Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

I. . At round six of the AMA National Championship Enduro Series, held in Canton, Illinois, September 8, Randy Hawkins (Suz) came away with the victory, followed by Mike Lafferty (KTM) and Kelly Getz (Kaw). Ty Davis (Kaw) was 20th and dropped back to third in the championship points standings behind Hawkins and Lafferty, respectively. Shayne King (KTM) is the new 500cc Motocross World Champion after riding to fifth overall via a 5-6 moto tally in the final round of the series in Gaildorf, Germany, September 8. Sweden's Peter Johansson (Hus) won the event with a 42 tally and took third in the series. Shayne's brother Daryll King (Hon) finished second in Germany with a 3-3, and defending World Champion Joel Smets . (Hbg) ended up third after tallying a 2-5. Smets ended up second in the World Championship. In 125cc Pro action at the Suzuki RM Cup in Branson, Missouri, September 78, Davey 'Yezek took the win, with Cliff Palmer and Shane Esposito finishing second and third, respectively. Palmer rebounded to win in the 250cc Pro class, followed by Anthony Pocorobba and Billy Liles. In the first round of the four-round International Supercross Series, held in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Brian Swink (Hon) won the 250cc class followed by Phil Lawrence (Kaw) and Kyle Lewis (Yam). Mike Brown (Hon) took the win in the 125cc class, while Cory Keeney (Yam) finished second and Chad Pederson (Kaw) wound up third. Scott McNeely (Hon) won his first-ever AMA National Hillclimb by riding to victory in the 540cc class in the eighth round of the series in Freemansburg, Pennsylvania, September 8. McNeely topped David Watson (Hon) and Richard Soter III (BSA) in taking the class win. Mickey Dent (H-D), meanwhile, returned to winning for,rn by taking the &OOcc-class victory over Tom Reiser (H-D) and Jimmy Dingee (H-D). Points leader Lou Gerencer crashed on his first run but protected his 800cc-class points lead by riding to a careful eighthplace finish. Peter Goddard (Suz) extended his lead in the Shell Oils Australian Superb ike Championship after scoring back-toback wins in the penultimate round at Wanneroo Park in Western Australia September 8. Goddard won both legs to extend his championship lead to 31 points over Martin Craggill (Kaw), who finished second and third on the day. Suzuki rider Damon Buckmaster is in doubt for the final round of the Shell Oils Australian Superbike Championship on September 15 after being knocked unconscious on September 8 when the the car in which he was a passenger crashed after leaving the Wanneroo Park race. Buckmaster had finished fourth in the first leg, but ran off the' track in race two after coming together with Martin Craggill, reports Cycle Nl!Ws contributor Darryl Flack. Gary Clark (Kaw) defeated Keith Lynn for the Funnybike title during the AMA/Prostar U.s. Motorcycle Nationals at Atco Raceway in Atco, New Jersey, September 8. Bill Vose (Suz) won the Pro Modified class while Dave Schultz (Suz) claimed the Pro Stock victory. Chris Williams (Suz) and Michael Phillips (Kaw) were the respective champions in the Pro Superbike and 600cc Supersport classes. Team Suzuki Endurance (Suz) won the eighth round of the WERA National Endurance Series at the Memphis Motorsports Park in Millington, Tennessee, September 7. Team Suzuki topped Arelight Racing (Suz) by four laps in the four-hour race with Team Suzuki Too (Suz) finishing third. Lucky Strike Suzuki's Daryl Beattie was scheduled to test on Monday, September 9 at the Mugello circuit in Italy as part of his rehabilitation to see if he can <;ome back for the Catalunyan. Grand Prix on September 15 or whether he'll wait for th.e Brazilian round on October 6. Beattie has missed several races since suffering a fractured skull and a broken arm earlier in the Grand Prix season. "I've been working on getting ready to ride before the end of the season," Beattie said. "My concussion gradually went away, and the delay for the past few weeks has been getting my left arm back up to strength. That was the arm that they took a vein and some tissue from to fix my foot during the winter. It got pretty weak when it was in plaster, so I could hardly hold a handlebar. Now, thanks to the help and training with Human Performance, I'm fitter and stronger than I've ever been before. I'm going to the Fairborough air show this week, then we'll see about test- Another rainout R ain forced the cancellation of round 18 of the AMA Grand National Championship Series, the Syracuse Mile at the New York State Fairgrounds, which was scheduled for September 8. The event will not be rescheduled. The residual effects of Hurricane Fran moved north from the Carolinas on the Friday before th.e race, washing out not only the mile, but both of the weekend's professional short tracks as well. Many of the Grand National competitors ventured south to Middletown on Friday only to get in some practice before the harsh weather drove them away. It was more of the same on Saturday at Weedsport as the racers barely got unloaded when the rain came again. AMA referee Bruce Bober and event promoter Pat Moroney met Saturday evening and determined a cancellation time of 9 a.m. for the Syracuse Mile if the track was deemed unsuitable for competition. The rain continued throughout the night, all but sealing the fate of the event, and the race was officially axed shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday. The Steve Morehead-promoted Rossburg Half Mile at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, now will become round 18 of a 21-race series. The event will boast a record $50,000 purse. With no points awarded at Syracuse, defending event champion and reigning series champion Scott Parker still leads Total Control Racing's Kevin Atherton/ 228-214: Atherton's teammate Will Davis sits third with 213. Rich King is fourth with 210. Joe Kopp is fifth with 191 and Morehead is sixth with 190. Kevin Varnes is seventh with 151. Dave Cam1in, the last rider with a mathematical shot at the championship, is eighth with 144. There are two half-miles and two miles left to be run. IN' THE WIND I· Tresser wins Castle Rock TT; 600cc title to Land·es T he most successful season of Andy Tresser's dirt track career continued at the Castle Rock Fairgrounas in Castle Rock, Washington, on September 7. as the Californian added the AMA 600cc National Championship finale IT to a list of 1996 victories which already includes the 1996 Peoria IT. Fellow Californian Brett Landes (right) finished second while Washington's Dan Stanley was third.