Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127756
IN'THEWIND A t least one dirt track team has con-' firmed its roster for the 1996 AMA Grand National Championship' Series. Spectro/Moroney's Harley-Davidson owner Pat Moroney announced that the shop will campaign three riders in '96 with a much more focused program than in years past. Mike Hacker and Jason Fletcher will return to the te'am and will be joined by Nate "Gator" Wait. The former Mitchell's HarleyDavidson of Modesto 883 rider, who replaces the departed Georgie Price IV, will make his 750 debut with the team, dividing his time between a Spectro/ Moroney's XR750 on the half miles and a Harley-Davidson of Missouri XR750 miler bearing Moroney's colors. Moroney has enlisted fabled engine man Carl Patrick to build engines for the team, and former Roeder H-D wrench Doug Fay will travel with Hacker and Wait to handle mainteJ;lance chores on the road. Fletcher will again utilize the services of mechanic Gary Edmonds. All three riders will compete in the AMA 883cc National Series of which Hacker is the reigning champion. ''I'm not really spending any more money," Moroney said. "It's just that I'm not going to go road racing, so I'll be spending money on three riders instead of five. I just want to concentrate 100-percent on dirt track. Mike's looking for his first win on a 750, and he wants to finish in the top five at the end of the year. That's our main goal. Jason will be competing the full season, so he will have more momentum this year. And I think that Gator is going to surprise a lot of people. In the 883 class, we'll be looking to fill the podium in every race." Fred Merkel fans wishing to write to the recently retired former World Superbike Champion can do so at the following address: Ellite Cprp., Suite C300, 3422 W. Hammer Lane, Stockton, CA 95219. Merkel is. currently recuperating from the injuries he suffered in the final round of the AMA 750cc Supersport Series.in Chandler, Arizona. The Willow Springs Motorcycle Club now has a fax-on-demand information system available 24 hours a day. The WSMC RaceFaxBack currently features the 1996 WSMC racing schedule, the 1996 Willow Springs Raceway track schedule, the current WSMC top five expert-class points and top 10 overall points, upcoming events and a Willow Springs Raceway track map. The number is 805/256-1583. The Willow Springs Track Office phone number is unchanged at 805/256-9140. The National 4·H Council, in partnership with the National Off-Highway Conservation Council (NOHVCC), has announced the formation of the National Youth Off-Highway Vehicle Vision Team. The team will consist of 10-15 youths from across the nation who will take a hands-on role in identifying, discussing, and taking action on OHV issues important to young riders. The team members will meet for the first time in Washington, DC, at the National 4-H Center in February, 1996. NOHVCC is a non-profit corporation concerned with the future of offhighway vehicle recreation. Thousand Oaks Yamaha/Kawasaki/ KTM will be the title sponsor of the 3rd Annual Shane Trittler Presents SSC Winter Warm Up Series. A new 1996 Yamaha YZ125 will be up for grabs, as well as Yamaha contingency good at the dealership. The three-round series kicks off November 19 at Castaic MX Park in Castaic, California, and continues on December 3 at the Gorman MX Park in Gorman, California. The series concludes on December 10 at Castaic. The Castaic MX track will be extended for the series races, and will rou te riders through the di tches and hills in the area surrounding the normal stadium-type course. Promoter Shane Trittler is offering a money-back guarantee that the new track is the best around. For more information, call 805/.294-0020. Three-time World Champion Greg AIbertyn has re-signed with Bieffe Helmets for the 1996 season, and will once again be outfitted, head-to-toe, in Bieffe riding gear. Road race mechanic Mike Rockwell has announced that he has left Ch.afong Rac- Davis, Hunnicutt, Krause win Baja 1000 or the eighth straight time, Kawasaki Team Green riders scored the overall and Oass 22 (5OOcc) win at the 28th running of the SCORE Baja 1000, in B.c., Mexico. The winning team made up of National Enduro Champion Ty Davis, Ted Hunnicutt and Paul Krause, finished the 1142 mile race in 19 hours and 31 minutes, with a speed average of 58.7 mph. After nearly 20 hours of racing, the Kawasaki KX500mounted team took the checkered flag with just eight minutes to spare over the runner-up Honda team consisting of Johnny Campbell and Jimmy Lewis. Riding a Honda XR628, Campbell and Lewis officially completed the race in 19 hours and 39 minutes. Kawasaki also took third-place honors in the hands of Scott Morris, Dave Ondas and Craig Smith..The trio completed the race in 20 hours and 17 minutes, finishing a comfortable 38 nunutes ahead of the fourth-place team made up of Honda riders Jeff Capt, Davide Troill and Drey Dircks. Rounding out the top five overall was the first Class 21 (25Occ) team of Tim Morton and Steve Hengeveld. Their average speed was 51.8 mph. Marc Burnett and Joey Lane combined efforts to win Class 20 (125cc), finish109 27th overall on a Kawasaki KXl25. In Class 40 (riders 40 years of age and over), Bob Rutten and Bob Johnson, riding a Honda XR400, scored the win, while Honda XR600 riders Jim Moore and Zane Prather took the Class 50 (riders 50 years of age and over)wm. This year's event started, for