Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

·INTHE WIND . ·1 Jim Neese (Hon) won both the 125 and 250/500cc Pro classe s at ro und four of the Florida Winter AMA Serie s in Gainesville, Florida, o n January 29. N eese topped Davey Yezek (Suz) and Ronnie Tichenor (Suz) in the 125cc class before beating Tich en o r and Roy SneIlinger (Suz) in the 250/ 500cc Pro class . Earl May (Kaw) won the Vet Pro class. Six-time World Cha mpion Jim Redman will " p a ra d e " Tea m Ob solete's 1964 Ho nda 250cc six-eylinder RC165 d uring AHRMA ' s tw o-day vintage even t at Daytona In terna ti on a l Speedway on March 6-7 . Redman will be reunited with lo ngtime mechanic Nobby Clark, the man who recently rebuilt the RC165 a t the Team Obsolet e head qu arters in Brook lyn, New York. Scott Sheak (Suz) topped the 250cc Pro class at round three of th e GFI Winter Series , held at Perris Raceway in Perris, California, on January 29. Cory Keeney (Yam) was second, ahead of Anthony Pocorobba (Suz). Keeney rebo unde d for the win in the 125cc Pro d ivision, over Jeff WilIoh (Kaw) and Spud Walters (Suz). Wes t Racin g has announced that it has signed a deal wit h S.K. Wellman for racin g s u ppo rt th r ou gh ou t the 1995 motocross season. S.K. Wellma n prod uces the Velvetouch line of high -per formance b rake pads an d rot ors, a nd w ill be the West Racing team's main sponsor. Ma king up the Velvetouch race team are former 250cc World Championship GP Series runner-up Mike Healey, Ray Crumb , Chad Smanjak and Erick Hilton. The team will receive se con d a ry s pons orsh ip from Xtrerne, Inland Tir e Center, Sidi, Acerbis, PPS, ·M M F, Applied Racing, Motion Pro , Hoyesen, Pro' s Choice a n d Broth ers Ho nda. Th e Bridgestone Arizona Superbike Challenge - Phoenix International Racewa y' s professional motorcycle road race - has been cancelled for 1995, according to President Emmett "Buddy" [obe. "In the wake of the current conflict between the North American Super Bike Series (NASB) and the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) , cancellation is the only option for Phoenix Internation al Racewa y and its moto rcycle ra cing fans," [obe sa id in a release issue d on January 27. "We will not p romote any event in which the quality of racing can not be guaranteed. In light of the lack of progress being made, and wit h less than two months befor e the Brid gestone Arizona Superbike Challenge, there wasn't enough time to resolve the iss u es of sanctioning a profession al mot orcycl e series. There is no guarantee that the top riders and teams w ill a p pea r for th e . event. We wish to promote a Superb ike race in year s to come. We hop e that the North American Super Bike Series and the Am erican Motorcyclist Association can resolve their differen ces." Ph oenix International Racewa y was listed on the original NASB schedule and was one of fou r promot er s who had made a commitment to switch to Roger Edmondson's series from the AMA series. Those who had purchased tickets w ill b e offered a refund or a ticket exchan ge for th e Slick-50 200 PPG Indy Car World Series event on March 31-April2. Ru ss Wageman's Pit Pro will be on hand at the Fe b r u ary 4-5 Ad e lanto Grand Prix in Ad elanto, California. As usual, Pit Pro will offer a wid e va riety of service and accessories, as well as a full line of Pro Circu it exh aust p ip es an d silen ce rs . For m ore info rma tion call 805/255-5101. Desp ite sim ilar reports in several European publication s, and p rior confirmatio n from a so urce at KTM, it appears we were incorrect in rep orting that the Au strian manufacturer had purchased Hu saberg. According to Husa berg president, Sievert Westlund, w ho is also a major sha reho lde r in the company, discussion s between the tw o companies have taken place, but no agreement has yet been reached. "KTM carne : to us to d iscus s the possibility of a cooperation ," said Westlund from his home in Sweden on Jan u ary 26. "We have an open mind an d are al wa ys interested to d iscu s s these things, because production is an expensive proposition for a small factory like us (Husaberg onl y h a s 17 employees)...We have told KTM that we have some wishes we want if we are to New Montesa team rider Marc Colomer , go in to