Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

1··IN·THE:yjlNQ: . ·1 American Trampas. Parker (KTM) dropped from first to second in the World Championship 500cc Motocross Series points chase after having a disappointing day at the Belgian GP at Namur, August 6. Parker scored just 11 points on the day while title rival Joel Smets (Hbg) went 3-1 and pulled out to a 20-point lead over the Louisianan, 276-256, with just two rounds left in the series. The event's'overaU winner was Belgian Johan Boonen (Hus) who posted 1-2 moto finishes - it was Boonen's first win of the season. smets ended up second overall, while New Zealand's DarryU King (Kaw) and Belgium's Jacky Marte'ns (Hus) and Ronny Weustenraed (KTM) rounded out the top five. The World Championship 250cc Motocross Series has developed into a two-man struggle to the finish between Belgian Stefan Everts (Kaw) and feUow countryman Mamicq Bervoets (suz). At the 250cc MX GP in Passau, Germany, August 6, Bervoets moved into title contention after winning both motos and closing the gap on series leader Everts, who went 2-2 on the day. With two rounds left in the series, Everts leads Bervoets by 18 points, 370352. Third overall went to Italian Andrea Bartolini (Yam) who recorded 6-3 moto finishes. Fourth and fifth overall went to Great Britain's Kurt Nicoll (Hon) and Holland's Pedro Tragter (suz). American Tallon VohIand (Kaw) was unable to qualify for the German GP because of a shoulder injury that he sustained two weeks ago at the prior GP in Poland. The Californian currently holds down fourth - right behind Nicoll - in the series standings, 84 points off Everts' pace. Defending All Japan National MX Champion Ronnie Tichenor (suz) scored the overall win at round 12 of the All Japan National MX Championship Series, held August 6 at Seto Bridge Park in Kagawa, Japan. Tichenor swept both motos aboard his factory Suzuki, edging out current series point leader and championship favorite Jeff Matiasevich (Kaw) in both outings. Matiasevich's Japanese factory teammate, Masanori Enomoto (Kaw) was third in both motos. With three rounds remaining, Matiasevich leads with 270 points. Enomoto is second with 197. The All-Star Invitational Hillclimb scheduled' for August 6 in Jefferson, Pennsylvania, was rained out. The dub is currently negotiating for a rescheduled date - possibly October 15. Two-time National Hilldimb Champion Carl Milton Wickstrand Jr., of Portland, Connecticut, died at home Saturday, August 5, after having been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor two weeks ago. Wickstrand, 58, won his two hillclimb championships in the early 70s, and he was also a four-time New England Hillclimb Champion before winning his National titles. In 1960, he earned the New England Enduro Championship, and he was a ~ long-time member of the Meriden 0\ Motorcycle Club. Wickstrand is sur...... vived by his two sons, Alan, an IsDE ...0 silver medalist, and Michael, and a ...... daughter, Susan Welker. Service will bE; ti held Saturday, August 12, at the Port::l land Funeral Home in Portland, ConbO necticut. Cards and letters can be sent to the Wickstrand Family, 42 Bartlett St., ....... Portland, CT 06480. .3 2 The August 1 Mark Gleckl Memorial Practice Day at Perris Raceway in Perris, California, generated $6000 for the Gleckl trust fund, intended to support the education of the Gleckl children. The event was organized by Mark Grandberg. Furth,er donations should be sent to GleckI Fund, c/o Farmers and Merchants Bank, P.O. Box 1675, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693. Rainbow II MX Park will have its grand opening on September 2. The allnew course is located in San Jacinto, California, and features all natural terrain, jumps, whoops and grass sections. In addition, pee wee riders will have their own separate course. For more information call 909/926-4646. Gas Gas export manager Andreu Codina reports that British journalist Ian Johnston has an excellent World Wide Web World Championship Trials home page. Full event updates, rider profiles and photos are featured. The address is: http://www2.wintermute.co.uk/users/ stoney Iwelcome.htm. Carlsbad Raceway and Racing Enterprises will host an open practice day on August 18. Practice is open to all riders, and full safety gear is required. The track will open at 9 a.m. and dose at 3 p.m. A $10 gate fee and $15 practice fee will be charged. For more information call 619/484-1441. Five-time 600cc National Champion Chris Carr, reigning 600cc National Champion Mickey Fay and TCR Racing's Kevin Atherton are among the riders pre-entered in the August 20 Converse 600cc Half Mile National in Converse, Indiana. For more information call 317/395-3803. A new off-road oriented newspaper for the Southwest area of the United States has been created. Southwest Off Road News is based in Phoenix, Arizona, and the monthly paper will cover all offroad motorcycle and- car events in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and some in Colorado and Southern California. For more information call 602/4375411. Former 50cc AMA Amateur National Champion Stephen Martin sustained multiple head injuries in an automobile accident on July 23 near his home in Madison, North Carolina. Martin is in good spirits, but will not be able to compete at the August 8-12 AMA Amateur MX Nationals at Loretta Lynn'S. Cards and letters may be sent to Martin at 407 puzak Lane, Madison, NC27025. Moto Liberty and Keith Code will hold a 12Scc Grand Prix riding school on Monday, October 16 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. The school will be held the day after tne WERA Grand National Finals. For more informa tion call 800/530-3350. Hundreds of motorcyclists are expected to ride through the tri-state area on October 1, joining BMW's Miracle Ride to find the cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The 60-mile tour to BMW's national headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, will begin at Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck, New York. Leading the tour will be former New York Ranger, Dave Maloney, and two racing champions from the BMW Battle of the Legends. The entry fee is $25 per motorcycle (plus $10 per passenger). Each participant is also asked to obtain sponsors to increase Riders off the hook in Las Vegas SX incident fter reviewing the incident that took place at the June 10 running of the Las Vegas supercross where five riders - Jeremy McGrath (right), Doug Henry, Steve Lamson, Mike Kiedrowski and Mike Craig - refused to race in the main event after the stadium's lighting was reduced after a power outage, the AMA has decided not to take actions against the riders. According to a press release from the AMA, "An inquiry board was formed to address this situation and an investigation was conducted to obtain information pertinent to the Las Vegas incidents. "Our inquiry board has determined that individ" uals who allegedly were a part of such rider action made statements that were consistent with safety concerns. The safety of our professional riders will always be of paramount importance, and as a result, no action will be taken. "However, new rules will bE! implemented that deal strictly with any future rider action, as such actions are taken very seriously by the sanctioning body, and are not in the best intert:St of the sport. Any riders or other AMA members implicated in such actions will be dealt with severely, and could be expelled from professional racing. "Throughout the investigation, our inquiry board listened deeply to the concerns of our riders, and it became aware of other complex problems facing the AMA's rider community. It is AMA Pro Racing's responsibility to enhance opportunities for riders, in order to further and better their careers in a safe racing environment. "It's the AMA's intent to exert leadership regarding these matters to resolve the issues that currently exist." A their donations to CCFA. For more information call Kristine Franco at 203/629-5353. Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commissioner Don Amador will join hundreds of other Northern California motorcyclists on Sunday, October 22 in a fund-raising event to fight pediatric brain tumors. "After riding in the first event of the 10-ride series 1995 Ride For Kids, which started in May with a ride through the San Bernadino mountains, I feel it is only fitting that I help finish this series by participating in the October ride," Amador said. "This series of rides is the only major source of funding for the important work done by the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States." West Valley Occupational Center is offering Voca tional Motorcycle Mechanics training, beginning on September 11. The center, which is located in Woodland Hills, California, offers classes which emphasize in-depth theory and hands-on training on motorcycles provided by the center or by the students. For more information and reg. istration procedures call 818/346-3540. On the form, fans can choose which one of the five factory teams they would like to spend a day with as an honorary pit-crew member - smokin' Joe's Honda, Vance &. Hines Yamaha, Yoshimura Suzuki, Muzzy Kawasaki or. Fast By Ferracci Ducati. A random drawing will be held at Sears Point and five winners - one for each team - will .be chosen. The deadline for returning the entry forms to Sears Point is August 23. Winners will receive two three-day credentials, a team uniform to wear on race day, access to the starting grid and hot-pit area, a tour of the racing facility and hot laps in a pace car with a professional race car driver. Winners will also receive the official Sears Point Raceway "Fan Pack" - consisting of a variety of se'ars Point merchandise. For more information call 707/938-8448. Road racer Doug Werdehoff is in a coma following his crash during CCS road racing at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, on August 5. Werdehoff crashed in turn five and suffered head and spinal injuries as well as a collapsed lung. He is listed in critical condition at Froedtert Memorial Hospital in West Wisconsin. Donations to aid Werdehoff can be made to the Wegman Fund, 3212, North 92nd, Milwaukee, WI in the name of Werdehoff. The experimental two-stroke Honda EXP-2 off-road racer that finished fifth in the Granada-Dakar '95 rally will be raced in the Nevada Rally on August 12-20. Scheduled to ride is Baja veteran and American Honda senior product evaluator, Bruce Ogilvie. He'U be coming out of racing semi-retirement to ride the bike and help Honda R&D engineers learn more about the machine. The EXP-2 features an activated radical combustion, single-cylinder, 402cc engine that uses self-ignited combustion at light engine loads to improve on the irregular combustion of conventional two-stroke engines. Current objectives are improved fuel economy and' drivability, with a reduction in exhaust emissions as a longer-term goal. The project is in the experimental stages, and there are no plans for a production machine at this time. Sears Point Raceway has joined forces with American Motorcycle Racing Teams (AMRT) to offer race fans "pitside" participation in the world of motorcycling on race day during the AMA superbike National Champjonship round at Sears point on August 26-27. Beginning July 30, entry forms were made available at participating Northern California motorcycle dealers. According to reports from Europe, road racer Alberto Puig is beginning to fare better following the severe leg injuries he suffered during his qualifying crash for the 500cc French Grand Prix on July 8. Puig has undergone several operations, most notably to repair nerve damage to his lower left leg and to remove blood clots. The Spaniard is out for the season but recently said he

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