Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

:t/yJJerCycle Dad from Day_to_na HyperCycle Suzuki's Jason Pridmore and Nicky Hayden were disqualified from their first- and second-place finishes in the 'AMA Tearnline 750cc Supersport final at Daytona International Speedway on March 6 for equipment violations. The AMA confiscated the HyperCycle Suzuki GSXR750'cases after the race and took them back to Ohio for further measuring. Upon closer inspection they found the upper cylinder-case halves to have had metal removed from the base-gasket surface, and the pair were officially notified and disqualified on Tuesday, March 10, according to AMA road race manager Ron Barrick. In addition to the fact that the riders lose their championship J'.0ints and purse money, the Carry Andrew-owned team was fined $4000 per bike for a total of $8000. "It's the first time we've fined a team before, but last year HyperCycle had equipment disqualifications with Mark Miller, yet they still continue to play games," Barrick said. No one suffers more from the. disqualification than Pridmore. The defending 750cc Supersport Champion won the opening round of the series in Phoenix and also the second round in Daytona, yet he now trails new Daytona race winner Richard Alexander Jr. by 29 points as he tries to defend his title. Hayden, who suffered a mechanical nonfinish in Phoenix, now has zero points lo show for his efforts. "I think it's a shame, really," Pridmore said. "I just hope proFormer AMA Supercross and National Motocross Champion Donnie Hansen will conduct motocross schools at the Hardrock Cycle Park in Ocala, Florida, April 3-4, and at Muddy Creek in Blountville, Tennessee, April 6-7. For more information, call 719/495-2624. The Bostrom brothers, Ben and Eric, will be the featured guests at Sport Bike Night at In Calloots in Sacramento, California, on Monday, March 30, from 7 to ,10 p.m. For more information, call 916/373-1557. :AMA 750cc Supersport Champion Jason ?ridmore hopes to be back in action for the next round of the AMA/MBNA Superbike Series at Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, April 17-19, despite having a cracked wrist and broken collarbone. Pridmore, who crashed on the opening lap of the Daytona 200 on March 8, visited with noted surgeon Dr. Arthur Ting after Daytona but his injuries didn't require surgery. "I'm in a sling and a cast," Pridmore said, "and I'm hoping to be back for Laguna." To add insult to injury, Pridmore was recently disqualified 'from his victory in the 750cc Super port final at Daytona (see Wind box above). l Former World Superbike Champion Troy Corser was finally back on pace during a two-day Ducati test at Misano on March 11 and 12. The Australian lapped close to John K()cinski's lap record at the Italian track, ripping off a 1:34.296 on qualifying tires. Corser's teamma tes Carl Fogarty and PierFrancesco Chili also went well, with Fogarty turning in a 1:34.60 while Chili lapped at 1:35.30. Kawasaki Team Green is offering pit support for the Tonopah 300, scheduled for April 18 in Nevada. The price is $195 and space is limited. For more information, call 714/770-D4oo, ext. 2222. As if crashing out of the Daytona 200 wasn't bad enough, Yamaha's Rich Oliver returned to the garage area at Daytona International Speedway to find that tw.o sets of his racing leathers had been stolen. One set is his most recent factory Yamaha leathers and the other is a set of Team Oliver Yamaha leathers. Oliver would like to have the leathers back and is offering a reward for their return. Any information can be forwarded to Yamaha at 714/761-7511. _ ple can look at my past record. I've been on both sides' of the fence. I've been a privateer, where you think that others may be getting away witll things and that sometimes the rules are bent towards the factory teams. If something in my bike is illegal, then I want to be disqualified. I was the first one to call Rich (Alexander Jr.) and congratulate him. 1 just hope this doesn't give me a black eye, or hurt the Pridmore name, because this is not what we're about. There's nothing 1 can do. I'll just go out and hope it's legal the next time. I also hope this isn't a bad reflection on Suzuki, because it's only one person who did this." In addition to his disqualification, Pridmore's Daytona was also hampered by his crash in the Daytona 200 - a crash that left him with a cracked navicular bone in his wrist and a broken collarbone. "I broke my wrist and my collarbqne, and lost $10,000 all in one week - but I'm just going to put it behind me and go on. I've got a championship I still want to try and wi,n." According to Barrick, Pridmore's bike was more severely modified than Hayden's, though both were found to be illegal. "We're still considering our options," team owner and engine builder Andrew said on Sunday, March 15. "Basically, we disagree_with the AMA on a number of issues and plan to appeal it" ~ The National Geographic television show - featuring Lyle !-ovett, Malcolm Smith and Scot Harden riding KTMs through Chile - will air on Sunday, March 29 at 7 p.m. on TBS. Speedvision is gearing up for its sameday television coverage of the World Superbike and World Championship Road Racing Series. The shows .begin with the opening round of the World Superbike Series from Phillip Island, Australia, on March 22, with the race scheduled to air at 10 p.m. (Eastern). On April 5, the first of the 500cc GPs will air, with the Japanese Grand Prix scheduled to be shown at 2 p.m. (Eastern). Cycle News· contributor Dennis. Ndyes will do the play-by-play for the GP Series with color commentator Toby Moody and pit reporter Randy Mamola. Host Keith Huewan and analyst Julian Ryder will lead the World Superbike coverage. Meanwhile, on the AMAIMBNA Superbike Series front, Speedvision will air the Laguna Seca round live, beginning at 5 p.m. (Eastern). Ten of the AMA Superbike rounds will be aired live. The San Diego Antique Motorcycle Club's "Motorcycles in the Park Show" will be held at the San Diego (California) Automotive Museum from March 28 through April 5. More than 100 motorcycles will be on display in the museum. For more information, call 619/231-1636. According to a press release issued by F&S Kawasaki/Suzuki, motocrosser Tony Lorusso has been fired by the team for what it calls breach of contract. According to the release, FellS is reviewing resumes to replace Lorusso in the next few weeks. