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/127821
Supersport Series. "My departure from AMA Pro Racing has been prompted largely by a substantial increase in commercial printing sales at EBSCO Media from motorcycle industry members," sevier said in his release. "This increase in sales is requiring more and more of my time. Secondly, but not necessarily of lesser importance, I am wanting to spend more time with my wife, Barrett, who has also been 100 percent support~ ive of my racing endeavors over the past six years that we've been married." Road racer Dave Sadowski is still without a contract for the 1997 racing season, though he'd very much like to compete in the NASB Formula USA series again. "I was hoping to get back with Vance & Hines, but that didn't work out," Sadowski said. "Formula USA is probably the best place for me right now, but things are still wide open. I just needed a change from the Honda, but they"ll continue to run it." Sadowski raced a Bruce LaBelle-owned CBR900RR in last year's F-USA Series.' FOX Sports Net has been and will continue to air the AMAlPJI National Arenacross Series in 1997. The Rockford, Illinois, race will air on January 8; the Fort Worth, Texas, round will air on January 15; the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, race will air on January 22; the Niagara Falls, New York, race will show on January 29; Cincinnati's round will air on April 3 and the Denver, Colorado, race will be shown on April 10. The shows are scheduled to air at 8 p.m. in all time zones, but check your local listings to be certain. Speaking of the AMA/PJ1 National Arenacross Series, Pro Circuit has announced that it will be posting a contingency for the remaining youth 1ama- . teur rounds of the series. The names of the top three finishers in all of the 65250cc classes will be placed in a container and two names will be drawn from it with the winners receiving complimentary suspension setup, motor mods, and a pipe and silencer. The val ue of each package is $1,000, and it will be good for one time and one bike only. For more information, contact Lance Bryson at 817/246-7400. Harley-Davidson of Missouri's Darrell Jones and Dave Burks of Burks Racing will sponsor Kenny Coolbeth in the 1997 AMA Grand National Dirt Track Championship. The team will field two new XR750s, built by Carl Patrick. Coolbeth will also field a new Bill LePage-owned 600cc Rotax in the TIs and short tracks. Noted road racing engine builder Mike Velasco ~ill join the Honda Canada team for the 1997 Canadian National Road Race Championship. Velasco will build the Honda VTR1000F, which will be ridden by Jeff Sneyd in both Supersport and Superbike classes. The team will be managed by former racer Reuben McMurter. Australian road racer Peter Goddard will be a development rider for Suzuki, working with both the GSXR750 and the RGV500 in 1997. In addition, Goddard will contest the four-round World Endurance Championship and is likely to· enter the Australian rounds of both the World Superb ike Championship and the 500cc World Championship. Cycle News correspondent Darryl Flack also repods that Goddard will oversee Peter Goddard Racing's new signings Troy Bayliss and Mark Willis, both of whom will defend Suzuki's honor in the 1997 Australian Superbike Championship. ''I'm glad to have everything tied up for next year," Goddard said. "I really wanted to ride in the World· Superbike Championship, though, and I believed my performance at the final round at Phillip Island (Goddard finished fifth and eighth in the two legs) would've been enough to clinch it (a spot in Suzuki's World Superbike team), but it wasn't to be. I haven't got what I wanted, but I'm happy with the outcome all the same." In addition to racing as a wild card for the Australian Grand Prix, Goddard will serve as the replacement rider for the Lucky Strike Suzuki team in case either Daryl Beattie or Anthony Gobert is unable to compete in any of the 1997 rounds. Injured road racer Scott Zampach was released from the hospital December 13, and the popular racer will continue therapy on a daily basis at an outpatient center. Zampach was able to attend a Christmas' party hosted by Mitch Hansen, Zampach's 1996 race team sponsor. Just prior to Christmas, Marlboro Yamaha Rainey team owner Wayne Rainey still had no idea who his second rider would be for the 1997 500cc World Championship. "It's all real slow right now," Rainey said. "Marlboro is busy working on the Ferrari thing (Marlboro backs Ferrari's Formula One car team). We've got the Yamaha deal, we're just wai ting on the second rider." Rainey's number-one rider right now is Japan's Norifumi Abe. The 34th annual Motor Sports Press Association banquet will honor Doug Chandler and Eric Bostrom on January 11 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Pleasonton, California. Chandler won the award of Motorcycle Racer of the Year on a Road Course while Bostrom was awarded the Motorcycle Racer of the Year on a Dirt Track honor. Road racer Chuck Graves has signed a contract that will see him aboard a Bert's Motorcycles-backed' Suzuki GSXR600 in both local and National events. Graves will also work in the research and development departrnent at Bert's. Starwest Supercross Park in Moreno Valley, California, will be clo ed until January 21 for track renovations. The facility will reopen for Minicycle open riding/practice on Wednesday, January 22 and motorcycle open ridingl practice on January 23. For more information, call 909/943-4535. The GFI $10,000 Supercross Invitational will be held on January 4 at Perris Raceway in Perris, California. The race was won last year by Phil Lawrence. For more information: call 909/6534042. In a follow-up to an item run in our last issue of the year, Team Undo boss Jim Landes has now confirmed that Brett Landes will make the switch from Hondas to