Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

• "IN 'THEWINO' ·1 Scott PJessinger (KTM) won the secondto-last round of the AMA National Hare Scrambles Championship Series in Lynnville, Indiana, on October 22. Rodney Smith (Suz) finished second, followed by Scott Summers (Hon), Randy Hawkins (Suz) and Duane Conner (Yam). Going into the final round in Kent, Washington, on November 5, Plessinger holds a narrow six-point series lead over Summers. The final round of the AMA National Hare & Hound Championship was held at Johnson Valley, California, on October 22, and newly crowned National Enduro Champion Ty Davis (Kaw) scored the overall win with an approximately seven-minute .margin over rUT)ner-up Paul Krause (Kaw). Third overall went to Dave Ondas (Kaw), while the first Four-Stroke-class 'finisher was Jeff Capt (Hon) in fourth. Rounding out the top five overall, and first 250cc, was Donnie Book (Kaw). The late Danny Hamel clinched the series title in April. Two~time World Champion Michael Doohan won the 500cc class of The Big Road Race in Sugo, Japan, on October 22. Doohan topped his Repsol Honda teammate Shinichi Itoh and HRC's Tadayuki Okada. Marlboro Yamaha's Norifumi Abe was fourth. Okada did not ride the new Honda NSR500V, HRC's new V-twin 500, but instead was aboard a V-four NSR500. Shin'ya Tak.eshi (Hon) and Takuma Aoki (Hon) split wins in the ninth round of the Ail-Japan Superbike Championship in Sugo, Japan, on October 22. Takeshi topped Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kaw) and Aoki to win the first race, with Aoki beating Noriyuki Haga (Yam) and Akira Yanagawa (Kaw) to win the second leg. Emilio Alzamora (Hon) and Carles Checa (Hon) won the 125 and 250cc Open Ducados Championships in Jararna, Spain on October 22. Alzamora topped Jorge Martinez (Yam) and Valentino Rossi (Apr) to win the race, while Checa finished second to Luis d'Antin (Hon) to take the 250cc title. Robert Crawford (Yam) was the surprise winner at the October 21 Scott Time and Observation Trial, held in the Yorkshire Moors in England. Crawford's win came after event favorite Steve Colley (G-G) blew his chance of a third Scott victory by, incredibly, missing one of the 75 observed sections. Colley ended up eighth overall. Graham Jarvis (Sco) was second, while Wayne Braybrook (Mon), Adam Norris (Yam) and Steve Saunders (G-G) rounded out the top five. Mike Brown (Hon) turned in a perfect 1-1 tally to win the final round of the AMA Fall Classic Motocross Series at Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tennessee, on October 22. Brown beat Brock Sellards (Kaw) and Ty Wallace (KTM) in taking the win. Todd DeHoop (Hon), ninth overall at Muddy Creek, captured the series championship. Marc Colomer (Mon) broke the nineyear win streak held by seven-time World Champion Jordi Tarres by winning the final round of the Spanish National Championship Trials Series, held October 22 in San Fruito del Bages, Spain, and capturing his first-ever Spanish National Championship. Tanes held a one-point lead entering the series finale, but Colomer scored a nine-point win and wrestled the title away from the Gas Gas rider. The biggest news to come from the FlM Congress in Karlstad, Sweden, is the election of a new FlM President. Italian Francesco Zerbi, 63, was elected on October 20 by a 66-63 margin over current President Jos Vaessen. Zerbi, who will take over as President immediately following the Congress, has been President of the Italian Motorcycle Federation (PMI) since 1979. He has also served as FlM Vice President and FlM Deputy President. News from the FIM Congress includes the following road racing issues: The European Supersport Series, which will be held in conjunction with the World Superbike Championship, is now open to non-European riders; all circuits must receive final homologation at least three months prior to their first FlM event; the minimum age Umit will be lowered to 15 years of age for the 125cc class; 16 years in 250cc, Supersport and for sidecar passengers; and 18 years for 500cc, superb ike, endurance and for sidecar drivers; sanctions for non-complying fuel will be exclusion from the whole event, a fine of 1000 Swiss francs and the payment of all costs; repeat offenders will be excluded from the current championship and suspended from all current FIM championships; the TT F-1 Elf set for return to 500 GPs iter an absence of eight years, Elf lubricants is set to rejoin the 500cc World Championship Road Race Series in 1996 with the all-new Elf 500. The machine is a product of a collaboration between Elf, sidecar-engine manufacturer Swissauto and French chassis builders ROC. The powerplant is based upon. 0\ side...... Swissauto's successful V-four camcar engine, which has been paigned to three sidecar world championships by Rolf Biland. The most salient feature of the 108-degree two-stroke mjJl is its electronic engine management, a specialty of Swissauto's parent company, Wenko AG. Unlike the center-hub-steering Elf Grand Prix machine ridden by Ron Haslam in 1988, the new twin-spar aluminum ROC chassis will use a standard front end consisting of 36mm inverted forks. Elf says that two or three machines will be entered as a factory effort in 1996 and that the following year the Elf 500 will be offered for sale at a "very competitive price" to private teams. A g< Honda to race V-twin in 500cc Grands Prix he Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) will enter an all-new SODcc V-twin two-stroke in the • 1996 500cc World Championship Road Race Series, with Japan's Tadayuki Okada the man tipped most Ukely to' ride the new motorc cycle. The 100-degree V-twin features a single cranJ

• Cover