Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

IN THE WIND go to Heartland," NASB/F-USA's Patrick Murphy said. "The problem was finding a date that fit in with our other events and it didn't happen. We certainly expect to be there next year." The series schedule is as follows: February 27-March 2 - Daytona Beach, Florida; March 15-16 - Rosamond, California; May 31-June 1 - Toronto, Canada; June 20-22 - Braselton, Georgia; July 19-20 Portland, Oregon; August 1-3 - Elkhart ·Lake, Wisconsin; August 29-31 Pocono, Pennsylvania; Qctober 3-5 Loudon, New Hampshire; October 30November 2 - Daytona Beach, Florida. Kenny Roberts' youngest son, Kurtis, will be sponsored by PJ1 Oils in his debut season of 250cc World Championship racing. "We are really going to enjoy this year," PJ1 chairman P.J. Harvey said. "Kurtis is a great kid and we want to get him up and running in a tough, competitive field. He knows he has a team he can rely on. We are providing him with reliable bikes a'nd a great team. We just want him to enjoy his first year on the circuit and learn as much as he possibly can." The PJ1 Oils team will be managed by Sparky Edmondson and the team will use RS250 Aprilias. Former motocrossers Brian Myerscough, Scott Burnworth, Gary penton, Dave Taylor and Rex Staten are scheduled to appear in the CRC/DG/John Burr Cycles-sponsored Vintage Hey Day MX Spring Series on March 2, March 30, April 13 and April 27 at Los Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale, California. For more information, call '805/272-8889 or 818/855-0441. According to' AMA road race coordinator Kerri Gunderman, all AMA licenses in 1997 will be photo credentials and must be displayed at all times, thus necessitating that photos be submitt~d along with license applications. Riders will also sign an ·annual release that must be notorized, thus the AMA is no longer able to process licenses at the track and the applications must be received at the AMA office 30 days prior to the rider's first event. Faxed license applications will no longer be accepted. For more information, call AMA Pro Racing at 614/891-2425. Three-time AMA Grand National Champion Bubba Shobert will serve as grand marshal for the 1997 Honda Hoot Rally, scheduled for June 17-21 in Asheville, North Carolina. Shobert will be on hand to kick off the 'event and meet and talk to motorcycle enthusiasts. For more information and a free brochure, call the Hoot Hotline at 800/347-1289. Buell owners who attend the Sunday, March 2, races at Daytona International Speedway will receive special VIP hospitality treatment, courtesy of NASB and Buell. After a catered lunch in the NASB trackside suite, the Buell group will be invited to share in the Victory I:'-. Circle celebrations with company presi0\ dent Erik Buell and the Lightning Series 0\ podium finishers. ,...... The J. Wood & Co'-26th Annual World Mini Grand Prix will be held on an allnew motocross track a t the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, according to \he NMA. The event will be held on April 3-6. For more information, call 909/6576782. 2 The 1997 Daytona Antique & Classic Motorcycle Auction and Vintage Bike Meet will be held on Saturday, March 8, beginning at 2 p.m. This year's auction will be held at a temporary new location in DeLand, Florida - at the National Guard Armory on Alabama Avenue. For more information, call 352-795-8895. The Tribute to Trackrnaster bike show will be held on March 3 in the main pit area at Daytona International Spe'edway. Sponsored by AHRMA and GMA All American Racing, the event is being held as a thank-you to Trackmaster founder Ray H.ensley and is open to all Sonic Weld and Trackmaster-framed motorcycles. There is no entry fee other than Daytona infield admission and awards will be presented during the lunch break in Monday's vintage road racing program. For more information, call Rusty Lowry at 301/872-5260. Museum curator Dale Walksler of Mount Vernon, Illinois, plans to both recreate history and help Grand National dirt track racing's future with a transcontinental motorcycle ride aboard a 1917 Henderson racer. Dubbing his . adventure the "Wheels Through Time Heritage Challenge," Walksler, who owns the Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum in Mount Vernon, plans to make the same trek as motorcycle racer Alan Bedell, who left Los Angeles on June 5, 1917, and rode 3200 miles to arrive in Staten Island, New York, eight days later. The run smashed the existing transcontinental record by three days. Walksler also plans to leave on June 5, at the same time of day Bedell did, and believes tha t he will better Bedell's record by a few hours: Walksler says that the purpose of the ride is to raise money for Grand National dirt track racing, and to that end he is seeking pledges for the endeavor. "So far we've raised $40,000," Walksler said. "I honestly believe that we can raise $200,000 for dirt track racing, which could really use it. While my museum collection, which features many classical, historical Class C racing motorcycles from the 1930s to the late 1960s, is my way of preserving the past, that doesn't influence the future. This is a way that I can contribute in a financial way to the racers that have given their continuous effort. to the sport of Grand National dirt track racing." For more information on the Wheels Through Time Heritage Challenge, call 618/2444118. The date for the 15th annual ICE Speedway Ice Racing National Championships has been announced. The event is scheduled to take place at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on March 22 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 970/262-9067. Glen Helen