Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

I·IN THE WIND· · Doug Lampkin (Bet) won the Scottish Six Day Trial in Fort William, Scotland, on May 5-10. Graham Jarvis (Sco) and Rob Crawford (Bet) finished second and third, respectively. Lonny Hallsted (Bet) was the highest-finishing American , tallying 60th place out of the 205 starte rs. Scott Summers (Hon) edged ou t Scott Ple ssinger for the overall win at the Grand National Cross Country race in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, on May 11. Summers took th e win by a wheel length over the defendi ng GNCC champ. Third went to Doug Blackwell (Kaw), while Fred Andrews (Yam) and Duane Conner (Yam ) rounde d out the top five. Mike Lafferty (KTM) scored the ove rall wi n at th e Rid ge Run En d uro in Stanho pe, New Jersey, on May 12. The eve nt was rou n d fiv e of th e EC EA End u ro Serie s. Th e runn er-up w a s Mark Spence (Kaw), followed by BiII Atkinson (Ho n ). Richard Lafferty (KT M) a n d Rich Shirk Jr. (Ka w ) rounded out the top five. Former National Enduro Champion Kevin Hines (CRE) was the overall winner at the CATRA Hare Scrambl es in Fish ouse, New York, on May 12. H ines battled with runner-up Tom Norton (Yam) throughout the race, but pulled out to a minute-and-a-h alf lead at the end . Todd Levesque (Yam) finishe d third. Quarter-mile speedway and dirt track motorcycle racing will return to Southern California for th e first time since 1993 as International Speedway will host an even t at Bakersfield Speedway in O ild al e, California , o n June 1. In additio n to the speedway bikes, there will be spee d way sidecars and a 600cc Pro-Am d irt track class . The Pro-Am ride rs will be racing for a $2500 purse. The race will mark the first tim e th at spee dway has visited Bakersfield since the mid -7 0s. International Speed w ay has also sched uled a similar qu artermile spee d way and dirt track at Perri s Auto Speedway in Per ris, California, on June 5. "We need to get d irt track go ing in Sou th ern California again, " International Speedway p rom oter Brad Oxley said. "I'd sure like to see it ha ppen again, and if.we have to combine them wit h the speedway at first, then that's just laying the groundwork for future events." Any riders interested in contesting these even ts should contact Ox ley at Internat iona l Speedway, 714/492-9933 . All events will be AMAsanctioned and thus pay AMA points. Speaking of international speedway, - British Premier League- based American rider Ch arl es "Dukie" Ermolenko was in ju re d in a pai rs m eet in g in Neustadt, Germany, on May . 5 . Errnolenko, who rides for th e Long Eaton Invaders, suffe red a broken femur similar to the ·injury th at befell his older brother Sam Ermolenko in the same country in late 1993. The latest word was that Dukie Ermolenko was stuck in a German h ospit al and was desperately trying to make his way back to Eng land to be wit h his w ife Julie, as the two are expe cting their first child any day now . All of the overseas- based American rider s wishing to gai n entrance into th e 1997 World In d ivi d u a l Sp eedway Championship Series have confirm ed that they will be at Fast Fridays Speed- way Auburn, Californ ia, to compete against the top Northern and Southern Ca lifornia-based speedway racers in the American Final on May 18. There was some doubt as to whether internationals Mike Faria, Chris Manchest er, Charlie Ve n egas and Brent Werner would return to compete at the Nor thern California track, which is not up to FIM size standards for a world championship event. But the AMA has stood fas t in its efforts to hold the round, which will transfer the top four qualifiers to the Overseas Final in Coventry, England, on June 9. Legis lation tha t wo uld repeal California' s mandatory helmet use requ iremen t fo r motorcyclists aged 21 an d ove r has bogged down in commi ttee, accordi ng to th e AMA . Earlier th is year, Assembly Bill 244, sponsored by Assemblym an Bil l Mo rro w (R-San Diego) , w as ap p roved by th e sta te assembl y and sent to the senate for considera tion. The Sena te Transporta tion Committee had hearings on the bill on May 7 and allowed propon ents and oppo nents of the legislation a half-h our to present their views . Members of ABATE of California, th e Modifi ed .Motorcycle Asso ciati on and the AMA w ere on hand to suppo rt th e repeal effort. Robert Rasor, the AMA 's vice president of government relations, prese n ted te stimony documentin g th at motor cyclists are just as likely to be insured aga inst accidents and injuries as automobile drivers, countering a common criticism of helmet-law proponents who claim that the public p ays th e majority of th e h ealth-care cost s associated w ith m ot orcycl e-r elated injuries. Rasor urged the committee to approve AB 244 so that California 's adult motorcyclists can decide personal safety iss u es for th emselves wi tho u t gove rnment intervention. After hearing testimon y, committee members vo ted 6-2 aga in st th e legisl ati on, but d id approve a motion from the bill's sp onsor that it be brough t back for reconsideratio n later in the legislati ve session. Supporters of the bill plan to red ouble their efforts to gamer suppo rt for legislation with key senate memb ers before the next committee vote. The May 4 Amateur /Pro-Am dirt track sched uled for May 4 at the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, was rained out. Spectator and entry fees are good for the upcoming June 15-16event at the fairgrounds. Two-time Class 400 SCORE Cha mpion Ron Gray is fighting Multiple Meylo rna, a rare form