Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

IN THE WIND Ty Davis (Kaw) won the opening round of the AMA National Championship Enduro Series held at the Clear Creek OHV recreation area in Coalinga, California, on February 16, by dropping just 18 points. It was Davis' third consecutive Quicksilver Enduro win, and his third opening-round win in AMA National off-road racing this year Davis won the openers of the ational Hare & Hound and Hare Scrambles Series. Mike Lafferty (KTM) finished second with 20 points followed by defending series champion Randy Hawkins (Yam) with 23. Hare scrambles specialist Jason DaIiners (KTM) and desert racer Donnie Book (Kaw) rounded out the top five. in Glendale, California, on Sunday, April 6, beginning at 10 a.m. An estimated 5000 motorcyclists will ride to Calamigos Ran.ch in Malibu, California, for a concert and barbecue. The fee to participate is $35 with proceeds to benefit the World Children's Transplant Fund. World 250cc Championship Motocross regular Pit Beirer (Hon) won the 250cc Pro class in the fifth and final round of the GFI Winter ~eries South, held at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, on February 16. Craig Decker (Kaw) finished second with Casey Johnson (Kaw) third. Donald Upton (Yam) ended up fourth, which was good enough to earn him the series championship in the 250cc class. Bob Moore (Yam) won the 125cc Pro class over Johnson and Robbie Reynard (Hon). Jiri Dostal (Suz) won the 125cc series champion hip with his eighthplace finish. The Lake Whitney FMF Spring National, scheduled for March 13-17 in Lake Whitney, Texas, will feature $50,000 in contingencies from Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki, according to event promoters. Yamaha and Kawasaki are posting factory contingencies while Lake Whitney will be providing its own award programs for Honda and Suzuki riders. In addition, PowerBar has signed on as an event sponsor for the Whitn.ey race. Marc Colomer (Mon) won the first round of the Spanish Trials Championship on February 16 in Cordoba, Spain, topping Amos Bilbao (G-G) and Jordi Tarres (G-G). Lucky Strike Suzuki's Daryl Beattie and Anthony Gobert completed fewer than 40 laps in four days of testing at Eastern Creek, near Sydney, Australia, recently. The first three days of the test were interrupted by heavy rain while the final day was cut short after maintenance staff cleaned parts of the ultra-fast turn one that forms part of the raceway's drag strip, according to Cycle News correspondent Darryl Flack. Speaking from Eastern Creek as the crew packed up at 3 p.m., team coordinator Stu Avant blasted circuit management for the final-day debacle. "These tests were very important in terms of setting the direction for the 1997 RGv500 that we first tested here in mid-January," Avant said. "We now head off to Phillip Island for a few days of testing, bu t we're not ha ppy with the lack of management action at Eastern Creek." Plans are fast coming together for an ISDT Reunion Enduro, says former ISDT rider Leroy Winters. According to Winters, anyone who has competed in tne International Six Days Trials (now called ISDE), or who has been heavily involved with the Six Days, is invited to compete in the two-day enduro scheduled for September 6-7 in Turner's Bend (near Ozark), Arkansas. Riders are encouraged to ride the same bike, or e like it, on which they competed in e Six Days, as this event will cater to 'vintage motorcycles only. The event :wiJl be hosted by the Razorback Motorcycle Club with the help of the American Historical Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) and will consist of 45 miles of "non-bone-jarring" trails each day, and will conclude early enough on Sunday for the participants to enjoy a banquet that afternoon/evening. For more information, call 501/646-1168. The Lorenzo Lamas Ride for Life will begin at Harley-Davidson of Glendale The GNC International Motocross Final will be held at Mosier Valley MX, near Dallas, Texas, March 14-16. The race will feature $60,000 in factory contingency money and another $100,000 in aftermarket contingencies and will be held on a refurbished course. For more information, call Jerry Surber at 214/351-9900. • The AMA-sanctioned U.S. Vintage .Grand Prix, scheduled for June 9 at ew Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, will feature legendary Harley-Davidson factory rider Ben Campanele. Campanele will be honored at the event and will be available to sign memorabilia as well as lead the Lap of Honor around the race track. How would you like to have your own personal supercross track? Now here's your chance. Track builder Marc Peters has started his own business building priva te supercross or motocross tracks at what he says are "affordable" prices. Peters has built private tracks for riders such as Jeremy McGrath, Brian Deegan and Greg Albertyn, as well as for CMC Golden State Nationals and Trans-Cal Series MX events, and he can build tracks to suit anyone's particular needs and riding skills - from beginners to pros. Peters is located in Southern California but says he will travel anywhere. For more information, call 714/3679583. According to AMA President Ed Youngblood, the only auction with which the AMA has ever had an official involvement is the J. Wood Auction which takes place during July at the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. This year's event raises funds for the nonprofit American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation and will be held on July 12. The AMA has no involvement with Mid-America Auctions and British Only, according to Youngblood, despite the fact that the promoters used the AMA's registered trademark. J. Wood will also present its 10th Annual Daytona Antique and Classic Motorcycle Auction at the Deland Armory on March 8 in Deland, Florida. Well-known race wheel builder Robert Marchesini has announced that he has purchased Technomagnesio, another wheel company. U.s. importer Roger Slater recently returned from Italy and a visit to the Marchesini plant. "This is excellent news for us," Slater said. 