Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

insurance and Klimek 's med ical bills more than d oubled that amount. Despite the fact th at Klimek had paid dues to the Teamsters for over three decades, the union ini tially refused to cover any of his medical expenses, citing the local 's specific exclusion of coverage for any injuries suffered in motorcycle accidents. .... The FIM has announced that Californian St eve Whitelock has been appointed FIM Perman en t Technical Inspector to coordi na te the tech nical scrutineering p r o cedures in the World Su p erb ike Champion sh ip . Whitelock is a former team mechanic for Kawasaki and Grand Pri x coo r d ina to r for H ond a . In the 1980s, Wh itelock worked with HRC, initiall y as chi ef m ech ani c a nd lat e r as team manager for its mo tocross tea m . Wh itelock has been the p resident of AFAM USA Inc. since 1993. Reid G ol d m a nn suffere d a fra ct u re d fifth ve rte bra in a mot ocross cras h in Hillsb oro, Oregon on March 17 and is curr en tly pa ra lyzed fro m th e ch est down. Go ldman n u nde rwent surgery on March 20 at the Provid ence Portland Medical Center where he will remain for tw o m onths. Ca rds a nd letters can be sent to Goldmann at 425 SE 16th Ave ., Hillsboro, OR 971 24 or via e-mail at motoreid @ aol.com . According to a press release issued by the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), Alan R. Isle y has announced his retirement after 21 years as president of the MIC, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and the Special ty Vehi cle Institute of Ame rica (SVIA). "Our indus try was tru ly fortunate to have an executive with Mr . Isley's ability and char acter," said Bob Moffit, MIC Board Chairman. "It was our complete faith in his professiona l capa bility that led the industry to take the unusual step of asking Alan to also assu me the presidencies of the MSF and SVlA in the early 1980s. He will no t be easily replaced ." SBK Moto rsport has ann ounced a name chang e for th e Supe rs p ort Cham pions hip. Beginnin g in 1997, th e series will be called Supe rsport World Cup. The FIM has released a provisional calendar for the 1997 World Endurance Championship The schedule is as follows: 24 Hours of Le Mans - April 12-13; 16 Hours of Assen - April 26-27; 24 Hou rs of Spa July 12-13; Suzuka 8-Hour - July 27; 12 Hours of Anderstorp - August 9-10; Bol d'Or - September 13-14. Renowned m ot or sports photograph er Dan Mahony and his wife Vickie will host their Fifth Annual Pomona Picture Party with a change of ven ue to the Red Roof Inn in San Dimas, the official race headquarters for the Pomona H alf Mile, . on April 18-19. For more informat ion , call 417/993-5798. . 1-96 Speedway will add a 12-rid er 600cc Pro-A m In vita tio na l in addition to the 750cc and 883cc classes at its Grand National Championship round scheduled for July 6. The select 12-rider field will be competi ng for a $3000 purse. Riders will be invited based upon their pa rticipa tion and performance in five qua lifyin g events, star ti n g w it h th e Ap ril 20 District 14 season-ope ner. For more information, call 616/642- 6500 Shoei Helmets 123/ 250cc Na tional MX Champion sh ip, scheduled for May 12. In ad dition to small event posters, Glen Helen Raceway has also produced a limited number of these posters for speci al purchase. Printed on heavy stock and mea suring 24 by 18 inches, the posters can be ord ered from Glen Helen Racewa y Park, P.O. Box 6950, San Berna rd ino, CA 92412 for a cost of $8. • Cycle News contributor Paolo Gozzi recently spoke with Ducati 's World • Su pe rbike ho peful John Koci nski and reports tha t the Little Rock, Arkansas, native is tryi ng to learn to speak Italian . "I realized it was im portant to get the m ech ani cs to und erst and m e a nd ex pla in my fee li ngs ," Kocinsk i sa id. "F ranco Fame (the se nior engineer at Ducati), for example, doesn' t speak Englis bu t h e h as years o f ex perience which will be very useful. Speaking the lang uage is importa nt in this environm en t, es pecially when yo u' re dealing with the media. Oft en in the past I've sai d th ings that th e press have tot ally m isquoted jus t to show what so rt of a bad guy I was ." Bri d ges tone tires have ann ounced its intention to enter Formula One car racing in 1998. "Many ra cing enthus iasts regard Form ula One as the pinn acle of motorsports," president Yoichiro Kaizaki said . "We position Brid gestone tires at th e h ighest level and feel ou r p rese nce a t the world's race tracks will enhance our image as a leader in the tire industry." Kocinski also spoke about his offer from the Ma rlboro Roberts Yamaha team : "It wasn' t wha t I wanted ," he said. "I do n't think it's as importan t to race in 500 at all costs as it is to be happy insi de - to do what you want. I've found a family in Du cati ; relati on s with everyo ne are grea t, fr om president Clau d io Cas tiglioni righ t down to the last mecha nic. That's wh at rea lly counts." And on the Ducati, Kocinski said: "I raced a 500 for years, trying to get m ore acceler a tion , but I've found wh at I was lookin g for on th e Ducati . It' s in credible how a tw incylinder bike shoo ts you out of corriers. The first bike I tested was the 1995 one, weighing 155 kilos (341 pounds), and it handl ed s u p e rbly for a produ ction based machine. The one I'll be using this year weighs 162 kilos (356 pounds), and yo u