coopera tion, and they ha ve to con sider th ese th ings and see if they gave the Spanish factor y its first ma jor w ant to do it. We haven't signed an win in years by topping the field at the agreement, but we see it (KTM's int erJanuary 15 Veledrome de Anoeta Interes t) as a p ositive sign." Among Husnational Indoor Trial in San Sebastian, Spa in . Six-time World Champion Jordi aberg's "wishes" are that the company remain in Sweden, the name continue to Tarres (G-G) was second, topping Steve C o ll e y (G -G) , Amos Bilbao (Bet) , I survive and th at they have a s ecu re Tommi Ahvala (Fan ) and Dougie future. The two companies had also conLampkin (Bet). si dere d joi ni ng forces on ce before, in 1990, but KTM 's bankruptcy brought EBC Brakes has announced that th ey I things to a halt. But KTM h a s been will p ost over $90,000 in cas h contin- I restructured an d is on ce again healthy, a n d is ob v iou s ly interes ted in th e gency support for the 1995 AMA Superbike National Ch amp ion sh ip Series, I Swedish manu facturer 's ability to p rowith all classes featuring both even t and duce competitive - yet envi ronmentally championship bonus pa youts. "We ar e I friendly - four -stroke motorcycles. "Our th ought from the beginning w as that posting this amount as sup port for all the rid ers who choose to run EBC Brake I four-strok es h ad a better future th an tw o-strokes, and I think KTM's interest products at AMA National even ts," said Garry Gallagher, EBC Brake's road race shows that this is true," West lund continued . "I am more than SO, and I will be I.!') technician. "E BC is continuin g the ir h appy if I ca n se cu re th e company ' s 0\ lon g-standing sup port of AM A racing future. We are aware tha t our customers ~ with the largest contingency program in have to be sa tisfied for the future. They our company's history, and we ha ve a have su ppo rted us and we want to do multi-ye ar commitment for tr a cksid e service at all AMA National events. We . what is best for everybody conce rned. I are also continuing our sup port of th is would suggest to the customer tha t they program with a multi-year tele visi on should tak e KTM's su ggestion an d buy advertising commitment for our proda Husaberg." Westlund did not wan t to ucts on televised AMA roa d race eve nts gu ess as t o when and if a final decision wo uld be reached. through th e 1997 se ason ." For m ore info rmation call Gallagher at 206 /4661244. In other Husaberg news, the Swedish .I i 2 AMA releases National road race schedule A MA Pro Racing released its la-race schedule of events for the 1995 AMA Superbike National Cha mpionship on Jan uary 30, a schedule whic h features fou r new venues an d a return visit to a fifth site that was not on last yea r's calendar. The 10-race series will begin wit h the Daytona 200 at Dayton a In terna tional Speed way on Ma rch 12 before heading to Pom ona, Californ ia for round two at the Pomona Fairplex on Ap ril 2. Laguna Seca Racew ay will host the third round of the series on April 30. In diana polis Racew ay Park will h ost their first-ever AMA Superbike Nationa l Ch ampionsh ip ro und on June 4 w ith se ries regula r New Hampshire Intern at ional Raceway returning for their traditional Father's Day date on June 18. The sixth round of the series will be held at Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tennessee, on July' 2; Memphis held a round' of the series in Au gu st of 1987. The seventh round will be held at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma , California, on August 27 with round eight taking place at a new venue - Gat ewa y International Racewa y in East St. Louis, Illinois on Septemb er 3. The final two rounds will be held at new AMA venues - Firebird Racewa y in Chandler, Arizona, on September 24 and at Las Vegas Speedway Park in Las Vega s, Nevada, on October 8. Popular facilities not featured on the 1995 schedule are race tracks which ha ve given their support to the North American Super Bike Series (NASB) - namely the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Road America, Brainerd International Raceway and Road Atlanta. "On Wednesday, October 26, the AMA met in Chicago with all of the promoters who participated in our 1994 Superbike Series , and we presented them with proposed sanction packages at that time," sa id Tom Mueller, president of AMA Pro Racing. "Within weeks of that meeting, Cary Agajanian received letters from a number of these promoters, who informed us they no longer wanted to be affiliated with AMA racing. I'm reall y sorry that these facilities no longer want to do business with the AMA, but we owe our riders, teams, manufacturers and fans a complete series. Ou r onl y option was to d o everything in our power to deliver a strong National Championship. Over the past weeks, our staff has beenworking almost around the clock to inspect sites, and make all the necessary arrangements. I' m very proud of what they've been able to accomplish." "I wa s very saddened when some of our key sites decided not to continue with our AMA pr ogram," said Cary Agajanian, cha irm an of the board of d irectors for AMA Pro Racing . " All of the individuals who left our series are excellent promoters who manage fine facilities . But we had to mo ve ahead, and I feel that we have identified and secu red some excellent replacement tra cks that will compliment the traditional sites that have . decided to stay with the AMA . AMA Pro Racing is dedicated to the sport of pr ofessional road racing. We will provide a strong and competitive program, and will continue to build the series with additional events in '96, increased sp onso rshi p, and expa nd ed television exposure." Although many still believe that some of the traditional race sites such as Mid-Ohio, Brainerd International Raceway and Road Am erica may still come back to the AMA Series, Mueller said: "Legal hurdles are preventing us from talking to the promoters. In some minds, talking to them would constitute interference." 1995 AMA SuperblkeNational Championship March 12 Daytona Internationa Speedway l April 2 PomonaFairplex Laguna Seea Raceway April 30 June 4 Indianapolis RacewayPark New Hampshire Internationa Raceway l June 18 July 2 Memphis Motorsports Park August 27 Sears Point Raceway September 3 GatewayInternational Raceway September 24 Firebird Raceway October 8 Las Vegas Speedway Park manufacturer is planning to bring Belgian Joel Smets to the U.S. to contest se veral events during Da ytona Bike Week. According to American Husaberg importer Gary Surdyke, Smets will ride a fairly stock Husaberg 501 four- stroke in th e Da ytona Supercross, the Gainesville National Motocross and the Ocala Grand National Cross Country. Smets fini shed third in th e 1994 500cc World Championship MX Series . Factory motocross love a d vice? Team Yamaha ' s Jeff Emig and longtime Suzuki teamster Denny Stephenson recently se rve d as guest love advisors on Love Line, a popular nighttime talk show on KROQ a Los Angeles, California, radio station. Stephenson is almost heal ed from a broken leg suffered late last year. Stu Peters of Sunrise Valley Raceway has announced a nin e-round Dirt Track Motorcycle Race Series that will ru n from March through November . The series op ener will be held March 11, and Daytona Beach. Florida Pomona. California Monterey, California Indianapolis. Indiana Loudon. New Hampshire Memphis. Tennessee . Sonoma. California East SI. Louis, Illinois Chandler, Arizona Las Vegas. Nevada Peters reports that there will be classes for everyone on the quarter-mile clay banked oval. A special practice day and dirt track swap meet will be held February 11. Pra ctice will cost $20, and vendors w ill be allowed to display their goods free of cha rge . For more information call 619/246-7262. Friends of Charles Halcomb will host a benefit trail ride for the injured Team Honda rid er a t the Clear Creek riding 'area near Coalinga, California, on February 5 at 10 a.m . Riders donating $40 will be treated to a 50-mile' course, with a barbecue follow ing the event. All proceeds will go to Halcomb and his family. For more information contact John Haaker at 415/965-9732. Halcomb is currently recuperating at his Ne vada home from head injuries suffered in a crash during last November's Baja roOO. The first round of the U.S. Supercross Series, held in Or lando, Florida, on January 14, will be televised on ESPN on ' February 3 from 10:30-11:30 p.m. (Pacific

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