Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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, dominantly left-handers with slow righthanders. We employed the same technology and won the last race of the season," Allen says. Gobert led the first leg until his normal rear race tire overheated. In the second leg he sw itched to the dual comp ound and won one of the most thrilling races of the year. "Ini tially, he thought it was the best one there over everything," Allen says. Australian Superbike Champion Kirk McCarthy, then with the Winfield Honda team and now with Suzuki World Superbike, ran the tire in both legs. The tire had also won at the Daytona North American Superbike (NASB) finale in October. "In the October race we had a limited output. We tested with six or eight riders to see w hat they thought," Allen says. "Our approach with the riders was that we have to tell them what's going on. We told them we'd done a tweak on the construction on the right-hand side." Georgian Tripp Nobles was one of the riders to get the new tire at Daytona and he ro d e it to wins in both superbike races. "From that we mad e-three new developments on the same thing for this test in December. It seemed to be rea sonably successful." . There were three different compound combinations at the December test, all using the same co nstruction. For the Daytona 200, there will also be dual-compound fro nts an d all of the tires, fronts and rears, will be available for anyone to purchase. In addition, Dunlop will have dual-eompound Superspo rt tires for sale. "Between September and Dece mber we had an extensive machine testing program," Allen says. "W e made tires an d tested the m from zero-degree camber to maximum ca mb er with high loads in every conceivable test we could th ink of." What they've discovered in their testing is that they can put virtually an y two compounds together on the same carcass, regardless of how great the differences in their rigidity. "I didn't think it would be so balanced. The compounds are like chalk and cheese," Allen says , employing a seldom -h ea rd Britishism. "They' re remarkably dissimilar." Though the results in testing have been encouraging, everyone involved in the project knows that it's not the same as racing. Every year there seems to be some measure of tire trauma and almost always an unplanned tire change . Th e tires need to go about 20 laps between pit stops, which they did repeatedly in testing, but the rac e p ace co u ld eas il y be more strident. "We've only gotten through a test, we haven't gotten through a race," Allen said back in December. "The race is this level plus 20 percent. The race is always tougher." "As far as pit strategy goes, we'll just have to wait and see. I think fuel mileage is the big key now," DuHamel says . "I do think the Dunlop guys will be able to do faster average lap times, and ho pefully with less risk." Dunlop has had consi derable success at Daytona, winning the past five 200s and eight of the last ni ne . This year's field is one of the strongest ever and several of the fastest riders, including threetime winner Scott Russell of Lucky Strike Suzuki and the Promotor Ducati team of Troy Corser and Mike Hale, will be on the rival Michelin rubber. Whether the Du nlop s treak will co ntinue won't b e known until late on Sund ay afternoon, March 10, nine m o n ths a ft e r Dave Watkins came up wi th a simple, yet ingenious idea . a. G et ready for a weekend of exciting motorcycle racing at the Toyota Challenge of Laguna Seca AMA National Championship Motorcycle Road Races.This will be the first race of the season on the new, expanded, I I turn, 2.238 mile road course . Headlining the weekend will be the highly competitive Superbike Series. See the factory teams from Smokin' Joe's Honda.Vance and Hines Yamaha, Muzzy Kawasaki and Yoshimura R&D Suzuki.This action packed weekend includes road races, sidecars and more! Don't blink or you'll miss all the non-stop action! FEAT URED R ACES • ROTTEN RO BBIE SUPE RBIKE • 250cc Grand Prix • Teamline 750 cc SuperSport • HP4 600cc Supe rS port • Performance Machines . SuperTeams Challenge • Progressive Insurance Harley-Davidson SuperTwins . P L U SI • Side Car Races • Vintage Bike Disp lay • Autograph Sessio ns • Free Paddock Access • Free G ra nds t and Se at ing • Free Parking A~11~ (AGUNATM eeSECA RACEWA Y TOYOTA .w VIDEO RELEASES Now Avai lable Through Cyc le News Video Theater SUPERMAC ATTACK 1995 Supercross Series Review (#325F) In this review of the 1995 AMA-sanctioned U.S. Supercross Series, watch Jeremy McGrath as he steamrolls his way to his third consecutive stadium title. From the opener in Orlando, to the controversial final round in Las Vegas, follow the supercross highlights at each 1995 round. 60 minutes from Motovideo. 31