Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

is nothing because he's not trying hard enough." . Gobert, though, has the support of former World Champion Wayne Gardner. '1 think ability-wise of riding th.e bike, the guy is extremely talented," Gardner said recently on the Australian Television Network. "It's oozing out of his· pores. I think he has a bright future. I think he's got a real big learning curve right in front of him. I think riding superbikes is one issue and a 500 is another. The way I see the comparison is like riding a lounge chair - it's a whole lot easier whereas a 500 is difficult." Defending 250cc World Motocross Champion Stefan Everts has confirmed through Cycle News contributor Eric Johnson that he will definitely ride the - Unadilla, New York, AMA National Motocross on July 20. Everts will ride the FIM 250cc Grand Prix rounds in Brazil and Venezuela on July 6 and 13, respectively, then fly immediately to the United States to compete in Unadilla Valley. Everts also confirmed that his new HRC-backed race team is coming along very nicely and th.at he is pleased with the new CR250. Moreover, the Belgian also confirmed that the Phillip Morris Tobacco Company has assured him of support in the very near future likely a multiyear deal - and that the company is in the final stages of deciding which of its brands will be promoted through Everts' racing efforts. While no concrete facts have surfaced, rumors still persist that Everts is a candidate for American Honda's factory motocross team for 1998. However, the one welldocumented detriment to Everts' cause is his lack of supercross experience and skills. Only time will tell. The. 27th El Trial de Espana, the longest running observed trials event in North America, is scheduled to take place April 19-20 in the McCain Valley Recreation Area, 60 miles east of San Diego, Cali'fornia. In addiHon to being one of the premier trials events in the United States, the ETdE also acts as a major fund-raising event for the American Trial des Nations team, providing money for travel and other expenses associated with sending a U.s. team to the world-c1as event through raffles (both a donated Gas Gas and Montesa will be raffled) as well as through the sale of trials T-shirts and sweatshirts. For more information, contact the American Trials Association at 714/562-7742. The U.S. Women's Motocross League has announced the schedule for the 1997 AMA/U.s. Women's Motocross League Outdoor Championship Series. Events will be held in conjunction with selected rounds of the AMA MX ationals on the following dates: May 10-11 - San Bernardino, California; July 19-20 Unadilla, New York; August 16-17 Washougal, Washington. Events will feature pro payback and contingency money. For more information, on the West Coast contact Debbie Matthews at 714/837-3374; on the East Coast contact Star Hughes at 410/760-9528. A Harley-Davidson VRI000 and a repli. ca of Chris Carr are now being featured in the World of Speed exhibit at Daytona USA, Daytona International Speedway's museum. Carr donated a set of leathers for his mannequin and Harley donated the VRlOOO for the museum. According to Eddie Mulder, The Garage Company, the promoter of the Corsa MotoClassica at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, California, inadvertently sent out flyers advertising an Eddie Mulder IT and flat track scheduled for April 26-27. Mulder says there were never any plans to run those races and he apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused. Road racer Erik Schnackenberg recently suffered a broken trbia while training on a motocross bike in Salinas, California. Schnackenberg is hoping to be fit for the Road America round of the AMA National Championship on June 8. "1 started out riding 100s with Ricky (Graham - Schnackenberg's roommate) and moved up to a 500 motocrosser. I was a bit over my head on the third day . and I looped out off a table top jump. They said I'll be out six months, but I'm planning on going to Road America." Schnackenberg finished 34th in the 600cc Supersport final at Daytona in March. The FIM has announced that the July 6 round of the World Championship SOOcc Motocross Series, originally scheduled for Farleigh Castle, has been moved and will take place at Hawkstone Park, pending track homologation. Those wishing to join multi-time AMA Supercross Champion Jeremy'McGrath in a chat room on American Online can send their e-mail addresses to CMC Racing's Sondra Peters at SPCMCMX@ao1.com and will be placed on a first-come, first-served list. McGrath answers questions with fans at least once a month, according to Peters, and only 24 people are allowed in the chat room. A race and auction to benefit injured racer James Carmen will. be held at Motorcycle Raceway in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on April 19. Carmen recently suffered a spinal-cord injury, and the money raised will go to help pay his medical expenses. Former AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr announced that his MC Promotions firm has picked up sponsorship from both Burger King and Applebee's for the upcoming Spring Oassic Short Track at Lodi Cycle Bowl. "Basically it's through the local restaurants," Carr said. "We were in negotiation with them before the original announcement was made, but we're proud to say that they have agreed to come aboard and help us oLit as well as promote their products." Carr also announced that the Loral .Lake Racing Grand ational Championship team has posted $1000 for the pro dash for cash. The race is scheduled for April 2627. For more information, call 209/3692471. CORRECTION: The price listed for the Kendon lndustries Stand~up Big Bike Transport in the New Products section of CN Issue #13 was incorrect. The correct suggested retail price is $1449. OPENED, The AMA's bome page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.ama-cyde.org. LaRocco uits Suzuki T he absence of Team Suzuki's Mike LaRocco (right) was the talk of the pits at the Pontiac Supercross in Michigan on April 13. Accordmg to Suzuki team manager Roger DeCoster, LaRocco has