Lechien actually sho we d up for the race on time. So, what's the big deal, you ask? Well, for Lechien it apparently is a big deal. This was the first time since his debut year there in 1987 that he wasn't tardy. According to an event promoter, "Ron asked us if he co u ld ride (this ye ar, despite turning in a late entry). We said yes, but that he had to pay his own air ticket and we would reimburse him if he arrived on time. He got here day early and we let him ride the track for an hour, as he has not competed in a supercross at this level for a long, long time. His appearance also created tremendous interest in' the local press." Lechien, the winningest rider in the event, once turned up halfway through the evening and was still invited to start the main event afte r practicing during the last chance qualifier. On another occasion, he arrived late, again, but this time without his riding gear. The promoters made a desperate search to find boots big enough for him. At this year's event, Lechien finished 12th on Friday night and third on Saturday night. a Guy Cooper, the recently crowned World Supercross Champion, will be unable to attend the FIM World Champions Award Ceremony on December 17 in France. The new champ had already scheduled an appointment for December 16 to have the metal rods in both his legs removed. Ironically, the ceremony had been delayed to December in order to include the World Supercross title winner, as this was the only series not already completed earlier in the year. Had Cooper decided not to keep his December 16 appointment, however, it would have delayed his plans to start his off-road career early next year. Maico is back. British rider Bri a n Wh eeler signed a two-year contract through a U.K. importer to contest the World Championship 500cc MX Series aboard the German-made motorcycle. Wheeler, who finished 10th in the '93 series, recently made his debut on a Maico in England, at a local race, and won all his motos. Belgia n Axel Holvoet will be saying good -bye to the 250cc MX GP circuit in order to compete in the U.S. for 1994. Ho lvoe t, 23, plans to contest the Western Regional 125cc Supercross Series as well as the 125cc Nationals, and will stay at factory Yamaha MXer Mike C raig's house in EI Cajon, By Papa Wealey fggram takes over .for Graham California. "I'm basically setting him up with everything,". said Craig of his new tenant. "He'll ride Yamahas through Kearn ey Mesa Yamaha, the same shop that helped me out when I first started." Michelin conducted tw o day s of tire testing at Daytona Intern ati on al . Speedway on December 9-10 in preparation for the March 4- 13 runn ing of Camel Motorcycle Week. Three teams, Dutchman Racing with Ray Yoder and Scott Gray; Valvoline Suzu ki with Michael Martin and Chuck Graves; and Team Moto Hypersport of Canada with Lynnley Clark and Neil Jenkens, were involved in the session. "Scott Gray got down to 55.1 (one-minute, 55.1-second lap times) on our endurance bike and that's better than what we ran here in March," Du tchman Racing team owner Dave Schlosser said . "The bike is in '93 trim . We'll go back to the shop and make it lighter and faster for the upcoming GTO Team Challenge Series." Michelin was represented at the test session by J ean Herisse, the head of Michelin's World Superbike program, and tire engineer Christian Pierre. In addition, Claude Leroux, Walt Shaeffer, Jim Rhodes, Steve Butler and Rick Lacombe assisted the two Frenchmen. Jacob B. Szniger, 41, th e brother of Dave Wolman, technical and marketing manager of Motul USA, died in Hollywood, California, on December 7 due to complications caused by the flu. hioan Larry Pegram (rig h t) w ill race th e Team Undo Honda RS750s that carried Ricky Gr ah am to the 1993 AMA Grand National Championship, according to team owner Johnny Goad . Pegram will join Brett Landes, who returns fo r a secon d season aboard the Undo team Hondas. "Ricky decided that he wanted to try his hand at road racing. and I support his decision," Goad said. "He'll be fine. As for Larry, I feel that he's the fourth-fastest rider in the country right now, and we should have some fun this year. Larry can do really well if he's healthy, and I think that he'll be in there for the championship in a coupl e of years:' "I' m very excited, and I feel like I can win," Pegram said. "I'm healthy, and I feel that I'll be racing some of the best equipment available. Also, I'm glad to be getting back on Ho ndas, that's something I've been wanting to do for a while now." Ironically, Goad and Pegram teamed