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Trackstar Motorsports in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 20 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Team Yamaha's Kevin Windham, Doug Henry and John Dowd are scheduled to appear. For more information, caIl 6]2/729-9391. CANCELED: The March 8 opening round of the AMA U.S. Eastern Motocross Spring Series, schedu1ed for Devils Ridge in Sanford, North Carolina, due to severe weather. The race has been rescheduled for April 5. For more information, caU 804/n4-4392. OPENED: Motocross racer Justin Buckelew's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.fustrace.com. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Midwest Motorsports in Hartford, llUnois, on March 27 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Team Yamaha's Kevin Windham, John Dowd and Doug Henry aTe scheduled to appear. For more information,call 618/251-3902. AUTOGRAPH SIGNlNG: At Carrollton Kawasaki Motorsports in Carrollton, Texas, on April 24 from 7 to 8 p.m. Team Kawasaki's Jeff ElItig, Damon Huffman and Ryan Hughes, and Team Sp'litFire/ProCircuit's Ricky Carmichael, Casey Johnson, Nic Wey and Nathan Ramsey are scheduled to appear. For more information, cali 912/418-6565. AUTOGRAPH SESSION: At Thousand Oaks Honda HRC Suzuki in Thousand Oaks, California, on May 7. Three-time AMA Superbike Champion Reg Prid.more and his championship-winning son Jason are scheduled to appear. For more information, caU 805/371-3000. OPENED: Motorcycle Tips and Tricks' home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at: http://www.axionet.com/mototips. OPENED: Willow Springs Motorcycle Club's home page. The site can be found at the foHowing address: http://www.members.aoLcom/racewsmc. BORN: A baby girl, Perri Lee, to .Baltimore County Trail Riders president Brett Friedel and his wife, Pasha, on March 2. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At J&:W Cycles in Washington, Missouri, on March 27 f~om 7 to 8 p.m. Team Kawasaki's Jeff Emig, Damon Huffman and Ry,an Hughes and Team SpHtFire/ProCircuit's Ricky Carmichael, Casey Johnson, Nic Weyand Nathan Ramsey are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 314/239-5575. HIRED: Bobbie Carlson, state coordina tor fat the Motorcycle Safety Program in Millersville, Pennsylvania, by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, as senior manager, effective May 1. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At St. Louis Power Sports in Valley Park, Missouri, on March 27 from 6 to 7 p.m. Members of Team Suzuki's motocross team are scheduled to appear. For more information, ~aIl314/22S-5600. HlRED: Gary laPlante, as marketing manager of White Brothers, by ~hite Brothers president Tom White, effective immediately. RETIRED: George G. Grauwels, after 33-plus years with American Honda Motor Co. tnc. Grauwels started in Honda's Parts Divisi,on before transferring to the Motorcycle Division. During his motorcycle career, Grauwels' assignments included tech,nical training instructor, press coordinator Lind, more recently, district service manager. Grauwels plans to spend his retirement on a farm in Wisconsin. CORRECTION: Team Extreme Off·Road rider Matt Pursley (Hus) won the Open A class at the opening round of the Grand National Cross Country Series at Okeechobee, Rorida, March 3. ~ FIM alters S eedwa GP format The FIM has elected to abandon the 16-rider, points-style riders in the series, such as reigning World Champion Greg Hancock. World Speedway Grand Prix format tllat it has used with success "On ~e one side, the FIM and tlle TV people feel that it's time over the past three years in favor of a new elimination system for this change because, as they say it, our program is not appealthat will utilize 24 riders. ing and is difficult to understand," Hancock said. "I can see why "Times are changing. The FIM is chartging," FIM president they want more riders in it, and a 24-rider system could be Francesco Zerbi said in a letter to all' concerned parties, explain- worked in, but I think that this system is going to be more diffiing the format change. "The speedway sport and the Grand Prix cult to understand than the old system. 1 just don't understand Series in particular must adapt itself well. This is why we have how the TV people, who were originally telling us that this was produced a new race formula that we believe will help the sport . such a great product, are now telling us that it won't fly without to move forward, will enable TV companies to attract new audi- these changes. . ences, will bring more TV networks into speedway, while offer"With the new system, there will be more wild-card riders," ing at the same time more opportunities to riders each season and, of course, the possibility for each staging country to include Hancock continued. "That means that they can choose whoever they want to bring in there. It has created controversy among the more local stars than before.:' Under the new system, the first round will be the ,qualifying guys who already qualified. And with the new program, the top round for all but the top eight seeded GP riders. The 16 riders eight guys don't even ride the fir t round. The bottom 16 get to will race twice, with eight advancing to round two and eight rid- have two rides to get their bikes dialed in while we sit there and ers dropping out of the program. In round two, the top eight watch them and then jump out on the track cold turkey in the seeds and the eight qualified riders from round one will meet, second round. That won't help us any. "Nobody seems to want to promote the sport. [ think that we with each rider again getting two rides. The top eight from this round will divided and sent to two semifinals, with the top two (Hancock and teammate Billy Hamill) have done a pretty good finishers in each advancing to "The Big Final," while the bottom job of that (with Exide), but nobody has followed suit, and it's frustrating. We need to try and capitalize on what we have, not two in each take part in the "Consolation Final." The new format has met with a mixed response among the top change it." a

• Cover