Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

I Ryan Hughes (Kaw) was the 250ccclass winner at the 19th Annual Kawasaki Race of Champions, held September 31 and October 1 in Englishtown, New Jersey. Canadian JeanSebastien Roy (Hon) was second, ahead of Barry Cars'ten (Suz). Carsten led an all-Suzuki sweep in the 125cc Pro class, besting Joel Dengler and Carlo Coen. Ron Tichenor (Suz) swept both motos at the AU Japan National MX Championship Series finale, held September 31 and October 1 at Fujisawa Sports Land in Iwata, Japan. Kohji Ohkawara (Yam) and Tatsuyuki Motoki (Hon) rounded out the top three. Recently crowned All Japan National MX Champion Jeff Matiasevich (Kaw) was fourth in the first moto, but crashed out of moto two. ' Scott Plessinger (KTM) was the overall winner of the Wilderness 500, held Septemlier 31 in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Scott S.ummers (Hon) was second overall ahead of Duane Connor (Yam), Doug Blackwell (Yam) and Brian Keeg~n (Yam). Seventeen-year-old Nick Pearson . (KTM) scored the overall win at the sec'ond-to-Iast round of the AMA National Hare & Hound Series in Reno, Nevada, on October 1. Pearson, competing in the 250cc class, outran Greg Zitterkopf (KTM) to the finish becoming the youngest rider to overall a National hare and hound event. Zitterkopf score the Open-class win on a LC4 620cc four-stroke. Third overall went to Drey Dircks (Hon), followed by Abe Bauman (Kaw) and Sam Key. The title chase in the Grand National Cross Country Series tightened up with Scott Plessinger (KTM) taking the overall win ahead of series rival Scott Summers (Hon) in Jewett, Ohio, on October 1. Taking throwaway events into account, Plessinger holds a slight one-point advantage ov~r Summers with two rounds left in the series. Third in Ohio went to Duane Conner (Yam), while Doug Blackwell (Yam) and Brian Keegan (Yam) rounded out the top five overall. Finishing sixth was Fred Andrews (Yam). John Myers (Suz) topped Gary Tonglet to win his sixth drag race of the season in the NHRA Sears Craftsman Nationals in Topeka, Kansas, on October 1. Myers clocked a 754-second, 175 mph run. He leads the championship over David Schultz, 1122-1008. Ted Wilkins (Rtx) and Lou Gerencer Jr. (H-D) won their respective classes in the AMA Pro Hillclimb round in Ashville, North Carolina, on September 30. Wilkins topped Paul Pinsonnault (Hon) and Rick Soter III (BSA) while Gerencer topped Steve Dresser (H-D) and Tom Reiser (H-D). Mike Hale made it official on Monday, October, 2, that he has indeed signed a contract to race a Promotor Ducati in the 1996 World Superbike Championship. "It's official and I'm really happy," Hale said from a car phone in Texas. Hale wouldn't give many details, and instead directed us to team owner Alfred Inzinger, who wasn't avail.able for comment. This much is known: The contract is for two years and it will put Hale alongside Troy CorseI on the team's factory Ducatis. Look for more information in this space next week. Road racer Mike Smith is still undecided as to' where and what he will be racing next year. "We have several offers," said Vic Karshner, Smith's manager, on Monday, October 2. "We're-waiting for details to get worked out. There's no decision yet. Mike has offers from factories in both AMA and World Superbike." Although Karshner wouldn't elaborate on those offers, it is known that the Georgian is being courted by both Muzzy Kawasaki and HarleyDavidson for AMA racing; there are also rides available for the new Suzuki. factory World Superbike team. Four-time World Champion Eddie Lawson was scheduled to' take part in a three-day test session with the Galles Indy Car team in Midland, Texas,'on October 2-4. Lawson will then head to Spain to race in a Marlboro-sponsored dirt track race which will be held in conjunction with the European Grand Prix in Catalunya, Spain, on October 8. Fast By Ferracci's Freddie Spencer will compete in the final two rounds of the World Superbike Championship in Indonesia (October 15) and Australia (October 29), according to team owner Eraldo' Ferracci. AMA Pro' Racing has announced some changes for the 1996 Superbike National Championship Series. The first change is that the 125cc Grand Prix class has been eliminated from the '96 schedule with the series now consisting of six classes: Super,?ike, 750cc Super. sport, 600cc Supersport, SuperTeams, 250cc Grand Prix and SuperTwins. In addition, support r.aces which were previously 75 kilometers in length (600cc Supersport, 750cc Supersport and 250cc Grand PriX) have been shortened to 60 kilometer;S. Saturday's program at the Nationals will feature 750cc Supersport, SuperTeams and two 250cc Grand Prix heat race$. Sunday will feature 600cc Supers port, SuperTwins, Superbike and the 250cc Grand Prix final. "We are constantly changing our racing properties, looking for ways to improve the program," said Tom Mueller, executive director of AMA Pro Racing. "Our decisions are based on an open communication with our road racing board and also through advice from our board of directors. Our most important vision is to keep focus on the 'big show: and that's AMA Superbike racing." Defending 250cc World MX Champion Stefan. Everts has left the JHK Kawasaki team in favor of a' RWJ Honda ride. The team,' which is based in Great Britain, will provide Everts with the only HRC-kitted HO,nda .CR250 in the 250cc class next year. Everts signed for only one year, as he hopes to race in the United States in 1997. Motocross des Nations 125cc class winner Sebastien Tortelli will remain on the JHK Kawasaki team through 1997. The Frenchman will campaign on a works Kawasaki KX125 next season, but will move up to the 250cc class in '97. IN THE:WIND Hancock wins British