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/127803
IN THE·WIND I Alex Vieira, Chris-tian Lavieille and William Costes (Hon) won the 60th edition of the Bol d'Or endurance road race at the Paul Ricard Circuit in Le Castellet, France, September 21-22. The trio topped Terry Rymer, Doug Polen and Peter Goddard (Suz) in the ·rain-interrupted and shortened race. Third place went to Juan-Eric Gomez, Frederic Protat and Damon Buckmaster (Suz) Geoff Aaron (Bet) wrapped up his third consecutive AMA/NATC Trials National Championship with wins in the final two rounds of the series held in Omaha~ Nebraska, on Saturday, September 21 (Round 8), and in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday, September 22 (Round 9). Lonny Halsted (Bet) finished second on Saturday, followed by Ryan Young (GG). Jeff Kempkes finished second on Sunday, followed by Young and Mark Manniko (G-G). Mike Brown (Hon) was the big winner at the AMA Fall Classic Motocross Series round at Red Bud Track 'N' Trail in Buchanan, Michigan, September 22. Brown won both motos in the 250ccl Open class, while Keith Bowen (KTM) posted 2-4 moto finishes for second overall. Third went to Brock Sellards (Kaw), followed by Todd DeHoop (Suz) and James Povolny (Suz). Brown has both rounds so far and leads the series points chase with 100 points. Next is DeHoop with 82, followed by Bowen with 75. The AMA/FMF Eastern Regional FourStroke MX National Series round was held in conjunction with the Fall Classic race at Red Bud, and it was Mike Young (Hbg) scoring the ,win with 1-2 moto finishes. Keith Bowen (KTM) again finished second after taking fifth in the first moto and winning the second. Third went to Gene Naumec (Hbg), followed by Kelly Smith (Hbg) and Larry Gessner (Hbg). Young currently holds the series points lead with 97 points; Bowen is second with 81, and Naumec is third with 68. Ricky Carmichael (Kaw) topped the 125cc A and Pro divisions at the opening round of the Gold Cup Series held at the Gatorback Cycle Park in Gainesville, Florida. Anthony Pocorobba (Suz) finished in the runner-up spot in both classes and Jason Thomas rounded out the top three in the 12Sec A division. Alan Andrua (Kaw) finished third in the Pro class. Earl May won both the 25+ and 30+ classes over Jeff Frisz (Suz). Ty Davis and Dave Ondas (Kaw) combined efforts to win the Best in the Desert, Tonapah 300 team race in Tonapah, Nevada, September 21. The secondplace team was made up of Greg Zitterkopf and Dan Richardson (Kaw). Third place went to the Jim Gray IRick Bozarth (KTM) duo. Jon~Sebastien Roy (Hon) gave the homecountry crowd to something to cheer about after winning the Montreal Supercross in Canada, September 21. Roy took the checkers ahead of Kyle Lewis (Yam), Brian Swink, Doug Dubach (Yam) and Kevin Crine (KIM). . Tom Norton (Yam) carded the overall win at the NETRA Woodsocross Hare Scrambles in West Greenwich, Rhode I61and, September 22. Josh Me Levy (Hon) finish second, and P.J. Peculis (Yam) third. Team Suzuki Endurance (Suz) won the WERA six-hour endurance race held on September 21 at Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas. Northwest. Honda (Hon) finished one lap behind Team Suzuki but six laps ahead of the third-placed team, TKO Rayce Team Two. The tentative 1997 AMA Superbike National Championship Series schedule has changed. The ninth round of the series at the Mid..Qhio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, has moved from its original date of July 9-11 to July 18-20; Yama~a to go without Vance &'Hines Y amaha USA announced Friday, September 20, that beginning with the 1997 racing season, the road racing team will be· an in-house effort, similar to its motocross team, and that Vance & Hines Racing will no longer provide the technical support for the team. "The timing is right for us to bring the road race team in-house," said Larry Griffis, division manager of Yamaha Racing. "The motocross team has been organized this way for many years and we have found that it provides us a great opportunity to work closer with the factory. Yamaha will continue to strongly" support road racing and bring racing technology to the consumer with its YZF motorcycles." The change ends a seven-year run for Vance & Hines as the official Yamaha road racing team. "They wanted to downsize, save money and be closer to the factory and all those things point toward going in-house," Vance & Hines Racing's team owner Terry Vance said, September 23. "I hate to not be involved with them because it was great for my business and they were great to work with. They really are a great company and I feel very fortunate to have been involved with them. But business is business and they did what they felt they needed tb do. We'll go on and I hope to have an announcement on our plans real soon. We will absolutely be involved in road racing. I still have the truck and the team." \0 If Vance does indeed field a racing team next