Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Cycle News 1996 10 30

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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liN THE WIND Mike Young Jr. (Hbg) won the AMA Eastern National Four-Stroke Motocross Series with his victory in the final round in Blountville, Tennessee, October 20. Young turned in a 2-2 moto tally to take the overall. win over Keith Bowen (KTM) and Spud Walters (Hon). Young won the championship over Bowen, 279-262 after six rounds. The 250cc Pro class of the AMA Fall Classic Motocross Series in Blountville was won by Mike Brown (Hon) over Kevin Walker (Yam) and Jim Neece (Hon). Brown also won the 125cc Pro class, topping Walker and Brock Sellards (Kaw). Doug Blackwel1 (Yam) won the first round of the AMA Mid-South Winter Hare Scrambles Series held in Greenville, Kentucky, October 20. Mike Morris (Kaw) finished second followed by Robert Patterson (Suz) and Mike Sampson (Kaw). Shad Ricketts (Suz) rounded out the top five. Ty Davis (Kaw) won the 250cc class in the Best in the Desert-sanctioned Desert Cross Saturday, October 19, in Jean, Nevada. Paul Krause (Kaw) won the 500cc class, Bryan Folks (KTM) won the 125cc class, and John Rudder (Yam) won the Over 30 Pro class. The American Motorcydist Political Action Committee (AMPAC) of the AMA has announced its top priorities for the upcoming November 5 general election. The AMPAC board has identified five key legislative races in which motorcyclists have the most to gain or lose through this election. And the organization has announced its backing for the following candidates in those races: Rep. Mike Flanagan, seeking re-election in illinois' Fifth CongressiqJ:lal District; Rep. Jim Longley, seeking re-election in Maine's First Congressional District; Anne Northup, candidate for Congress from Kentucky's Third District; AI Salvi, candidate for the U.S. Senate from TIlinois and Senator Bob Smith, seeking reelection to the Senate from New Hampshire. "Representatives Flanagan and Longley have been two of the strongest supporters of motorcycling in the l04th Congress," said Robert Rasor, chairman of AMPAC. "And they deserve our support in their re-election bids." Rasor added that Northup is running for the congressional seat from Kentucky currently occupied by Mike Ward, who tried last year to block efforts to repeal federal penalties against states without mandatory motorcycle helmet laws. Ward's effort to strip the repeal provision from a bill in the House was blocked by other House members who agreed with the AMA that the federal government had no business involving itseU in the issue. "AMPAC encourages all motorcyclists to research the issues, . find candidates in their area who deserve support, and then get out and vote on November 5," Rasor said. \0 ~ """" A recovery trust fund has been established for injured AMA Grand National Championship dirt tracker Rich King, who is still recovering from the severe injuries suffered at the U.s. Motorcycle N~tionals in Knoxville, Iowa,.August 24. Donations may be mailed to John Deere Community Credit Union c/o Rich King Recovery Fund, P.O. Box 6000, Waterloo, IA 50704. Wire transfers may be made to John Deere Community Credit Union, ABA # 273976369, Account # 1333180 - Savings - Rich Recovery. For more information, call 800 / 235-3228 or 319/236-5600. As it turns out, the schedule we were given recently for the 1997 AMA Superbike National Championship Series had an incorrect date for the 11 th round of the series at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, California. Sears Point will be held on August 29-31. The rest of the series dates are as follows: Phoenix International Raceway - February 14-16; Daytona International Speedway March 5-9; TBA - March 21-23; Laguna Seca Raceway - April 18-20; Homestead Motorsports Complex - May 16-18; Road America - June 6-8; New Hampshire International Speedway - June 13-15; Brainerd International Raceway - June 27-29; Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course July 18-20; Pike's Peak International Raceway - August 15-17; Sears Point Raceway - August 29-31; TBA - September 19-21; Las Vegas Motor Speedway October 3-5. Castrol Honda's Aaron Slight lapped just outside the lap record on the opening day of a two-day test session at Australia's Phillip Island circuit, the site of the final round of the World Superbike Championship on October 27. Slight lapped at 1:35.81. "I wasn't too bothered about a fast lap time," the New Zealander said. "I put in a fast lap in the morning th~ spent the rest of the day testing new parts and alternative setups. We tried some modifications to the forks, a new swingarm and some changes to the fuel-injection system." Slight's teammate Carl Fogarty, the lap record holder at Phillip Island, didn't participate in the test because he was sick. "It's a problem I've had for a few weeks:' Fogarty said. "As soon as I arrived in Australia on Tuesday I went to see a doctor and he told me I had a sinus problem." Fogarty's place was taken at the test by Honda test rider Hiroto Yoshiki. Last week we incorrectly reported that Australian road racer Shawn Giles would be aboard a Ducati in the final round of the World Superbike Championship in Australia, October 27. Giles will actually ride a Mobil-backed Honda along with Dean Thomas and Rip Crocker. The Ducati De Cecco deal fell through