G~ title to Nielsen A merIcan Greg Hancock led countryman Sam Ermolenko across the finish line in the A Final to win the first-ever British Grand Prix at Hackney Stadium in London, England on September 30 while Denmark's Hans Nielsen (right) was crowned as the first World Individual Speedway Series Champion at the same event after finishing second in the B Final to American Billy Hamill. Almost as important as his victory was the fact that Hancock's performance secured him a place in the top eight for a direct seed into the 1996 World Grands Prix. Comirig into the night, Hancock was under pressure from Sweden's Henka Gustafsson for an automatic GP place, but the Californian responded in emphatic style with a superb display that saw him lead all scorers with 13 points for a spot in the A Final. He then made a dream start ahead of Gustafsson, Ermolenko and England's Mark Loram to secure the victory while Ermolenko pulled ahead of Loram and Gustafsson to finish second. But all congratulations were for Nielsen as the overall champion. The Dane made light work of securing the title despite an early scare when he crashed in his first outing. But nothing would keep Nielsen from claiming the crown, and it was a mathematical certainty after his third ride. Nielsen added the title to the two he earned under the one-day World Final format in 1986 and '89 as well as his victory in the two-day World Final at Amsterdam, Holland, in 1987 to become a four-time champion, eclipsing fellow Danes Erik Gunderson and Ole Olsen, who have three titles each. return to the United States in '97. It now appears, however, that the Arizonan will stay in Europe for at least one more year. Button will remain on the Magic Bike team, which will now contest the series aboard Yamana YZ125s, and will be joined by former 125cc World Champion Bob Moore. c1ude 11 races later il). Denver, Colorado, on March 1-3. Expert/Pro racing will be held on Friday and Saturday nights with riders competing for over $18,000. This is the 13th consecutive year for the Mike Kidd-promoted series and Jimmy Gaddis is expected to return to defend his title. Englishman Kurt Nicoll will contest the World Championship 250cc MX Series aboard a factory KTM 250SX. Nicoll's team will be managed by former World Champion Georges Jobe. Cycle World Magazine and AMA/ Prostar will hold the World's Quickest Streetbike Shootout on October 6-8, in conjunction with the AMA / Pro National in Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The competition is open to all comers, providing they hold an AMA/Prostar class 1 or 2 cOII).petition license and meet the rules of engagement. Bikes must be street legal and licensed, sell-starting and powered by production-based motorcycle engines. For more information, call205 / 852-1101. The Gary Bailey MX School will visit the newly opened Rainbow IT MX Park on October 26-27, and several openipgs are still available. The two-day class costs $175, and everything from bike setup to double 'jumping will be covered. For more information call 540/650-1759. In case the story on Brazil's Enduro Internacional da Independencia in this issue has you itching to compete in a Latin American off-road race, but you don't have the patience to wait until next year, we've got just the thing for you - the Central American Enduro Championship, which takes place October 21 in Costa Rica. The event will feature a loop of approximately 100 miles in the mountains around San Jose, the nation's capital. FIM rules will be used, and the entry fee is $30. You can rent a Husqvarna 350 or 610 fourstroke for race day at a price of $250. For more information, call Moto Aventura at 011/506/255-4174 or fax them at 011/506/221-9233. The Michelle Rinaldi-managed Chesterfield Yamaha team will consist of Yves Demaria, Alessio Chiodi and Andrea Bartolini. While Demaria and Chiodi will be in-house works riders, Bartolini will be a support rider. Sidi Boots recently called us to say they're expanding their motocross and off-road support teams for 1996. Benefits include reduced pricing on TA-2 and SRS boots, and the opporturtity to tell your friends you and Ryan Hughes are teammates. Interested riders should send a resume to Cary Pennington at Acerbis USA, 9402-A Wheatlands Ct., Santee, CA 92071. After finishing fourth in this year's World Championship 125cc MX Series, American Jimmy Button had hoped to The 1996 AMA National Arenacross Series is set to begin in Albany, New York, on November 3,-5 and will con- Though the AMA Grand National Championship season finale Del Mar Mile is the main attraction of the weekend at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, motorcycle fans will be able to attend another race on the night prior to the mile if they so choose. Promoter Chris Agajanian has added a show that will feature speedway motorcycles and Australian sidecars in the horse arena adjacent to the mile track on'Saturday night, October 14. Gates open at 6 p.m. with the first race set to begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $8. For more information call 310/547-9898. In order to make sure that the track is prepared as well as possible for the secohd running of the Del Mar Mile, promoter Chris Agajanian has arranged to have a Caterpillar earthmover on site L!') to assist in track grooming. "We want 0\ to make sure that the palatial facility ~ also has the best possible track surface for the. caliber of competition we have:' Agajanian said. "The earthmover can. work much faster and move more dirt than we've ever been able to before." Motorcycle Madness owners Dllvid and Jeff Kerr, and photographers Dan Mahony and Kinney Jones have arranged a deal to sell photographs of

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