together for a brief moment during Pegram's '91 rookie season. It was aboard Goad's Honda that Pegram broke his femur in a pressday crash at the Sacramento Mile. As for Graham and his plans to go road racing. see page six for our Cycle News Rider of the Year feature. O break and straighten the leg he broke in June of 1992 at the Du tch Grand Pr ix. "My guys at home are working on putting a thumb-opera ted brake lever on my CR so I can do some motocrossing. It's been almost three months since I've be en on a bike, but that's not unusual." Cycle Nuts & Bolts in Clarkston, . Georgia, has been awarded the wo rldwide franchise of G.M.D. Computrack, a computerized coordinate-measuring machine wi th a specific program for motorcycle alignment and geometry setup. For those of you planning to compete in the Alligator Enduro during Camel Motorcycle Week at Daytona Beach in March, you had better plan ahead. Only pre-entries will be accepted and there is now a 50G-rider limit. Those who have competed in the Alligator Enduro in previous years should receive entries in the mail soon; the cut-off date to return the entries is February 28. If you have compe ted in the enduro before and haven't received your entry in the mail by January 15, then call the Daytona Dirt Riders, and ask for the club's new president, Joe Van Seeters, at 904/2386055. Spanish road racer Jorge Marti nez will ride a factory Yamaha TZI25 in the 1994 World Championship Road Race Series. Martinez, a former World Champion, will be teamed with Japan's Yoshiaki Kato in wha t is Yamaha's return to the 12Sec World Championship. New Zealander Simon Crafar appears set to return to the World Superbike Series in 1994 af ter riding the Lucky Strike Suzuki 250cc GP bike for the last half of the 1993season. Crafar will ride a Honda for Team Rumi. Australian Michael Doohan expects to have the cage-like device taken off his broken right leg in the next few weeks. "It's healed; we're just letting it stay on a little bit longer," Doohan said. "I hope to get home around New Years and start testing the third week in January a t Phillip Island and Eastern Creek." Doohan 'has been rehabili tating in California since the U.S. Grand Prix in September, following the surgery to re- You've no doubt heard that for the first time since 1973, the Int ernational Six Days Enduro will be held in the United States (Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 2G25). But wha t about the next few years? In '95, the Six Days will re turn to Poland, where it was held in '87. Finland will hos t the ISDE for the first time in '96. In 1997, the event will likely be held in the United Kingdom, though an exact location has not yet been decided upon. For 1994, the FIM is cutting the number of two-stroke classes in international enduro competition to just two - 125cc and Over 175cc. The change is expected to increase the level of com petition in the normally sparse 125cc division. As reported last week, World Champ ion Paul Edmondso n will return to th e class, though the Brit is switching from a Husqvarna to a Gas-Gas. In addition, ' tw o-ti m e 250cc World Champion Giorgio Grasso, from Italy, will switch to the class. Grasso is also switching from a Kawasaki to a Yamaha, tho ugh he will still be sponsored by Jolly Totip, the Italian lottery. Swede Jeff Nilsson, a former 12Sec World Champion, will try to regain the title aboard a Honda. So you say you can't find a race tha t's tough enough to give you a real challenge? Blackwater makes you yawn and you don't even work up a sweat at the Six Days? Well then, perhaps the third annual Gill es Lalay Class ic is the race for you. The event - held in memory of the late French enduro cha mpion - is touted as "the world 's most difficult enduro," and will be held February 25 in Limoges, France. A full line-u p of some of the best enduro riders in the world is scheduled to compete, including Pa u l Edm on d s on, Stephan e I--------- -- ------------- - ~ - ----- - - - - -----~----------- - - - - - - - - - - - , ~ ~ SUBSCRIPTIO N ORDER FORM Name _ Address City _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State _ _ Zip Order Date _ Please start my subscription 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 class Canada or Mexico and all other foreign countries o This is a 0 New Subscription o Renewal o Please bill me o Bill 3 payments of $11.67 o Enclos ed is my check or money order Charge my 0 Visa 0 Mastercard • ~ Signature MC/Visa# Send to: _ Expiration Date ~ ~ , Inc. P.O. 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