because of a lack of cash. The dates for next year's Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach, Florida, have been released with the event scheduled to take place on October 23 through November 2. Internet users can check out the lastest information on the event by checking the Biketoberfest home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at http://www.biketoberfest.com. Nearly 400 motorcyclists raised roughly $50,000 in the Second Annual Daytona Harley-Davidson and Boggy Creek Ride for Kids fundraiser in Daytona Beach, October 13. The ride featured grand marshal Kyle Petty, who led riders from Daytona Harley-Davidson to the Boggy Creek Campground in Eustis, Florida. More than 7,000 visitors, including offhighway vehicle leaders and enthusiasts from 32 states, Australia, and Canada, attended the 25th anniversary celebration of the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division recently in Gorman, California. The twoday celebration included a silver anniversary conference in Pasadena, California, and an open house at the 19,DOO-acre Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area. The theme for the event was "OHV Recreation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow." ction North America has finalized the details of its 1997 lineup of competition pee wee motorcycles. Action offers two pee wee motorcycles that are available from over 200 dealers nationwide. The 1997 Action Outlaw is legal for NMA Stock and Modified 4-6year-old and 7-8-year-old classes. AMA approval for these classes is right around the corner, we are told. The Outlaw features a modified Moto Morini 50ce motor with a 14mm Del'Orto carburetor. inverted forks and a hydraulic shock provide four inches of wheel travel at both ends. The slightly larger Action Attack is legal for both AMA and NMA Stock and MQ!:iified 4-6-year-old and 7-8-year old classes. The Attack features a highly tuned Moto Morini 50cc motor with a 19mm Del'Orto carburetor connected by a Boyesen Ra Valve with carbon fiber reeds. Conventional forks and a hydraulic shock provide over five inches of wheel travel. For more information see your local Action Motorcycle dealer or contact Action North America, Inc., 6063 Janes Lane, Naples, Florida 33942, 0 call 941/566-9666. A Honda Australia director Stuart Strickland has announced that multi-time Australian Motocross Champion Kim Ashkenazi will ride a fully backed 1997 ,Honda CR250 in Australia next year. Ashkenazi finished third in the 1996 AMA West Regional Supercross Series on a Primal Impulse/Bill's Pipes Honda CR125, but couldn't secure a ride to stay in the United States, reports Cycle News correspondent Darryl Flack. According to reports from Australia, World Superbike racer Kirk McCarthy appears to be losing his place in the Suzuki team to Pier-Francesco Chili. Chili is set to team with John Reynolds on the Suzuki World Superbike team while McCarthy may return to the Clyde Wolfenden-run Mobil Honda team in Australia. It now appears that the one-bike rule used this year in the 125 and 250cc Grand Prix classes of the World Championship Road Race Series will go away for 1997. According to the FIM, "There should be no limit in the number of motorcycles to be used during practice in the 125 and 250cc classes (pending a final decision to be made by the Grand Prix Commission)." The news came via a release issued October 19 from the FIM Congress in Bangkok. The FIM also announced that Wild Card riders can be chosen without any restric tion on their nationality. In the past, six 125 riders, six 250cc riders and one SOOc rider could partake in their home Grand Prix as Wild Card riders. Only a week after releasing its World Championship Road Race schedule, th FIM has announced that the date for th French Grand Prix, which was original ly scheduled for June 15, has changed t June 8. MotoWorld 2 was recently nominated for a Cable ACE award for the second year in a row. MotoWorld 2 and its host Jerry Bernardo were nominated for th category of best host of a magazin series. MotoWorld 2 is produced b Atlanta-based Seals Communication Corporation. Motojournalist Charlie Morey has Ie the motorcycle publishing industry t pursue a future in Internet/World Wid Web development. Morey, who bega his career as an associate editor of Cycl News East in 1974, went on to create Di Rider Magazine for Petersen Publishin in 1982. During his 14-year tenure at Petersen, he launched Bicycle Guide and Mountain Biker magazines. Since February, 1996, he worked as editorial director over Motorcyclist, Sport Rider an Motorcycle Cruiser magazines. Morey' latest endevor is as Web Content Man 1997 World Superbike schedule D uring the second day of the FIM Congress, the FIM announced a provisi schedule for the 1997 World Championship Superbike Series - a 14-round race) series that begins in March. The schedule is as follows: March 23 April 6 April 20 May4. May 25 June 8 June 22 July 13 August 3 August 17 August 31 September 21 OctoberS October 12 Phillip Island, Australia TBA RepubliC San Marino Donington, England TBA Germany Monza, Italy Monterey, California Brands Hatch, England Austria Assen, Holland Albacete, Spain Sugo,Japan Sentul, Indonesia (Phillip Island) (Misano) (Donington Park) (TBA) (Monza) (Laguna Seca) (Brands Hatch) (TBA) (Circuit van Drenthe) (Albacete) (Sugo) (Sentul)

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