'The Techno plant is three times larger than Robert's, which is bursting a t the seams." For more information, call Slater at 509/924-5131. Finall I t looks as though ATK will be stepping up with a race-ready, production-based dirt track motorcycle that aspiring Scott Parkers can purchase to give the sport a try. Although the machine resembles an ATK605CC, albeit with 19-inch wheels and White Power Roma forks, it is far more than just a lowered "DTX-style" motorcycle. ATK has collaborated extensively with the Michigan-based Total Control Racing Grand National team, commissioning riders Will Davis and Kevin Atherton along with Team Manager Tom Cummings to R&D the machine. As a result, the bike features dirt trackspecific frame geometry, with a decreased head angle to quicken steering. Though technical specifications were not available, the rest of the bike "appears to be standard ATKfare. '1t works pretty well, and it will make a great bike for somebody who wants to try dirt track racing," Davis said of the machine. "It's real predictable. It's not real quick handling, because the swingarm is a little longer than the bikes we ride, but when we shortened up the swingarm more, I could ride it, but some of the other guys didn't like it. This is a happy medium for everybody." Davis also said that the TCR team plans to further test .the machine and may consider competing aboard modified versions of it during Camel Motorcycle Week as well as at the Peoria TT later in the year. As for production of the as-yet-unnamed model, ATK officials were fairly tightlipped but optimistic. The motorcycle could see production as early as June of 1997 for the 1998 model year. ATK did say that it may consider producing two versions: the one you see here and a street-legal model with all the necessary DOT gear. Price? Plan on spending around $8000. The San Jacinto Planning Commission has recommended that Dan Rodgers be allowed to reopen his Rainbow Cycle Park in San Jacinto, California. The commission voted 5-0 to recommend a five-year permit for the track. The permit, however, must also be approved by city cound!. The track initially opened in 1995 as Rainbow Cycle Park, but former operator Bob Harvell closed it last September. Rodgers says he can·have the track up and running within two weeks of receiving final approval. The track will be known as "The Battleground." According to six-time World Champion Jim Redman, he will not attend the AHRMA Corsa Moto Classica road race at Willow Springs in Rosamond, California, on April 25-27. "I do not plan to attend and I apologize to any fans who may be disappointed. I hope to return soon to the USA to ride my trusty Honda six." Tickets are still available for the Team Obsolete Daytona Speed Week Banquet, according to Team Obsolete. Tickets are $35 for the banquet, which will be held at the Deland, Florida, Holiday Inn on March 6. The banquet will feature IS-time World Champion Giacomo Agostini. For more information, call 718/596-0504. Team Obsolete will also have its stable of multi-cylinder race bikes at Daytona International Speedway on March 3-4. According to Tea!fl Obsolete, the Gallina Quattro 750 superbike will be on display at the Team Obsolete pit area during the AHRMA race in Deland, Florida, on February 27-28 and again at Daytona on March 3-4. According to a press release from Motorcycle Online, road racer Shawn Higbee has signed a two-year contract with the. online magazine and will ride Motorcycle Online-backed Buells in the NASB EBC arakes Sportbike class. The team has also signed Corbin Saddles as an assodate sponsor. FMF will have support vehicles at both the GNC and lake Whitney events in Texas on March 13-16. For more information, call 310/539-6884. The Trailblazers will celebrate their ~ 53rd anniversary at their annual banquet on February 22, scheduled to be " held at the Sequoia Club in Buena Park, California. The club will honor the late ~. J.e. Agajanian at this year's function. For more information, call 714/557-9221 or 714/786-8183. The FIM has announced tha t all classes of the Open European Road Racing Championship, including the 125 and 250cc classes, will use unleaded fuel, according to the FIM technical rules. The dates for 1997 NASB/F-USA Championship Series have been confirmed with nine rounds set for the season. The tentative race scheduled for Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas, has been dropped from a previously released schedule. "We really wanted to b\ 0\ ...... ....0 N C cQ 2 ~ 1

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