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/127822
ROAD RACE By Henny Ray Abrams DAYTONA BEACH, FL, DEC.lD-12 ast week's issue featured the main story from the Dunlop and Michelin tire test essions at Daytona International Speedway, plus a sidebar story on the uzzy Kawasaki team. Trus week we look at the rest of the teams who were present at the annual Florida tests. Kinko"s Kawasaki A (Above) Miguel DuHamel gets.sideways on his RC45 at the exit of Daytona International Speedway's turn one. (Below) Yamaha's Tom Kipp In the International Horseshoe during the recent tire tests at the famed speedway. 20 t the end of the first day of the three-day Dunlop tire test, Kinko's Kawasaki team owner Robert Nutt found out that his team would be considerably different than he had envisioned. Thomas Stevens, who Nutt had picked up in Atlanta wrule driving to Daytona and who rode the IGnko's Kawasaki to one win and a second-place finish in the 1996 AMA 600cc Supersport Series, told rum in Florida that he had come to terms with Terry Vance to race on the all-new Vance & Hines Ducati superbike team. Nutt had no idea Stevens was negotiating with V&H, but held no hard feelings toward rus now former rider. "Careers are too short," Nutt said, rather charitably. "If it was just a normal business it would really' upset me. But it's racing. These guys risk their necks. Even though h.e was one of the best-paid Supersport pilots, ] don't feel justified in asking him to do what I ask him to do. I'm not here to hold anyone back." Before Stevens defected, Nutt thought he had a pretty good team. His original plan was to keep rus 1996 team of Jason Pridmore and Stevens intact. But Pridmore had a good year and got some very good offers, according to Nutt, and ended up signing with the "EBSCO M.edia Suzuki team. "It became apparent that I wasn't going to be-able to afford him and Thomas," Nutt said. "I made a tough decision to go with Thomas. Once I was confident I had Thomas, I let Jason go to do rus other deals. With Thomas I was comfortable pairing rum with Jamie Hacking." Hacking, a 24-year-old Briton who lives in South Carolina, raced in WERA last year. ''I'm really encouraged with Jamie," Nutt enthused after the first day of the test. "He got on the thing Monday and bested what we did last year. I watched him as a novice and he was doing it on rus own and doing it quite well. I watched him this year (1996) and kept in touch." "Robert (Nutt) talked to me at the GNP and said he was interested," Hacking explainE!d. "He said h.e was looking at me for next year. He just wanted to see what Jason' Pridmore and Thomas Stevens were doing. About two, three weeks ago (late November) he'called me." . Besides Kinko's, Hacking said he had some interest from Yamaha's Torn Halverson and Suzuki. . The transplanted Brit ended up nearly being the fastest 600cc Supersport rider on the unofficial clocks at Daytona, his 1:57.13 ending up second to Yoshimura Suzuki's Pascal Picotte, who toured the 3.56-mile track in 1:55.89. Hacking, though, was ahead of two-time defending Supersport champion Miguel DuHamel of the Smokin' Joe's Honda team. "It's a lot different than I thought it would be," Hacking said after familiarizing himself with the Kinko's Kawasaki ZX-6. "I rode the Kawasaki 600 and it beats the Honda 600 hands down. It handles wEill and runs well for a production bike." In addition, he was switching back to Dunlop tires from Michelin: ''I'm glad to be back on them. Michelin is a great tire. Dunlop is better," Hacking said. Who Hacking's teammate will be remains a mystery. Nutt said that he'd like to have former Muzzy Kawasaki rider Mike Smith, with whom he has already spoken. "I would love to get my hands on him," Nutt said. "I plan on giving Jamie James a call. That's.a serious tong shot, but it's worth a quarter for the call." . Whoever Nutt signs will only be racing in the 600cc Supersport class. Kawasaki made the decision to drop out of the 750cc Supersport class and Nutt said it was fine withhim. "My budget didn't suffer at all for it;" Nutt said. "We'll just go great guns in the 600 class because it's a tough class."