the first time since the first Baja 1000 race in 1967, in Tijuana, and finished in LaPaz. Ty Dav~ passed Johnny Campbell approximately 15 mmutes mto the race and held the phySIcal lead for the duration of the race. Davis, Hunnicutt and Krause also beat the top-finishing four-wheel vehicle, a truck diven by Larry Ragland, by apprOximately 30 minutes on adjusted time. Honda entered its experimental EXP-2 400cc two-stroke motorcycle in the race. Riders Chuck Miller, Paul Ostbo and Greg Brindle rode the EXP-2 Honda to seventh overall and first place in Class 30 (riders 30 years of age and over). F Supercross: newagreement record urses A MA Pro Racing, PACE SuperSports and SRO Motorsports have signed a multiyear agreement for the AMA Supercross Series. The seven-year agreement becomes effective with the 1996 season and will carryover to the year 2002. In addition, the producers of the AMA Supercros~ Series have announced a record purse for the 1996 series - which will include $780,000 in event purses and a rider point fund of $100,000 posted by PACE SuperSports, SRO Motorsports and the International Speedway Corporation. "The agreement begins a new chapter in the sport of supercross," said Charlie Mancuso, president of SRO Motorsports. "We are all confident that with it will come a period of greater communication and cooperation among aU entities, including the riders and teams, factories and sponsors. More importantly, this pact will give the sport of supercross the needed stability to grow and prosper into the next century." Representing the. AMA in negotiations with the supercross producers was Russ Deane, vice chairman of AMA fro Racing. "With the race track experience of the AMA to direct the competition activity, and the marketing expertise of SRO and PACE to produce events, we have assembled a formidable team to help supercross maintain the growth that it has enjoyed over the past two decades," Deane said. "The AMA is excited about the opportunities that come with this renewed relationship between the AMA and its promoters." In addition to the increased event purses, the Supercross Contingency Program, which paid out an additional $395,000 to participants in the 1995 125 and 250cc classes, will continue. . . According to Roy Janson, director of supercross for SRO and PACE, the goal for 1996 is to raise the total prize fund to $1.5 million in purse and contingencies. "We.are excited that through the combined efforts of the AMA, the event producers and seIles contingency sponsors, we are able to reach record levels of rider support," Janson said. "And we believe that the 1996 series will be the best ever." In addition, the 15-round series features some changes from the one published a few weeks ago. The 1996 AMA Supercross Series schedule is as follows: January 13 - Orlando, Florida; January 20 - Minneapolis, Minnesota; January 27 - Anaheim, California; February 3 - Seattle, Washington; February 10 - San Diego, California; February 24Atlanta, Georgia; March 9 - Daytona Beach, Florida; March 16 - Houston, Texas; March 23 - Dallas, Texas; March 30 - Indianapolis, Indiana; April 6 - Tampa, Florida; April 13 Pontiac, Michigan; April 20 - Charlotte, North Carolina; April 27 - St. Louis, Missouri; May 18 - Cleveland, Orno. The St. Louis and Cleveland rounds are currently being listed by the AMA and event producers as tentative. ing to pursue other in.terests. He can be reached at Rocket Racing at 407/9666962. Dee Lower, Huntington Beach motorcycle mechanic and fixture of the Southern California motorcycling scene, has passed away. Lower died November 5 of an apparent heart attack while riding in the Mojave Desert with friends. On November 19 his remains will be laid to rest in the hills he climbed virtually every Sunday for the past 30 years. For those wishing to take part in the ceremony and ride, call Jim Tharpley at 714/821-8528 for more information. Kenny Dolenak has resigned from his position as Professional Racing Coordinator for Axo Sport America and Renthal in order to pursue other interests. Dolenak can be reacjed at 805/257-1525. Hi-Torque Publications' Scott Wallenberg has put together a motorcycle industry hockey game which will be played in conjunction with the Cincinnati Motorcycle Show on Sunday, February 18 at 10:30 p.m. Any interesfed riders, dealers or other industry personnel who would like to participate' can call Wallenberg at 805/295-1910. The. hockey arena is located 10 minutes AMA Nat'l MX Series announced T he American Motorcyclis~ Association has released the 1996 National Championship 125/25Occ MX Senes schedule. The 13-round series will visit 11 different states, and after a two-year absence, the Glen Helen round has returned. Note that the date of the Southern California event has been changed to May 12. March 3 May 5 May 12 May 26 June 16 June 23 July 7 July 21 July 28 August 4 August 18 August 25 September 1 Gainesville, Florida Sacramento, California San Bernardino, California Mount Morris, Pennsylvania Budds Creek, Maryland Southwick, Massachussets Buchanan, Michigan New Berlin, New York Troy, Ohio Millville, Minnesota Washougal, Washington Binghamton, New York Delmont, Pennsylvania Gatorback Cycle Park Prairie City OHV Park Glen Helen Raceway High Point Raceway Budds Creek Mx Park Motocross 338 Red Bud Track 'N Trail Unadilla Valley Sports Center Kenworthy's MX Park Spring Creek MX Park Washougal MX Park Broome-Tioga Sports Center Steel City USA