• But Landes' runner-up finish made the Team Undo rider the winner in the title race, allowing him to top Tresser by foUr points in the series final standings, 46-42, despite the fact that Landes did not win any of the series' three events. "At first I thought, 'Well, it's just the 600 championship:" Landes said. "But then I thought this is a championship that a lot of guys would Like to have. I was so close in points that I had to go for it. I wanted to win it for me. Now I can say I am the 600cc National Champion. Hopefully that will be worth soinething. . '1 like the way 1 won it," Landes said. "1 went into their backyard. Andy goes there all the time, so I consider him a local. 1 knew I had to get at least third if Andy won it. He did what he had to do. I did what I had to do. I wouldn't have wanted to win it if Andy had thrown a chain or something." The top three placings mirrored the order in the final standings as Stanley took third and third for the series ahead of former AMA 600cc National dlampion Mickey Fay, who finished fifth behind Rex Fisher at Castle Rock to take fourth overall in the standings. The margin between fellow Washingtonians Stanley and Fay was one point, '2928. Two-time Springfield Mile winner Dave Camtin, who was not in attendance at Castle Rock despite rumors that he would be, slipped from the series lead to fifth in the final standings with 26 points. ing. After that, we'll all have a think about the situation, and decide where to go from there." If Beattie isn't ready to race in Spain, he'll likely be replaced again by Brit Terry Rymer. The FIM Management Council gave its approval to the recent agreement between the FIM and Doma/ TWP with FIM President Francesco. Zerbi, FIM Secretary General Guy Maitre, and Doma Managing Director Carmelo Ezpeleta signing the agreement on September 7. "We are entering a new era for the FIM Road Racing Grand Prix World Championship," Zerbi said. "The task of each party involved in the Grand Prix shall be very precisely defined, being clear that the FIM is the world supreme authority." The FIM will hold authority and responsibility of the sporting, technical and medical rules; will issue licenses with the agreement of tlleriders' national federation; entries of teams and riders will be submitted to the FIM; the Grand Prix Commission will be formed by Dorna/TWP, FIM, GMPA, teams an.d riders, and the sponsors' association; the homologation of circuits will be the responsibility of the FIM; and the calendar must be ratified by the . FIM. Riders' have scores of championships due to 'top drawer' riders, teamwork, and high-caliber product engineering and development. Effective for the 1997 season, resources previously dedicated to racing contingency support programs will be assigned to other support areas. Therefore, we will focus our racing and engineering resources on further product development and selected professional teams. In the winner's circle, you will continue to see Honda-mounted riders... continuing the championship tradition of 'The Red Riders: " FMF Racing has announced that it will be the official sponsor for the East Coast AMA Four-Stroke MX Nationals. FMF will post $1000 for the top three riders and also will give away a free exhaust pipe to the top Amateurs at each event. For more information, call 310/539-6884. The hearing to decide the ultimate outcome of the 250cc World Motocross Championship will be held in Geneva on September 19. An Appeals Board will decide if Stefan Everts will retain the championship points which were recently returned to him following his disqualification from the British Grand Prix in June. AXO has re-signed Team Kawasaki's Damon Huffman to a two-year contract. As a signing bonus, AXO presented Huffman with a private membership to the Valencia Country Club golf course where memberships range from $50,000 to $200,000. "We know Damon Likes to play golf, so we made him promise us that he will still practice riding more than golf:' said AXO's Nick Hale. Dirt track. fans may remember the name Tammy Jo Kirk. The former AMA Grand National Championship contender is currently racing NASCAR, All Pro cars in the south. Although Kirk has only won only one race to date, the Georgian has five top-five finishes, ~ including two second-place finishes, in 0\ 1996. Kirk is sponsorsed by Lovable ..... Fashions. 00 American Honda recently sent letters to dealers to explain why Honda will not offer racing contingency support in 1997. "Over the years, Honda motorcycles have dominated virtually every area of racing... professional as well as amateur... on pavement and off-road," the letter from Ray Blank, assistant vice president, said. "Honda and 'The Red The 1996 43rd Macau Grand Prix Will be held on November 14-17 with the motorcycle portion of the event being billed as the Macau Motorcycle Super Challenge. ..... Four privateer road racers were presented cash awards from Elf Racing Fuels for their efforts in the AMA Superbike National at Sears Point Raceway in l-< Q) S .8 fr (f) 1

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