of blood cancer, at the UCLA Medica l Center in Los Angeles, California. Cards and letters can be sen t to Gray at Triver ton House, Att: Ron Gray, 900 Triverton Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024. Ha tch Glove s will be supporting the privateers who post top performances in the AMA Superbike and AMA National Motocross Series in 1996. A $500 aw ard will be presented to the top National MX priva teer with another $500 award going to the top superbike rider at the end of the season. The 1996 AMA National Hillclimb Series will begin on May 19 in Midd lebu ry , Indiana. H osted by the Ir o n Hor semen Mot orcycle Club, the hillclimb will feature the likes of defending Nationa l Champions Steve Dresser and Paul Pinsonnault. Youn second to none H u saberg' s M ike Young took the overall win with 2-3 moto finishes in th e fourth round of the AMA Western National Four-Stroke Motocross Series, held in conjunction with the AMA National Championship Motocross round at Glen Helen Racewav in San Bernardino, Califo rnia, on May 12. It was his seco nd overall win in as man y weeks. White Brothers's Spud Walters took his XR416 to secondplace honors wit h a 2-3 moto tally, while KTM's Lance Smail took his 620 to th ird overa ll w ith 8-3 moto finis hes. Brian Manley rode his KTM to fourth w ith 1-7 .mot os, an d CCM ' s Terry Fowler rounded ou t the top five for the day with a 5-5. You ng still lead s Smail in the champ ionship point standings by 17 points, 180-163. Round four will take place in Ogden Utah, on June 8. ESAB Welding an d Cutting Prod ucts will sponsor the first "AMA Mechanic o n the Mil e " award, with a custom le athe r jac ke t and a n ESAB Puro x Trademaster professional welding and cuttin g oxy-fuel outfit being presented to the mechanic who shows the "most tenacit y and profes sionalism" at th e Ma y 26 Springfi eld Mile . The 1996 AMA Mechani c of the Year award will be presented at the AMA Awards Banquet in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the end o f th e seas o n, w ith M o t orcycle Mechanics Institute providing th e winner with a vacation package to one of two MMI campus locations, eithe r in Phoen ix, Arizona, or Orlando, Florid a. Road racers Doug Chandler and Mike Smith will be guest instructors at the annua l two-d ay Penguin Racing School a t New H amp shire International Spe ed way on Jun e 11-12, just prior to the AMA Superbike National Championship round at the same facility. This yea r's program wi ll include a basic road raci ng sc hoo l as we ll as the advanced-pro school. Penguin will also host the Jimm y Adamo Mem o r ial Twins race at Loudon the day befor e the Superbike National. For more info rmation, call 207/548-2100. Danny "Magoo" Chandler led a gro up of m ot ocross racers, in clu d ing Greg Albertyn, Steve Lamson and team manage r Roge r De Coster, in vis iti ng a gro up of so me 500 st u den ts a t the White Rock Elementary School in Rancho Cordova, California, on May 6. The racers and former racers spoke on the importance of staying in school, safety and how to come back in life after a series of tragic struggles. The Cali forn ia Superbike School has pos ted con ti nge ncy m o ney in the NA SB 125cc Gran d Prix class for th e top three finishers who have compl eted one of the Keith Code/ Mo to Liberty 125cc GP schools . Three schools remain on the calendar: Oakh ill, Road Ameri ca and Lou don. For more information, call 800/530-3350. Former AMA National MX and Supercross Champion Rick Johnso n finished 15th in the NASCAR Craftsman Tru ck Series at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington, on May 11. John son qua lified 21st. On Monday June 10, the U.S. Class ic Racing Associ ation will pres ent th e U.S. Vintage Grand Prix at Loudon's New Hampshire International Speedway . In addition to vintage bikes, the event will feature a number of vintage riders - and sponsors. Sixty-six-yearold Canadian Jack Canfield, wh o has raced continuou sly since 1958, will be spo nsored by Ma c McConney, wh o will tum 100 in July. Canfield will race McConney' s 1970 Benelli 650 Tornado Twin. The event will also honor another livin g legend: American Kurt Liebmann, who like Canfield started roadracing in 1958 - at age 16 - and likewise raced every year since then. Liebmann will ride the Ho nda CR750 American Honda gave him in 1970 wh ich he has kept eve r since. A lso p resen t - and competing in some cases - will be the " Reu nio n Rid er s" who raced the old Belknap "Laconia" tr ack, predecessor to the Bryar Motorspor ts Park circuit at Loudon wh ich was in turn replaced by today's New Hampsh ire Intern ational Speedway's road course. Oth er wellknown vintage racers competing at the even t wi ll incl ude To d d H en ni ng, a five-race winner (every race he entered) at the 1996 AHRMA races at Daytona a nd a six-ra ce winner (of seven entered) a t th e AH RMA Willow Springs even t this sp ring. The $10 tickets include infield parking and a pit pass. For furt her information call USCRA at 603-239-6778. Plans to close the famed Bridgehampton Race Circuit on Long Island in New York have been delayed yet again. As a result, all four LRRS road racing eve n ts sche d uled at th e track for thi s season will be held. Stro ng sen timent in favor of keep ing the track in operation and concerns about th e environmental conseque nces of developing the proper ty surfaced at recent town meetin gs on th e matter, and ha ve at least delayed th e currentowner' s plan to turn the property into a golf course and residential development.

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