Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ner, with the top 10 in points qua lifying to co m p e te for $5000 to w in a t the World Fina ls in No vembe r at Gainesville Raceway. A Rehabilitation Trust Fund has been es tablished for Ricky Smith, jhe d irt tracker wh o suffered a broken leg and extensive damage to his arm in a horrendous crash a t th e Del Mar Mile. Donations to help with Smith's med ical costs ma y be sent to the Ricky Smith Rehabilitation Trust Fu nd, Account # 3390805566, c/ o Great Western Bank, 494 Nash Rd., Hollister, CA 95023. California Racing Club President Jack Barbacovi announced that the all-n ew over-and-u nder bridge at Los Angeles County Racewa y in Palmdale, California, will be used for the first time at the Oc tober 30 CR C Spo n sorsh ip Series op en er . For more informa tion call 805/272-8889. Suzuki has finally confirmed what we reported nearly two months ago, the si gni ng of five- tim e 500cc World MX Champ ion Roger DeCoster to help operate the ir MX race team. DeCoster will work as the team manager, and former manager Ray Tetherton will remain with the company as the parts and mechanic support speci alist, concent ratin g on the testing and development of th e team's factor y bikes. DeCoster served as an adv isor for Team Honda from 1980 to 1992, and has more rec ently worked as an ed itor for Hi Torque Publications and a team m anager of the European Pepsi Honda team . "I am eager to tackle the new challenge of working with the young, talented riders on Team Suzuki : ' said DeCoster. "All of the riders have expressed their determination to do whatever is necessary to be successful, and I am, of course, looking forward to working with Greg Albertyn as he makes his move to th e United States." As yo u may ha ve su r mi se d fr om DeC oster's statement, Suz uki has also confirmed the signing of South African Greg Albertyn, which we also reported seven weeks ago. The three-tim e World Champion w ill join 125cc Wes tern Regional Supercross Champion Damon :;uffman and Eastern Champ ion Ezra Lusk - both veterans at Suz uki. Other new membe rs include former Hond a of Troy rider Craig Decker, and former RRP rider Tim Ferry. "Our goal was to build a powerful motocross team for the 1995 season, and I am confid ent that we have done so," sa id American Suzuki marketing director Mel Harris. In addition to th e above-m entioned changes, Suzuki has appointed Hide Sezaki to he ad the newly created offroad department. As off-road department manager, Sezaki will oversee Team Suzuki's motocross program, and direct product dev elopment for the RM, RMX and DR model lines. A former Suzuki Motor Corporation employee, Sezaki has served at American Suzuki since 1984. H is most rec ent job as signment wa s assistant to the motorcycle division executive vice president regard in g motocross, off-road and dual s po r t deve lopment, and coordinated wi th Suzuki Japan regarding factory-b ike development and ra ce-team p erformance. "American Suzuk i is increasing its corporate support of motocross racing in an effort to extend its considerable success in the 12Sec Supercross series to the 125cc outdoor National and 250cc Supercross and outdoor National Series. We intend to once aga in prove to be a formidable contender in AMA professional supercross and motocross racing," said Suzuki Motorcycle di vision Executive Vice President Manabu Nakamura. Former factory Kawasaki mechanic Tom Morgan has left Performance Enginee ring, due to "d ifferences in bu sin ess goals" betw een he and his partner. Morgan says that he plans to pursue other business interests in the near future. Riders who want to prove their toughness should mark February 25, 1995 on Agajanian to head Paradama I n a bold step toward the restructuring of professional motorcycle racing in America, the AMA has named Cary Agajanian as the chairman of Paradama, the AMA's new independent for-profit subsidiary that will take over the management of all the association's professional racing endea vors beginning in Janua ry of 1995. Aga janian's appointment was announced by AMA President Ed Youngblood at a press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday, October 20. " We are especially pleased to bring a person of Mr . Agajanian's qualifications aboard to head up this new venture," Youngblood said . "Professional motorcycle racing is poised for tremendous growth in the United States. Mr. Agajanian will pro vide the leadership necessary to attract other top-quality people who can help the sport achieve its poten tial." . Agajanian, the son of renowned motorsports promoter, the late J.e. Agajanian, has been involved in virtually every aspect of motor racing, having been a racing team owner, sanctioning-bod y director, event promoter, race track owner/operator, ru les committee member and legal counsel to some of the top sanctioning bodies and competitors in the U.S. Under Paradama, Agajanian will assume several of those duties. "Ed (Youngblood) prevailed upon me to take this position," Agajanian said . "I did it because I have a great respect for the organization, and I saw that there were changes that needed to be made." Agajanian and Youngblood are now in the process of assembling a board of directors, anticipated to number no more than five, to direct Paradama, and should be making another ann ouncement as to who will be on the board within the next 30 day s, according to the AMA. "American motorcycle racing is at a crossroads similar to the historical events that we have see'1 fragment and damage other forms of motor racing," Agajanin an said. "Many factions are trying to presen t themselves as new sanctioning bodies, but the only tru e form of sanctioning bod y that will work is a profit-motivated, independent group of people who have nothing to