Raceway, in San Bernardino, California, announced it is expand- . ing its Amate!!r AMA National MX Day to two days, May 9-10. "We are confident that having the two days will give the amateur riders more track time and better racing conditions," Steve Nilles, MX Race Dir.ector, said. For more information, call 909/880-3090. BORN: Austin Scott Parker, to AMA Grand National Champion Scott Parker and his wife Wanda, on February 16, in Flint, Michigan. CORRECTION: The 'Steve Moreheadprom.oted VDTRA Vintage dirt track Nationals at Volusia County Speedway during Camel Motorcycle Week are orld Speedway Champion Billy Hamill will begin the defense of his title in May with the first round of the 1997 World Championship Individual Series in Prague, Czech Republic. The Grand Prix riders threatened to boycott this year's event after the controversial . solid-block tire row, but after long negotiations, the sport's authorities decided to change the rules. This meant the tires were not compulsory, and the future of the Grand Prix series was assured. N"ow Hamill will look forward to the challenge with confidence and optimism, hoping for a repeat of that dramatic night in Denmark last September when he was crowned as the world number one. Once again his main rivals will come from Scandinavia - Denmark's Hans Nielsen and Swedish duo Tony Rickardsson and Henka Gustafsson are certain to be in the frame. Add to this the threat of fellow American and Team Exide teammate Greg Hancock, and the prospect of World Champion racing should be an exciting one. But the top Americans will be ending their partnership in the British Premier League as both have signed on to new clubs since the demise of their Cradely Heath team. The closure of London as well means that American Josh Larsen, too, has gone elsewhere. Former World Champion Sam Ermolenko has also made a move since his Wolverhampton Wolves team could find no place for him. Hamill will now team up with Ermolenko and fellow Americans Chris Manchester . and Charlie Venegas on the Belle Vue Aces team in Manchester, while Hancock will race for the Coventry Bees, the team on which former top American Rick Miller spent his entire career. Larsen is headed to the Bradford Dukes, whose home track will host the British GP this year. Charles "Dukie' Ermolenko will make his return to Wolvernampton this year. For Hamill and Hancock, dealing with other clubs has proven different to say the least, as neither has ever ridden for anyone else. "It has been strange dealing with Belle Vue, because I was very disappointed about Cradely Heath's situation," Hamill said. "Hopefully we will be back at Cradely next season, but for this year I have to be very. professional in my approach, and when I'm out there on the track I have to give it everything I've got. I love racing, and I think that will be proved again when I race for Belle Vue and in the World Championship. I know I have a lot to live up to, but I think that I am in a position to challenge as strongly as I did last year when everybody had given the title to Hans Nielsen." John Hipkiss W scheduled to take place on March 4-6, not March 3-5 as was previously reported. Moto Liberty's fax nUmber instead of its phone number. The number is 972/242- AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Kawasaki of Ocala in Ocala, Florida, on February 28 from 7 to 8 p.m. Kawasaki's Team Green is scheduled to appear. For more information, call 352/732-8531. MOVED: Emig Racing, to 203 E. Walnut, Grain Valley, MO 64029, 816/8471100 (phone), 816/847-1102 (fax). AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Bleachers in Sacramento, California, on February 24 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. AMA Superbike National Champion Doug Chandler' is scheduled to appear. For more information, call 916/373-1557. HIRED: Nancy Emde, by Xtreme. Emde will serve as a sales representative for the apparel company which is located in Oceanside, California. For more information, call 619/630-6370. 6440. CORRECTION: Last week we reported on PACE Motorsports, involvement with the Cycle News Clayton Foundation Golf Tournament in Daytona Beach, Florida. PACE will actually be giving up $2000 in sponsorship dollars $1000 to the Clayton Foundation and a $1000 to the golfer who hits it closest to the pin on a designated par-3 hole. CORRECTION: An advertisement for the Florida Flat Track Series featured an incorrect phone number. The number to call for ticket information at Daytona Municipal Stadium is 904/253-RACE. RESCHEDULED: Again! The GFI North/South Showdown, to April 27 at Perris Raceway in Perris, California, due to excessive rain in Northern California. For more information, call 909/653-3212. OPENED: PB Creative's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.js-net.com/creative. RESIGNED: Kurt Liebmann from his position of president of AMOL Precision Corportation and vice president of AMOL Motorcycles Inc., effective January 24. HIRED: Don Abbott by North American Sport Bike as its chief of scoring for the NASB/F-USA Series. Abbott will be in charge of all computer operations. involving NASB/F-USA competition, induding scoring, timing and database development. NAMED: John Knott, as chief of California's Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. Knott replaces Jerry Johnson, who recently retired after holding the position for 10 years. CORRECTION: A recent issue gave AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Spaceport Suzuki in Titusyille, Florida, on March 6 at 7 p.m. Team Suzuki Motocross members are expected to appear. For more information, call 407/269-5941. eN I

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