can feel th e d ifference, es pecially under braking. I agree w it h th e ru les th at twi n and four-cylinder bikes must . have the sa me weigh t, but I th in k the limit should be lower - maybe 150 kilos (330 poun ds) . Racing bikes are made to be light, not as heavy as tru cks." Kaw asaki Motors Corp . USA will mark its 30th anniversary in April. The company has gro wn from offices in a onetime Chicago meat wa reho use to annual sales exceeding $800 million. Cagiva North Am erica is offering contingency mo ney for Husqvarna-m ounted rid ers in 24 d ifferent Natio nal and regional off-road racing series. Six classes (l25A, 250A, Open A, Four-Stroke A, A Vet and A Senior) are eligible to collect support m oney. Fir st pl ace pays $1000 in 'a National series and $600 in a regiona l se ries event. Up to $3000 in contingency suppo rt will be paid to each pa r ti ci pa ting Hu sq varn a d e aler for results posted by their enrolled , spo nsored rider(s). The Cali fo rnia Su p erb ike Sch ool will b e h o ld in g b oth ope n p r actice a n d sc hoo l sess io ns a t Ro ad America in Elkha rt Lake, Wisconsin, on June 5-6, p rior to the AMA National scheduled for Road America on June 7-9. For reservations, call 800/530-3350. Vertema ti Racing USA is now importin g Ver temati 500 cc fo u r -s tr o ke motocro ss bik es into the U.S. For an yone interested in pricing and availability of these hand-built, limited ra ce bikes, you can write or FAX Vertemati Racing USA at 2930 Grace Ln ., Unit J, Costa Mesa, California, 92626, 714/850-0317. To commemorate the return of AMA professional mo tocross to Sou thern California, Glen H elen Raceway Park has commissioned a sp ecial poster. Featuring Tea m Hond a' s Jeremy Mc Grath , this four-color poster for the upcoming The AMA has filled the two TBA dates on the Grand Nation al Championship Se ries sched ule . The GNC Experts will re tu rn to De v il ' s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, on June 15, and visit another new trac k, East Moli ne Dow ns in East Moline, Illinois, on July 20. The series now has 24 events scheduled . CORRECT IO N: The new telep hone number that we printed for Fast Fridays Speed wa y Racing in Auburn, California, was inco rre-ct. The correct number is 916/878·RACE. AUTOGRAP H SIGNIN G: At Mission Yamaha in Laguna Niguel, California, on April 13 from 10 a.m to 7 p.m, Team Yamah a, Doug Domo kos, and Larry Huffman are expected to ap pear . For more information, call 714/582-0351. AUT OG RAPH SIGNING : At Bert' s in Azu sa, Californ ia, on Ap ril 18 from 6 to 7 p. m. Team Suz uki 's road race team is expected to appear. For more informa tion, call 818/334 -1288. AUTOGRAPH SIG NING: At Race COs Cycle & Sport in Lapeer, Michigan, on April 12 from 7 to 8 p.m. Team Kawasaki 's Jeff Emig. Damon Huffman. Ryan H ughes and Mike Kied rowsk i are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 810/ 664-9261. OPENED: Gas Gas Motorcycles' home pag e on the World Wide Web. The address is as follows: http:/ /www.qni.com /gasgas. OPENED : The promoters of the World Superbike Championship's home page on the World W ide Web. Th e ad d res s is as fo ll ows: http:/ /www.superbike.it. CO RRE CT I ON: An ad verti sement in last week 's issue for the upcoming Charlotte Supercross featured an incorrect phone number. The correct number for tickets is 704/522-6500. CORR ECTIO N: The crew s for Muzzy Kawasaki an d Yoshimu ra Su zuki for th e rain-delayed Daytona 200 were made u p of 24 students from the Motor cycle Mechan ics Insti tut e (MMI) in Or lando, Florida - and not AMI. as reported in a recent issue of Cycle Nrn'S, As Mu zzy team manager Steve Joh nson said : "I was so impressed. . with the students' performance that I suggested we use ~ students next year, too." OPEN HO USE: At the Hollister Hills Slate Vehicu lar Recreation Area in Hollis ter, Californ ia. on May 4. MOVED: Bluegrass Motocross Par k Inc. to Clay City, Ken tucky, a new mile- long track only 20 minutes from the original location. There will be an ope n practice at the new facility on April 20. For more information, call 606/744-5916. AU T O G RA PH SIG N ING : At Perry ' s Ho nd a/ Kawasaki in Hohenwald, Tenn essee, on April 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Team Green's Larry Roeseler is scheduled to appear. For more informati on, call 800/ 421-2228. OP ENED: Brid geston e 's hom e pa ge o n the World Wid e Web. The site can be found at the followin g ,!ddress : http:/ /www.Bridges tone-firestone.corn, ex r-'------------------------------- --------------------------------, (Effi ~ SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM Name _ Address City _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State _ _ Zip Ord er Date _ Please start my subscription to Cycle News: o Every week for one year (50 issues) for $38.00 (can be billed 3 monthly payments) o Every week for two years (l00 issues) for $70.00 o Six months second class (25 issues) for $19.00 On e year (SO issues), 2nd class Canada or Mexico and all other foreign cou ntries $78.00 (U.S. funds). First class and airmail rates available upon request, o This is a 0 New Subscription o Renewal o Please bill me o Bill 3 payments of $12.67 o Enclosed is my check or money order Ch arge my 0 Visa 0 Mastercard Sign ature MC / Visa# _______________ _ Expiration Date rLI:"7LIl5\l ~ Inc . Send to: ~ 1..lJ..::J~, P.O. 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