do with the competition itself except in controlling it. This is the kind of structure and leadership that (Paradama) intends to provide. I am excited about the opportunity to head up this new project." Hamel wraps up fourth Hare '& Hound title K awasaki Team Green's Dann y Hamel (right) adde d yet an other AMA Nat ional Championship Hare & Hound Series title to his credit. Technically, Hamel clinched th e series title long before winning the October 25 National in Lucerne Valley, California, which was origina lly sched uled to be the second-to-las t round of the intended sevenevent series, whe re each rider's best five finishes w oul d count tow ards th e series titl e. But ove r a week before the penultimate race, the final round of the series which was originally scheduled to be held on November 6 in Carson City, Nevada, was officially cancelled du e to land problems . This meant that the National series was reduced to a best-fourof-six-round series, and since Hamel had already won four Nationals he was automatically declared as the 1994 Champion, the fourth time in as many years . Of the six National races that were held, Hamel won five and finished second once, recording a perfect score of 120 points. At the loos M.e.-hosted National, Hamel finished approximately three minutes ahead of second-place finisher Ty Davis (Kaw). Rounding out the top five were Larry Roeseler (Kaw), Ted Hunnicutt (Kaw) and 250ccclass winner Greg Zitterkopf (KTM). Davis ended up second in the series, posting four second-place finishes and one win over the course of the seaso n. Third went to Dan Richardson (Hon) who finished eighth at Lucerne. the ir calendars. That's th e date of the Gilles Lalay Classic in Pe yrat Ie Chateau , Franc e, Commonly pointed to as the toughest race in the world, the Classic will feature the top enduro riders in the world. For more information, call 33/ 1-46-56-5fHl4 or fax 33/1-40-92-14-30. The California Motorcycle Dealers Association has informed us that California Governor Pete Wilson recen tly signed AB 3717, more commonly known as the Gree n Sticker bill , in to law. The bill becomes effective Monday, Jan ua ry 2, 1995. Over 5000 signatures were collected and sent to legislature and the Governor. The bill places the OHV fund s in a trust op erated under the care of the Off-H ighway Veh icle Commission . If anybod y wants to borrow money from the fund, they have to mak e arrangements to pay it back within two years. Longti me AFM road racer Mike Summers successfully und erw ent surgery on October 20 to repa ir a badly damaged ligament in his left hand. The result of a racing cras h? Not hardly. Summers, a Sacram ento Police Officer assi gne d to the downt own bicycle unit, was injured in a fight while arresting a subject for sales of rock cocaine. Summers, the '92 AFM Twins Champion, will be ou t of action for about eight weeks . AMA President Ed Youngblood has been named deputy president of th e Federation Internationale Motorc ycliste (FIM). The appointment was ann ounced by FIM President Jos Vaes se n at the final meeting of the General Assembly . of the World Motorcycle Congress that took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 16-23. Youngblood has been a vice president to the FIM and has held a seat on its management council since October 1975. More than 60 nations participate in the FIM, to which the AMA is the sole U.S. affiliate. The FIM, which h as traditionally governed World Championship motorcycle racing, has in recent years moved into governmentrelations activity on an international level, rep resenting the in terests of the motorcycling community in road safety, land use and en vironmental issues. "I am honored to have been named to the FIM's second-highest post," said Youngblood . " I wa n t to use th at trust to ad vance the interna tional federation's broader agenda, which will include governmen t relati ons as well as sporting and touring activities." Af ter ex tens ive research in to its age requirements for professional racers, the AMA has modified its regulations for Hi- and 17-year-old professionally licensed racers. "There were num erous discussions at the AMA MX advisory co mm ittee meetings regard ing the AMA's minimum age for profess ionals, mainly as it applies to forma l education during that period," said Tom Mueller, AMA vice president of sports marketmg. "Our conclusion is that we want to enfor ce educa tion, but don't wa n t to' exclude this age group from competing. Much of our star talent is groomed during these formitive years." Beginning in 1995, th e AMA will require age-i nschooling certificates from all 16- and 17-year- old license d pros. Thi s certificate can reflect schooling via an accredited tutor, or through a private or public school system. To support this new prog ra m, the AMA will be aw ard in g a $1000 scholarship to the racer in this age group with the highest GPA in the '95 school year. "We'll apply the fund s to a technical school, or other insti tution of higher education," said Mueller. "It's a way to let these talented individ u als know that we care about their futur e." Sources in Europe report that American Tallon Vohland will be ridi ng with Stefan Everts on the JHK Kawasaki 250cc MX GP team in 1995.Vohland spent this season on a Pepsi Honda, finishing an eventual eighth. RESIGNED: PM Communications' Pat Murphy, who has acted as the med ia rep for the AMA Superbike Series. ~ 0'\ 0'\ ,.....; ('.l' l-< Q) APPOINTED: Kerry Graeber, as adver- ..... tisi ng manager of Am erican Suzuki . ~ I:i Motor Corporation. Graeber, who has Q) worked as Suzuki's advertising supervisor for the past three years, will direct all corporate advertising activity for the company's motorcycle and ATV model lines. ~ E Z 3

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