Harley-Davidsons for the 1997 AMA Grand National Championship Series. The 1995 Daytona Short Track winner will be riding XRs provided by former Davey Durelle sponsor Butch Donahue, but the machinery will still be decked out in Undo's Audiovox/Quaker State livery. Rick Canode will remain as the team tuner. The AMA has announced the date for its 1997 Ice Racing National Championship. The event is scheduled to take place on January 11-12 in Antigo, Wisconsin. Champions will be crowned in 25 classes for motorcycles and ATVs with one of the highlights of the weekend being the Kold Kutter Pro Shootou t, which will feature a $2,500 purse for AMA-licensed professional riders. For more information, call Larry Strangfeld at 715/743-3893. Officials at International Speedway Corporation announced December 30 that the Motorsports Alliance, of which the company is a member, has been selected by the DuPage Airport Authority as the prospective developer of a superspeedway on vacant airport property west of Chicago. The Alliance's selection in a competitive RFQ (Request for Qualification) process permits it to conduct exclusive feasibility studies to determine the project's economic and environmental viability. The superspeedway being discussed would feature a $60 million, 1.5-mile oval track with seating for 80,000 spectators and 20-30 corporate suites. 'The duration for the feasibility study has not been determined, but it could be as long as 18 months. Formula USA has announced which motorcycles qualify for its 1997 racing series. The following manufacturers or importers have applied to have their listed 1997 motorcycles homologated for competition in F-USA. Al11996 and earlier models that were on the eligible list for F-USA will again be approved for 1997 wi th the exception of twostroke motorcycles, which are no longer legal for F-USA competition: American Honda (none); American Suzuki (GSXR750, GSXRllOO, TLlOOOS); Ducati North America (916, 748, 900 SP 1CR, M-900); Honda Canada (VTRlOOOF, CBR900 RR, CBR600 F3), Kawasaki Motor Corp. USA (none); Moto Point (Bimota SB6, Bimota YBll); Muzzy Motorcycles (Raptor 850); Triumph Motorcycles America (Daytona T595, Speed Triple T509, Daytona 1200); Yamaha Motor Corp. USA (YZF600RJ, YZF1000RJ). British road racer James Haydon has signed a contract to ride a Gia.Ca.Moto Ducati in the 1997 World Superb ike Championship. The 23-year-old Brit will team with Italian Paolo Casoli on the Bologna-based team, with Casoli set to compete in the Supersport World Series on a Ducati 748. BORN: 'Jamie Lee Pomeroy, to former factory Bultaco and Honda motocrosser Jim Pomeroy and his wife Linda, December 6, in Yakima, Washington. MOVED: FasTrac Racing to 1525 E. Francisco Blvd., Unit 3, San Rafael, CA 94901-5560, 415/459-7433 (phone), 415/459-5668 (fax). CORRECTION: In our previous issue (Issue #50, January 1), it was reported in a news item that Paolo Pileri, the former 125cc World" Champion and seven-time GP winner, had disappeared and was wanted by the rtalian fiscal authorities. It was further reported tha t Paolo Pileri was the manager of the 500cc GP team that last year fielded Alex Barros and this year planned to run 125cc World Champion Haruchika Aoki in the 250cc class. The above news item, in fact, relates to his brother Francesco Pileri. Paolo Pileri runs a 125cc team and has no connectio'n with Francesco Pileri's current situation. . CORRECTION: The dates for the 1997 NMA events which were listed in Issue 50 featured an inco~rect date for the World Mini Grand Prix. The race will take place in Las Vegas .on April 3-6 and not April 30. BORN: Nicholas Scott Sampsell to AMA District 6 Vet MXer Scott Sampsell and his wife Kathy in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, November 1. BORN: Nicole Michelle Robertson to former twins racer Dave Robertson and his wife Heather in Maynard, Massachusetts, November 29. OPENED: American Suzuki Motor Corporation's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at this address: http://www.suzukLcom. ANNOUNCED: Ross Clifford, as the new chief executive officer of Triumph Motorcycles America. Clifford joined Triumph Motorcycles Limited U.K. in 1994 as a quality engineer; he then moved to the sales and marketing department before being promoted to general manager of Triumph Germany. Clifford will continue to work in Germany through January and will join Triumph America in February. OPENED: U.S. Maico's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.nti.net/maico. With Jerem.y McGrath's expected departure from Team Honda, one rider whose name continues to come up as a possible replacement for the multi-time champion is Damon Bradshaw. The Idaho resident, however, is more likely to compete aboard a Manchester Honda in this year's AMA Supercross and 250cc National MX Series. OPEN HOUSE: Pro Circuit will be holding an open house at its new facility in Corona, California, January 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. Factory riders will be on hand to .sign autographs, and many of Pro Circuit's new race bikes will be on display. For m.ore information, call 909/738-8050. OPENED: International Speedway Corp.'s home page on the World Wide Web. The address is as follows: http://www.daytonausa.com. APPOINTED: Kent Kunitsugu as editor of Sport Rider magazine. Kunitsugu previously served as road test editor for Motorcyclist Magazine, another Petersen Publishing publication. MOVED: The headquarters for WERA, to 4595 Towne Lake Parkway, Building 300, Suite 100, Woodstock, GA 30189. The phone and fax numbers remain the same at 770/924-8404 (phone) and 770/924-1277 (fax). OPENED: Motion Pro's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.motionpro.com. MOVED: Forward Motion, to 2315 S. Stoughton Rd., Madison, WI 53716, 608/222-5761. Forward Motion is an engine-tuning business owned and operated by Eric Gorr. CN