year, it will be with another manufacturer, though Vance wouldn't comment on who that would be. The former drag racing ...... champion also said there is a possibility of his company getting involved with dirt track racing, an effort that would help promote Vance & Hines' Harley-Davidson exhaust systems. "Nothing has been put together completely," Vance said. "I've talked to a lot of people and I'd like to do something with dirt track. I just don't know if we're ready to do that just yet." Although Yamaha has yet to announce firm plans for its 1997 AMA Superbike and Supersport racing team, the downscaling of the team may mean that they'll only field Tom Kipp for the coming season with the Ohioan racing both Superbike and the new YZF600 in the 600cc Supersport class. g: 1997 Yamah'a Tour Deluxe amaha has produced another variation of its classic Royal Star theme. It's called the Tour Deluxe and it gets hard saddlebags, four-in to-two exhaust system, repositioned ignition switch, whitewall tires, redesigned touring seat, convertible rear fender rack/passenger seat, floorboards and back rest, overdrive indicator and selfcanceling tum signals. We didn't get specifications with the release, but we don't really need them - it's all Royal Star and we'd venture a guess that the dry weight comes in just about where the Tour Classic's does - 725 pounds. According to Yamaha, "The Tour Deluxe is expected to broaden the appeal of the Royal Star family to buyers interested in both touring and cruising, who are more likely to add bolt-on accessories than engage in major customization." Yamaha is expected to release the price of the new Tour Deluxe at the Yamaha dealer show in Las Vegas, which will be getting under way as this issue goes to press. Y and the eighth round of the series at Brainerd International Speedway in Brainerd, Minnesota, also has a new date and will be held on June 27-29. The 13race series will kick off at Phoenix International Raceway on February 14-16 before heading to Daytona International Speedway on March 5-9. The AMA lists a TBA for the third round of the series on March 21-23 with the series going to Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California, for round four on April 18-20. Round five of the series will be held at the Homestead Motorsports Complex in Homestead, Florida, on May 16-18, followed by the sixth round at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, on June 68 and the seventh round at New Hampshire International Speedway on June 13-15. The Brainerd round will follow with round nine taking place at MidOhio on the aforementioned date. The series will visit Pikes Peak International Speedway for the first time on August 15-17 before heading to Sears Point Raceway on August 22-24 for the 11th round. A TBA is listed for September 19-21 and the series will conclude at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 3-5. Grand National racer Rich King has unfortunately shown no sign of improvement since his crash at the U.s. Motorcycle Nationals in Knoxville, Iowa, on September 21. As of Monday, September 23, King was still in the intensive care unit with more severe injuries than were originally reported (see the Knoxville Grand National report in this issue). The 33year-old Iowan has four broken ribs, a separated shoulder and a collapsed lung. Both of his collarbones are broken as well. Doctors inserted a chest tube to help the lung on Sunday. It was hoped that King would be flown to a hospital near his Waterloo horne later in the week, but it now appears that he may remain in the Knoxville hospital for a considerably longer period of time. Cards and letters can be sent to Rich King, 136 Monroe, Waterloo, IA 50703. Current World Superbike Championship points leader Aaron Slight has signed another contract with HRC to ride for the Hamill wins World S .eedwa title A merica's Billy Hamill (right) became only the fourth American in history to claim the World Speedway Championship by pulling o,ff an amazing victory at the Danish Gtand Prix in Vojens, Denmark, September 21. In doing so, Hamill joined Americans Jack MiIne (1937), Bruce Penhall (1981-82) and Sam Ermolenko (1993). He also becomes the first American to win the crown under the Grand Prix format. And as has often been the case when an American has ascended to the pinnacle of the sport, he did so in a dramatic fashion reminiscent of Penhall's '81 victory and Ermolenko's '93 triumph. Hamill was nine points down to series leader and reigning World Champion Hans Nielsen coming into Vojens, but the American took full advantage of a poor performance by home favorite Nielsen. A last place in his fourth ride relegated Nielsen to the ·B final, but Hamill had already done enough to make the A Final after posting four straight qualifying heat wins. ielsen kept up the pressure by winning the B Final, thus forcing Hamill to win the A Final in order to lay claim to the championship.