asked to be released from his contract with Suzuki. "I got a phone call from Mike at 11 o'clock Thursday night, and he told me he wants to be released from the team," DeCoster said. It's been widely known among insiders that LaRocco hasn't been happy at Suzuki for quite some time, mostly because of in-house feuding between DeCoster and LaRocco's mechanic/ father Mike LaRocco Sr. - with LaRocco Jr. and the rest of the team caught in the middle. The problems started to surface last year and reportedly only got worse when Jeremy McGrath joined Suzuki at the start of the '97 season. T.he phone call from LaRocco to DeCoster on Thursday also comes on the heels of some controversy involving both LaRoccos. At the Houston . Supercross four weeks ago, LaRocco's Suzuki seized during the mam event. Two weeks ago, at the Orlando Supercross, there was talk in .the Suzuki pits that LaRocco tried perhaps a little too hard to keep McGrath from passmg him m the mam event, an issue that Suzuki management didn't take lightly given McGrath's close ,P0mts battle with Kawasaki's Jeff Emig. But DeCoster said that LaRocco gave no particular reason . for his wanting to quit during their phone conversation. Sources close to the team have indicated that management at SUZukI feels the LaRoccos haven't been "team players" and Suzuki management supposedly told th: LaRoccos that if they weren't happy and wanted out of the~ contracts that SUZuki would not stand in their way. Shortly thereafter, DeCoster receIved the phone call. So what will Suzuki do? "We'll probably release him from his contract," DeCoster said. "1 don't want to keep somebody who doesn't want to be on the team. But 1 don't see us releasmg him Wlthout some kind of penalty, because I don't want our other riders to that if .they have some little problem that they can just l~ave. In other sports, m thi~ type of situation the other team will buyout that person s contract, but I really don t know what's goU:g to happen until Monday (April 14). These things we can'tdo over the phone. ~t has to be done on paper and it will be up to my bosses. I think Mike feels that he hasn t been getting the same treatment as the other riders, but he has. His bike IS more tailormade than the other bikes." If Suzuki releases LaRocco, it is likely that he will move to Team Honda~ a team in dire need of a quality 250cc rider. Sources have indicated, however, that If LaRocco switches it will be without his longtime hIDer and father, Mike LaRocco Sr. "He (LaRocco Jr.) says he's been talking with Honda," DeCoster confirmed.. Apparently, LaRocco approached Honda's Jeff Stanton and spoke Wtth him about his wanting to leave Suzuki and perhaps Jouung Honda. But Honda IS tight-ltpped on the subject. , . , . "I haven't spoken to him (LaRocco) and we won t until he s totally out of his contract with Suzuki," Honda team manager Wess M~Coy s:ud. . . If LaRocco does have plans of moving to Honda, he 11 not only ha~e to c:ut his tles with Suzuki but also with his longtime clothing sponsor Malcolm Srruth - smce Team Honda has a contract with Fox. But reports indicate that the deal Will still go through. Sources who say the deal is indeed already done question only. the timing of the move. ApparentlYr it's no longer a question of whether or not Suzuki IS .gom!? to let LaRocco go, but only one of when. Suzuki p:uiY. in fact force LaRocco to walt until the end of the supercross series before they release him from his contract. LaRocco was unavailable for comment. tJ:ink Hwy., Granbury, TX 76048. 817/579-1414, SI7/5733378 (fax). AUTOGRAPH SlGNUIIG: At Grapevine Kawasaki in Grapevine, Texas, on April 25 from 7 to 8 p.m. Team Kawasaki's Jeff Emig.. Damon Huffman and Ryan Hughes are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 817/481-2500. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Central Yamaha in Plano, Texas, on April 25 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Team Yamaha's Ezra Lusk and Kevin Windham, along with Team Chaparral, are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 972/423-4089. SIGNED: Rock Oil, as a sponsor of Yamaha U.K:s motocross team. The team is made up of Rob Herring and Nathan Sh~ppard with the pair contestin~ the 250cc World Championship MX Series. Rock Od also backs 500cc GP ride.' Kurt Nicoll. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Honda Suzuki orth in Dallas, Texas, on April 25 from 6 to 7 p.rn. Members of Team Suzuki's supercross tearn are scheduled to appear. For more infonnatiofl, call 972/2414623. NAMED: US. Tsubaki, as General Motors ·Suppli· er of the Yeac" for the second year jn a row. General Motors issues such achi~ements to 100 of its 30,000 suppliers. OPENED: Innovation Sports' home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.isports.com. BORN: Cameron James Ward, to CryoLnbs coowner David Ward and his wife Claudia on April 3 in Orange County, California. Capt of Americ.1n Honda and his wife Rhonda, in AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At John Burr Cycles in HlRED: John Bui, as chief finan.cj;)1 officer of White Brothers. Bui was formerly CFO of Centon Electronics. Long Beach, California, on March 19. Fontana, Califomja, on April 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. Team IMS's Brian Manley and Mike Healey, along with White Brothers' Spud Walters, are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 909 / 653·7720.' HIRED: Dana Corey, as dicector of marketing for White Brothers. For more information, call 714/692· 3404, DONATED: 300 helmets to the National Motorcycle Safety Fund, by Shoei Helmets, to be used in Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) rider training courses. Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commisiofl, by Governor Pete Wilson. fN BORN: Samuel TIlayer Capt, to off-road racer Jeff OPENED: The Motorcycle Roadracing Association of Colorado's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.m.ra-racing.org. MOVED: Gaeme North America, to Snl Glen Rose SELECTED: Don Amador, to chair the California ..... I-< ~ 3

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